If you’re looking for real bride inspiration when planning your wedding accessories, then meet Eleanor and Phil Sotheran.

Ellie and Phil Sotheran

The gorgeous couple got married on July 2nd 2011 at Highcliffe castle in Dorset.  Eleanor chose the Manhattan necklace (from Ivory & Co) after looking through hundreds and hundreds online. “Originally I wanted something bigger and more extravagant but when I saw this necklace which looked so elegant and classy, I decided that it was the perfect one for me.” said Eleanor ” Then it just seemed right to have the matching earrings!”

Ellie wears Manhattan necklace & earrings - Ivory & Co

Manhattan Necklace £125

Manhattan Earrings £35

I couldn’t agree more!  Kate x

I wanted to showcase another beautiful bride to you on the blog today, who chose her wedding jewellery from our treasure trove of vintage inspired delights.

Elizabeth and Gregory were married on the 6th August 2011 at a chapel in Oundle.  Dressed in a simple yet stunning bridal gown, Elizabeth chose the Kennedy tiara to add a little classic sparkle to her ensemble.  Halo & Co make each headpiece by hand, which also appealed to Elizabeth and I think it’s the perfect finishing touch, don’t you?

Libby wears the Kennedy headpiece from Halo & Co

Libby pictured right

Elizabeth and Greg

I love nothing more than to hear back from a Queens and Bowl bride after her wedding day.  To see a photograph of your chosen piece of bridal jewellery or vintage inspired accessories, fills me with pride and joy!

Anna and Kevin

The beautiful Anna and her handsome new hubbie Kevin, were kind enough to send me these images captured on their day. Anna tied the knot  back in March in London’s Chelsea registry office followed by a glitzy party at the Ritz Hotel!

Anna chose the Minnelli shrug to complete her vintage bridal look and was absolutely thrilled with her purchase.

Here are some more photographs from the happy couple for you to enjoy…

Anna wears Minnelli Feather Shrug

Anna and Kevin

Anna wears the Minnelli Feather Shrug

Anna and Kevin

Remember Summer? Feels like forever ago doesn’t it? Well here to help remind you are some beautiful images of a Queens & Bowl real bride who was blessed with sun, sand and sea on her wedding day!

Korinna on her wedding day with sun, sea and sand! Image by Kirstin Prisk.

Korinna first contacted me back in March during her hunt for the perfect wedding accessories. Top of her list was a knock-out crystal bridal tiara or headpiece and a pair of complementing earrings. After Korinna described her beautiful Grecian style wedding dress with leaf detailing, we decided that the perfect partner would be the Etta side tiara by Jo Barnes Vintage.

Korinna chose the beautiful Etta Side Tiara to complement her Grecian dress. Image by Kirstin Prisk.

The large Marquise-shaped Swarovski crystals in the tiara were a great match for the detailing on Korinna’s wedding dress. We had a couple of options for earrings that would complement the headpiece, including the super versatile Manhattan earrings by Ivory & Co, but in the end Korinna decided on the Waterlilly earrings, also by Ivory & Co.

Korinna's earrings were the perfect understated choice to complement the tiara. Image by Kirstin Prisk.

The little 3-pointed star shape reflected the Marquise shapes in the headpiece and were large enough to be noticed, whilst understated enough not to fight for attention – the ideal scenario when you have a statement headpiece!

The Etta headpiece and Waterlilly Earrings work perfectly together.

Congratulations to Korinna and Andy! Image by Kirstin Prisk.

I think Korinna looks absolutely amazing in these photos and I can’t wait to upload one to my new Gallery page.

All images courtesy of Cornwall wedding photographer Kirstin Prisk.

Kate. xx

My favourite blog posts are the ones where I get to show off my gorgeous brides, and this is a cracker! Salma and Richard got married in May at the stunning Peckforton Castle in Cheshire. When Salma first contacted me to discuss her wedding tiara, her enthusiasm was palpable – she was so excited about finding her wedding accessories and it was contagious.

Peckforton Castle and a resident, in all their glory.

Salma had a good idea about what she wanted, but, after emailing me a photo of the dress and a few other details, there were quite a few options that suited the ‘brief’ from my collection so I offered to meet her with a selection of pieces so she could see them in the flesh and try them on! So we met with my box of treasures and once Salma laid her eyes on bridal tiaras galore, there was only ever one headpiece for her – the gorgeous Audrey by the very talented Jo Barnes. And here she is in all her sparkling glory:

Beautiful Salma and the gorgeous Audrey (and Richard, of course!) - the perfect team!

Audrey was an inspired choice for Salma's bold look.

Roses were the perfect theme for a castle wedding.

Audrey was the perfect choice for Salma, especially with her bold Ian Stuart Cabaret wedding dress and stunning jet black hair. Roses were definitely a big feature of this wedding, with masses of rose detail on the dress, white rose bouquets and buttonholes, so the Swarovski crystal rose detail on the Audrey tiara was a great match.

Roses took centre stage in this wedding!

But Salma is no ordinary lady and certainly was no ordinary bride, I love that she went for such a bold and beautiful look and also that she broke from convention and styled her bridesmaids in retro tea dresses! It all added up to a super stylish day and some amazing photos.

Salma and her gorgeous retro bridesmaids.

Well done Salma and congratulations again to you and Richard!

Kate. xx

All images courtesy of PhilBarber.co.uk. Used with thanks.

Hello, just little post today and again it’s one of my gorgous brides! This time it’s Katie, who wore the beautiful Minnelli marabou feather shrug by Sasso.

Katie chose the shrug as the final ‘missing piece’ of her wedding day look. I absolutely love Katie’s 1920s style wedding and think her beaded champagne satin shift dress and feather headpiece were unusual and therefore absolutely perfect for this classy, elegant and unique wedding celebration.

Katie in the fluffy Minnelli feather shrug by Sasso

Katie continued the nostalgic feel on her table settings too...

As these images by Annamarie Stepney show, with a little imagination and some great wedding accessories, you can really achieve a unique vintage look AND have the benefit of being able to wear the items again – especially when you incorporate totally flattering and wearable colours such as champagne!

The champagne colour of the shrug complemented Katie's beaded shift perfectly.

Shrugs are also perfect for keeping the chills off during outside photos and drinks receptions....

If you’re thinking of going for a similar look, why not take a leaf out of Katie’s book and add a pair of killer heels and a feather headpiece? Our beautiful wedding shoe range by Harriet Wilde is perfect as all of the shoes can be dyed to match any outfit and our little Tiffany feather headpiece is perfect for recreating a 1920s Art Deco feel.

Harriet Wilde wedding shoes can be dyed to match your outfit and feathers add a 1920s feel.

So if you dream of expressing your individuality on your wedding day and fancy wearing your wedding accessories again and again after the big day, consider alternatives to ivory and choose a pair of wedding shoes that can be dyed before or after your wedding. These photos are testament that you won’t regret it!

Express your individuality on your Big Day!

Thanks again to Annamarie Stepney for these amazingly beautiful images.

Kate. x

Hello blog readers – just a little blog post this time. I just wanted to say how happy it makes me when my brides send in photos of them wearing their Queens & Bowl wedding accessories on their big day. Whether it’s a statement headpiece, just-right vintage wedding shoes or the perfect finishing touch bridal earrings, it really makes me smile when I get those emails!

So imagine how smug I felt when I received an email today from Oonagh, a bride that I helped out with a gorgeous pearl comb headpiece by Halo & Co. Oonagh had sent me the most gorgeous photos from her wedding – how amazing does she look!

Oonagh wearing the beautiful Rosemary bridal comb by Halo & Co. Images: www.abacaphotography.com

Oonagh wanted a sleek,  not overtly ‘bridal’ look and I think she pulled it off amazingly. The balance between old school vintage glamour and contemporary chic is perfect and the Rosemary comb looks just as stunning as any traditional veil. Her David Fielden ‘Wallis Simpson’ dress was the perfect choice for the sleek but glam look and the finishing touches of red lips and and a vintage coiff were inspired!

The Rosemary Comb by Halo & Co

I’ll be proudly adding a photo or two from Oonagh to my ‘Happy Brides’, which is currently under construction!

Kate. x

All wedding imagery courtesy of Ciaran Duignan at www.abacaphotography.com

I love it when our brides send me photos of their wedding day -to see the shoes / jewellery / headpiece I lovingly wrapped and posted come together with the rest of their wedding wardrobe is a sight to behold!

Just yesterday a Swedish bride sent me some sneak peek photos of her getting ready for her 1920s wedding at a vintage hair salon in Stockholm – how gorgeous does she look? Check out the beatiful Rachel Simpson Hettie Shoes too…

Jenny and Erik get hitched, 1920s style

Jenny and Erik got hitched last weekend at City Hall in Stockholm in a 1920s-style ceremony and celebration – I just love the whole look, especially the perfect hair in real, vintage ‘coiff’ style. It just oozes Flapper glamour.

Vintage Coiff Wedding Hair

Many congratulations to Jenny & Erik. More photos from the actual wedding and reception to follow soon!

Kate. xx

I’m very excited to be able to write this post as it signals a bit of a landmark for us. As you probably know, Queens & Bowl launched a mere 8 weeks ago, so we’ve had quite a few orders from brides planning ahead for their big day, but we’ve now had our first wedding! I’m really grateful to Victoria for sending us lots of photos so we could do this post of her amazing wedding featuring (of course) plenty of Queens & Bowl wedding accessories. I’m also grateful to her photographer David Murray of Murray Photography for kindly giving me permission to use these shots.

The spectacular Peckforton Castle ~ Images: Murray Photography

Perfect details: the Charleston Brooch and shoes by Christian Louboutin ~ Images: Murray Photography

Being a designer shoe fanatic, Louboutins were the only choice for Victoria. We were lucky enough to help her out with 3 gorgeous pieces from our Stephanie Browne range, the first of which was this beautiful Charleston Brooch made from sparkling Swarovski crystals to keep the sparkle theme going! Victoria used it to highlight perfectly a little cross-over sash detail on her Suzanne Neville tiered gown, which looked stunning.

Victoria's gorgeous Hayworth Bandeau ~ Images: Murray Photography

Victoria also chose the ever-so-sparkly Hayworth Bandeau which looked incredible against her dark hair. It’s the perfect piece whatever your hairstyle as it works so well with hair either up or down, as you can see here with this tousled style. Shortly after these shots were taken there was a surprise guest at the wedding who delivered the rings – an owl from Peckforton’s very own falconry!

A surprise visitor from the falconry ~ Image by Murray Photography

The final piece of jewellery that Victoria chose was the Charleston Bracelet to match her brooch, as seen here at the signing of the register. This is a great piece – very versatile and easily wearable as a guest at future weddings and events.

Signing of the register with her Charleston Bracelet ~ Images by Murray Photography

With the ceremony and official paperwork all done and dusted, Craig and Victoria headed out onto the lawn for jazz, champage and Pimms and plenty of dancing later… Congratulations guys!

Jazz and champagne on the lawn ~ Images: Murray Photography

Thanks again to Victoria for choosing Queens & Bowl for her wedding accessories and to you both for letting me feature these fantastic shots. Many thanks again to David at Murray Photography. Victoria’s bracelet, brooch and bandeau are all available at Queens & Bowl.

Charleston brooch, bracelet and Hayworth Bandeau

Kate. x