Eternal Blooms is a faux floral design studio, yes, I did say faux – you totally would not be able to tell from glancing at Victoria’s beautifully life-like designs. Victoria’s floral creations bring eye-catching style to your Wedding with abundant arrangements of high quality blooms and foliage.

​We just love this look mixing copper details with Victoria’s stunning foliage-filled arrangements to create a jaw-dropping on-trend look for a summer marquee soiree.
 
Thinking you’d like to go faux for your wedding day? Contact Eternal Blooms to see how Victoria can compliment your big day with her wonderful creations:

- [email protected]
- eternalbloomsbyvictoria.com

Social media is an inescapable part of our daily lives and it is increasingly becoming a feature at weddings too but what’s the best way to incorporate it into such a special day? Who better to offer their advice than the trend-setting, GIF-loving team at PROP! Here's their top 5 tips for incorporating social media into your wedding day!

1. Pinterest is your friend: Pinterest is a treasure trove of inspiration – from hair styling to favours, you can find a huge amount of ideas on there.

2. Maintain the surprise: Try to hold off sharing every step of your wedding preparations if you can. Your guests will love the surprise of seeing your flowers or wedding cake on the day, particularly if they haven’t seen them dozens of times already on Facebook.

3. Keep all your photos together: Your guests will no doubt be having a great time and will want to capture the fun so why not make sure all the photos end up where you can see them? Ask your guests to use a particular hash tag when uploading photos so the photos are all in one place at the end of the night. BUT remember to politely request that
guests put their phones away during the ceremony; your wedding photographer will thank you for it.

4. Create an Instagram style booth: There is a reason Instagram is so popular – because it has a huge array of flattering filters and styles to choose from! Ask your photo booth provider to design Polaroid style printouts or use a Juno inspired filter. At PROP we have a huge range of filters and styles to make your photos even more stunning.

5. Combine your entertainment with social media: GIF booths are a great way of entertaining your guests and creating hilarious videos that are perfect for social media. With a PROP GIF booth you guests will be emailed the video file immediately after taking their snap so they can put it up on social media straight away. The GIFs can be branded with your wedding logo or the bride and groom's names along with an event hash tag. It’s the perfect icebreaker for your wedding as it gets people all together in the booth, making hilarious memories together and if you opt for an open plan booth you have the advantage of all the other guests being able to watch the GIF being made, which is always
entertaining! At PROP we can also print the stills from the GIFs which can be a great way of getting some photos for the guest book at the same time!

Do you know what? We're so not done with the festive feels, especially not after receiving this absolute delight in our inbox from the amazing documentary style photographer Richard Galloway Photography.

Kerry rocked some serious winter bride chic; with a beautiful lace bodice number from Pronovias and shoes by Kurt Geiger.

Here come the girls. Bridesmaids wore long navy maxi dresses from David's Bridal whilst clutching delicate white bouquets from one of our recommended florists, Sonning Flowers. Don't you adore how Richard captures the air of excitement as the bridal entourage approach the ceremony.

Ceremonies at Notely Abbey never cease to wow, providing the perfect canopy to swoop festive lighting.

With subtle nods to the season, Kerry & Tom's day was styled with soft greys, sparkles, fir trees and lots of delicate white gypsophila, mimicking flakes of snow.

Wedding Dress Pronovias | Shoes Kurt Geiger | Hair Ruth George | Bridesmaids David's Bridal | Suit Moss Bros | Shoes Barker Perth | Tie & Square King & Priory | Flowers Sonning Flowers | Venue Notley Abbey | Cake Cakes by Joanne | Jewellery Loveweds Harpenden | Photography Richard Galloway | Acoustic Duo Marcel & Matt | 8 Piece Band Party Up | DJ DJ Sam

Nestled in the West Berkshire countryside, Emma & Duncan's venue was a family barn, transformed into a charming space for partying after a traditional ceremony at the lovely Aldworth Church.

Outside the barn, a marquee was put up to host the wedding breakfast. Dressed in village bunting and garden florals in little metal buckets, their decor oozed quintessential Britain.

Arriving in style, vintage carriages brought the groomsmen and the bride and bridesmaids. Winding country roads provided Shannon with the perfect set up for the arrival photographs. and with top hats adorning their heads, the groomsmen posed for fun-filled snaps before the festivities began.

​What country wedding would be complete without a country caterer? One of our recommended foodie folk, The Wild Fork served traditional Pimms & Champagne on arrival alongside local hearty ales. Canapés were circulated, including The Wild Fork's famous Ale Puffs with Chilli Salt.

For the wedding breakfast, Emma & Duncan's guests were offered a choice of delicious, hearty fare including Rump of Lamb, Sweet Potato Mash, Black Pudding, Cauliflower and Spring Greens. The feast was finished with a selection of English Miniature Desserts and Whole Lemon Tarts!

It was into the barn for the evening celebrations, where guests danced the night away whilst enjoying grabbing a drink from the rustic bar set up.

We think it's such a treat to be able to share with you such a gawj country wedding featuring two of our wonderful recommended suppliers. Thank you Shannon, SLR Photography, for sharing your fab images once again!

Located at the Milling Barn, Hertfordshire, Emma & Tex's big day has all the ingredients to make your heart skip a beat. Following a joy-filled ceremony, Benjamin Stuart Photography took the bride and groom for some jaw dropping couple shots.

Bubbles and canapés were next on the agenda, featuring textures of wood to suit their rustic country theme.

Into the barn, and the rustic details flourished. With rough lime-washed tables, wood-slice centrepieces and ivy covered lanterns alongside floristry from a friend.

Post-feast and it was time for group shots and partying. We love a wedding that ends on a sparkling send-off, don't you?

Venue Milling Barn | Photographer Benjamin Stuart Photography | Caterer Chopping Block  | Cake Family Friend | Florist Hannah Lily & Liz | Dress Windsor & Eton Brides

Who knew our childhood obsession with plastic animals could come in so handy?! According to our mother, the Early Learning Centre was our favourite shop; we would waddle up to the window and oggle the selection pointing at which we would like to join our ever-growing collection.

Fast-forward 20 years and we are wishing our collection was still alive and kicking, because oh boy what an amazing array of place card holders we would have!

We're sure you'll have seen these mystical creatures all over Pinterest, posing as place card holders, table name holders and nifty little jar lids and can imagine many of you DIY savvy brides and grooms may want to have a go yourselves. (Although, if you're not feeling up to the DIY challenge we'll be adding them to our Wedding Toolbox soon!) So, without further ado, here's how we went about creating these champagne gold woodland place card holders!

You'll need:

• A selection of funky woodland animals - ours were from Amazon
• A well ventilated workshop, or a space in the garden covered with paper to protect the ground (we now have a nice champagne gold patch of tarmac in the drive!)
• A jewellery saw or similar
• A spray paint of your choice, suitable for plastic - we used Wilko's Champagne Gold
• Standard kraft luggage tags
• A heavy duty nail file 
• Standard paper towel

​1. Using a saw, slice through the top of the plastic animal (ouch!) straight down, about half way down the body. Saw far down enough that your place card will stand up right and sturdy, but not so far that it covers part of the name. Be careful not to cut in at an angle as your card may tilt forward and be difficult to read.

2. File any jagged edges using a heavy duty nail file or very light sand paper. Using some damp paper towel, wipe away any dust or lumps of plastic. Ensure thoroughly dry before spraying!

3. Complete the above steps for all of your animals so that they're ready for their glitter!

4. Outside, lay your animals on their side on newspaper and spray the first side with your chosen metallic spray paint. For the best coverage use short, sharp sprays at a distance to ensure not to spray too much paint as this will lose the all important detailing!

​5. After 5-10 minutes, flip your animals onto the other side and spray again. Again leaving 5-10 minutes, stand the animals upright and finish the tops using the same short, sharp sprays.

6. Wait for your animals to completely dry before slipping your place cards in. Here, we’ve used simple luggage tags with biro. If your handwriting is unfortunately child like your chosen Stationery Guru could create your name tags, or you could opt for an alphabet stamp set for a rustic feel.

TIP: Always have a spare plastic animal and place card handy to test during. You might need to deepen your slice into a ‘V’ shape, if you have particularly thick and heavy cards.

We are super excited to introduce Rachel Lou Photography to you. As a new member of our recommended suppliers list, Rachel's gorgeously soft and romantic imagery is guaranteed to have you swooning all day long.

Rachel captured Helen & Jessica's fun-filled barn wedding in Wokingham. Filled with rustic details, the brides' big day featured rustic wood slices, meadow blooms and subtle pink and white hues.

We love the mixture of wild meadow blooms and soft pink roses.

Perfect for a fun-filled soiree, bubble wands adorned the tables alongside twee favours such as seeds and personalised jams!

Textures of wood also echoed through the cake. The silver birch style cake featured carved initials, surrounded by jam jars filled with florals.

The Wedding Team
​
Gorgeous Couple // Helen & Jessica
Cake // Daisy Cakes
Florist // Emma Curtis
Venue // Cantley House Hotel
Shoes // Custom Converse
Dress // Wed2b
Suit // Anthony Blay

It's easy to fixate on the songs that will get guests on the dance-floor initially, but don't forget that you'll want to keep them there by the time midnight strikes. A heaving dance-floor complete with a chorus of boisterous voices is an amazing way to end your wedding reception, but how to maintain the energy in spite of sore feet and aching limbs? Fret no further - we've got you covered with a list of end-of-night classics destined for success.

An essential Beatles track, the sentiment of the title fits a wedding reception to perfection. With gentle verses (ideal for swaying arm-over-arm) and an infectiously upbeat chorus, guests won't be able to resist chanting along. The Beatles’ own attitude to the song neatly fits our purposes, with producer George Martin saying that it was a case of the guys wanting 'to freak out at the end, and just go mad'.

There's nothing like the lyric 'so Sally can wait' to get everyone shouting at the top of their voices. The rock belter placed number one on NME's list of the world's '50 Most Explosive Choruses', and was recently voted the fourth most popular single to reach number-one in the last 60 years. Put shortly, you're probably onto a winner with 'Don't Look Back In Anger'.

Add some old Hollywood glamour to your reception with this jazz classic. There aren't many songs with a better chance of gathering the generations together in one long chorus line, kicking in unison (or thereabouts), and singing 'New York, New York' at the top of their lungs.

Starting out slow but insistent with that unmistakeable baseline, this timeless cover of Bonnie Tyler will raise a cry of 'oh!' and yank any strayers straight back to the dance-floor. A song that grows in power as it progresses, the tune will end the night on a joyous peak.

Whether you're a bigger fan of the original or of the Glee cast's rendition, you're guaranteed to get guests belting along to this sure-fire hit. All it takes is that piano intro and the classic lyric 'just a small town girl / living in a lonely world', blink, and the floor is full.

A massive 90's hit for Take That, you can rely on this throwback to magnetise guests old and young to the dance-floor. With a chorus perfect for belting en masse, it's another feel-good banger guaranteed to elevate the mood of the room, closing the day's celebrations with an unforgettable bang.

A crowd-winning modern classic, the combination of a bouncy rhythm and romantic lyrics (perfectly on-theme for a wedding) makes for an upbeat, touching way to end the celebrations. Equipped with an infectiously sing-along-able chorus, 'Marry You' is a foolproof way to get the young crowd serenading and the older generations dancing along too (whether familiar or not).

An even safer choice for uniting the generations on the dance-floor, this cheerful Monkees classic is as popular now as it's ever been. Another dependable track with a chorus made for group sing-alongs, you'll hear 'cheer up sleepy Jean' hummed and whistled for days to come.

More concerned about keeping the younger guests on the dance-floor? If you're looking for something more modern, chart-topping 'See You Again' is sweeping pop-rap complete with a gentle introduction, sentimental lyrics, and a huge chorus of 'oh woah oh's' made for shouting along to.

For mellow perfection, nobody does it better than reggae legend Bob Marley. And with a chorus that everybody can sing along to, an easy rhythm for coordinated swaying, and the repeated appeal to 'get[ting] together and feel[ing] alright', it's a brilliant choice to close the night with everybody on the dance-floor.

There's no way anyone will be unfamiliar with THAT unmistakeable symphony of violins, and the surging chant of 'throw those curtains wide' will raise everyone's voices to the ceiling. All in all, the platinum record makes for one majestic end to the evening.

For some undeniably catchy jazz/rhythm and blues, nothing does the trick like Ray Charles' 'Hit The Road Jack'. A classic everybody will know the lyrics to, it's won't fail to get guests of all ages jiving. It also acts as a subtle reminder to get the taxis booked if you're warily eyeing uncle Frank on his fifth margarita.

And while we're on the jazz theme, the crooner returns to the list with his crowd-winning classic 'My Way'. With on-theme opening lyrics referring to 'the end' and 'the final curtain', the nostalgic song may build slowly, but it ends with a soul-stirring boom.

There aren't many refrains more hard-hitting than Cole's 'THIS will be', nor ecstatic lyrics better fitted for a wedding day's reception. With sassy, high-energy vocals to bring out the soul diva in the most unexpected of guests, it's the ideal song to finish the night on a legendary note. 
​
Fend off the sight of a sadly sparse dance-floor at five to midnight with any of these crowd-winning hits. Have fun, go mad like The Beatles, and remember that there's no better transition into married life than a party that ends on a high!

A Wedding show that doesn't play by the rulebook was always going to spark our interest, but learning it was held by the event gurus Revelry Events sent our interest into over-drive. With the words gin, biscuit sculptors and party mentioned, we're counting down the days to see all the post-show content, but for now, we'll settle for a Q&A with the people behind the magic.

1) What inspired you to launch your own Wedding Show?​ 
After a decade in the industry, we got pretty fed up with the 'sea of trestle tables' format of the average wedding fair, and wanted to do something more interactive, more stylish and more fun. Something that really gave each supplier an opportunity to be creative and for guests to enjoy themselves.

2) With the Wedding Industry taking over the world and Wedding Shows become more common, what sets yours apart from the crowd?
​Being wedding planners ourselves we know amazing suppliers that we've worked with before so we started by getting them on board. We've also stayed true to our brand of rulebook-free weddings so we've got some wonderful suppliers that you might not normally associate with a wedding such as a temporary tattoo stand, glitter artist and biscuit sculpter.

Of course there are lots of things you would expect from a wedding show - bridal designer, florist, photographer etc... but they are all modern in style and brilliant in quality.

3) Revelry Events are known for bending the rules, what contemporary features should we expect from Unruly?
​There will be some entertaining surprises! We'll say no more about that. It's also very interactive with free workshops such as vow writing and calligraphy, skin care consultations from beauty brand Arbonne. Plus it will look on fleek as a Kardashian might say.​

4) Are there any trends you think will be shining through on the day?
​Greenery is still riding high so that will be prevalent, but we'll also have pops of hot pink just to add a bit of punch to the day. The show itself will be across two floors in a warehouse space which is a venue trend in itself.​

5) We're food obsessed, what foodie delights will there be?
​Ahh we'll have a tasting menu from Funthyme who will be providing some delectable treats to try. We'll also have a gin bar because who doesn't love gin?

6) Sum up the Unruly Wedding Show in 3 words?
​ Modern, cool, party​
​
7) How did you choose your team of unique suppliers?
​ Most are wonderful people we've worked with so we know the quality of the work, their work. The rest are likeminded companies we've admired from afar.

8) Talk to us about the venue and why you chose it?
​The venue is gorgeous. We found it because we were looking for a light and airy space for a styled shoot and it seemed to fit the bill for the show as well. Huge ceilings and windows, a blank canvas with character. It was exactly what we were looking for. 

9) If you were planning your own Wedding this year, what would we expect to see?
​Greenery probably would have been key and succulents are still big but we also love the detail - interesting chairs and coloured wine glasses can really add personality to a table. Right now we're loving iridescent and think that will soon be making waves. Also - slightly quirky but, the llama. We guarantee you llama print will take over from tropical and cactus prints to be the motif of 2018.

10) The most important question, how do people get their hands on a ticket?
​ Well I'm glad you asked, they can head on over to our tickets page and grab one online for £8 or its £10 on the door.​

With more and more photographers offering engagement sessions, we chatted with two of our lovely recommended photo folk, Jamie Dunn Photography and Hannah McClune Photography about capturing couples prior to their big day.

For six years, usually around 3-6 months before the wedding though - so more of a pre wed than celebrating the initial engagement. They’re great fun! – Hannah Mclune Photography

I think more photographers are offering engagement shoots and couples are starting to see having a shoot as part of the wedding preparation process. – Jamie Dunn Photography.

It’s a great way for me to get to know the couple and for the couple to learn to trust me with their images. It isn’t important for every couple but your wedding is one of the most important days of your life - why not have a trial run on the photos! – Jamie Dunn Photography.

They are a fun opportunity to have a practice in front of the camera- our style is very very relaxed. No stiff, forced posing. Instead we like to guide couples into poses and let them do their natural thing. It surprises couples how easy this is, so that reassurance before the wedding day is great. – Hannah Mclune Photography.

I always suggest that the couple choose somewhere that means something to them, perhaps where they got engaged or near where they met or first lived. This tends to make the couple feel more relaxed and it’s nice to discuss the connection as I get to know them better. – Jamie Dunn Photography.

I always tell couples they’ll feel awkward for the first 5 minutes, but they’ll soon forget I’m even there! That’s our ‘super power’ to almost become invisible to couples, so they are able to relax with each other! – Hannah Mclune Photography.

Loving my job. – Jamie Dunn Photography.
​
Excited. Excited. Excited!! Honestly it is such a buzz, realising that the next time they’ll be in front of my lens is on their wedding day. – Hannah Mclune Photography.

I normally spend an hour on the shoot and then we head for lunch or drinks to get to know each other and catch up on wedding plans. – Jamie Dunn Photography.

It depends, some couples like to use their images on their save the date cards, so we meet as soon as they book me, others want to practice just ahead of their wedding so its the week before - everyone is different! – Jamie Dunn Photography.

My absolute favourite was meeting Will & Tor in Bantham beach. Tor surprised Will with a long weekend in the place he proposed and the shoot with me was part of the surprise. We spent some time paddle-boarding. – Jamie Dunn Photography.

I love them all, they are one of the few things on a wedding planning checklist that don’t require much effort at all! It’s all about turning up and being romantic with your favourite person, lots of smooching, cuddling and just enjoying being together- while I capture that. – Hannah Mclune Photography.

Every single engagement session is unique as each couple is unique and it is the connection between the couple I focus on. No props, staging or gimmicks. Simply being able to showcase their true emotions and authentic images. It’s such an exciting stage of their relationship, we adore being part of it. – Hannah Mclune Photography.