{Hestelle & Niel by Aglow Photography}
Happy Friday lovelies! Are you all having a fantastic week? And no doubt lots of lovely plans for the weekend! At b.loved HQ I’m going to be embarking on awedding-tastic weekend, with no less than FIVE amazing events, pop-up shops and designer days to attend, as well as catching up with some of my favourite wedding folk AND introducing a new feature on Sunday (this one’s for my wedding pro friends so make sure you pop back to check it out). In all, it’s going to be a weekend packed full of pretty inspiration, so I’ll be sure to keep you updated over on my Instagram feed.
Right now though, I’m delighted to welcome back Mel from My Fabulous Wedding Band for the second instalment of The Fabulous Bride’s Guide To… Live Wedding Music. Mel has done it again with a super informative post – and she even managed to squeeze in a bit about my favourite topic – your wedding ‘brand’. Told you I love her 
Ahhh, the first dance. Those precious few minutes towards the end of your wedding celebration where you and your new husband can soak it all up, take it all in while swaying to the rhythm of your favourite song. Personally, I love photographing the first dance. I know for some photographers the first dance can be quite daunting in terms of lighting but I really enjoy the challenge & incorporating the lighting my couples have chosen for their first dance into the images.
A few tips on how to make the most of your first dance:
1. Try and make it last! Needless to say the length of your first dance is completely up to you, but it definitely pays to have a fair few minutes on the dance floor! Why? More time to hold your brand new husband, more lovely photos of your first dance as husband & wife and more time to throw in some interesting moves!
Morning brides-to-be. This week’s real wedding is all soft pastel shades and dreamy Mediterranean light, combined with the effortless style and photography of Sofia and André at Brancoprata. Susan & Hugo enjoyed the planning without the stress, finding inspiration on the prettiest blogs out there, combining their Portuguese roots with their romantic hearts. Susana’s choice of flowers, peonies, baby’s breath and hydrangea are romantic classics, used in the bouquets and arrangements and adorning the flowergirl’s hair in a pretty crown. At the reception, honey colours accented with pale pink and blue complement the serene surroundings, and local honey favours are a sweet way of reminding guests of their love for their home town, and each other.
Okay, he’s popped the question, you’ve jumped around for a bit, phoned your mum – and all your friends – hopefully had a glass of something chilled and taken ownership of a shiny piece of metal that you will treasure for the rest of your life – you’re officially engaged!
Now the work starts. Choosing a date and finding a venue (or should that be finding the perfect venue and seeing when they are available – sounds like a story for another day …!), wedding dress shopping, hair and make up trials, more dress shopping, cake tastings and photographer viewings, more dress shopping and… finding a florist. You might guess I’d say this is the most difficult element of your wedding, wouldn’t you, but it is pretty tough and right up there with selecting a photographer and only just behind finding HIM in the first place!
When it comes to engagement shoots sometimes it’s best to keep things simple. As much as I love a well styled engagement shoot {and if you’re planning one please send it my way!} I know most of you are far too busy juggling work, relationships and sourcing the perfect details for your wedding day to worry about more props and details! My top tips are to pick a place special to you, wear what you feel comfortable in, and make the most of some time out with your hubby-to-be sharing kisses and cuddles and generally being loved-up. You’ll end up with some relaxed and natural photo’s to share with your loved ones, and contrast the formal ones from your wedding day.
Happy Monday my loves! I do hope you all had a gorgeous weekend, whatever you’ve been doing. Wedding season is now officially upon us so every Saturday I’m doing a little sundance for all of you tying the knot. If you’re not attending a wedding I bet you’re spending every spare minute working on all the little details of your own!
It’s no secret I have a bit of an obsession with orange weddings, since Mr B and I shocked with this bold palette at our own big day. I just love the fresh zing and celebratory feel it creates. I adore every shade from rich coppery colours (perfect for autumn weddings with metallics being so on trend this year) through to bold tangerine and coral (these pack a punch for sunny summer weddings) and ending up with soft peachy and apricot tones (great for spring weddings and true romantics). Today I’ve combined hot tangerine and grapefruit shades with pale peach tones for a sunset-inspired look which picks up on the ombre and watercolour trends popular for this summer. The watercolour accents are picked up in the stationery, how much do we love this invite from Minted.com? Classy and contemporary it’s a great way to show guests they can expect something a little different from your day, while DIY painted table numbers on canvas are an easy way to inject a bit of colour into your tablescapes. Flowers are bright and tropical, with tightly tied bouquets showing off a stunning array of seasonal blooms, bold roses, dahlias and billy balls create lots of lovely texture and brightly coloured ribbons wrap the stems of the boutonnières tying them in with the theme. How totally fun is the ‘ring cushion’ orange, such a great idea for a destination wedding in a Mediterranean, Floridian or even South African fruit growing region, use something local for a personal touch. You can pull off a statement bridal look, I love the encrusted beading on this Sarah Seven dress with a contemporary silhouette yet easy to wear for a garden or beach wedding, while your bridesmaids can go for full on colour in a summery frock. The graphic design of the cake, served with cocktails of course, is softened with an ombre palette and fresh flowers tying everything together beautifully!
