Friday 24 December 2010

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!



Well here we are on a snowy winter’s morning and for the first time in ages it actually looks like there might be  a chance of a white Christmas which despite all the chaos the snow has been causing I still find a little exciting. I think it’s the kid in me that always looks out the window as soon as I wake up on Christmas day… 

So as the year comes to a close I just want to take this opportunity to thank all the lovely couples and fabulous suppliers I’ve met and worked with this year and say how much I’m looking forward to next year; I’ve got some beautiful weddings and some great projects lined up that I’m quite excited about. In the meantime Always Andri Wedding Design will be taking a break for Christmas from today and will be back January 5th 2011

Wishing everybody a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!!

Andri x

Thursday 23 December 2010

Featured on English Wedding



In the Spring we had the pleasure of doing the on-the day coordination of Nikki and Charlie’s fabulous wedding at the Palace of Westminster in London ( I posted a sneak peak here)and this week the wedding has been featured on the wonderful English Wedding Blog in 2 posts here and here.


Do go take a look as not only are there some great photos from the day but Claire has some very nice things to say about me too!


Wednesday 22 December 2010

Christmas Wedding Inspiration: Real Weddings

As much of England is still covered in a blanket of white I thought I’d post some photos and links to some lovely weddings in the snow to inspire your day…











Monday 20 December 2010

Christmas Wedding Inspiration: DIY

Today I've put together some links to DIY projects that are perfect for your wedding and could easily be adapted to have around at Christmas.


I do like using baby’s breath at weddings (as seen in my baby's breath floral inspiration), how lovely are these garlands with little hanging paper birds. DIY tutorial here via Once Wed



A simple DIY centrepiece idea that can be easily personalised with different motifs, wood and wool colour choices and flowers. I think they’d also make fab little table numbers. For the complete DIY tutorial here via the Wedding Chicks, photo by Julie Harmsen Photography



Something about dried fruit and dates in particular always make me think of Christmas, one of those things that always seem to pop up in the house at this time of year. A perfect little favour idea for a Christmas wedding that’s easy to do: DIY tutorial here via the fab new 100 Layer Cake website.



Lovely little DIY paper lanterns; hang them along the path to your venue or have them dotted around just outside the windows. If you’re worried about the tealights burning out too quickly or over safety you can always use LED tealights. DIY tutorial here via Design *Sponge

Friday 17 December 2010

Christmas Wedding Inspiration: Table décor

A little inspiration for your Christmas wedding or maybe just a few fab ideas to dress your table on Christmas day.

This has been on a few US blogs over the last few days but as I love the floral designs of JL Designs,  I couldn’t resist posting it here.


California Christmas Party here via Green Wedding Shoes, photography by Leo Patrone
 
A simple white on white colour scheme with touches of ice blue, so effortlessly elegant.


Winter Wedding inspiration via Style Me Pretty here, photography by West Park Photography

I do love the combination of aqua & red and it makes a lovely change from your usual Christmas red combos. I especially like the lovely Christmas baubles used in this table arrangement.


How are you decorating your table on Christmas day? Last year I did an all silver table but this year I’m going a little more rustic with some lovely pine cones I collected in the Spring combined with red roses and gold charger plates-maybe this time I’ll remember to take a photo too…

Wednesday 15 December 2010

A fab little Christmas idea…Tree of Memory

Sweet Paul is in the midst of his annual Holiday countdown which is always full of great little ideas for Christmas from recipes to craft projects. I love this idea of using family photos to hang on the tree and I think it would look great at a Christmas wedding.



With Christmas round the corner there’s some great inspiration around for your Winter Wedding so leading up to Christmas I’ll be posting lots more to inspire from real weddings in the snow to cute little DIY projects…

Photo by Hector Sanchez

Friday 10 December 2010

Adorable Finds: Winter Reds and Gold

A few adorable finds to complement the Winter Red and Gold Colour Inspiration from last week...


Fabulous maxi dresses in shades of red for your bridesmaids



Cute little shrug to keep them warm, I’d love to see them in long evening gloves too.




Beautiful gold jewellery from Oliver Laudus here, here & here


I see lots and lots of candle light being used at this wedding in fabulous tealight holders…






Wednesday 8 December 2010

A fab little idea…Lampshades

I’m forever finding some fab little inspirational ideas as I’m researching for my clients’ weddings or the blog so I decided it’s about time I started sharing them on here with a new series of posts “A fab little idea…”



Seen on the recently discovered fabulous Luna & Chloe blog, this great idea to use lampshades-vintage or modern to boost up plates in a dessert bar. For lots more images and inspiration check out the post here but I warn you there are so many other wonderful ideas on the blog you may be lost for quite a while.

Concept, design, styling & photography all by Luna and Chloe Weddings

Wednesday 1 December 2010

Colour Inspiration: Winter Reds & Gold

So December’s here and outside my window London is covered in a blanket of white snow so how about a little something to warm us up with a colour palette of warm wintery reds and touches of luxurious gold’s.




Tealights & succulents Photo by Jasmine Star via Style Me Pretty here
Tealights in branches- Photo by Kerry Morgan here
Large twig floral displays by Planet Flowers Photo by Elemental Wedding Photography here
Rose Bouquets Photo by Lisa Devlin via Rock’n’Roll Bride here
Red Table centre Photo by Chenin Boutwell via Green Wedding Shoes here
Candlelit Room Prestonfield Hotel

Friday 26 November 2010

We Make London Christmas Fair 2010

Well it’s that time of year again We Make London are back at Chelsea Town Hall with their Christmas Fair on Saturday 4th December

With loads of great exhibitors selling their beautiful handcrafted goods from clothing to jewellery, stationery to works of art you’ll find loads of inspiring finds for your wedding or at the very least pick up a few great Christmas presents.

Here is a very small selection of some of my favourite things from some of the exhibitors:


Love these beautiful porcelain rings from, Maap Studio great gifts for your bridesmaids
 
 



How about a stunning yet delicate statement necklace to wear with your wedding dress, these are made from vintage lace by Culpably Cute



Looking for ‘Something Blue’ how about this garter or wrist corsage by A Alicia using fair-trade, organic fabrics and vintage elements and has a dedicated online wedding store, here. Her signature knitted cord necklaces are pretty fab too.



Great laser cut cards from Cosmo Cards




These beautiful handmade cards with hand drawn maps inside are a great little idea from Afternoon Outing, they’re more than just maps but little guided tours of an area with interesting, lesser known places pointed out. I think these would be great for a wedding in London, especially if your church and reception are within walking distance of each other, you could give them to your guests to guide them along the way.

For a list of all the exhibitors and more info on the fair check out the We Make London blog here

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Always Advice: Photography



I wrote this blog post quite a while ago and for one reason or another I hadn’t got round to posting it on the blog. There’s been a lot of talk recently on the blogosphere about the importance of hiring a professional photographer so I thought it was about time I did share it with you all. For me photography has always been really important, growing up with a dad who loved to take photos and having a number of albums from my childhood I’ve always appreciated the importance of having great photos to trigger great memories and share with future generations; I know when it came to our wedding I didn’t hesitate in hiring a professional photographer. Yet choosing your wedding photographer can be one of the hardest as well as one of the most important decisions you make when it comes to planning your wedding as there are so many wedding photographers out there.
When thinking of your wedding budget you may be looking at ways of saving money and cutting costs. One area people think they can cut is the cost of hiring a professional photographer. You may be thinking that you don’t want traditional posed shots anyway, you like the reportage, photo journalistic approach and with the ever more affordable move to good quality cameras around surely you can just ask a friend to do it for you?

Taking well composed candid shots at a wedding is a lot harder than it looks. Lighting conditions can be difficult, particularly in churches where if you are allowed to take photos it is unlikely you can use a flash. Also if you ask a friend to take the photos who is a guest, are they going to be relied upon to get all those important shots of the party or will they be busy catching up with other guests and enjoying the party themselves?

 
A good photographer who has experience taking photos at weddings knows how to compose good shots, understands how to deal with difficult lights; they know weddings so they can often pre-empt a shot and capture the most amazing moments as they discreetly mingle amongst your guests.

This doesn’t mean however, that just because someone is calling themselves a professional photographer they are automatically any good or fit your needs so you need to do your homework. Look at wedding blogs that showcase real weddings such as Rock’n’Roll Bride, Love My Dress, Rock My Wedding – do any of the photographers stand out for you? Look at those photographers’ websites, do they have online galleries open to the public, do they have a blog showing their recent work. Blogs are a good way to see a range of their work as they will often post whole weddings, you can get a real sense of their style and if it will suit the kind of wedding you are having; blogs can also give a great insight into the photographer’s personality. Ask friends and family as personal recommendations are always great and will give you a feel for their personality and reliability.

 
Arrange appointments to see a few and don’t feel you have to book straight away. How you get on with the photographer is very important, you need to feel relaxed with them as you will be spending the whole day together and if you are in anyway uncomfortable it will show in the photos.

Ask lots of questions about how they work, what’s included in their packages, how long they will stay etc. Do they include engagement or pre-wedding shoots? These are great for getting to know your photographer and for you both to get used to being in front of the camera, and have a bit of fun too. Ask to see their albums which should be complete weddings so you see how they capture the day as well as how they layout their albums; be wary of a photographer that only shows you a portfolio/album with shots from a number of different weddings.

If it is a big company check that you are getting the photographer that you meet. If you are concerned about a solo photographer ask what their back up is, chances are they know a lot other photographers who can step in for them.

 
When looking at the websites take note of their starting prices, if this is more than your budget don’t go and see them unless you know you can saves costs somewhere else to pay for them. If you love a photographer and they are over your budget ask if they will do a reduce hours package or look at ways of getting the album at a later date maybe as a gift from family, but don’t just ask them to reduce their costs because you’ve seen another photographer who is cheaper-they’re not the same.

If budget really is tight consider new photographer’s who are just starting out, they may not have as much experience but they will at least be enthusiastic and committed to giving you the best photos they can. Ask a photographer whose style you like if they have worked with any up and coming photographers as their second shooter that they would recommend. If you are considering using a friend try and find one that has a photography background or works in a creative field; ask more than one friend to do different parts of the wedding; have disposable cameras on the tables and hire or set up a photo booth.

 
Finally, remember that what you pay your photographer on the day, as with any supplier does not go straight into their pockets. They are running a business with professional costs: website, marketing. They buy quality equipment: fast lenses that deal with poor lighting, professional editing software, back up facilities. They have experience and will be constantly furthering their knowledge and training. For a must read article on the cost of photography see this post on Rock’n’Roll Bride

Most things you pay for you see on the day whereas the photos you won’t see until after but that’s why they are so important as when all is said and done the dress has been packed away, the food eaten, the flowers wilted the photos are a physical record of the day. A good professional photographer will capture those moments that you will cherish the rest of your married life, what price can you put on that?

For further reading on this subject check out these posts by professional photographers Juliet McKee here and Fiona Campbell here and here

All photos courtesy of Annamarie Stepney Photography

Wednesday 17 November 2010

DIY Giant Paper Flowers


 


Love these giant paper flowers used in this Spanish inspired photo shoot via Merci


For a great DIY step by step guide including a downloadable pattern go to Scissors, The Rock Paper Scissors Events Blog, here



For more unique table centre ideas check out Enchanted Dream Wedding & Affairs, here where I originally saw these fab paper flowers.

Thursday 11 November 2010

Wedding Cake Inspiration from Art

I’ve already looked at how your wedding cake design can be inspired by your dress and invitations so how could I resist sharing with you these fab cakes inspired by art I saw in the Fall edition of Martha Stewart Weddings

Cake design by Wendy Kromer Inspiration ‘The Basket of Apples’ by Cezanne here

Cake design by Wendy Kromer Inspiration Gustav Klimt’s figure paintings here

Cake design by Elizabeth Colling Inspiration Jackson Pollock’s paint splattered Abstract paintings here

Cake design by Wendy Kromer Inspiration Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers here

Do you have a favourite artist or painting that you love that could inspire your cake design? The bride at this wedding had a cake buffet inspired by a Thiebaud painting.

Friday 5 November 2010

Always Loves: Fireworks

“Remember Remember the fifth of November!!”
Photo by Erin of A Simple Photograph via Style Me Pretty here
I’m a big fan of bonfire night as I love firework displays; I live on a hill so if we’re not going out I tend to sit in the bay window in my bedroom and watch the displays across London with my little boy, which when your view takes in Canary Wharf to the London Eye is quite impressive (and a lot warmer!)
If you’re out to wow your guests then a great firework display during your wedding can be a fabulous thing. Here are some inspirational shots of fireworks at weddings…

Photo by Jessica Claire.

How amazing is this photo? She explains how she took it here and the rest of the wedding is here


Photo Zoe Collyer by via Rock My Wedding Here


Sometimes you just get very lucky and there’s a display going on nearby…
Photography by Max Wanger here



A few things to consider if you are having a firework display:
Check your venue allows it, many won’t so if you have your heart set on fireworks bear this in mind when venue searching. If they do allow ask if they can recommend a good company.
If the wedding is at home or a private residence, let your neighbours know.

Don’t let the display run on too long especially if it’s cold and guests have gone outside to watch. A short varied display can create a better impact.

Let your photographer and or videographer know you plan on having fireworks and when; check they have experience taking photos of fireworks and that they will be still be there when it goes off.

Not only will the display be a truly memorable event for you and your guests but in the hands of a good photographer you should get some stunning shots too.

Friday 29 October 2010

Happy Halloween!



Like Halloween, not a fan of orange? Here are some Halloween links for you to enjoy in some alternative colour palettes…



Pink inspired dessert buffet ‘Pink-O-Ween!’ photography by Kristen Steele, via Sweet Designs a Blog by Amy Atlas




A Halloween themed Dessert Table by Shauna Younge, photography by Emily Steffen via Twig & Thistle via Papercrave.(with free printable downloads of the invite, brownie pop flags and candy bar wrappers)




A modern Halloween party in cool greys with splashes of colour and some adorable paper flowers from the wonderful Brancoprata team via Hotspot


A glamorous Halloween inspired wedding in silver, blue and yellow by Blue Moon Events, photography by Heather Forsythe via The Sweetest Occasion
Top image via Sweet Paul
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