If music be the food of love - play on

I have a wedding coming up soon, where the groom is very musical 

and he wants sheet music incorporated into his wedding. 

So excited!!!!

I've got LOADS of ideas for this wedding - 

but can't reveal all until after the wedding...

Although, I'm sure he wouldn't mind me showing you 

a sneaky peak at his buttonhole (unfinished)...

Make sure you pop back to see all of my other 

musical inspirations and musings! 

Neo Gothic Tablescape

Scrumptious crushed velvet's, rich golds and jewel colours - let's indulge ouselves in pure decadence!!!! 

Styled by Anniefloribunda

Shot by Harvey& Harvey photography

at The Ladys Chapel, Kelham Hall 

Bride of the blitz...

I know I've posted it before... but I love this picture of a #wartime #bride..

This young bride is stepping through the rubble after her parents house was bombed during the war... Windows blown through, having to lift her dress and pick her way through the debris,

yet not even that can dull the obvious joy she is feeling on her wedding day!

Beautiful! What a feisty lady!

Seems a fitting picture for the blog today...

Totally impractical diamante pumpkins

Sitting here typing, I've just noticed how covered in gold glitter I am! 

Today there has been a lot of pink and gold experimentation in our house. I've been busy preparing for a photo shoot later on this month which is going to be absolutely beautiful, so make sure you come back to see our pics. 

Pink and soft gold with ivory is a timeless, elegant colour theme and one of my favourites - so I am very excited about this! 

My lovely neighbour, Fred, parted with some of the huge hydranger heads from his garden this morning. 

I love them when they are at this stage, the petals are just starting to brown and look all gorgeously vintage.

I've given them a soft spray of pale pink and gold and we will be using some of these in the photo shoot, providing that they dry out ok. 

I also had some fun decorating a pumpkin...

 - I sprayed it with soft pink and then added gold glitter glue and pale pink stick on diamante gems to the natural indentations. 

Great fun, very girly and totally impractical! 

 - Not suitable for my wedding shoot but would make a fab decoration over Halloween in a Cinderella Princess room! 

Pumpkins don't have to be scary:-) 

https://www.facebook.com/anniefloribunda

Martin Lewis Style Wedding Flowers!!!...

I felt good today. It's been a lovely, crisp, (dare I say it?), Spring day in Lincolnshire and my spirits were lifted every time I caught sight of the bunch of daffodils and tulips on the windowsill. 

It got me thinking, that not many spring brides seem to consider daffodils for their wedding flower. Yet they are so sunny, so bright and soooooooo cheap. 

The perfect flower for a rustic, country wedding. 

Imagine, jugs full of them on each table or all the way down the aisle - 

you could afford to go really over the top - 

plus if you get them from Tesco at the moment, 20p from each bunch goes to cancer charities - 

I've added a piece of vintage lace and a button to mine to make them into a beautifully simple bridal posy... 

 I'm going to add some gypsaphelia to this bunch tomorrow - 

pop back and take a look :-) 

Weddings don't have to cost a fortune to be beautiful! 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anniefloribunda

"Save The Date" cards on a budget

Probably the simplest and easiest way to save money on your save the date cards is to send them by email!

Send a photo of the two of you and the details of your wedding or
use http://www.wordle.net/ to make a fabulous word cloud invitation! 

Or go to 
http://www.smilebox.com/wedding-announcements.html?partner=google&campaign=search_core_wedding_sitelink&gclid=COKw15jf17sCFfMctAodDVYAfg
For

Creative Wedding Announcements

Let friends and family know about your big day with memorable wedding announcements.

• Choose the perfect design for your announcement.
• Add your message, customize with photos and videos.
• Email, print or post your wedding announcement.
• It's FREE to download and personalise 

Have fun with this great app' 

I'd love to see what you create! Make sure you send me a copy and you may also go into my new book "Bride on a budget". 

Bride on a budget????

Are you, or do you know someone who is a bride on a very tight budget? 
If so, I think you're going to like this...

Those of you who know me, know that I am a wedding venue decorator and also that I love to craft. 

Weddings can be very expensive events - but I hope to show you how you don't have to spend thousands for a truly, magical wedding. 

Handmade bunting from scraps of fabric and lace -
perfect for the wedding day and to decorate your bedroom afterwards.

Over this year, I want to share with you ways that you can save by becoming a DIY bride! Each month I will choose a special subject (e.g. buttonholes, save the date cards, decorations, guest book etc) and will show you how you can make your own and save pounds. I'm giving some of my secrets away too, of ways to save on all aspects of your big day and will be adding links that you can source materials/ideas from too. 

There will also be "giveaways" and competitions that you can enter - so don't miss out on the chance to get some wedding freebies too! Simply follow our blog and comment on our posts to be entered in the prize draws. We want to know what you think and if there is a particular wedding item/subject you want us to post on then please just leave a comment. 

I will be advertising my own special offers/competitions  from my wedding website and Facebook page too :-) 

See you mid January... 

www.facebook.com/anniefloribunda
www.anniefloribunda.com

Cool Alternatives to Wedding Guestbooks

Wedding guest books have pretty much had their day I think, don't you? 

Hastily scribbled in and then put in a cupboard after the event to gather dust for years to come. 

Decided to do a little digging around and see how many alternatives I could come up with...
Ideas that could become part of your home, a talking point, a lasting memory of your special day, or ones that are just fun to do! 

There were quite a few, but these are some of my favourites...

 Finger Print Canvas 

Draw the outline of a tree onto a blank canvas and colour in with permanent marker.

Then leave it on a table at your reception with some ink pads, a pen and some wet wipes. 

Ask all of your guests to place a finger on an ink pad and stamp their print onto your tree, giving it some leaves. They can then initial their print with the pen and clean off any ink from their hands with a wet wipe. This is a great idea and an activity that everyone can join in with.

You are then left with an attractive canvas for your home and a constant reminder of your special day.

(If you are unsure about your ability to draw the tree etc 

- you can buy a fingerprint tree kit from our website 
www.anniefloribunda.com for £20.00)

 Sew Special

If you love to stitch and craft - a wedding quilt is a nice idea. Cut out several patchwork squares and have each guest leave a quote or note on each one with a fabric marker pen. You can then spend some cold winter evenings sitting in by the fire, sewing them together to make a quilt or wall hanging. 

 Message in a bottle 

For this idea you will need: A paper bottle, a pen, 50 paper message tags, 50 ribbons, and an instruction card 

The instruction card should read something like 

"Please leave us a message today so we can read it on our 1st or "paper" wedding anniversary."

The guests then guests write their messages onto one of the tags, roll it up like a scroll, tie a ribbon around it and then pop the scroll into the bottle. All your messages will stay there until your 1st (paper) anniversary. Then you cut off the bottom of the paper bottle and read all your messages! 

(we sell these in kit forms at www.annifloribunda.com for £15.00) 

Jenga Memories

Every time you play jenga you will be reminded of your special day!
Tip out the Jenga pieces onto a tray with a couple of pens and ask your guests to decorate a brick with some words of wisdom or a picture!


 
Desert Island/Beach Message in a bottle

 Take a Memo Miss Moneypenny! 

If vintage is your theme, then how about your guests typing words of wisdom for you and filing them in a filing tray or box. You can then collect them at the end of the evening and keep the memos in a keepsake box or scrap book. At www.anniefloribunda.com  we have a lovely old typewriter that we doll up with some pretty ribbons and hire out for weddings. We provide the memorandum, typewrite and keepsake box for a £25 hire charge. 

For help with your wedding, or to buy any of our kits, please contact us at www.facebook.com/anniefloribunda
or
www.anniefloribunda.com 

Dreamy Shabby Chic...

 

It's amazing what you can put together with a little creative thinking!

I've been looking for inspiration for vintage table centrepieces

I wanted something a little different to the norm'

I decided to use odd bits and bobs from around the house

to try out some ideas...

 

Top Hat n Tails!

 

A top hat makes a unique vase, filled with blooms and feathers (tails)

 

Or try old books, these look great piled on top of each other,

maybe even add a love letter poking out from the pages??

What will you use DIY Bride?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anniefloribunda/107524221727?ref=hl

 

 

 



Vintage / Shabby Chic Wedding Table Decorations

I made some more kusadumo flowers and popped them into a vintage cup and saucer.

(To make your own take a look at the video tutorial on this site).

 

I think they make the perfect table top decoration for a vintage or shabby chic wedding.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anniefloribunda/107524221727?ref=hl

Hayfever bride - paper bouquet...

I've finished off the bridal bouquet for the bride with hay fever.

This forever bouquet flowers have been made with designer papers, card, buttons and beads in shades of purple.

 

 

Finished with a tightly bound ribbon handle and vintage brooch which is removable to be worn at future anniversary dinners etc.

 

 

I will be publishing a video tutorial of how to make your own - but if you don't feel confident at this, then please visit my Folksy shop or web page at www.anniefloribunda where you can buy one very similar.

Rosenations - cross between roses and carnations...

I was asked to make a wedding posy for a bride who suffers dreadfully with hayfever. She is getting married in May and wants something quite simple.

She's not really into bling - so the heirloom vintage brooch posies I make are out of the question, so I have been busy making several differenct kinds of flowers from paper and fabric to see what I come up with...

 

Paper roses and carnations - I might put these together and call them "Rosenations"!

Here are some I've been making and am going to add buttons and beads to and assemble into a posy...

 

 

I'll post a picture of the posy and a tutorial on how to make your own when I'm done x

Alternative Bridal Bouquet....

Hi everyone! just popping by the blog to show you what i've been making whilst relegated to the sofa through illness!

I am going to be making a collection of heart shaped bridal bouquets and this is the first one...

 

 I used a florist heart garland and covered it with netting - i then painstalkingly sewed on each individual mother of pearl button and diamante brooch!

Some lovely sparkles on here from Victorian to modern day.

A one of a kind bouquet that you can keep forever as a momento of your special day. If you cant live without it it is £98 and can be bought from my website www.anniefloribunda.com

My new hang up - pure indulgence for the vintage bride!

I bought this beautiful Victorian lace from a lady whose parents worked in the Nottingham lace factories in the 1940's.

Not sure if this is Nottingham lace - it looks very French to me...

palest of gold in colour and intricate tiny lacework details - absolutely stunning!

Anyway, I have a lot of this and it's all stored in a box and not getting admired, so I decided to make something beautiful with it.

I decided to make a very special hanger for a very special dress. Afterall, we can spend hundreds of pounds on beautiful wedding dresses, so don't they deserve a little preferential treatment in the wardrobe?

 Just look at the amazing detail in that lace - must have taken an age to make!

 I've added mirror backed, mother of pearl and metal buttons

from the Victorian era through to the 1950's

 Handle is bound in gold satin ribbon and finished with small vintage leaf brooch.

If you can't live without it - it will be in my folksy shop later at

http://folksy.com/shops/bloominglovely