Dream Wedding Venue in New Zealand!

My husband has been obsessed with the tree house man on The Living Channel so I was really surprised when I went on Pinterest to see that such a thing exists right here in New Zealand!

In Warkworth north of Auckland 10 meters up a Redwood tree sits a pod shaped tree house that can house up to 30 people! A fully licensed venue with plenty of menu choices this really is a very unique venue!

Guests don't even need to get themselves there you can hire their coach to drive your guests there, making it perfect for a surprise wedding or surprise venue! So exciting for guests to not know where they are going and what a surprise they will get when they see they will be celebrating in a tree house!

I was disappointed to see that it is on the market for sale, however the link was no longer working. I have contacted the company to see if it is still open for bookings but you can check out their Website Here

Robin x

I Invite You......

I am a tad obsessed with stationary and wedding invitations are no exception! I made my own invitations for my wedding but had I known about ETSY at the time or had more time to plan my wedding (3 months is just not enough time to get every little thing you want!) I would have got one of these beauties! 

Buy it here...

Personalised Cartoons! This is one I think my hubby would love super cute!

Buy them Here..

These laser cut invitations are amazing! These are sure to give your guests a 'wow' moment when they open the envelope! 

Buy it here..
Woodland creatures are so popular at the moment and these deer head invitations do the trend in a classy way!

Buy it here..
Burlap and Lace- Classic for a vintage/rustic wedding.

Buy it Here..

I am loving this new floral trend that is becoming more and more popular! I see this being used in a backyard picnic wedding or an elegant garden wedding.

Robin x

*Neon Wedding*

I like anyone loves a pop of neon! At a wedding is no exception, here are some gorgeous neon wedding finds................

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If your only going to do it once have some fun with it! No one will forget a neon wedding x

Robin x

*Green with Envy*

With our sample sale coming up I thought I would give all of our blog followers a sneak peak of what is going to be on offer! 

First off is the *Green with Envy* Bouquet

This bouquet has over 1000 buttons, many sparkly pearl and crystal brooches and tiny flowers.

A large cameo and crystal brooch is the centre of the bouquet, along with some of my most favourite vintage buttons that I will be so sad to let go of!

The crossed pleat stem adds yet another detail to this bouquet, making it shine from every angle.

Finally it is finished with double layer deluxe satin petals that complete the bouquet. Here at Vintage Spice we want your bouquet to look as amazing from underneath as it does on top.

This bouquet is truly one of my favorites, with its subtle sparkle and gorgeous colours. If only I could get married again! 

Sign up for our sample sale here http://www.vintage-spice.com/#!sample-sale/c22ie

Don't forget to like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/VintageSpice?ref=hl

Robin x

Goodbye Guest Book!

Lets face it guest books are boring! A white book covered in white satin that people write lovely messages in that you may read the day after your wedding and then never again. It gets put in a box or on the bookshelf , if you are overly sentimental like I am you probably will take it out once a year and have a look through it otherwise it just sits there, white fabric getting all dusty and the sticky fingers of a toddler will probably come along and put some fingerprints on it. Toddlers love emptying bookshelves!!

There are so many other amazing ways of collecting a memento from your guests now, some that you can have on display at your home all year round! Here is one I quite liked!

Finger Print trees like this one are beautiful and anyone would be proud to hang it in their home however be careful as to what tree you choose some can look incredibly tacky in my opinion. I love the look of this realistic tree as opposed to a cartoon-like one I have seen circulating. See the rest of this wedding Here.

You may want to have someone over seeing this to make sure it is done properly and make sure it is done before alcohol and not afterwards so you get people when they are at their most sensible and you don't end up with streaks or blobs of ink everywhere.




This is the first fingerprint type thing that I have seen and liked but there are so many balloon ones, trees, fingerprint rain just look on Pinterest for oodles of ideas if this is your thing!

The original post for this image says that this one was sourced from Etsy a great place to start your wedding shopping!


Robin x

Flower Girl Fashion.

There are so many options out there for the smallest members of your wedding party. Do you match the flower girl with the bride, the bridesmaids or completely different altogether  The choice is all yours! I was having a wander around Pinterest as you do and these are some cute little finds I came across..... 

Now the only reason this last one is in here is because it reminds me of exactly what I wore at my Uncles wedding when I was a flower girl in the mid 1990's. I can't say it would be a look I would go for now but each to their own!

Are you having a flower girl or girls at your wedding? At our wedding we had 4. 

My beautiful 13 month old daughter was one of them. This is her in my wedding gown the morning of our wedding with her own Vintage Spice bouquet.

Happy planning.

Robin x

Cookies are the new Cupcakes!

Cute Cookies!!  

I'm always looking for cute ways to personalise your wedding.
Cupcakes are cute but I think something new is on the rise! 

The reason why I love these so much is because the possibilities are endless! Here are a few ideas I came up with.

• Have your guests names written on each cookie and use them as your place settings.
• Have your monogramme iced or embossed onto the cookie and use it as your wedding favour.
• A fantastic little touch to your dessert table.
• Great for weddings where an afternoon tea is served, your guests won't expect a dainty little cookie like these!

Cakes are often wasted at weddings especially if you are serving dessert as well ( I know this from personal experience!) a few left over cookies are easier to eat than a 3 tier wedding cake! 

This is also another great way to integrate the theme of your wedding and make for some super cute wedding photos! 

I sourced all of these photos from Pinterest you can view my entire cookie board Here

If you choose to get a professional to make your cookies make sure you get to test them first have them make a few for you to see and try before handing over a deposit. You may have to pay for these but it's worth it to ensure your baker or cake decorator knows what they are doing. 

If you choose to DIY which is a great option for these as they are somewhat less daunting than a huge wedding cake, have a look around for bakeries that hold decorating classes there are bound to be some in your area. These classes give you some techniques and tips for decorating and will give you a more professional look to your decorating. 

What do you think of these cute cookies? 

Robin xx

Marchesa Spring / Summer 2013 Collection favourites!

Here are my favourites from the new Marchesa Spring / Summer collection. These are as luxurious as bridal gowns come but there is no harm in looking is there! 

All photographs sourced from Here

I really think there is something for every bride in this collection! Well done Marchesa you have done it again! 

What do you think? Is there a gown here you would wear? 

Robin

Where to spend and where to save on your wedding!

Not everybody can have a lavish royal wedding but it is knowing where to spend the money you have to make the most out of your day! 

Save

Centrepieces:  You can spend hundreds on extravagant fresh floral centrepieces which although lovely can end up costing thousands! If this isn't in your budget something smaller yet just as elegant will give you the same ambiance at your reception. 

I love this one with a range of fresh flowers in a vintage teacup! Simple but elegant also doesn't intrude on guests conversation as some larger centrepieces can. 

Super Saver Tip: Source wildflowers or flowers from relatives gardens, this is an easy way to achieve a cottage feel. (Just don't take from local council gardens- This counts as stealing, don't tell anyone I told you to!) Things are always more interesting when they are not exactly the same! Also ask around and see if any relatives have a secret stash of teacups or check your local second hand shop!

Invitations: There are so many options when it comes to your wedding stationery! If there are other things you would like to spend your money on this is a great area to cut some costs! Make them yourself, there are so many supplies available to enable you to make your own invitations, decorative punches, beautiful papers, embossing machines you name it! Talk to your local scrap booking shops these are great places for ideas! If DIY is not your thing there are many small businesses that create invitations search Felt or Etsy. 

                                              Spend

Dress: Quite possibly the most important thing you will ever wear! You want it to be comfortable,  fit perfectly and look fabulous in your pictures. This dress "Beauty" by Claire Pettibone is one of my all time favourites! There has been a fairly new trend of brides buying dresses directly from mass produced factories overseas for $200 or however much. 

Now while this may seem like a good deal just think for a moment, if they can charge you $200 for a bridal gown probably less than $50 is spent on the fabric! Not only is the quality of materials cheap but the people who spend hours making these gowns get paid next to nothing! 

I've heard a lot of people say "I saw this dress at a bridal salon for $2,000 then brought it online for $200!!" A lot of the time these designs are copied from real designers by mass producing manufacturers! Then once you get the gown there is no guarantee that it will be exactly as it was shown in the pictures you may get a dress which is 6 inches too short and 2 sizes too small. Tread carefully don't hand over your money for a gown you have never seen!! 

Image by Jessica Jones Photography

Photographers: By far the most important thing to spend money on for your wedding, there has been an insurgence of "Uncle Bob" photographers lately so be very careful about who you choose to photograph your wedding, look at portfolios, references and qualifications. Choose a photographer who is NZIPP qualified. Remember these will be the only chance you get to have these photos taken, there is no do-over! Follow different photographers Facebook pages so you can see there work, ask questions about their experience, style and packages. Some photographers I follow are Toni Larsen Photography, Amanda Ritchie Photography, Perspectives Photo and Cinema, Jessica Jones Photography, Zandy J Photography. There are so many other photographers who I love but we would be here all day!! Take a gander at their work at and how beautifully they capture precious memories- alternatively take a look at http://youarenotaphotographer.com/ -- Do your research! 

If you would like to see more cost saving ideas or DIY wedding projects pop them in the comments below and I will deliver!

Robin xx

..Emerald City..

The colour of the year is emerald green so why not have an emerald green wedding?

Here is some inspiration for you...

Take or leave it?

I love this colour I especially love the green gowns!

Robin xx

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{Trending} First Looks

Now this tradition has been around a while but it is really beginning to take off everywhere. A first look is when the bride and groom get a "First look" at each other before the wedding ceremony.

Traditionally speaking it is bad luck for a groom to see his bride before the wedding BUT times are a changing! 

The traditional me thinks that the groom won't get that WOW moment when he sees his bride walking up the aisle but the modern me thinks how amazing would it be to have a few minutes with your groom before the craziness begins. Lets face it once the vows are over your busy taking photos chatting to guests you don't really get a chance to have an intimate moment with your groom. 

In reality your groom will still get that wow moment as your walking up the aisle whether you have a first look or not!

Then I think I found the happy medium, you get a "First Look" but you don't actually see each other! Clever ways to have that special moment before the ceremony starts but in keeping with the groom not seeing the bride! 

This is just another example of why I love weddings now! There are no rules, brides will continue to recreate weddings and come up with their own traditions.

Robin xx

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