Are you prepared to break with tradition for your wedding?

It is your wedding! Or is it? Sometimes it can feel likeeveryone but you has a say about what is going to happen on your day.

                “Youcan’t do that! That is not what a wedding is about!”
                “You have to do it thisway. We’ve always done that in our family!”
                “Where did you think thatidea up from?”
                “Our family always does itthis way!”

Parents of many brides and grooms want to put their fivecents worth into the planning of your wedding. Family and friends may mean wellwith their ideas and contributions of “ideal” wedding plans but this can leadto arguments and upset.

Renaissance Wedding

At the beginning of all the planning you had a picture ofhow you saw the day falling into place. You want your wedding to be different.Perhaps a unique theme, change the vows, sing modern songs or have a completebreak from traditional wedding music. You and your partner have been to plentyof other weddings and you don’t want to have just another beautiful buttraditional wedding day.

This decision leads you into unchartered water. How willyour family and friends react to your idea? They know you are rule breakers with modern views and all you wantis a day that reflects who you are as a couple.

Gothic Wedding Theme

Gothic Wedding Cake

In ancient times the bride was given to the groom’s family!The white dress signified virginity, the cake was a symbol of fertility and thebridesmaids dressed like the bride to confuse evil spirits ! The groom stood onthe right of the bride so he could use his right hand to grab his sword to fendoff enemies who wanted to steal his bride!

Western Wedding

Then in Victorian times we introduced bouquets of flowersfor the bride. The bouquet was made from scented flowers or herbs to held tohide the smell  of an unclean society orto ward off all those evil spirits!

We carry on these traditions, mostly without even knowingwhy. We aren’t tied to these traditions for any of these old reasons anymorebut so it continues!  Our parents did itso their expectations are that you should have a great church wedding, whitedress and wonderful sit down dinner!

Western Wedding Cake

These days you can have many different themes that can beamazing fun for you and your guests. Just maybe not considered to be a greatidea by your parents! Remember that it is your party and it is your weddingday. This is a day that you will remember for the rest of your life. Share withyour grandchildren and demonstrates your personality to them and everyone onthe day.

You can have fun being different! Be prepared for somearguments but don’t let it stop you being quirky and different! Go for it andmake your day extra special!

Extreme Weddings @ Ayers Rock, Central Australia

It's On Sale Day!

Today's the day – our new winter issue hits the shelves in Australia. Of course it's jam-packed with all the inspiring wedding styling ideas you've come to expect. Take a sneak peek at just some of our ideas by flipping through the pages of our new winter 'Look Book'.



If you love what you see in our winter ‘Look Book’, get the whole story in our fabulous winter issue, on sale now!

Posted by Jane Cameron

Power Shopping

Amongst the pages of Wedding Style Guide, you'll find a story called Table Three Ways where we choose a colour palette and show how you can style a reception table using those colours, in three completely different ways. We use the same table, chairs, tablecloth, cutlery, crockery - and in most cases, glassware - to show how easy it can be to revamp a neutral venue setting.

In our current issue, I styled a table in a pink and blue palette using the saying 'Love is the Drug' as my inspiration. I sourced great test tube-style bottles with aluminium lids, filled them with musk mock-pills, teamed the bottles with a lab-style clipboard and incorporated lots of notes and graph paper elements.



One of the products I had planned to use, but unfortunately didn't make it to the final shot, was the Laboratory Flower Vases from Urban Outfitters. I had it shipped all the way here, determined that it was perfect for the shoot - paying for expediated shipping to get it here on time - but when it arrived, and all of the elements of the table were put it place, there just wasn't room for it. I haven't forgotten about it though - no doubt you'll see it pop up somewhere else in the pages of Wedding Style Guide when I find a spot to use it.



If you would like your own Laboratory Flower Vases - or any other of the beautiful styling pieces from Urban Outfitters - now is the time. They are offering free shipping to Australia for three days only when you spend $150 or more. With our dollar currently worth more than the US dollar, this is the ideal time to take advantage of this great offer. Simply use the code AUFREESHIP at checkout and know you've just saved yourself a bundle.

Posted by Jane Cameron

Fabric Fascination

I think these fabric flowers are so sweet! If you're not keen on real flowers, or fancy the idea of keeping them long after your wedding, why not opt for the fabric kind? These little creations come from Petal & Print in the U.S, however they will ship to us fine folk in the land downunder. Used for bouquets, waist ties, button holes, as hair pieces and even for cake decorations they are a crafty idea. Visit www.petalandprint.com for all the details.







Posted by Emilie Harrison

Like A Record Baby

How's this for an amazing wedding invitation? The designer, Kelli Anderson, writes all about it here on her blog (fantastic website too!).

Paper Record Player from kellianderson on Vimeo.

Thanks so much to my designer friend, Kellie Campbell, for the heads up. It's great to see such an interesting idea.

Posted by Jane Cameron

Stationery Delight

These days your are spoilt for choice if you fancy the idea of purchasing invitiations online. With so many options available, narrowing the field can be quite the challenge. I was sent an email today showcasing PostScript Brooklyn, a new online wedding invitation store for the "urban and sophisticated bride and groom". Founder Melinda Morris, visionary of both PostScript Brooklyn and Lion in the Sun, also shared her tips of what's hot for next spring/summer 2011/12.

1. COLORS: Grey, Navy and Moss Green
2. DESIGNS: Architecture - Buildings and bridges help to tell “your” story. Botanical: Classically romantic, rich images of leaves, tress and branches never go out of style.
3. FONTS: Vintage/handwritten, degraded typewriter, A mix of quirky, offbeat styles.

There is simply a gorgeous selection of pieces on offer and with our dollar faring so well at the moment it's never been cheaper to purchase directly from the USA. Prices for invitations range from USD$5 - USD$16 per set and can be purchased online at www.psbrooklyn.com.

Posted by Emilie Harrison

Stamp Happy

If you're looking for a unique way to add a little personality to your celebration and fancy a bit of DIY be sure to check out the super cute stamp collections from Kikki.K. Stamping really couldn't get any easier! Consider a certain stamp for your wedding and use this on stationery, favours and then follow through with the same design for your thank you notes. Cute as a button! Visit www.kikki-k.com to find your nearest store.

Posted by Emilie Harrison

Paper Cut

I came across these gorgeous paper cut designs by MadebyJulene on Dizzy Wizzy Designs. These extrodinary works of art by British designer and illustrator Julene Harrison would be make such a fabulous entry feature to an engagement party or wedding. It would then become the perfect reminder of your special day when framed and hung on your wall. I can't begin to imagine the time and patience it would take to create these but if you're keen to have one for yourself be sure to contact Julene at www.madebyjulene.com as she's happy to take on commissions! Prices start from £240 for an A4 (10" x 8") piece.

Posted by Emilie Harrison

Hankey Blankeys

I don't know about you, but I think this is a fantastic idea - a blankey made out of hankerchiefs from Made By Mosey in Melbourne. This would make a wonderful keepsake if you asked all guests to your bridal shower to bring along a hankey as a gift. Of course, you'd need to give everyone a colour palette to ensure everything matched, but it would be a lovely way to remember everyone who shared in that day.





There are countless other beautiful and original items including ever-so-sweet mini bunting at Made by Mosey so do have a look.

Posted by Jane Cameron

The White House

What a time I had last week. I was lucky enough to stay at The White House in Daylesford, Victoria. Owned and decorated by one of my style heroes, Lyn Gardener from Empire Vintage fame, this gorgeous little house is nestled amongst some of the most beautiful countryside I have seen. It was cold and raining for most of the time we were there, the perfect excuse to spend long spells in front of the open fire, grazing on delicious local produce and catching up on favourite magazines.

This house is such an inspiration to me as a designer and stylist. Every corner has an interesting display or collection to admire. It was a direct reflection of Lyn herself - warm, inviting, generous and relaxed - everything a home should be.









We were so fortunate to have Lyn feature in our Gift Registry story this issue. She shared her tips and tricks on how to make a house feel like a home. Her insights give anyone about to embark on the fabulous task of registering for gifts a heads up on making choices that will last a lifetime.





Thank you Lyn for the most fabulous time.

Posted by Jane Cameron

Chalk it Up

I received an email from Sibella Court at The Society Inc announcing the new chalkboard paints from Murobond. I am L.O.V.I.N.G. the white - how fantastic is it! The possibilities are endless.





Posted by Jane Cameron

Alluring Illusions

When Annabelle and I were last in Sydney, we walked past this amazing shopfront that really caught our eye - the Brad Ngata Hair Salon. Its terrificly tricky trompe l'oeil style panels (French for 'trick of the eye') and beautiful colour palette really got us thinking about the possibilities for not only upcoming photo shoots, but for wedding styling in general.







Designed by Sydney architect, Scott Weston, this salon is a clever mix of illusion and reality. Read all about Scott, and the Salon at the Design Files' excellent blog. It will surely get your imagination fired.

Posted by Jane Cameron

Take a Leaf

After making contact with a lost friend, Cath Connell, on the weekend, I was surprised to find out about her amazing new stationery business called Leaf. Cath has used her background in graphic design and paper marketing & sales to put together a great collection of products aimed at helping us record and celebrate our own personal stories.



One of the products, Girl Talk, is well suited to our wedding industry - "Gather the girls together and share your stories of love, life and fabulous shoes". The perfect idea for a fun hen's night.



Each pack of Story Starters comes with prompts to get the conversation flowing - 'The first time…', 'The most romantic…', 'In 10 years time…' - all guaranteed to get a party started.

I am in awe of Cath's achievement and wish her every success with Leaf.

Posted by Jane Cameron

Wire Works

Look at these nifty wire works from Debeaux Souvenirs in France. They would make really interesting talking points for reception decoration, especially if one spelt out the bride and groom's names. Luckily for us they ship worldwide via Etsy.


This one would be an ideal spot for guests to drop a handwritten note to the couple.


Papier mache hearts flutter inside a cage




They range in price from USD $36 to $110 plus shipping.

Posted by Jane Cameron