HIGH STREET TOP PICKS...wedding dresses under £500

Weddings are expensive occasions, no matter how much you try to economise. Wedding dresses can be particularly expensive and can take a huge chunk out of your budget.

Whilst I have to admit there are some bargains out there, e.g. buying pre-owned or samples, the dress will more often than not be a costly purchase.

With this in mind, I decided to take a look at the bridal offerings on the High Street. I wanted to see what a top budget of £500 could get you, and I have to admit I was quite impressed! Here's some of my top picks...

Phase Eight @ Debenhams

£395.00

 BHS

£395.00

Coast

£295.00

Pearce II Fionda @ John Lewis

£260.00

Coast

£395.00

will you be my bridesmaid?

When I got engaged, I didn't know how or when to ask my sisters and best friends to be my bridesmaids. They were obviously the first ones to share in the happy news, but as my mind didn't go straight into wedding planning mode (I wanted to savour the engagement for a bit first), it didn't feel right to ask them straight away.

But then, suddenly too much time had passed, and whilst we all knew it was an unspoken given that they would be my bridesmaids, I didn't quite know how to bring the subject up.

So, what did I do? Resort to humour of course! I made my own 'Will you be my bridesmaid ?' invitations, with photoshopped images of us all in horrendous dresses. I emailed them out, and the deed was done! 

If you're photoshop skills aren't up to scratch, don't fear! Etsy is here! See below for some of my favourite invitations...

INSPIRE ME...hello yellow

Hello Yellow by thebridelovesfashion featuring a peridot pendant

Tall dress
$170 - whistles.co.uk

Dolce & Gabbana ankle strap shoes
farfetch.com

Sondra Roberts beaded purse
bloomingdales.com

Peridot pendant
maxandchloe.com

Diane James Yellow Rose Bouquet In Glass Bowl
gracioushome.com

HOT TREND...dresses with back detail

Wedding dresses are bringing sexy back...literally! Whether it's lace, sheer or cowl, back detail is the hottest trend in bridalwear right now.

If you're a fan of the Twilight saga, you may have noticed that Bella Swan brought this trend to life on the big screen in Breaking Dawn. She wore a stunning Carolina Herrera dress for her wedding, and I think this really helped to bring this trend to the forefront of bridal fashion.

My favourite dress at the moment has to be the Jenny Packham 'Esme' dress. It's definitely at the top of my wish list if I have a lottery win before the big day!

Jenny Packham

'Esme'

bridal nails

I haven't yet decided what I'm going to do with my nails on my wedding day. I'm not quite 'proper' enough to go for a french manicure, so I'm thinking of either a really pale pink or a nude colour which would suit the colour scheme of the wedding perfectly.

Shape-wise, if I go with my natural nails then they will be short and square. However, I am loving the almond shape artificial nails at the moment. Stiletto is probably a bit too dramatic for the wedding day, but I like that almond is a softer alternative of this trend.

I also like the idea of adding some sort of glitter fade or embellishment.

These are some of my favourite ideas at the moment...

balloons...at a wedding?!

My least favourite type of wedding decor has to be balloons. When I think of balloons at a wedding I think of balloon arches at the entrance, clusters of 3 balloons tied to bits of ribbon on a table...*shivers*. Aside from the fact that I have a bit of a balloon phobia (that squeaking noise...), I just think using balloons lacks thought and creativity.

I think people often choose balloons because they are cheap. Well, I can tell you now if you're willing to put in the hard work you can create your own decorations for the same price, if not cheaper! (DIY decorations post to follow at some point...)

Up until recently, I would have ran you out of town if you'd suggested that I include balloons in my wedding. However, I have to admit I'm kind of loving those large, round balloons that people are using as props in their wedding photographs... 

***Disclaimer: after my anti-balloon rant, I cannot be held responsible if balloons end up making it into my wedding photographs

INSPIRE ME...flashback in honour of the Royal baby!

Temperley London lace wedding gown
shopbop.com

Ann Taylor bridal wedding dress
anntaylor.com

Joan & David high heel shoes
bloomingdales.com

HIGH STREET TOP PICKS...RED bridesmaids dresses

As I was sat in the sunshine, trying to pick the theme for my first High Street Top Picks post, the obvious things popped into my head...summer, florals, pastels, brights, etc. 

But, then it occurred to me...those weddings are happening NOW. God help the bride who still hasn't got her bridesmaids outfits for her Summer 2013 wedding! That's not to say you can't have any of these themes for a winter wedding. I'm all for choosing the colour you love irrespective of the season you're getting married in. Buck tradition, I say!

But, in an attempt to be more seasonally appropriate, I decided to focus my first post on red bridesmaid dresses. Why 'red' I hear you ask? Well, my reasoning is as follows...

I am getting married in December which is less than 6 months away. I have only just sorted my bridesmaids outfits, and I have to say this area of wedding planning has probably caused me the most stress!

Red is a popular colour scheme for winter weddings, so this post is dedicated to any bride who is in the same stressful position as I was a matter of days ago...wedding in a few months, bridesmaids outfits still TBC. I want you to know that I feel your pain, and I hope this helps you tick another thing off the endless wedding planning list...

Warehouse

£70.00

Oasis

£65.00

Definitions @ Very.co.uk

£69.00

Topshop Boutique

£80.00

Warehouse

£80.00

Oasis

£50.00

Mango

£39.99