It’s with great regret that this will be my last post on The AZ Wedding. Myself and Mr AZ have started a new company- Mrs Leaney’s Vintage China Hire, which, being the paying job, has got to take priority. I have greatly enjoyed writing for you, and have made some fantastic industry contacts. Hopefully I’ll see a few of you in my new business as well!
Lots of Love,
Mrs AZ x
Hello everyone, today I have a real wedding for you that has been submitted to me by the wonderful photographer, Annemarie King.
Rob, an Applications Specialist for Siemens Medical, and Rach, a Diagnostic Radiographer, met at York Hospital (where Rach still works) in 2004, when Rob came as a student (he initially trained as a radiographer). They got together in the summer of 2005 (at 5 years Rach’s junior, Rob is a toyboy!)
The couple got engaged on 27th April 2010 (the day after my wedding anniversary, coincidentally!). Rob arranged a mini-break in the Yorkshire Dales, which is a favourite place of theirs. They were staying at Yorebridge House, which later became their wedding venue, when Rob arranged breakfast on a private terrace in their room- after they’d eaten, Rob popped the question with a beautiful Trilogy diamond ring. Rach obviously said yes, and the couple then enjoyed a walk with their pet dog, Molly, before having a picnic that Rob had preordered from The Wensleydale Heifer, one of their favourite restaurants- what a lovely man!
Rob and Rach got married on 1st October 2011, at Yorebridge House in Bainbridge, and Rach tells me ‘We can’t praise the staff enough, they were all fantastic and made sure everything went smoothly’.
Rach’s bridesmaids were her sister, Emma, her best friend Becky, who came all the way from Australia to be there for Rach on her big day, and Ali, who is Rach’s closest work friend. Rob only had a best man, Payam, who is an old school friend.
Rach’s hair and makeup were done by the fabulous Visage Hair & Beauty, making her look even more beautiful and showing off that beautiful veil perfectly!
Rach got her Alan Hannah dress from Brides of York, and her Benjamin Adams shoes were from The Bridal Rogue Gallery in York. Rach’s absolutely amazing veil was handmade by Brides of York. They used two flowers (one provided by Alan Hannah, and the other from the dress when alterations were made) to make a fantastic and striking birdcage veil, which Rach says was ‘very quirky and very me!’
Rach’s necklace was a wedding day gift from her mum, and her bangle was a wedding day gift from Rob, which came from Porta Dextra in York. Her bracelet was a gift from her sister which came from Sacred Earth, and was her ‘something old’.
The bridesmaids’ dresses were by Impression and came from Brides of Harrogate. The bridesmaids wore their own shoes- Rach’s only stipulation was that they had to be silver. Rach bought them earrings as a gift from Lilly Shambles.
Rob’s suit was made by Upper Ten, and was a three-piece lounge suit with a lining to match the bridesmaids’ dresses, and the wedding date embroidered inside (how sweet is that?!). The best man and both fathers wore simple lounge suits with waistcoats which they hired from Plush Bridal.
The couple’s stationery was handmade by Joanne Friend at Little Box Room Designs. Rob and Rach were able to customise one of Joanne’s existing designs, so they had very beautiful and unique invites as a result.
The flowers were by Angels & Roses, with Rach’s bouquet being a mix of pink roses. The bridesmaids had small posies of pale pink Avalanche roses, and the best man and both fathers had a buttonhole of a pale pink Avalanche rose to match. Rob’s buttonhole was a pink Cezanne rose to match the ones in Rach’s bouquet.
As well as the beautiful bouquets and buttonholes, Angels & Roses created a beautiful large heart wreath for the front door of the venue, and some displays for the main ceremony/reception room, the bar, and the guest book table. Table centres were birdcages (hired from Plush Bridal) filled with roses, and the couple asked their florist to also provide loose petals for confetti, and loose roses for each place name, and to decorate their ‘Rob & Rach’ letters on the mantlepiece. Guests were given confetti-filled cones, each with a romantic phrase on them, from The Wedding Fairy.
Rob & Rach played their own CDs during the ceremony and wedding breakfast. Rach walked down the aisle to Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’, and the couple walked back down the aisle as man and wife to ‘You’ve Got The Love’ by Candi Staton. During the drinks reception and early part of the evening, entertainment was provided by Holly Taymar, who is an acoustic guitarist and singer- she was able to make the most of the unseasonably beautiful October weather by performing outside during the day. Evening entertainment was provided by Rob’s brother-in-law, who used to be a DJ.
The couple’s gorgeous cake was made by Helen Scott, an old school friend of Rach’s. The cake was actually a two-tier heart shaped cake, with the third tier being fake! The cake had one tier of chocolate sponge and another of lemon, and was decorated with pink and white icing and covered in hearts- so adorable! It was topped with a mini replica of Rach, Rob and Molly the dog.
Catering was provided by Yorebridge House, and the couple were lucky enough to be able to offer their guests a choice of three dishes for each course, as well as canapes. For the drinks reception, guests were offered beer, fruit punch, or ‘Winter Pimm’s’- this was meant to be served warm, but due to the unseasonably hot weather, it was served chilled instead!
The couple’s favours were themed depending on the table- all the tables were named after something or somewhere that is special to Rach and Rob. The gardening table were given seed favours, the Scotland table had Loch Ness monster and bagpipe player marshmallow lollies, the Molly table (named after their pet dog) had spaniel finger puppets and chocolate, the walking table had a walk route and a mini picnic hamper full of sweets (each sweet was food-shaped, making up the picnic!), and the French table had mini pails full of bonbons. The top table was the Dales, and each guest was given chocolate.
Rob and Rach’s first dance was ‘Make You Feel My Love’, which was performed by Holly Taymar.
Rach’s friend Denise made bunting in the wedding colours, which she embroidered with their names and wedding date. Rob and Rach also placed a Polaroid camera with the guest book. Rach says ‘guests really enjoyed playing with the camera, and it made for a most memorable guest book!’
Rob also made their very own wedding website (which is still live, here). This is a fab way to pass on information to your guests without filling up the invitations! The couple included directions, places to stay, and things to do in the local area, along with a form that guests could fill out to submit a song to be played at the reception! What a brilliant idea!
Rob and Rach spent a lot of time hand-making many of the details for their wedding, including their table plan, which was made from two heart-shaped photo holders and interspersed with photos of them which linked to their table names and themes.
Rachel broke with tradition and gave a speech after the others were finished, to say some lovely words about her gorgeous groom. In another break with tradition, single men were also invited to try to catch the bouquet!
Supplier List:
Venue- Yorebridge House
Photography- Annemarie King
Hair and Makeup- Visage Hair & Beauty
Dress- Alan Hannah from Brides of York
Shoes- Bridal Rogue Gallery
Veil- Brides of York
Bracelet- Sacred Earth
Lingerie- Kathryn Rolfe
Bridesmaids’ Dresses- Impression from Brides of Harrogate (or another website here)
Bridesmaids’ Earrings- Lilly Shambles
Rob’s Suit- Upper Ten
Best Man & Fathers’ Suits- Plush Bridal
Stationery- Little Box Room Designs
Flowers- Angels & Roses
Birdcages- Plush Bridal
Entertainment- Holly Taymar and Rob’s brother-in-law
Catering- Yorebridge House
Confetti Cones- The Wedding Fairy
So, what does everybody think? Would you have thought of having a veil made using flowers from your dress? Would you have a giant wreath on your venue’s front door? Let’s hear your opinions!
Lots of Love,
Mrs AZ x
Hello all,
I know I said I’d be back on Monday, but I’ve stupidly managed to lose part of the charger for the laptop that has all the photos I need on it! I’m searching high and low, and will bring you lots of lovely content when I finally manage to find it!
Sorry, sorry, sorry!
Mrs AZ x
//
Hello everyone,
I hope you’re all well. I’ll be back properly tomorrow with a real wedding feature, but I wanted to let you all into a secret and ask for your help…
I will soon be launching a new blog, focusing more on the kinds of weddings I’m really passionate about- namely rustic, vintage, or a little bit different.
The big question is, what should I call the new blog?
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Mrs AZ x
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Hi all,
I just wanted to drop in to direct you all to a fab post over on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings today, on how to make your very own origami hearts… now, I’m not at all arty, but I just had a go and it’s bloomin’ easy! You can find the wonderful post here. Huge thanks must go to Lou over at Whimsical Wonderland Weddings for such a fab tutorial! If you haven’t checked out her blog before, go and have a peek, it’s one of my favourites, and always full of such prettiness!
Mrs AZ x
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Hi all,
I’m very conscious that I’ve abandoned you all lately. Some of you will know that ‘real life’ has taken over recently, but I felt you all deserve an explanation. Unfortunately my mum was diagnosed with lung cancer a couple of weeks ago, and will be having an operation very soon, so my mind has been on her, and not weddings (understandably). On top of that, our eldest daughter is undergoing assessments for autism, so that’s all taking a bit of adjustment too. I hope you all understand, and will continue to support The AZ Wedding.
Mrs AZ xx
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I’ve spent this week gathering ideas and content, and in doing this, I’ve realised that one of my favourite things about other blogs is the weekly links to other sites… so I’ve decided to do the same thing here!
Fabulous venue, The Redwoods Treehouse, New Zealand- I would love to get married here!- seen on Alice In Weddingland
An Open Letter From Your Bridesmaid- Well worth a read so you don’t get too bridezilla! – From DIY Bride
We Dare You Not To Look- This is just utterly adorable- From Emmaline Bride
Guest List Tips- This actually has some different content to the tips you see everywhere- From Every Last Detail
Not Your Boring Wedding Video- This is just fantastic!- From My Love Story
A New York City Fall Farm Wedding- I don’t think there’s a single bit of this that I don’t love! – From Green Wedding Shoes
Beet & Chèvre Ravioli Hearts- Perfect for Valentine’s Day! – From Petite Kitchenesse
Silhouette Accents for the Home- I’d love to have these in my house! The dachshund is particularly cool- From Better Homes & Gardens
Allan & Sarah-Jane’s Engagement Session- Such a gorgeous shoot! – From Jen Owens Images
Hamish & Katie’s Wedding- Those bridesmaids’ dresses are wonderful! – From Jodie Chapman
How To Freeze The Top Layer Of Your Wedding Cake- A useful how-to – From The Vegas Wedding Planner
Jenny & Tom’s Wedding- What a gorgeous vintage bride! – From Lillian & Leonard
Creative Shoot- Mmm, ice cream! – From Lily & Frank
Rock ‘n’ Roll Styled Shoot- I want to be this cool! – From Kat Forsyth
Angela & Richard Pre-Wedding Shoot- I’m not sure a couple’s love has ever been more evident- from ShutterLeaf
Weddings Around The World- Some amazing traditions here! – From Sour Cherry
How To Survive a Large Wedding Show- Especially useful at this time of year! – From McAvoy Photography
Laura’s Something New? – The great name-change debate- From Whimsical Wonderland Weddings
So, what do you all think? What’s your favourite of these links? I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
Mrs AZ xx
gs
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This shoot was sent to me by photographer Andrew Dobell. It was commissioned by Selsdon Park Hotel to show how beautiful their stunning venue can look for winter weddings. Amazingly, the shoot was only commissioned 7 days before it actually took place, so everything, from the dresses to the cakes, all came together in an outrageously short space of time! I can’t really write this article without mentioning that the makeup artist for this shoot was actually the bride from my first Real Wedding feature, Tania- her wedding can be found here.
Now, it’s time for me to let the photos speak for themselves!
Suppliers List:
Venue- Selsdon Park Hotel
Photographer- Andrew Dobell
Makeup- Tania Claire
Florist- Wisteria Green
Cake- Lisa Broughton
Stylist- Memories To Remember
Dresses- Red Cross Bridal Charity Shop
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Oh my goodness, do I have an exciting feature for you today! The wonderful Mira Zwillinger studio have allowed me to feature their brand new ‘Reflections’ Bridal 2012 collection! I honestly can’t explain how amazing this is for me- these dresses are magical, there is no other word for it.
Beatrice gown by Mira Zwillinger
I had never heard of Mira Zwillinger until I spotted one of the new dresses last week, and instantly fell in love. So, for those of you not in the know, here’s a bit of information for you:
Mira Zwillinger is an Israeli couture designer who was established in 1991. To quote directly from the studio, ‘Mira’s approach is an unapologetic celebration of sophistication and elegance’… I couldn’t have put it better myself! Mira’s clothes use absolutely beautiful fabrics, interesting designs, and fabulous finishing touches.
Lihi gown by Mira Zwillinger
The ‘Reflections’ bridal collection is a collaboration with Mira’s daughter Lihi, who comes from a ‘street wear’ background. Lihi recently got married herself, and fell in love with bridal gowns, leading her to join the business and launch this collection.
Toanette gown by Mira Zwillinger
Each and every gown in the collection is handmade using the finest fabrics from Paris and Milan. What makes each gown so special is that the studio use various combinations of different types of lace, textures and hand embroidery to create innovative new fabrics.
Margaret gown by Mira Zwillinger
‘Reflections’ bridal gowns cater to a classy and elegant bride, who wants to feel chic and glamorous on her big day.
Shanee gown by Mira Zwillinger
‘Reflections’ gowns can be purchased exclusively at Mira’s Tel-Aviv studio, at Brown’s Bride in London, or for those of you in the USA, they will soon be available at Mark Ingram in New York.
Celeste gown by Mira Zwillinger
There will be a Trunk Show for the ‘Reflections’ collection at Brown’s Bride, 12 Hinde St, London, on 3rd and 4th February 2012 where brides placing an order on any ‘Reflections’ gown can get a 10% discount, so get going people!
For appointments, please call 020 7514 0056 or email brownsbride@brownsfashion.com
Elizabeth gown by Mira Zwillinger
What more can I say? I really think these gowns speak for themselves. I love the romance of them, the beautiful femininity, and I simply ADORE the ultra-sheer fabrics on gowns like the Gloria, that make the lace appear to be floating on the skin.
Gloria gown by Mira Zwillinger
As well as the very girly gowns, you can certainly see Lihi’s streetwear influence on the funky dresses, such as the Francheska, the Christina, and the Kassandra.
Francheska gown by Mira Zwillinger
Christina gown by Mira Zwillinger
Kassandra gown by Mira Zwillinger
My particular favourite is the Charlotte, and when I finally convince Mr AZ that renewing our vows is the way forward, rest assured, I will be trying each and every gown by this fabulous studio. I am totally, utterly, head over heels in love- and coming from someone who spends every day looking at pictures of wedding gowns, that is saying something!
Charlotte gown by Mira Zwillinger
So, what is your favourite gown from the ‘Reflections’ collection? Do you like the dresses, or are they not quite ‘you’? I’d love to hear your opinions, as always!
Lots of love (and dreams of dresses)
Mrs AZ x
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So, last night was the Wedding Industry Awards 2012, held at the Cafe de Paris in London. While I wasn’t lucky enough to be in attendance, I hear a fantastic time was had by all. So, without further ado, here are the 2012 winners- definitely worth checking out!
Best Wedding Accessory- Jo Barnes Vintage
Best Wedding Cake Designer- Rosalind Miller Cakes
Best Wedding Caterer (Independent)- Morgans Catering
Best Wedding Co-ordinator (Venue)- Michele Jetzer at Riverstation
Best Wedding Dress Designer- No 9 Bridal Couture
Best Wedding Dress Retailer- Ellie Sanderson Bridal Boutique
Best Wedding Entertainment- Hip Operation
Best Wedding Florist- Sonning Flowers
Best Wedding Hair Stylist- James White Hair
Best Wedding Makeup Artist- Kaz Fernando Makeup
Best Wedding Marquee Provider- World Inspired Tents
Best Wedding Menswear Supplier- Sensational Formal Hire
Best Wedding Photographer- Marianne Taylor Photography
Best Wedding Planner (Independent)- Planned For Perfection
Best Wedding Special Touch- Artfull Splodgers
Best Wedding Transport Supplier- Dennisson Classic Cars
Best Wedding Venue- Gaynes Park
Best Wedding Videographer- Philip White
Best Newcomer- Maids To Measure
So, what do you all think? Have any of you had experience of any of these companies? Would you recommend them?
Lots of Love,
Mrs AZ xx
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