Wedding dress of the month: Martina Liana

July's dress of the month is style 296 by Australian designer martina Liana.

This stunning couture style dress incorporates Swarovski cystal and beading on a beautifully fitted bodice and a full tiered ruffle skirt of silk dupioni and silk organza.

To compliment this gown we reccomend accessories from our Liberty collection

With such a fun gown it is best to keep the accessories simple and elegant. Try the Liberty earrings and Liberty headband. The Swarovski crystal beads and rhinestones mirror those in the dress without distracting from the overall look.

Please visit www.carrieyeo.com to view the entire collection:

Liberty earrings (left)

Liberty headband (right)

Planning a Beach Themed Wedding

Summer is here....apparently! As I look out of the window at the grey skies I am envious of all those Brides to be who are planning destination weddings in warmer climes!

So to cheer us all up here is our blog on planning a Beach themed wedding....

Whether planning a wedding overseas or maybe something closer to home with a beach theme there are many details that you can incorporate to reflect this theme.

When it comes to your wedding day style an increasingly popular look is the Grecian look first made popular by the film Mama Mia. This look lends its self to relaxed weddings at home or abroad and we show you here how to create that look for yourself:

When it comes to choosing your dress many designers have lines designed especially for weddings abroad. Joyce Young have an entire collection of destination wedding dresses featuring elegant styling and lightweight fabrics. Our favourites pictured here are Antibes and Havana. To see the whole collection visit Joyce's website or her stores in Scotland and London.

Maggie Sottero has her own collection of Destination wedding gowns available throughout the UK. We LOVE styles
RD1044 and SD5211 (pictured) for their pretty bohemian styling and gorgeous feminine detailing. The soft fabrics will be lightweight enough to keep you cool and will flutter in the sea breeze.

When choosing your dress also consider if you will need to cover up. Will you be standing outside saying your vows in the mid day sun? The sun burnt bride is not a good look!

Complete this beach bride look with our Organza Rose Hair Flower or Delphinium Barrette (shown below).

For those having a wedding abroad you may not be able to have a hair trial with the person who will be doing on the day so choose something simple and easy to wear so that you are not disappointed with the work of a local hairdresser on the day.

Hair styles for the beach bride look are either worn down loose with a soft wave, or swept to the side with a beautiful natural looking flower.

Headbands, Barrettes and hair flowers are easier to attach than tiaras and are something that you can style yourself if you need to.

Make up is soft and natural and jewellery is simple and often reflects the destination.

We have three collections that are perfect for the beach bride look.

Our Lucia Collection takes inspiration from the sea and sand, with Opalite and soft crystals.

Our Flower collection consists of soft blooms to wear in your hair for an island look

and our Seashell collection features Stirling silver jewellery with small seashells and starfish.

• 
  
  To compliment our range of Beach bride jewellery shown below we have found some great ideas to continue the theme throughout your day.

Whippet Grey has some beautiful shell covered hearts that would look great to decorate your venue or hung from the top table. You can then display it in your home as a keepsake of your wedding day hung on your wall alongside your wedding photos. (from £25)


Why not use seashells and starfish instead of flowers to decorate your tables? Filled glass jars surrounded by tea lights will create a pretty table centre. You can continue the theme by collecting pebbles and writing your guests names on them as place markers which double up as favours.


For Beach brides getting married in the UK, Nicky Grant specialises in making gorgeous wedding cakes like the one pictured below. Visit her website to view her seashell themed cakes.

If you are getting married overseas remember to source a local cake maker well in advance of your wedding. As you will be unlikely to taste the cake before the big day ask you hotel for reccomendations.

Tips from the Wedding experts.... Make-up

In the second of our series on tips from the wedding experts we have great wedding day make up advice from Makeupbykaty.com to help you achieve your perfect wedding day look:

Why use a Make-up Artist on your wedding day?

I’m sure that’s a question many brides-to-be have asked themselves. Or indeed, been asked by their fiancé/mother/mother-in-law?!

“You do your own make-up every day? Why get someone in to do what you already do yourself?”

I’m going to take you through all the factors of bridal make-up and explain the hows and whys.


As a make-up artist with 14 years’ experience, I’ve done the make-up for more brides than I can count. Each one had an individually designed look. Some wanted dark smoky eyes, others wanted soft, barely there neutrals and everything imaginable inbetween. The one factor they all had in common? They all wanted to look their absolute best. The wedding day is the one day when looking perfect is imperative!

So you need to take into consideration these aspects;


Longevity- This make-up needs to last all day. And night!


You don’t want to be touching up your eyeshadow and re-concealing half way through the day. Good make-up artists have tricks a plenty up their sleeves when it comes to achieving that long stay finish. I always pay close attention to the skin and address any underlying issues before I even touch it with base! Then there’s setting the make-up without looking dry and powdery, stopping the eyes from creasing, liner from smudging.


Photography- Flash photography can have a huge effect on the make-up you wear.

It can change what looks like a natural make-up into a ‘nothing at all’ look! That smudge of kohl pencil and quick coat of mascara won’t stand up to the job. Without enough definition around the eyes, they’ll disappear (not literally, just photographically!). The art is having enough on so your features are defined but not so much that you feel over done. I have a technique where I press liner into the roots of the lash; this gives the right amount of depth just where it’s needed. Plus, it’s waterproof, of course!


When it comes to foundation, having a base on that doesn’t reflect well can lead to a washed out complexion. I’m a stickler for ensuring the skin looks as flawless as possible without even looking as though there is any make-up on. A make-up artist will have a variety of shades in his/her kit, that way, if you’ve had a spray tan or used a self tan at home, your face will match your body exactly. There’s nothing worse than your face looking like it’s stuck onto someone else’s body!

I painstakingly custom blend the foundation on the day to get the perfect shade and texture. Also,be very careful not to use light reflective products, unless they’re being used for clever highlighting and contouring, they can reflect back a white tone, especially around the eyes and can be spotted a mile off.


The look- We, as women, are super critical when we look in the mirror! It’s hard for us to be objective when it comes to our own faces. That’s why we so often get stuck in make-up ruts. A make-up artist looks at you differently.

I look at my client and I see the beauty in her face. I see what I want to enhance and emphasise, as opposed to what I want to cover. This gives a fresh take on styles and colours that you may have never thought of. A good make-up artist will bear what you do every day in mind and create you a look that combines your own style with new ideas. The idea is not to make you look like someone else, just a more polished, perfect version of you! Don’t be afraid to show clippings from magazines of make-up that you’ve seen. Sometimes it’s easier to show than to describe. That’s what trials are for!


Time- Don’t underestimate how manic the morning of your wedding can get! I like to take the bride off into another room to do her make-up. This gives her a break from the mayhem and lets her focus on the most important thing, herself!


It’s one of the things my brides always comment on, how relaxed they feel by the time their make-up is done. Between myself and the hairdresser, we get the bride ready first and then it’s time for the bridesmaids, mother-of- bride and everyone else! Then, when everyone is done, I return to the bride.


By this time, she’s hopefully had something to eat and drink. It’s time for a small sip of champagne and the last touch ups. I put her lips on last; check the bride has her touch up items in a little bag. I then have a look at her back, shoulders and arms for any blemishes that need camouflaging, get those covered and sealed and wait for the dress to be put on.

Finally, I take a picture on my digital camera to check there’s nothing reflecting badly with the flash. Then I show the bride so she can see how amazing she looks.


Thanks to Katy from Makeupbykaty.com for submitting this article. If it’s helped you, please let me know.


If you’d like to talk to Katy about your own wedding make-up, please feel free to drop her an e-mail on katy@makeupbykaty.com and have a look at her website to see more of her work http://www.makeupbykaty.com/.

Dress of the month

Our dress of the Month for April is the stunning Eloise from Jenny Packham. The beautifully shaped embroidery and bead work on the bodice gives it romantic baroque feel and the silhouette exudes old Hollywood glamour.

To accessorise this dress we would reccomend pieces from our Astor Flower collection, as the Swarovski diamante tear drops reflect the detail on the gown.

The Astor Flower headband shown above is just the right amount of sparkle and the Astor Flower necklace reflects the sweetheart neckline of the dress.

Also available in the collection are several styles of earrings and a bracelet.

Pixie Lott chooses Carrie Yeo hair flowers again...

Pop princess Pixie Lott has been seen wearing Carrie Yeo Hair flowers again....

She was spotted last week wearing a bespoke Carrie Yeo hair flower in Ivory and cream, which complimented her black dress and ivory jacket.

The flower which has a black Swarovski crystal centre is available to purchase from www.carrieyeo.com and is £28.00. It is mounted on a silver plated hair clip. It is the perfect accessory for summer and would work well for a monochrome wedding look for guests, Brides or Bridesmaids.

Carrieyeo.com has a huge selection of hair flowers all perfect additions to any outfit now the sun is finally out!

Tips from the wedding experts...Photography

Top 5 tips: choosing your wedding photographer......

As the first in a series of tips from wedding experts, this month we bring you Wedding photography tips from Wedding photogrpaher Adam James.


Established in 1995, Adam James has become one of the South East's leading documentary wedding photographers, well known for his discreet photojournalistic technique. His range of styles include both formal and informal techniques, but one of his best known skills is his ability to put into print the wishes of his clients with insight and sensitivity.

Your wedding photographs are the lasting memory of the most important day of your life, and here Adam gives you his top tips on findng the best photographer for your wedding:

1. Most good wedding photographers should have a top quality website where you should be able to view samples of their work.


2. A skillful wedding photographer will be able to capture natural shots from the day as well as posed shots, and will be able to direct the wedding photography in a relaxed and friendly way.



3. Relax and enjoy your day and let your photographer take responsibility for the shots taken.





4. Ensure your photographer knows well in advance of anyspecial requests.





5. Your wedding photographs are some of your most important memories of your lives, so ensure that you choose the best photographer within your budget.






Photographs for this article are provided by Adam James Photography.

To see furtherexamples of Adam's work please visit:



http://www.adamjames.co.uk/



Adam James
Photography

Tel: 01825 722748
Mob: 07968 208318
Email: adam@adamjames.co.uk

British Bridal Exhibition and Dress of the Month

March has been a busy month at Carrie Yeo....

It started off with preparations for my sister Claire's wedding and I not only had Bridesmaids duties but also the honour of designing all of the lovely Carrie Yeo accessories that she had commissioned for herself and the wedding party. Claire had a Bespoke side tiara based on designs from our Classic Bride Collection.

The photographs are not in yet but we will be sure to add them to the Brides Gallery with Claire's kind permission once they come through.





As a gift for Claire I ordered a small doll from Lauralong.co.uk . I then handmade a copy of Claire's dress in miniature, and added tiny matching accessories including an Audrey headband!

Laura hand knits each doll in her London studio and finds Bride and Groom dolls are becoming popular as gifts for brides and also younger bridesmaids.

To order a doll of your own please visit http://www.lauralong.co.uk/ where you can see her entire collection.

British Bridal Exhibition

The end of the month saw The British Bridal Exhibition in Harrogate. This is the show where all of the Bridal Industry come together to see the new collections before they are delivered to the stores. It was a very inspiring few days and we were lucky enough to be invited to the Bridal Buyer Awards Ball by the lovely girls at Wedding Ideas Magazine. (Carrie Marseden and Rachel Morgan are pictured with me below) We passed the time between awards by playing Bridal Bingo with Natalie from Madeline Isaac James, (pictured below with Rachel Southwood from Wedding ideas) by trying to guess who all of the winners would be. Natalie was at the show to launch her new collection, which was debuted on the catwalk. ( pictured left).

So many beautiful gowns are coming through for the new season many with floral and crystal embellishements and buttons are still a lovely feature with Madeline Isaac James incorporating them down the full length of the back of the dress.

Wedding Ideas girls:Rachel M and Carrie M with Carire Yeo at the awards dinner. Natalie from Madeline Isaac James, and Rachel S, enjoying the awards!

Dress of the Month: Ian Stewart Florentina.

After seeing so many dresses at The British Bridal Exhibition we have decided that the dress of the Month for march is Ian Stewart's Florentina. We love the aysemetric gathering on this style with gives it a gorgeous combination of classic with a fashionable twist.





















We would reccomend a side tiara or headband for this style to be worn on the opposite side to the flower that is on the hip. Alternatively why not continue the floral theme with our Organza Rose clip to the side of your head. A simple necklace such as the Deco crystal drop necklace would finish the look with out over powering the over all style.

Dress of the month

Each month we chose a beautiful wedding dress that we love and suggest Carrie Yeo accessories that we think would best compliment that style....

This month: Pronovias Magia...

This gorgeous style from Pronovias has a deep v neck and grecian pleating at the front and a stunning deep cowl back - perfect for destination brides.

The Grecian theme can be carried on to your accessories. A silk flower placed to the side of the hair will not wilt in the sun and adds just the right amount of pretty detail to your hair. Try our Delpinium hair pins. To compliment this dress Our Liberty cascade back necklace would add a touch of sparkle to the back of your dress as you walk up the aisle and catch the sunlight beautifully.

A week with Carrie Yeo

To give you an idea of what we do all day at Carrie Yeo, here is our diary from a few weeks ago:

Monday:

This week we have a large order going out the door for a stockist so there are lots of boxes to fill and ivory ribbons to tie. We start early on a Monday. Although we do not officially open until 10am, we meet early to get together and talk about the week ahead, we take a quick look at our diaries and see what orders are going out the door this week. Then it's time for a quick chat over a cup of hot chocolate!

Once work has started on our outstanding orders I take a quick look at the website figures from the previous week. As usual Monday was the busiest - lots of Brides-to-be have been surfing the site to cheer themselves up and banish the monday morning blues with a bit of Carrie Yeo sparkle!

This afternoon was fun - I spoke to a lovely bride who is getting married in St Lucia and wants some bespoke hair flowers. I am so envious - it's where I spent my honeymoon and the grey skies today are making me wish I was going with her!!!
Was nice to be able to give her some tips and advice and reminice....

Tuesday:

We have been working on orders all day today, and coming up with ideas for the new collections. I have so many ideas that I cannot wait to set aside some time and put them down on paper and make the first samples.

Got a call from my sister Claire in Norway. We are working on her accessories as she is getting married in a couple of months. Today we decided on the Bridesmaids accessories which is great for me as I get to wear the Audrey headband (which is one of my absolutes favourite pieces) as I follow her down the aisle! We still have to finalise her own accessories but whatever she chooses she will look amazing. I cannot wait to see her fiancee's face when he sees her!

Wednesday:

We went up north to have a catch up with the lovely Charlotte Balbier today who was glamourous as usual in a great navy blazer and vintage brooch. She has some fab new pieces in her Boutique collection. Am totally loving her Camilla and willow styles.

Whilst over in her area we went to see a potential new stockist with a gorgeous new shop. I think that their wall paper would look fab in my house- I think that my Husband would disagree.

Thursday:

We went down to Kent to see our latest stockist - La Boutique in Beckenham Kent. Julia the owner was lovely, and the shop looked amazing. The store will be stocking the Eternity, Deco and Vintage leaf ranges, as well as several other pieces from the flowers, Liberty and Audrey collections.

The new copy of wedding ideas has come out and they have featured Pixie Lott wearing our hair flowers on the Editors page which is fab! She looks soooo pretty and cool at the same time!

She wore a combination of our Delphinium hair pins and our Orchid hair pins scattered through her hair. Both styles are available on our website and are perfect for Brides to be.

Friday:

Spent the morning working on orders- lots to make today. We all saw Desperate Housewives last night and loved Susan's headband/tiara. It was so pretty and really suited her. It might be used as inspiration in a new collection somewhere along the line....

A bride to be called looking for some earrings to match her Audrey single pearl necklace, so we have designed her some Audrey single pearl earrings. I don't know why we didn't have these before. We all agree that they are fab and that we will add them to the site ASAP. I love it when I get inspired by real life brides and pieces evolve into new collections!
Work is going well and it is nice to see all of the orders from this week wrapped up and ready to go out of the door on Monday!

After lunch I am glad to see a huge bar of chocolate on my desk. Yum! Turkish delight - I love the stuff! Lets see if I can make the bar last the day....

Creating your wedding day look with personal style.

A wedding is such a personal occasion that it should reflect your own style and tastes. What better time than your wedding day to treat yourself to something so special?

The difference between customised and bespoke….

Customised: Taking a design that is already in existence and personalising it to your own tastes.

Bespoke: Creating an entirely new style with the designer that is a one off, just for you.

Bespoke wedding dress design and customisation:

Brides looking to be truly unique on their wedding day often opt to have bespoke or customised accessories made for them, but have you thought about a bespoke or customised dress?
Danielle Meiners offers both a bespoke service and an alteration service and often re-styles dresses as well as making creations from her client’s imaginations.
Danielle who has a BA in Fashion design and has worked as a pattern cutter for several well known brands in London now works in the bridal industry helping to make wedding day dreams come true. From a simple hem alteration to a fully bespoke gown Danielle uses her training and technical experience to skilfully adapt styles to flatter brides to be. Recent work has included remodelling a dress with sleeves into a halter-neck for a more contemporary look and the creation of a made to measure chiffon and lace dress with fluted handkerchief hem.

Advantages of a bespoke wedding dress:

In Danielle’s experience there are several reasons people want bespoke: “Either because they simply cannot find exactly what they are looking for. (It’s hard to find a unique and different wedding dress sometimes). Or because a customer wants a dress that is truly theirs, a one off dress designed and chosen by them, and made to fit them perfectly.” Sometimes however it is down to the look of the dress. “There is a trend coming through for lighter weight dresses, with the corsetry hidden under smooth, flowing, almost Grecian dresses. This style is harder to produce for brands that are mass produced. A bespoke dress will stand out in this case.”

The process of having a bespoke wedding dress:

Danielle explains the step by step process of designing your own wedding gown:

“I ask my customers to collect as many examples of what they like from magazine cuttings/ photos or actual garments. At this initial meeting I will show them fabric samples too to see what they do and don't like.
A price is then agreed and I then take their measurements.
A toile (practice version) of the dress is then created to be fitted and changed to the customer’s requirements. I will also show the customer a choice of fabrics to choose from. The final garment is then made up and a final fitting arranged to make sure the dress is perfect.”

Danielle's down to earth personality and friendly nature takes that stress and often intimidating nature out of having a couture gown made for you.

“I aim to do everything I can to make the dress fit and feel great. And I offer a one to one service and get to know my customer well, so I can fulfil their criteria.”

Her best advice for brides to be is: “Don't let other peoples opinions on your dress choice influence you too much. A wedding dress is very unique to your style, what you know your partner will like and what flatters you the most. We don't all go around dressed the same day to day so just remember not everyone will like your dress, but if you feel like a princess in it and can't wait to see your man's face when he sees you, that's the one!”

Top tips for a bespoke Wedding Dress of your dreams:

Having worked with so many brides Danielle offers her top 5 tips for creating the wedding dress of your dreams:

1. Go and try on all sorts of different dress styles (even if you don't like them!) You'll be surprised what actually suits you.
2. Don't just look for inspiration in wedding magazines. Any detail can be adapted to look great on a wedding dress.
3. Think about the cloth, this can really make a dress stand out. Often people just stick to plain satins and silks.
4. Make sure your dress feels like it fits you. It is amazing how different a dress can make you feel when it fits you perfectly.
5. To have a one-off wedding dress made and designed especially for you is the essence of your wedding day. If you know you look good, you will feel confident in front of all those people!

"After working for years behind the scenes of the fashion industry it was a fresh experience for me to be able to work one to one with a customer and especially being involved in such a big day! It gives me a real sense of satisfaction to see the wedding photos and everyone looking so happy."

Danielle is based in Essex and can visit brides for alterations in the South East and London.

Prices for Bodice alterations start at just £30.

Brides to be who are interested in Danielle’s services should contact her on 07773138458 for a quotation.

Bespoke and customised wedding accessories

Why not continue customising you look with your accessories?

At Carrie Yeo we offer customisation on all our styles, whether it is a simple change of colour or the lengthening or shortening of one of our necklaces, the details of your big day are just as important to us as it is to you.

To learn about this process please visit our website

We have also worked on more elaborate pieces such as the dress jewellery below which cannot only turn a dress into the wedding gown of your dreams but can be reworked after the big day into a necklace or bracelet for you to treasure forever.


We have a huge variety of styles that we can adapt for you and can easily design something just for you with our bespoke design service.

Contact at info@carrieyeo.com with your enquiries.