Well Established

Yesterday Annabelle and I went to Melbourne to attend The Wedding Establishment showcase event, every detail organised by the lovely Tanja Radman - what energy this woman has - she was positively inspiring and we had so much to talk about. The event was the ideal opportunity for brides to meet a select range of quality wedding industry suppliers, all in one place.

An earlier event was held at the Tea Room QVB the previous week during the infamous Sydney dust storms that turned the city red. Check The Wedding Establishment site for a complete rundown of all the exhibitors.


The Tea Room QVB in Sydney

This second event was held in Melbourne at Comme in Alfred Place - such a lovely building. One of the grand upstairs areas was transformed to accommodate all the exhibitors.


Comme in Melbourne

As we ascended the wide original staircase we were greeted by waiters carrying platters of delectable finger food and cool drinks - just perfect for the relaxed environment. Models in stunning Mariana Hardwick, Ava Madison, Baccini & Hill and Pallas gowns mingled amongst the guests giving us all a sneak peek into the amazing array of dress choices. It was so nice to finally meet Louise from Harvey&Ella who let us in on her recent trip to France where she has sourced some exciting new fabrics. Her bridesmaid dresses are fantastic - the kind of dress you would actually wear long after the wedding.


Left to Right: Baccini & Hill, Ava Madison, Pallas and Mariana Hardwick

Annabelle and I were so pleased to finally meet many of our advertisers and suppliers - those whom until now had only been a familiar voice at the other end of the telephone line. The beautiful letterpressed invitation that we received for the event was printed by Chapel Press who had many examples of their stationery on display. These stylish, embossed thank you cards were a surprise treat from Chapel Press in the goody bag.



Then there were the cakes - oh the cakes! Babycakes had an inspiring macaroon display, giving brides an alternative to a traditional wedding cake. Splendid Servings had a fantastic yellow and black themed cake that would have been perfect for our Ladies and Gentlemen story in Issue 7.


Babycakes macaroon display


Splendid Servings striking cake

After chatting with the lovely Jessie from j studios and seeing examples of her great work, we practically had to drag ourselves away from chatting with the girls from Infinity Photography - they had a a great stand enticing brides with their beautiful albums. Across from Infinity was A Piece of Paris who had a sophisticated range of wedding stationery. I was interested to learn they offer a styling service as well.

One of our final ports of call was Kate Hill Flowers that was decorated with the most glorious display of fragrant flowers. We also saw a gorgeous helleborus and sweetpea bouquet from Texas Flower Rangers that just seem to capture the essence of spring.

There were many other exhibitors, too many for us chatterboxes to speak with them all. Please do check The Wedding Establishment site for a complete list of contacts.

Before we left Comme we stopped in at the restaurant downstairs for lunch - we were in heaven and wished our ultra-delicious meals would never end. Alas, they did and we had to hurriedly make our way to the airport to fly home to Adelaide. Not hurriedly enough as it turns out we missed our plane! What a fun day though.

Posted by Jane Cameron

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To Have & To Hold

The lovely Elana, superstar behind the New York company Melangerie NYC, let me know about some cool new bits and pieces that are being launched. Their new genealogy chart design would make a trendy addition to any wedding along with three new designs for welcome gift packaging and customizable event guides. I'm loving the idea of goodie bags made out of cotton and printed with cute phrases such as 'To Have & To Hold'. Now that plastic bags are pretty much a thing of the past it's a great gift to your guests that you know they'll use again when they hit up the markets, supermarkets or even the beach. The memory of your day will stay with them for years to come. And... who likes carrying ugly green shopping bags? Not me! Visit www.melangerienyc.com to check out all their newest pieces.


Wedding genealogy chart


Welcome Everyone guides


Welcome goodie bags


The To Have & To Hold tote is available in tons of colour options if you order 50 or more

Posted by Emilie Harrison

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An Apple In Your Eye

Linda & Harriett is happy to announce a new print to their note cards collection – Green Apples! Printed on 30% post-consumer waste, carbon neutral paper, this note card is letterpressed with soy-based ink and comes in a boxed set of six. The note cards retail online for $14USD at select retailers and online at www.lindaandharriett.com.





Posted by Emilie Harrison

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P is for Pantone

When discussing your wedding stationery, you may hear your graphic designer refer to PMS colours and wonder what on earth they're talking about. 'PMS' stands for Pantone Matching System - it was developed almost 50 years ago as a way of standardising colours so designers and printers have an accurate way to communicate with each other. When we choose PMS 123C, we know the egg-yolk yellow we have in mind is the same as the colour the printer will use.

We include a replica of a Pantone chip in each issue, giving you a reference if you'd like to replicate our theming palette.



Today Pantone has grown to supply colour matching products for a vast range of industries including interiors, fashion, architecture and most recently digital-based businesses. Here at Wedding Style Guide we use the Pantone swatch books that feature over 1000 colours - they look like this:






There is one swatch book for use on coated gloss papers, one for coated matte papers and one for uncoated papers - the same colour can look very different when printed on each different paper kind so there is a lot to consider when making decisions.

Of course there is a lot more to printing successfully using the Pantone system but hopefully this will make things a little clearer. Do have a look at their website as there is a wealth of information about colour forecasts and colour matching products. Their cotton swatches and new GoeGuide system (with over 2000 colours) are high on my list of 'needs'!





Posted by Jane Cameron

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Ruffled

I found this gorgeous gown by Kate Towers on Etsy. Made from the palest silvery grey cotton, this simple floor-length dress is embellished with the most dramatic ruffled mane. Kate has a number of other lovely pieces too so her shop is definitely worth a visit.



Posted by Jane Cameron

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Kate & Dominic

Today I wanted to share with you some gorgeous images of Kate & Dominic's wedding day that didn't fit into the latest issue of Wedding Style Guide. The wedding and reception took place at the amazing Trisara Resort and Spa in Phuket. Kate looked absolutely stunning in her Pallas dress and i just loved her sequined peep toes also from Pallas. Infinity photgraphy captured the day beautifully.















all images by Infinity Photography

Posted by Emma Henderson

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Super Stylish Stationery

The lovely Kate Holland, designer extraordinaire of our favourite New Zealand stationery company Ruby & Willow, emailed me some gorgeous pics of her stationery that she recently had on show at The Grand Wedding Show in Auckland. Kate is such a talented designer and we think her pieces are simply gorgeous. Ruby & Willow was established by Kate in 2005 with her philosophy being to create beautiful product that reflects not only the tone of your event, but your personalities as well as providing a seamless and enjoyable stationery buying experience. Typography, texture, gorgeous patterns and papers all combine to create something that's unique and truly yours. To find out more about Ruby & Willow or to get in touch with the lovely Kate to discuss your wedding stationery visit www.rubyandwillow.co.nz.













Posted by Emilie Harrison

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In The Band

If you're an accessories queen and love the idea of having your maids or flower girls in cute little headbands then I suggest you check out Bambako. Their adorable range of headbands, price from $18USD - $78USD, are adorned with ribbons, jewels, flowers and come in the sweetest range of colours. Online shopping is easy peasy and they're happy to ship anywhere. Visit store.bambako.com to view the collection and shop online!





Posted by Emilie Harrison

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New York Fashion Week spring/summer 2010 #4

New York fashion week drew to a close with Oscar de la Renta proving why he's the man when it comes to evening dressing and the most exquisite gowns. He included all the colours of the rainbow with ruffles, embellished tulle, bows, flowing skirts and the cutest mini's. His navy embellished tulle gown was just so gorgeous! Ralph Lauren kept things classy and refined as usual with soft blues and silvers running throughout the collection. Naaem Khan opted for super embellished pieces in bold colours and classic 60's styles. Isaac Mizrahi used black to full effect with gowns that showed off how incredibly sexy the female form can be while Erin Fetherston channelled her inner screen goddess with gowns that featured sheer skirts, sleeves and embellished necklines. Visit the Vogue Australia website to view the shows in their entirety.


Naeem Khan


Ralph Lauren


Oscar de la Renta


Oscar de la Renta


Oscar de la Renta


Isaac Mizrahi


Isaac Mizrahi


Erin Fetherston
Photos courtesy of Vogue.com.au

Posted by Emilie Harrison

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White Out

One of my favourite sites for homeware is Whiteport - their products are dreamy, delightful and oh so desirable. We featured their sweet linen lingerie bag in our latest issue.





Well I found out some jolly good news today - they've launched their wedding registry this month. You may find it hard to choose what to include - I would simply say 'absolutely anything please'.

Posted by Jane Cameron

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A Few of My Favourite Things (well one of them anyway...)

Our latest issue is packed full of the most gorgeous real weddings. They are a real insight into the details that are important to brides today. Here at Wedding Style Guide, we're noticing a real trend towards couples choosing interesting venues for their reception to minimise their decoration spend.

One of my favourite real weddings from Issue 12 is that of Nicki and Ben. It looked like such a relaxed and fun day - minimal effort but maximum effect. Their venue was already brightly decorated meaning they really had to do very little to make the space look spectacular. Definitely something to consider if working to a budget.





Their photographs were taken by the lovely Shona Henderson. Her photographs seem to capture the real emotions of the day.

Posted by Jane Cameron

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Today's the Day!

Today's the day Issue 12 hits the stands in Australia. We think it's our best ever issue (do I say that every issue?) full of theming ideas, practical information for wedding planning and the very best real weddings. Our readers must agree because we've been overwhelmed with positive feedback already. If you can't wait to get to the newsagents, you can download your complete digital version, complete with hyperlinks and other nifty features right here.



Together with the launch of our Issue 12 website update, we're very excited to be able to offer you, our lovely reader, a free back issue - that's right - FREE!. Simply click here, fill in a few simple questions to register for our email newsletter and you can then download a complete digital version of Issue 7.

Go on, we just know you'll love it!

Posted by Jane Cameron

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Bloomin' Beautiful

Spring is arguably the most beautiful time of year to be married, particularly if you're a bride who loves her flowers. Blooms that are the most popular at the moment according to Kate Hill Flowers are Lily of the Valley, White Ranuculi, Hyacinth, Helleborus, Sweet Pea, and of course Roses. As Spring starts to warm up, blossoms such as Cherry Apple, Japonica, and Lilac are unfortunately almost over. These blossoms are always beautiful additions to bouquets and arrangements but rarely star in weddings due to their short blooming period of only two to three weeks. And, in case you're wondering, the ever popular Peony and David Austin Roses should be ready this year by November. Visit www.katehillflowers.com.au to find out more about your wedding day flowers.









Kate Hill Flowers is thrilled to be a part of The Wedding Establishment, taking place at Melbourne's Comme on Wednesday 30th September. To buy tickets for either the Melbourne or Sydney events visit www.weddingestablishment.com.au. Wedding Style Guide is thrilled to be the official bridal media partner so be sure not to miss out!



Posted by Emilie Harrison

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