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

A little while ago, Louise at Bow Occasions wedding planners did a fantastic ‘Vintage Week’ on her blog. Being a HUGE lover of vintage AND weddings, I jumped at the chance to talk about my 2 favourite vintage eras and give some suggestions for how a vintage bride may pull off the look with shoes, jewellery and headpieces. Here’s the article in full:

Hi, I’m Kate Bowl and I run Queens & Bowl wedding accessories – an online boutique offering gorgeous wedding shoes, jewellery and headpieces. I love vintage style and all of my products are either inspired by vintage fashions and trends or are created from genuine vintage pieces. I stock amazing, award-winning designer names including Rachel Simpson, Halo & Co and Magpie Vintage.

One thing I’m really keen to do on my site is to provide inspiration for brides planning or thinking about having a vintage wedding. I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from brides on my ‘Inspiration Pages’ so I thought I’d share a couple of my favourite eras here as part of Bow Occasions’ vintage week!

First up is the 1920s….

I love 1920s for the dramatic change in women’s fashion that took place during this period. Women were asserting the independence and liberty they’d tasted during WW1 and there was a real sense of rebellion in the air! It was also the decade that first brought us the Art Deco movement and screen legends like Greta Garbo and Clara Bow who are still mysterious, enigmatic figures even today.

Ideas for a 1920s wedding. Image credits: Rex, Rosa Clara, Photorazzi, Ritz Hotel London

The most iconic 1920s fashion was of course the Flapper style which became popular in the mid 1920s. This look is probably the most recreated ‘20s look for modern brides and needs these key touches to pull it off:

• A loose knee-length shift dress that shows off bare arms. They were often heavily beaded with a scalloped hemline. The alternative if your figure doesn’t suit this style is to choose a drop-waist dress of longer length. Drop-waists were popular throughout most of the 1920s.
• Mary-Janes with a single strap or T-Bar shoes like the Hettie or Mimi styles by Rachel Simpson
• Pearls – and lots of them. Long length pearl necklaces, made famous by a certain Coco Chanel, are ideal. Our Luxe Pearl Necklace by Stephanie Browne is made of Swarovski crystal pearls and features 2 Swarovski crystal Deco brooch pieces that are detachable.
• A close-fitting headpiece worn low down, towards the forehead. The Tiffany pearl and diamante headpiece by Ivory & Co is perfect.
• Feathers. Headpieces with feathers (try our Vienna headpiece by Ivory & Co) or a shrug like the Paris by Sasso add an authentic 20s vibe.

Finish the look with finger-wave hair and dark red lips, re-applied at regular intervals!

Next up, the 1950s….

….another period of fun mixed in with elegance and I love the pure glamour of the decade. Speaking of glamour, how much more glam can you get than Hollywood screen siren Grace Kelly marrying into royalty in the South of France!

Ideas for a 1950s wedding. Image credits: Rex, Shutterstock, Photorazzi, candyanthony.com

So many enduring icons came to fame in the 50s – Liz Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and of course, Marilyn Monroe. The timeless fashion of the 1950s also became iconic and is very much growing in popularity amongst brides. Here’s what to focus on for a ‘50s wedding theme:

• A knee-length dress with plenty of under-netting to give the A-line shape. If you have a bigger bust, a strapless style top is ideal, if not, go for a higher neckline like a boat-neck or slash-neck. Lace or taffeta were the signature fabrics.
• Pearls – but keep it simple. Go for either small pearl stud earrings or a short, single strand pearl necklace. We have some beautiful freshwater pearl necklaces by Magpie Vintage featuring original vintage ornaments.
• Sparkle. As Marilyn Monroe could testify, the ladies loved their diamonds, so look for vintage-style jewellery featuring large crystals or diamante, such as our glamorous Boucheron earrings or detailed Astor bracelet.
• Bows and lace details. Both were popular in the ‘50s and contributed to the femininity of the look. The appropriately named Marilyn bridal shoes by Rachel Simpson fit the bill perfectly.

Whichever vintage era you choose, you’re sure to have a truly timeless and elegant wedding. For more vintage inspiration, visit the Queens & Bowl blog and feel free to leave your comments!

Kate. xx

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

Recently I had the chance to write a guest blog post for the lovely Annabel at LoveMyDress. Of course I jumped at the chance and I immediately knew what I wanted to write about – and that was a 1920s wedding. Lately I’ve been fascinated with all things 1920s, so I put metaphorical pen to paper, and this is what emerged…..

“OK, first things first. I will come clean and admit it: God strike me down, but I did NOT have a ‘vintage wedding’. My interest in all things antiquated was sparked quite late in the wedding planning process whilst hunting for a birdcage veil.  All I really wanted was something a bit glamorous and different, not necessarily vintage, but the site on which I eventually found my beloved veil sat buried beneath about 50 pages of Google search results. So although wading through the sheer volume of ‘stuff’ did seem like an uphill battle at times, by refining my search terms around the ‘vintage’ theme, I did stumble across a wealth of information and inspiration relating to the beautiful fashions and signature styles of the first half of the twentieth century.

Setting up Queens & Bowl has involved lots more research into vintage styles and trends and at the moment I am captivated by all things 1920s. Here are a few thoughts on what I think I’d choose for a 1920s theme if I had my time again, starting with, the outfit…”

Left Image ~ ‘Rosalin’ Wedding Dress by Rosa Clara Right Image ~ Rosa Clara Wedding dress, courtesy of www.weddingmagazine.co.uk

The Outfit…

“Now, I’m not sure my figure was made to wear 1920s fashion, but I love the drop-waist gowns in the 2010 Rosa Clara collection (see above, and below left). All 3 styles are beautiful; the ‘flapper girl’ style fringing and bead details add just the right amount of interest and the floor-scraping length gives a fantastic column silhouette. To add an extra 1920s feel I’d definitely add our Paris ostrich and marabou vest by Sasso and some chic pearls – probably a bracelet such as the gorgeous Karinska bracelet by Stephanie Browne, which features a perfect little Swarovski Art Deco emblem.”

Below ~ Rosalina wedding dress by Rosa Clara

Below ~ The Karinska bracelet by Stephanie Browne – £230 - click here to purchase

“I’d definitely go for a perfectly coifed, vintage-style waved bob as I find them drop-dead glamorous and I’d accessorise with either the Charleston Bandeau or the St Tropez comb (pictured below), both by Stephanie Browne.

Image on the left, Credit Wedding Magazine - Image on the right, Credit Bridalwave.TV

“To polish off the look I’d pick Rachel Simpson’s beautiful Mimi T-bar sandals in ivory (below top right). I have palpitations at the very thought of all this gorgeousness!”

Top Left Lola Bridal Shoes £145, Top Right Mimi Bridal Shoes £140
Bottom Left Grace Bridal Shoes £135, Bottom Right Hettie Bridal Shoes £150

The Venue and Decor…

“I do like the idea of having a fabulously decadent wedding at an iconic venue like the Dorchester and to hell with the budget. However, coming back to reality, I think I’d go for a small venue; it’s not exactly Art Deco but I love the Didsbury House boutique hotel, which is an old Victorian Villa bursting with chic period features, including a blue reception room at the front of the hotel, very reminiscent of the Blue Bar at the Berkley Hotel in London.  I’ve mentioned this on the Queens & Bowl blog before, but I think it would be fantastic to host an Agatha Christie murder-mystery night the evening before the wedding to get everyone suitably in the mood.”

For other fabulous art-deco and 1920s style venues (courtesy of LoveMyDress.net), also visit

♥  Burgh Island Hotel, Just off the coast, South East of Plymouth
♥  Claridges, London
♥  The Daffodil, Cheltenham
♥  Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park, Surrey

Hope this has given you a little food for thought. Thanks again to Annabel at Love My Dress for giving me the opportunity to work on this piece!

Kate. xx

Kate flaunts 1920s-style tassels (Image: Rex)

This pic of Kate Hudson at this year’s Golden Globe Awards caught our eye, not for the dress but for her fabulous tassel drop earrings. We also spied a pair on Demi Moore at the 2010 Academy Awards. The amazing diamond and pearl creations harked back to the 1920s, the decade most strongly associated with this quirky vintage style.

Flapper girls of the ’20s really took to the tassel style, adding it to scarves, jewellery and clothing – perhaps seeing it as a reflection of the fun, free mood of the age. If you’re thinking about a 1920s wedding, a tassel or two will definitely create a strong flapper feel. We’ve got some great pieces from Stephanie Browne that will help you add that flirty touch with earrings, a brooch or a bold necklace – just make sure you only choose one to avoid looking OTT!

Go for one tassel piece to prevent overload!

QB x

Planning on hitching up your Flapper-style dress and dancing The Charleston at your wedding? If you’re planning a 1920s-style wedding, we’ve got some great ‘dancing shoes’ news for all Flapper brides! Winging their way to Queens & Bowl as I type are some amazing Art-Deco-inspired  wedding shoes from British designer, Rachel Simpson…

Perfect your 'Roaring 20s' look!

With all the gorgeous drop-waisted dresses on the SS10 catwalks, covered in 20′s-style beading and fringing, then these little treats are perfect for topping off your look. Cute details like ribbon bows and pearls make them fabulously feminine and mid-height heels mean you’ll still be on the dancefloor until the lights eventually come on. On the practical side, T-bar and strap fastenings will ensure that you can kick up your heels with the girls without fear of losing them amongst your guests!!

For some finishing touches, we’d recommend sticking with the 20s feel and adding some delectable pearls or feathers from our jewellery ranges…

Feathers and Pearls add finishing Art Deco touches

QB x