Win Your Wedding Dress!

Today I'm delighted to share with you a fantastic offer for all brides to be who are on the hunt for their perfect wedding dress.
I was contacted by the team at Phase Eight so I could let you all know about the fantastic promotion they currently have on in the latest edition of Wedding Ideas Magazine which is on Sale today. The issue also happens to feature 4 of my Wedding Stationery Designs .. so please buy it anyway! :)

Anyway back to the competition! Here are the details ....

WIN £1000 TO SPEND AT PHASE EIGHT!

"Are you a bride-to-be?


If so then take a deep breath.

Because one of you lucky ladies could be in with the chance of winning an incredible £1000 worth of Phase Eight vouchers to spend on anything online and in store!

Just think of all those stunning wedding dresses and oh-so-gorgeous bridesmaid dresses you could treat yourself and the girls to so that everyone looks absolutely fabulous on your big day. From traditional white wedding dresses draped in opulent beadwork to more lightweight, contemporary styles, we have a bridal style to suit your theme.

To enter all you have to do is grab yourself a copy of the Real Wedding Special issue of Wedding Ideas magazine out on the 28th November and answer one simple question!

By now we are sure that you won’t need any further persuasion to enter but if you want to get a little bit excited about what you could spend your vouchers on then check out our fantastic Wedding Boutique here http://ow.ly/fl4NR "

If I was getting married I'd be hopping down to the shops right now to enter the competition! Phase Eight has some lovely dresses .. many of which would be perfect for either a vintage or modern style wedding so it really is worth giving it a go as often 'the' dress is such a huge part of your wedding budget.
Good Luck!
Nikki x

Vintage Pink & Doves Wedding Theme & Stationery

Can you believe its the last week of November already! It will soon be Christmas ... so get your Christmas card orders in soon! http://www.knotsandkisses.co.uk/greeetings%20cards.html
I took the weekend off this week, after a pretty disastrous week last week, to make some Christmas Stockings & Decorations for my house. On that note I'd like to say a massive thank you to those of you who provided  support and well needed words of encouragement last week through twitter and facebook ... it was really appreciated x

Also just a quick message to say that it's the last couple of days of voting in the Wedding Ideas Magazine awards so I'd really appreciate you considering voting for Knots & Kisses in the Wedding Stationery category if you can! http://www.weddingideasmag.com/wedding-ideas-awards-2013-voting-form/

On to today and I wanted to share with you some bespoke wedding stationery work I did recently.
The clients really liked the colours etc of my Storybook range but wanted to adapt it to better suit their theme and wedding, which was a little less ornate and had more of a 'Doves' theme.
I therefore took the basic elements of Storybook and paired it right down to create a pretty bespoke folded invitation which included doves, and small floral branches, aswell as the roses which are an integral part of the Storybook look.



I also worked on a design for them for a really fun and quirky RSVP card, where they asked guests to reply and fill in the blanks in a little 'story', with a prize for the best response! Such a fun way of getting your guests involved and making sure they reply!

Here are a few design ideas on a moodboard that I have had on wedding styling to match this gorgeous theme of vintage pink and doves. Following on from my Storybook range it has a bit of a fairytale quality with gorgeous shades of pink, lots of lace and mismatching floral fabrics. I've also added in a lovely birdcage which would make a great table centrepiece to carry on the Doves theme ...

credits :

www.pinterest.com ; www.stylemepretty.com ; Enchanted Atelier via www.bridalmusings.com ;

www.doyourselfafavour.co.uk ; http://delightblog.blogspot.com ; www.ruffledblog.com 

Weekly Wedding Inspiration

Well its been one heck of week here at Knots & Kisses! As well as several orders of wedding stationery to finish to get out to couples, and other things, a drunk driver smashed into the back of our parked car during the week. Then yesterday, like much of the country, we were battered by rain and wind and our garden fence blew down and water started leaking through the kitchen ceiling!
To be fair we got of lightly compared to many in the South West so I really hope the rest of you stayed safe in this horrible weather.

So on a lighter note, to finish off the week, I wanted to share with you some of the most best wedding inspiration I have found on the web this week ...

I found this gorgeous image on www.pinterest.com which was shot by www.nataliejwatts.com ... I do love floral crowns and I've seen several gorgeous real brides wearing a slightly smaller version of this look recently.

This fun and quirky wedding photo was taken by Dewan Demmer Photography and appeared on the www.boho-weddings.com blog this week along with much more of his work ...

And finally I absolutely adored lovely wedding photographer Laura Babb's own wedding, which was featured on www.whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com this week. Laura had a fab relaxed camping style wedding and this was her beautifully decorated wedding marquee ...

Stunning Historical Wedding Venues

If you're looking for your dream wedding venue then you wouldn't do much better than to have a look at the list of properties the National Trust have on offer. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/venue-hire/weddings/
Stunningly beautiful and often unusual wedding venues are often available.

They have castles and ruins, stately homes, towers, abbeys, pubs, homes of former Prime Ministers, and even a dairy available for hire. Perhaps you fancy getting married on a film set? Loads of their venues have been used for Hollywood movies, or costume dramas.

Many of their venues are licensed for ceremonies, but many more are great for a reception. They often have on site catering, or have good relationships with local companies.
Here are just a selection of the properties on offer ....


Chirk Castle - Wales



Fountains Abbey - Yorkshire

image courtesy of www.morgan-photography.co.uk

Ruffold Old Hall - Lincolnshire

Aberdulais Tin Works & Waterfall - Wales

Polesdon Lacey - Surrey

A Pastel Apricot & Grey Candy Stripe Wedding Stationery

Good Morning! Hope you all had a lovely weekend! I'm looking forward to an incredibly busy week here at Knots & Kisses with three large stationery orders to be made and sent on their way to lovely couples.

One of the orders I've been working on recently is for a bespoke version of my Candy Stripe range http://www.knotsandkisses.co.uk/candy%20stripe.html . Candy Stripe is a lovely retro pastel range reminiscent of old sweet bags with a brown paper wrapping. It comes in 3 different colourways, but is defiantely one of the ranges of Wedding Stationery I design which can easily be changed to suit the colour of your wedding.

The order I've currently been working on is for a lovely Apricot & Grey wedding colourscheme. I loved the idea of this when the bride approached me about it as I think adding grey to a colour combination can give a really modern edge currently.

Here are a few more ideas on how to style your wedding with this colour combination ...

credits : www.pinterest.com ; www.weddingsbylilly.com ;

Budget Bridal Looks 3

Welcome to my the final instalment of my Budget Bridal Looks blogs!
Over the last 3 days I've been trying to put together gorgeous looks for your wedding day that cost under £500 for the whole look .. that's shoes, head wear everything!
So far I've created a relaxed country theme wedding look and a fun and flirty fifties style. Today I'm looking at a classic elegant look for those of you who want a modern but pretty style.

BUDGET BRIDE 3 - A CLASSIC ELEGANT WEDDING

TOTAL SPEND FOR WHOLE OUTFIT - £491

To prove my point I've taken the full price cost of the items below from the various websites, but many of the items are actually currently on sale and can be bought at the moment for even less!

The dress is £295 from www.bhs.co.uk , tiara / headpiece from www.chezbec.com at £76 , Shoes are £70 from Jenny Packham at www.debenhams.com and the veil from Pierce II Fionda at www.debenhams.com

I hope you have found the last 3 blog posts helpful and many of you have more ideas about how to go about styling an outfit for your wedding on a budget! Have a fabulous weekend!

Nikki x

Budget Bridal Looks 2

Hopefully you caught yesterdays blog post where I started on my mission to put together entire Bridal looks for your wedding day for under £500.
My aim is to prove that with beautiful accessories and careful choosing you can create a look for your wedding day at a fantastic budget that still looks stunning.
Yesterday's Budget Bridal Look was for a relaxed country style wedding. Today I'm looking at a fun and flirty Fifties theme. This look is great for town or country weddings and the fifties look suits so many shapes and sizes its a great option for those on a budget .. plus I do love a cute cardigan with a wedding dress!

BUDGET BRIDE 2 - A FUN FIFTIES WEDDING

TOTAL SPEND FOR WHOLE OUTFIT - £465

The Wedding Dress is from www.coast-stores.com at £295 , the birdcage veil is from www.lilybella.co.uk at £50, the pale pink cardigan is from Laura Ashley and is £55 and the pink shoes are from www.monsoon.co.uk and are £65.

The last instalment in my Budget Bridal Looks is on the blog tomorrow .. this time with a classic modern feel.

Budget Bridal Looks

I've given myself a bit of a challenge this week!
I'm forever telling friends etc that the first thing I would dramatically cut the budget on if I was to get married and didn't have a lot of money to spend would be 'The Dress' ... cue gasps of Shock & Horror! 'Surely this is the most important part of your day!' .... and I guess for most Brides it possibly is ... for those that have spent their lives dreaming about the perfect wedding dress.

I do personally think though that you can do Bridal style 'on the cheap' as long as you strategically pick good accessories and think about the styling.
So here goes ... Budget Bridal Looks for under £500 ...

BUDGET BRIDE 1 - RELAXED COUNTRY WEDDING

TOTAL SPEND  FOR WHOLE OUTFIT -£479

The Wedding Dress is vintage at £275 and from www.lovemissdaisy.com who have a selection of vintage dresses at really reasonable prices on offer. The gorgeous lace shawl is from www.bhldn.com and comes in at £75 with the current exchange rate. The gorgeous hair clip is from www.roseandaster.com at £60 and the shoes are £69 from www.johnlewis.com .
Of course you could easily substitute the shawl for a pretty cardigan or nothing at all and reduce the cost even further!

Check back tomorrow for my Budget Bridal Look 2 - this time with a chic Fifties feel!

An Update From Knots & Kisses Wedding Stationery

Wow its been an incredibly busy week here ... Orders are flooding in for wedding stationery and I'm now fully booked until Christmas and there is very little space left in my schedule for the first 3 months of next year!
Thanks to everyone for all their support and for spreading the word about Knots & Kisses Stationery.
If you do still want some stationery for your wedding next year please get in touch as soon as possible!

Also just a quick reminder to get your Christmas card orders in! You can now buy Christmas Card Packs directly from my website at http://www.knotsandkisses.co.uk/greeetings%20cards.html . There are 4 designs this year to choose from.

Knots & Kisses also been nominated in the Stationery Category for the Wedding Ideas Magazine Awards for 2013! I'd love for any of you who have 5 minutes and have bought from or just really love Knots & Kisses Wedding Stationery to take time out to vote by following the link here ... http://www.weddingideasmag.com/wedding-ideas-awards-2013-voting-form/

Thank you in advance!

To end the week I wanted to share with you one of my favourite images from the 'wedding web' this week ... How amazing is this wedding dress from karencaldwelldesign.com !

Have a great weekend!

The Perfect Venue For A Festival Wedding!

Many of you may have gathered over the months of reading my blog that I am a bit partial to a festival style wedding! My other half and I met at the Isle of Wight Festival and so, if we were ever to get married, this is definitely the style of wedding I would go for.
I love the idea of a relaxing day outdoors ( with emergency marquees in case it rains of course! ) filled with good music, food and friends.

I was therefore delighted to find out that the lovely Amanda from 'Billy One Horn' www.billyonehorn.co.uk , who I met at the Milton Keynes Vintage Wedding Fair earlier this year and did some logo design work for, has started to hire out her gorgeous farm for Weddings!

She has already been providing gorgeous glamping caravans and has now branched out, with the help of the girls from Festival Brides http://festivalbrides.co.uk/fb-venuesland-hire to provide weddings.
Festival Brides is a great blog which provides lots of great inspiration for those of us that love a Festival Wedding and also provides an increasing list of land hire options for your wedding as well.

Billy One Horn has joined this list ...

If you are looking for a festival wedding venue with a vintage twist then this field is perfect for you. Located on a farm near Milton Keynes, the field sits amongst 40 acres of ridge and furrow grassland, pretty trees and has a quaint beck running through the middle. You can marry under a decorated tree whilst your family and friends sit on hay bales amongst the styled retro caravans! It’s a beautiful and natural setting for a relaxed festival wedding.

The field has great access with plenty of space for camping. Guests also have the option of staying at the farm’s boutique B&B and vintage caravans.

When picturing your wedding here, think relaxed and informal with plenty of vintage style options and countryside as far as the eye can see!

To find out more about hiring this venue for your wedding either contact Festival Brides at festivalbrides@gmail.com or find out more from the Billy One Horn website http://www.billyonehorn.co.uk/weddings/

Vintage Postcard Style Save The Date Cards

Hello all and Happy Bonfire Night! Hope you all had a fabulous time if you went to any fireworks displays over the weekend ... I was working unfortunately but managed to cosy up in front of the fire last night with my other half and a film and am hoping to get time to go to the local fireworks display tonight :)

I wanted to share with you today what has become one of my most popular bespoke designs that I have created over the last few years.
Some of you may remember that I created a 'Vintage Postcard' style Engagement Invitation for the lovely Lauren from Lady Amy Weddings last year.
The design got featured in Wedding Ideas Magazine and I've also included it in a slide show of my bespoke work on the website http://www.knotsandkisses.co.uk/bespoke%20designs.html

I've since been inundated with requests from other couples to adapt the design for them into Save the Date & Wedding Invitations. I think people really love the fact they can incorporate photos of themselves in the vintage style frames, which adds a really fantastic personal touch to your stationery.
Here are a few of the adaptations of this invitation that I've done for people this year... please excuse the Knots & Kisses Watermarks over the image .. unfortunately I've had people trying to copy this design and so this is an unfortunate necessity when it comes to flat printed work :( ...

If you would like me to adapt this design for your engagement party, save the dates, wedding invitations or anything else you can think of, please don't hesitate to get in touch via the contact form on the website http://knotsandkisses.co.uk or just drop me an email to info@knotsandkisses.co.uk ... I look forward to hearing from you!

And remember you can vote for us in the stationery category in the Wedding Ideas Magazine Awards! Just follow the link http://www.weddingideasmag.com/wedding-ideas-awards-2013-voting-form/ ... all votes are greatly appreciated!

Nikki x

Advice On Ordering Your Wedding Stationery

Hope you've all had a lovely week!
Here at Knots & Kisses samples for couples getting married next year have been flying out the door, as Brides start to think about sending their stationery out for next summer's weddings.
Space in my schedule is starting to fill up fast! So if you are interested from buying your wedding stationery from me I would advise getting in touch asap!

I always try and advise people to get in contact with their wedding stationer as soon as possible when planning a wedding. Unfortunately many of us get booked up quite far in advance ... especially if you want your stationery delivering to you over the first 4 months of the year. Its a bug bear of mine that a lot of articles in magazines etc give advise to send your stationery out 3 months prior to the wedding but don't mention that this doesn't mean that you can necessarily leave contacting a stationer until a month before this.
If you are really set on one particular stationer or design of stationery please, please at least send them a quick email as soon as you can when planning your wedding to check whether they have space to make your stationery. Here at Knots & Kisses for example I will offer many couples the option of a small deposit of £25 if they aren't ready to make a decision on exactly what they want yet, but would like to secure a slot in my schedule to make their stationery

On a completely separate note I'm delighted to announce that Knots & Kisses is in the running for a Wedding Ideas Magazine Award! Over the next 2 weeks you can vote for Knots & Kisses in the Wedding Stationery category in the 2013 awards ... I'd be delighted if you would consider taking out 5 minutes and voting for us :) http://www.weddingideasmag.com/wedding-ideas-awards-2013-voting-form/