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

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

{Have your cake} Crazy wedding cakes!!

Some of the craziest wedding cakes on the Internet!

Hmm?? A wedding cake where the bride has stabbed her husband?? Enough said about that!

Wow that is one huge cake! 

Yes well they had to be in here didn't they, probably one of the most over the top 'celebrity' weddings ever and the cake was no exception!

My Mother-In-Law suggested while I was planning my wedding that I have a profiterole tower, I have a feeling it would have turned out something like the above! Needless to say I did not follow her suggestion! 

This is one talented lady, this cake is not crazy because its weird its crazy in the sense of how many hours must have gone into not only baking all of the cakes but all that traditional piping!! 

OK now this is just downright weird! By the looks of the brides face she's not too impressed either!

Yup may help to check your spelling when your responsible for someones wedding cake!!

Yes there really is a lovely wedding cake- on top of a turtle........... Lemon with raspberry filling apparently!

So those were the craziest- keep an eye out for the best!

Robin xx

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Wedding Hands........

A pretty Mani is a must for every wedding day you will be sure to have many photos taken of your hands and if you are wearing open toed shoes don't forget about those toes!!

 

Here's mine, acrylics with glitter tips- so sparkly and fun!

 

The classic French Mani simple, sweet and just perfect for a bride.

 

Super cute lace detail with a bit of bling! Safe to say this one is for the professionals!

 

 

I love these 'something blue' wedding nails so pretty!

 

WARNING for those who don't like feet beware there is just one photo of toes below if you don't like feet scroll down quickly hehe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love these just a subtle colour with a bit of bling!

 

Sometimes its the small things that count and a cute manicure is always needed at a wedding, if you don't want to go to the pros, get a $10 glue on fake nail kit from a pharmacy they do the trick and are far more affordable but still give a nice, neat and polished look.

 

Robin xx

 

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Saving the Date...

So once you've settled on the ring its time to choose the date, there are a lot of things to consider when you choose the date of your wedding such as,

Weather:

Do you want a garden wedding outdoors? Or a chilly winter wonderland wedding where everyone can cosy up in front of the fire at your reception. Its great to think of your theme when your choosing the date of your wedding.

Timing:

Is there a time of year which is out of the question? In our house it would be duck shootings opening weekend half of my husbands family wouldn't attend our wedding including him! It could be a time of year when everyone is travelling or is just a messy time of year like Christmas.

 

Wedding Season:

In New Zealand wedding season is from late October to early March, during these times it can be hard to find vendors if you don't get in early and it may mean having to compromise on some of the things that are most important to you. If you are planning on having your wedding in the peak of wedding season book long in advance to secure things like venues, photographers and celebrants.

 

Show me the money:

Are you going to be able to pay for your wedding in time? This is a scary thought for most brides but it is necessary to think about. If you have the funds saved before you start planning and setting your date you are much better off but if you intend on saving whilst planning your wedding just be prepared for other things to pop up that you may have to pay for.

Planning Time:

How long do you think you will need to plan your wedding? The average is about a year planning time but some people start planning 2 years or even more out from there day, this has the potential to both save you money or cost you a whole lot more!

It could save you money by having a lot of time to look around and find the best prices for everything but it may cost you a whole lot more if you decide to change your mind. The wedding I wanted 2 years ago was definitely not the wedding I wanted when i got married.

On the other hand you get these crazy people (like yours truly) that decide at a whim there wedding date, ours was when we were once again being pestered by family when we were finally going to get married so I just blurted out a date and we started planning. It is possible to plan a wedding in a couple of months but again there are pros and cons. On the positive you are made to make decisions quickly, you cant muck around, you don't waste time trying on 1000 wedding dresses after you've found the one you like just to make sure it is the one, and you cant change your mind therefore saving you money.

Negatively there isn't much time to sort out the smallest details that you would like and compromise is key when it comes to planning a wedding in a short time- you may not get your first choice on photographer or venue and you may have to settle with an off the rack dress because they cant get anything else in or made in time, you also may not have time to find the best deal on everything so things may be a little more costly.

The key to planning a wedding in a short time is delegate! Things may not be exactly how you would have done them but sometimes its the only way to get them done in time!

 

All things considered enjoy the planning process you are only going to do it once and remember that when things start to get on top of you. I found it really helpful to set 1 night aside every week where my husband and I would not talk about the wedding this night helped to remind us why we were getting married when the planning got very intense!

 

Robin xx

https://www.facebook.com/#!/VintageSpice

 

 

The not so big proposal??

Step 1: The Proposal

 

So traditionally speaking when a potential suitor would like your hand in marriage he would first go to you father ask permission, choose his potential Bride-to-Be's engagement ring, then in some planned and choreographed romantic gesture get down on one knee, profess his love for you and ask you to be his bride. The bride would gush with surprise, cry and accept the ring, they embrace and wedding planning would start immediately.

 

 

 

 

Ok so lets face it as little girls this is probably how we all imagined it to be and how our Ken dolls proposed to Barbie. Right? But is this how it always happens now?

 

In my case as I'm sure many others this was not the case, if anything it was the exact opposite.

Our "proposal" like many others I'm sure began with a conversation between my now Husband and I. This conversation consisted of us both agreeing we wanted to get married, questioning if we could afford it and if it was the right time to be taking that next step in our relationship.

 

Asking for permission:

 

When it comes to asking the brides father for permission this was done because the bride was considered to belong to her father. While i think it is a lovely gesture I didn't think it was necessary in my situation. I was 18 at the time and my Husband was 23, we had already been together for a few years and had lived together during that time as well. My husband and my dad got along like a house on fire from day 1 and if my dad had an issue with my then partner he would have spoken up already!

Yet another thing that I love about marriage now its you and your future spouse's decision and your

 alone!

 

Shopping for the ring:

Usually this would be the grooms job, he may take someone with him for a second opinion

maybe a best man or a sister. He would choose a ring maybe take one of your rings into the jeweller to get the sizing right and cross his fingers that you loved it enough to wear it.

Again this is not what happened in my case.

After we had mutually agreed that we wanted get married we went to have a "look" at rings so he could get an idea of what I liked, well I feel in love didn't I. I found the most amazing engagement ring in a small manufacturing jeweller, it was exactly what I could see myself wearing for the rest of my life.

We looked some more but kept going back to the same ring we both knew it was "The One". It wasn't the biggest or the most expensive, it was modest, classic in design, practical to wear every day and totally me.

 

The not so big proposal:

Well a proposal as such didn't really happen, I knew he had picked up the ring from the jewellers and I couldn't contain my excitement and he knew that so he just gave it to me, simple as that. He gave me the ring and I put it on and we were engaged, I didn't hurry to the phone or heaven forbid Facebook to tell everybody we were engaged we just enjoyed the moment for ourselves.

While some wish for this huge public event to be swept off their feet, this has never been us and I didn't want to put that kind of pressure on my Husband. It may not be your ideal for a proposal but it was perfect for me.

 

What do you think should a proposal be a quiet affair between those involved or a spectacular event with fireworks and a yacht?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delightful Jewls

When it comes to being engaged the first thing people say is "Show me the ring!" So here is some hand candy for you.

 

This is a beautiful Brilliant cut diamond, similar to my engagement ring except mine is yellow gold. Modest, simple and timeless.

Cluster engagement rings simply means there are multiple settings of stones in the one ring, this can sometimes be less expensive because the stones are smaller, this style of ring is also great for the 'Bling' factor as you get multiple reflections from all of the diamonds.

 

Another way to buy an engagement ring is getting an antique ring sometimes a family piece which is always so special. These can be expensive depending on the manufacturer, how old it is and of course the value of gold and stones. Just remember to get the settings checked by a jeweller before you wear your piece, over time the settings can weaker or break and you would hate to loose some of those precious stones! Settings should be checked at least every year.

If your budget is tight, fake it, the ring set above is from Pascoes and retails for $49 yes and that is your engagement and your wedding ring, while they don't have the same sparkle as real diamonds you hand will still look pretty in bling!

 

Robin xx

https://www.facebook.com/#!/VintageSpice

 

 

 



Why say "I do"?

 It is not seen to be essential to get married now, couples live to together, have children and just generally live their lives in stable monogamous relationships with little or no pressure that they should get married. The topic often comes up why get married??

 

Religion/ Culture:

Yes in many cultures it is still seen as absolutely necessary to get married before you live together and have children and quite often this is always how it is done- sometimes these are arranged marriages. Not as common as they used to be but can still be common practise for your parents to have some part in choosing who you will marry.

 

Making it legal:

Now it may sound a sterile and non romantic but the legality of marriage is sometimes why people get married, whether its an immigration reason- now I'm not talking knowing someone who doesn't have a VISA to stay in the country and getting married just so they can stay. I'm talking if your husband/bride to be is from a foreign country and you get married because you love them and you want to be able to live together in the same country. I know couples who have met while one is on their OE stayed together until their visitors VISA is up and ended up getting married so they can be together. It may just be that you want their last name, you have children together they have your partners last name and you want to have the same last name as your children.

 

In The Family Way:

While it is not totally necessary to get married before you get pregnant it is still done this way for many couples get married before the baby is born, everyone has the same last name and you don't have to try an plan a wedding with a newborn!!

 

Stability:

I would probably say this is the number one reason why couples get married, while a lot of people say "We've been together so long were pretty much married anyway."

but being married gives you that sense that of stability, a sense of belonging and cementing your relationship.

 

The Way Your Parents Were:

I think this has a lot to do with attitudes and opinions of marriage. These are the cases that were relevant to me.

 

Parents married and have a great marriage: This is the case of my husband. He didn't really see marriage as a big deal, its always what he has known so he was never really for or against marriage. It may cause you to do the opposite and prove that you can still live in a totally committed relationship regardless of marriage or it may influence you have the same strong an happy marriage like that of your parents which is how I felt towards my Mother and Father In-Law I see them as a great source of inspiration when it comes to having a happy marriage.

 

Parents never married and separated: My parents were never married and they separated when i was a baby so I don't remember a home with a Mum and Dad in the same house. This influenced how I felt about marriage greatly I knew from a young age that i wanted to get married and I wanted my family dynamic to be a Husband and Wife and children. It wasn't totally essential for thing to happen in the traditional order of, get married, buy a house and have kids. It was just important that I be married and give my children the stability of parents who were married, lived in the same home and parented together.

 

Now I understand those who grew up in homes were their parents were married but had an unhappy marriage of course your views maybe different this is just how our upbringing influenced our decisions and our opinion of marriage.

 

The great thing about this day in age is that we are not forced to enter into marraige because its 'the right thing to do' we simply get married or dont because we want to!

 

"Getting married won't fix a relationship but it can make a good one great"

Robin xx

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/VintageSpice

 

 

Introducing.............

Hey guys first blog post from me here, first I think I'll introduce myself.

My name is Robin I'm a wife, a mother to a beautiful 20 month old little girl and the owner of Vintage Spice Unique Bouquets and Accessories.
 Before starting Vintage Spice I had a career in Pharmacy including time as a cosmetic counter make up artist. I have a passion for people and Vintage Spice allows me to explore my creativity and share it with you all.

 

 I started Vintage Spice 6 months ago after my own wedding in April and i found a real love of how unique you can choose your wedding to be, no longer are we restrained to the white dress, church and enormous bridal party (while a traditional wedding is always beautiful we are not just confined to this anymore).
 

 

 

Whether your wedding is traditional, themed, intimate or large its your special day and I believe this can be magical no matter your budget.

 

On this blog I hope to provide you with inspiration, great products and services as well as tips for brides to be. Follow my journey as a newly wed and new business owner!