The Dress... Part I

In many South American countries (where I am originally from) it is customary to have two wedding celebrations, the registry wedding which is a low key affair where the bride wears a simple but beautiful dress in any desired colour, and a church blessing in which the bride wears the traditional white gown and the couple (or their parents) pull out all the stops and plan the bash of the year!

As you may know my civil celebration took place in England, and although it was originally meant to be a very simple family event, it quickly spiralled into a full on garden country wedding, due to my fiancé’s generous guest list. In the space of a month and with the help of family (Linda and Diane) and friends (Lollie and Hattie) we planned a night which I will love forever, and I am so glad now that we did not do the simple affair I originally wanted, as I would have missed out on that ‘I just got married’ feeling!

One thing I am happy about choosing from the start was the dress, although it was not actually chosen, it was made! Whilst in Bolivia getting ready to move back to the UK as an engaged woman, I was frantically doing some online shopping in the search for my perfect registry dress. I knew what I wanted, something in a cream lace that would be stunning yet simple, and although I had some good contenders I couldn’t decide, until my mom suggested I have it custom made. I initially thought that was crazy as I only had a week left in Bolivia, but luckily for me my wonderful aunt Idel used to own a couture business and offered to make it for me as long as I provided the materials. Together we picked out the fabric, I explained what I wanted and unbelievable as it may be, in a week her skilful hands created my perfect dress.

I love that dress and I will always love that it is one of a kind and made especially for my first ‘I do’. Here are a few of the ready-to-wear choices I was daydreaming of before getting my lovely, lacy, customised creation.

French Connection - Lark Rise Lace Dress

Dolce Vita - Starling Bell Sleeve Lace Dress

BCBG - Cut Out Lace Dress

Marchesa - Notte Lace Dress (as worn by Lauren Conrad)

Diane Von Furstenberg - Hippolyte Dress

Esther Australia - Lace Dress

All the best, Gaby xXx

Celebrating Paper

Time really does fly. It’s hard to believe that just over a year ago I said ‘I do’ (well, the first time anyway!), and as a lover of creative and quirky gifts, it is only natural that in the days prior to celebrating this first milestone in our marriage, my brain was on overdrive trying to think of the perfect anniversary gift.

The meaning of anniversary gifts stems back to the medieval ages when husbands would give their wives a silver garland after 25 years together and a golden one after 50. Since then many more dates have been associated with different materials to symbolize that year in marriage.

Traditionally, the first year is known as a ‘Paper’ anniversary, meaning the couple gift each other items made of this material. Some believe it is because in the first year of marriage the couples are trying to make ends meet and therefore need an inexpensive way to show their affection. This makes sense if you consider that as the years go by the cost of the chosen material gets a little higher.

Now, getting back to the gift… there are unlimited choices for a paper gift, the most traditional ones being something like a framed photograph of the wedding day, a photo album, stationary, a book or maybe a hand written love note. A more modern approach can be to gift a ticket to a musical or sporting event or if you’re feeling generous plane tickets to an exotic destination.

My favourite however are the personalized gifts, and in the era of Pinterest and DIY tutorials the options are endless. Here are my top paper gifts with a unique twist:

Picture Coasters

These are my absolute favourites, which is why I actually chose to make them for my hubby when the 29^th June rolled around. They were incredibly easy and after looking at a few tutorials on youtube I developed my own system and am really happy with the result. I made 12 coasters and used pictures from our honeymoon, mainly because wedding pictures always get framed but the honeymoon ones disappear into the hard drive. I love looking at surfaces in our apartment and seeing memories of our amazing honeymoon scattered around… and guests love them!

Map Your Love

This is my runner up for best paper gift, and you can really make this project your own. As a multicultural couple I liked the idea of having a big heart made by combining UK and South America maps, and as my husband and I met, got engaged and then got married in three different countries then I could include smaller hearts flanking the large one with all these places. I like this so much I will probably end up doing it eventually anyway, would be cute to have around the flat! Here are a couple ways to do it:

Origami Outfits

I think this would be a lovely ‘him to her’ gift as it seems like the sort of thing a wife would appreciate more, especially if she is particularly proud of her gorgeous gown. I’m not suggesting the husbands learn origami or DIY this, I’m just pointing out that a quick look in Etsy will leave you a few dollars lighter but will earn you lots of brownie points!

A Song To Remember

Your first dance as Mr. and Mrs. is one of the most romantic and intimate moments of your wedding and if you’re anything like me then you’ll love looking back at that moment and wishing you could be there again. This is why I love the idea of a ‘first song’ canvas, use an image of your first dance, throw in the lyrics of your song and voila! Well not quite, you might need someone with Photoshop skills or to have it professionally done, but regardless of how you get it done, it will be a beautiful addition to your home.

52 Things

The funkier alternative to the traditional love letter, a ’52 Things’ booklet is a great way of telling your hubby all the ways in which you love him. You can really get creative and personal with this and maybe even throw in a few anecdotes of when he’s done something truly special that definitely did not go unnoticed. It’s a great way for him to feel special and for you to remember why you love him when he’s driving you crazy!

Get Cartooned

As a big fan of cartoon versions of real people, I just love this option, unfortunately hubby was not so keen. Some people opt for having a cartoonist at their wedding but if you were not one of them, you can still send a cartoonist a picture of your big day or just get an original drawing done whilst you are out celebrating your anniversary, planned or spontaneous, this gift will give you giggles whenever you look at it!

Paper Shoot

If you have some spare pennies in your pocket or a talented photographer friend with a flare for the unusual, then this is definitely the gift for you. It’s a great project to plan together and just think how much fun you would have coming up with paper related poses and making your paper outfits! Creativity is a must for this one, and it will certainly be a first anniversary you will remember. This particular shoot is the work of art of Steph Fowler Photography.

These are my absolute favourites, but for more great ideas, check out my Anniversary Gift Ideas Pinterest board!