Lingerie...The Lake and Stars

The Lake and Stars...If you are looking for something ulands2002010186_prod_medium-horz.jpgnusual but beautiful for your bridal lingerie, check out The Lake and Stars...so different, so cool!

A white magic wedding

A white magic wedding..intriguing! where to start.....

                                                   Lots of candles and candle holders...

                                                               Be at one with nature...

                                                                           Go natural...

                                                                       Slight nostalgia...

                               Wax seal your invites..custom made stams sold with wax on Etsy.com

                                               It has to be outdoors..a garden party perhaps..
A white magic wedding doesnt need to be gimicky, it can be tasteful, meaningful, boho and special. stay natural, delicate whimsical and add lots of white decor with pieces of old..quill and inks, leather bound books, seeds, plants, papers, pottery.

Nymph dress

                                                       Love this little nymph dress!
                                  Found this lovely number in the bridal section of Etsy.com

Stephanie Allin

Stephanie Allin, What a great lady! I have worked with Steph in the past and learnt so much..a true bridal expert, so much fun, so enthusiastic..no wonder she has so many awards under her belt! I must add, my favourite dress right now is the Ingrid dress..wow! its simple in shape but detailed in texture

Vintage inspiration

The Vintage Wedding Dress Company

The vintage wedding dress company is stocked in: The white closet, Didsbury, Manchester

Secret Garden Wedding inspiration

Arley Hall...summer 20212 special!!!

Arley Hall is another wonderful venue on my doorstep, I will be going shortly for a little visit, taking lots of pictures and finding out more about the venue for you, for now here is a brilliant summer2012 offer they have : Friday weddings
Exclusive use of Arley hall ground floor
Drinks for your guests on arrival
3 course meal with wine, coffee and cava/sparkling wine toast, DJ and disco, with bacon/sausage sandwiches in the evening included.
Minimum number of guests = 60, £100 per person
Contact: shelagh.bebington@arleyhallandgardens.com

Jenny Packham...

No one likes a name drop, but really during my career I have met and spoken to some top bridal designers and none so nice as Jenny Packham. I found her to be everything you would expect from a bridal designer..kind, soft speaking, generous, happy and willing to help and this was to me! a sales assistant, she did me a huge favour, saved my neck AND hired my friend for work experience all in one day! great woman.Thanks Jen xx
My favourite JP dress= Eden. I have a once worn size 10 eden dress if anyones interested? I can also get my hands on more once worn JP dresses..looking for something specific? contact me x

Alice in wonderland inspiration..

Wanting an Alice in wonderland theme? Bring a little old to the new..monocles, leather bound books, old books on the tables, top hats for the guys, tea dresses for the gals, vintage flowers, lots of glass detail will help and create curious confusion..make things look like other things hence the tea cup cupcake most of all the location has to have a sense of nostalgia and fun...for more ideas get in touch! xx

Lady Edith and Lady Bridget

Front and back view of Lady Edith dress, Silk jersey with lace trim, vintage beads on sleeve and long sheer belt that becomes a train and alternative veil.

Lady Bridget two piece dress, as seen before..
I take regular commissions for these dresses, I have over thirty designs and can create commissioned pieces if you have something particular in mind, all dresses are handmade in England. The dress will be made based on your measurements and I can do alterations if you are in the Cheshire area. Contact me for quotes on stephaniegracemitchell@yahoo.co.uk

Don't we all love those Downton Abbey styles? I was asked to design a range of wedding dresses that reflects this era but without being costumey and gimmicky.. not a problem, my favourite era, I had a folder full of designs already! I will post some examples for you to see (next post)...anybody looking for a highly romantic, simple yet elegant dress?

Tatton Park

I am lucky enough to live about four minutes from the entrance of Tatton Park and I regularly see the most spectacular weddings there. It really is a great venue, look at the smaller Lord Egertons apartment (bottom right) this could be transformed into something spectacular for a more intimate ceremony..overlooking the steps down to the gardens..wow, its blowing my mind a little! I can just imagine creating an elegant vintage tea party in here its all in the detail..I know this because I helped a friend she used all of my contacts within the bridal industry to create something dreamy..I can help you too just ask! I always loved the botanical gardens..(bottom left) a great place for guests to have a sip of champaign on arrival.

Pink inspiration

Grace loves lace...and I love those dresses

"Style defines each one of us on a daily basis and your wedding day should be no different" hear, hear! absolutely agree, who said we "have" to wear structured meringues with tiaras and pearls? no one! it was just a trend and these days trend is whatever you make it so, if you are like me and opt for the bohemian style, take a gander at this stunning range of boho dresses by grace loves lace...
I know, I know this blog was meant to showcase my own designs and my own work but hey, I love the bridal industry and if I see something special I want to spread the word.
grace loves lace.com.au
grace loves lace can be found on Etsy.com

A sneak preview...Lady Bridget

Here is one of my first bridal wear designs," Lady Bridget". A 1918 inspired two-part dress. The skirt is detachable from the lace slip and is held by antique decorative hooks. There is bead detail to the lace neckline and shoulders and comes with a matching glove bag (bag that is part of a glove!) This is a copy of my original sketch but most people who look through my portfolio are drawn to this gown.
I have taken many commissions and will be happy to answer questions if you are interested in my designs
contact me directly: stephaniegracemitchell@yahoo.co.uk

Beautiful and unique...crowns and headwear

Looking for something different, beautiful,boho,dreamy and all things splendid for your bridal headwear? Then look no further than London based Rouge Pony. Beautiful and unique handmade crowns and headwear. These pieces were born straight out of a day dream....they will add charm and elegance to any boho wedding.
I also happen to know that Rouge Pony owner Karin makes gorgeous little mini head pieces for children and will welcome commissions. Simply adorable.

Find Rouge pony on Etsy.com and asaos marketplace.

Perfect days, perfect props

Create perfect romance at a vintage inspired wedding by using the right props. This week I bring you the gramophone, a very British icon and a beautiful piece of machinery that will automatically take your guests imagination souring back through time to the sound of yesteryear.
Recommended:

Perfect days vintage.co.uk Kate has a beautiful collection of china and props-anything you cant find just ask and she will work her magic for you!

Simple and chic. Table decor and favours in one

Potted plants and flowers. Nothing more quaint, make them wild flowers for an extra vintage feel. By using large pots you can create visually stunning arrangements for your guests and after the wedding day you can plant them in your garden. However, using an arrangement of smaller pots, depending on how many guests are invited, you can included them as favours to be taken away by guests with a little hand-written note in each one, expressing how thankful you are to them for celebrating a most joyous day with you!
P.S Plants and flowers in watering cans and ceramic jugs look amazing too...
Recommended:
Fryers roses (cheshire) fryers-gardencenter.co.uk
perfect days vintage.co.uk

Those pesky wedding stealers..

How many of you have felt so comfortable amongst friends, family and colleagues that you have divulged your full future wedding plans..and in some detail? Only to find out weeks later that a member of that party has now become engaged and has STOLEN your wedding dream. As you recall her original plans were quite different and maybe even fit for the crappy pages of a cheap magazine featuring a fake-baked "z" lister.

Now I suspect this has happened more often than not. For us, the victims, of a beautiful idea stolen without shame or remorse are left with a dilemma. Do we scream "hey hang on a minute you filthy rotten thief!" (lets duel!!) or do we let it go? let it go because they are engaged and we are not and if we tell anyone we are made to look like we are jealous but we are not, we are disappointed and actually quite the victim.

This has happened so often, stories I have heard throughout my career in the bridal industry, sister-in-laws stealing dream dresses, people turning up to a friends wedding two weeks before their own and realising the whole day has been stolen. It happened to me, during a lovely conversation between myself and an ex colleague, where we would get married what would we do, wear,say..her original plan included her parents summer house in Wales bla,bla,bla I told her about my beautiful boho plans only to find out that sure enough a week later she was telling everybody her plans for a "boho wedding" all sounding very familiar! To conclude, maybe we should keep some details to ourselves because for those with no imagination, stealing a wedding is the only option.

Has it happened to you? Let me know xx

Its a "sign"

As I am writing the above first post of my new blog (exciting!!) I receive a parcel..it is a vintage wedding dress from the late 70's early80's that I had bought from London..I take this as a "sign" that I am on the "right path" that loosing my job is not the end of the world, that my passion for the bridal industry will continue in my own work, my own vision and my own business. The dress does need a little work but that is what I love to do and as I take it out of the box I try to imagine the lady who will one day purchase the dress for herself in all its newly found glory, I find that the tremblings of worry that had sat in my stomach after loosing my job, begin to disappear and melt away...

All the way home...

So, I ran out of the bridal boutique where I had been working for the past year and I run all the home, in tears..I have no job and a house to pay for, two children to provide for and OMG! I finally get home in a daze, look around my house asking myself "what can I sell?" I need to gather everything up and sell it on Ebay (this was my first plan) But as I looked around my workroom, my office I realised I had too many things that I wouldn't want to sell on Ebay. A collection of vintage wedding dresses, hair pieces that I have made, shrugs and boleros I had started, metres and metres of fabric and a portfolio of bridal designs (I had 2 bridal commissions already for this year) LIGHTBULB MOMENT!!!...call my boyfriend.."err honey, I think I might start my own business" ..xx