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!

Award Winning Photography

It is every bride’s dream to have the kind of pictures that people look at and think ‘I’d love a shot like that’, or that would not look out of place in an exhibition or a photography book, the kind of pictures that win awards.

The moment I met Citlalli, Tamara and Jimmy from Citlalli Rico Photography, I knew that I had found the perfect team to document our memories, and when they sent back the pictures from my wedding I was speechless at the beautiful moments they managed to capture for us. Today I am once again amazed by their unbelievable talent, as one of my wedding pictures has been awarded a FEARLESS AWARD.

The Fearless Awards are given to photographers who manage to capture stunning pictures that redefine wedding photography and are simply amazing. Taken by Tamara, this shot is from our first dance at La Isla in Xcaret, Mexico. I cannot even imagine where she had to position herself to get this breathtakingly gorgeous picture.

Even before I found out about the award this was one of my favourite photos from such an intimate moment together. It is so artistic and beautiful; I love the colours and how it encompasses not just the stage but also the dimly lit tables where our guests were. It is simply perfect.

So congratulations to Tamara Rico for her Fearless Award and I would like to thank her and Citlalli Rico for taking the kind of stunning pictures that tell the story of one of the happiest days of my life. Thanks to you, my memories will last a lifetime.

Best wishes, Gaby xXx

Jose and Ledyann's Love Story

“We wanted a traditional Venezuelan wedding and tried to include our culture into the celebration.”

When Jose and Ledyann got married, I was lucky enough to be maid of honour and share such a happy time in their story together. As a couple, these two go from strength to strength, they are both individually unique and different but at the same time they share a lot of qualities, particularly in their professional lives. These young entrepreneurs work together in a company they created and spend virtually 24 hours a day together, something that can put any relationship to the test, but with mutual respect, and a few holidays each year to spend quality time together, they make it work.

They met in November 2005 at the Engineering Faculty of LUZ University in Maracaibo, Venezuela, and although they had a lot of mutual friends, they had never crossed paths before then. “When we first met he was very upfront, he sat next to me and told his friend we made a cute couple”, Ledyann recounts as she giggles at the memory, “I was always at the student centre, I’d never seen him there and suddenly he started showing up every day, that’s how we began dating”.

Fast forward five years, on 20^th November 2009, they married during a beautiful and moving ceremony at the lovely San Ramon Nonato church in Maracaibo. The ceremony was followed by a reception at ‘El Guacamayo’ party hall, which was organized by Marlene de Andrade and decorated by well-known designer Hector Silva Vega. Although they didn’t have a specific theme, they managed to plan a wedding that reflected their mutual tastes and culture.

As a guest, one of my personal highlights of the evening was the ‘Crazy Hour’, this is a Hispanic tradition where for 60 minutes all the people invited get to wear novelty accessories like silly hats and oversized sunglasses and jump around to energetic and joyful party themed songs, the bride and groom had custom made head pieces that were very traditional and representative of their culture, it was fantastic.

ASK THE BRIDE

Where did you find the dress?

I tried on lots of dresses but ultimately decided to have my bridal gown custom made by Venezuelan fashion designer Algimiro Palencia.

What was the most special part of your day?

When the priest blessed our union and we exchanged rings. Also when we gave each other the silver coins called arras, the whole service was very emotional.

Best part of the evening?

The funniest part of the party was when Jose took the garter off my leg, he used his teeth and did a sexy little dance while he was doing it, everyone was laughing!

Favorite part of the whole experience?

Planning almost everything myself, I was very involved in the process and I loved the results.

Worst Bridezilla moment during planning?

When my bridesmaids started to complain about dress colours and aisle partners, I ended up with 4 bridesmaids instead of 8.

Were there any wedding day disasters?

The car rental company cancelled our booking without telling us so we had to find a last minute car where my dress could fit. I also forgot the arras at my mom’s house and had to get the driver to detour so we could pick them up, so I was late arriving at the church but so was the priest so that was ok!

Best souvenir or keepsake?

The arras, they are vintage silver coins that are exchanged by the couple to symbolize that you will share with the other everything you have. My aunt Lisida kept them for many years waiting for my wedding day to arrive. My aunt Zully also gave me a silver coin that was given to her on her wedding day as a sign of prosperity.

“We were really relaxed and happy on the day, we put a lot of planning into it beforehand so we just enjoyed it.”

First Dance as Mr & Mrs

Music is such a powerful way of communicating, universal yet unique, millions of people can relate to one song and it moves each of them in a different way.

One of the most moving moments in a wedding is the Bride and Groom’s first dance, a few minutes in which all your guests look on, love filling their hearts as you take to the stage and dance to your song.

I will never forget our first dance, the song we chose will forever take me back to that precious moment. It was not an easy choice, I’m a Backstreet Boys fan and hubby enjoys the likes of Rage Against The Machine, which doesn’t exactly make it easy to find middle ground, but we found our medium with Christina Perri.

The song ‘A Thousand Years’ has been one of my favourites since I heard it on the Twilight soundtrack, and no, that’s not why we chose it, in fact it was almost missed out because of that (I may be a fan of the franchise, but hubby is NOT). I compiled a playlist of all the songs I thought could tell our story of love, and together we sat down and listened to each one, eliminating a few and leaving a handful to pick from, we decided to revisit the idea later.

It felt like the universe was telling me THAT was our song, every time I turned on the radio there it was, if I was watching the video channel it would come up, and even on my iPod as I walked to work, from thousands of choices the shuffle would play that one. One day, we were in the car on our way home and Christina Perri came on the radio, I looked over at my fiancé in his black Solid Rock Café t-shirt and untamed beard, singing along at the top of his lungs to A Thousand Years, and that was it, this was our song.

Here are a few other songs with great first dance potential:

Lonestar: Amazed

As far as first dances go this is a very popular choice and it’s easy to see why, the lyrics are just so beautiful, an homage from a man in love, professing all the reasons why she takes his breath away.

Rascall Flatts: Bless the Broken Road

If you’re a country fan there is no doubt you have heard, and love this song. We all have regrets in our love life, but the truth is that all our experiences, even the wrong ones, played their part in leading us where we are today… with our true love.

Nick Lachey: This I Swear

The vows you make on your wedding day are a promise, to love and respect one another for the rest of your lives, and this is what this song is about, a promise that no matter what happens, they will love each other until forever.

Clint Black & Lisa Hartman Black: When I Said I Do

This is another homage to the wedding vows, a beautiful country ballad that talks about the good times, the bad and the fact that they will face them and overcome them together. The fact they were recorded by a husband and wife just makes me love it more. 

Taylor Swift: Love Story

I have listened to this song endless times, everybody wants a love story worthy of Romeo and Juliet, and this song talks about the struggles of a couple that may not have a fairy tale start but ultimately finds their way to each other. A little more energetic than your average first dance but if it works for you, then why not?

Bon Jovi: Thank You for Loving Me

This song is just so true, most men find it so difficult to talk about feelings, but with this song a man can acknowledge how much his partner has changed his life and how much she means to him, a real tribute to that great woman that is always standing behind a great man.

Best wishes, Gaby xXx