There’s a point in every wedding planning where a bride throws her hands up and is just ‘over it’. Over the decisions, over the comparisons, other figuring out where the money is coming from..and sadly I think our feature bride Abbey has reached that point!

Never fear Abbey, Polka Dot Bride is here! While we can’t take away the melancholy feeling we can help you with your massive to do list!

Registry- Can start online with fiance anytime, Abbey is thinking of The Wedding List Company- easy, will take a weekend and she won’t have to leave her lounge room!

Manicure/Treatments- Abbey can do this anytime or do it herself!

Photo- Biggest to do! Narrow down available photogs!
Video- Abbey wants to organise a family friend to video the ceremony

Musicians- Organised a group to play at ceremony
Reception Music- Will use own CDs (must make)

Cake- Decide on Design, Abbey’s mother’s friend is making it

Flowers- Half done! Bought silk bouquets
Celebrant- Abbey’s mother’s friend (must lodge paperwork and meet with her)
Dress- Waiting for sister to come over and help choose on a shopping trip!
Accessories- Chosen jewels!
Veil
Hair artist- Abbey decided on wavy down style
Makeup Artist
Shoes- Decided on green shoes, must find more!

Honeymoon-

Bridesmaids dresses- Abbey is waiting for her sister to travel over to choose dresses, she would like to find green dresses
Accessories
Shoes
Hair- Decided on upstyle

Flower girl
Ring bearer

Transport- Cars are arranged

Stationery- All arranged! Must think about order of service booklets etc

Rings

Menswear- Send fiance to do this!

Accommodation- reception venue doubles as a B&B

Menu
Wines

Favours- Decided on biscuits in small pots with green ribbon

Readings

Decorations

Lingerie
Parents gifts
Gifts for attendants- Bridesmaids are getting gift boxes filled with Bridesmaid t shirts and other goodies, Groomsmen still need to be done
Emergency kit- Purchase from Bridal Survival
Night before wedding accommodation
Music selections
Dancing instruction for first dance

L-R Bride To Be, True Bride, Real Weddings, Cosmopolitan Bride, Martha Stewart Weddings, Instyle Weddings

It’s been a busy few weeks at the newsagent with all the new bridal titles being released. Which means of course every bridal magazine lover haunts the newsagent! I thought I’d showcase the best ones out at the moment so you can go magazine hunting yourself!

Bride To Be Volume 140 May- July 2007

The new issue of Bride To Be uses Ada Nicodemou as their cover girl and gives us more of her wedding than any of the weekly magazines did! The whole recpetion is showcased and suppliers listed. It alspo features a story on Mariana Hardwick and has supplement for the groom and honeymoon. Coupled with their stylish fashion spreads (and theres a great shoe one in there too!) Bride To Be is a great buy!

True Bride 2007 Good Wedding Guide

True Bride showcases the weddings of the finalists in their annual competition ‘True Bride of The Year‘ in more detail. The real wedding stories are gorgeous and it features a planning guide at the back. You can enter yourself if you marry this year and be up for $2,000 in cash! Great if you want to pour over the weddings you’ve seen online in more detail!

Real Weddings Issue 11

We can never go past an issue of Real Weddings and this issue is no exception! As usual it showcases stunning and unusual brides of all origins and cultures and is a great source of inspiration! This issue features a beautiful Autumn spread as well as a pretty purple spread. Brides range from an Irish bride with a duck egg blue theme to a bride who arrived on a camel! Everything is captured with style and the magazine displays it all beautifully A MUST buy!

Cosmopolitan Bride Best Real Weddings Special Issue 2007

Cosmopolitan Bride took a different angle with their new issue- this edition is totally focussed on nothing but real weddings! If you’ve got all the old issues of Cosmo Bride, you may find this magazine slightly repetitive but it’s good for all the luscious details we love! We particularly love the Country Splendor ‘Get The Look’ page. Full of inspiration for any bride!

Martha Stewart Weddings Spring 2007

Oh Martha, how could we not love your magazine? As USA based as it is it provides perfect inspiring details that any bride can use. This issue features a beautiful pastel spread with luscious cakes and sweets in pale blues, soft greens and baby pinks. Monograms are becoming more and more popular and this edition also features a feature on monograms and innovative ways to use them! My personal favourite is the gorgeous feature on the underrated Ranunculus flower which with its luscious buds can make a perfect Spring wedding feature.

Instyle Weddings Spring 2007

Another USA based title that we love, Instyle Weddings is always full of great ideas and places to check out. Surprising registry ideas, fidning the right look for you, bridesmaids gowns for any mood, big day beauty problems solved and much more had me pouring over this issue for hours. Any Aussie bride can take tips from this issue and find ideas to put into practice in their own wedding. Instyle Weddings allows you to step outside the box and think outside the ‘cookie cutter wedding’.

Abbey’s wedding is creeping up..and this is her to do list from her planner

registry

have a manicure lol

photo and video

musicians and music

cake

flowers

dress and accessories

honeymoon

finalise registry

bridesmaids dresses and accessories

flower girl and ring bearer

transport

stationery

rings

menswear

accomodation

menu and wines

favors

readings

decorations

lingerie

We can also add to that- bridesmaids (dresses, shoes, hair, jewels), flowergirl and pageboy outfits and accessories, parents gifts, gifts for attendants, (if wanted) emergency kit, celebrant, night before wedding accommodation, music selections, dancing instruction for first dance, and more

You have heard me rave about WeddingBee before! Well as I was such an addict I bought the tshirt! I should probably be slightly embarrassed but I’m just happy (how can you be anything but when you see a little bee buzzing?) WeddingBee is my favourite wedding blog and has introduced me to so many others like Style Me Pretty and Manolo for the Brides which i stalk on a daily basis.

So i thought it was only fair to support such a wonderful creation! I chose the tee with the bee character on the front and Weddingbee logo on the lower back. (I tried to take photos, but it appears shipping from New York to Australia creates a lot of wrinkles!) The above photo is courtesy of Mrs Bee!

WeddingBee is a bridal blog started by Mrs Bee which now has multiple contributors. Its US based- but the inspiration is there for everyone and thats why I love it! Definitely worth checking out!

Livinia Nixon in black

The 2007 TV Week Logies were last week and as usual I scoured the red carpet for hints of glamour! While there were some crazy creatures, as usual our Australian designers pulled off a wonderful show! I share some of my favourites and some of the designs of our top designers with you! (Images courtesy of TV Week.com and News.com.au)

Surprise favourite Kerri-Anne Kennerly pulled off this Alex Perry pale pink number (Alex never gets it wrong!)Although on many worst dressed lists, Stephanie McIntosh was actually dressed by Angelina Baccini of Baccini & Hill- one of our top bridal designers!
Rikki Lee Coulter wore this white with ribbon gown well.
Holley Brisley is a vision in red with a cute bow hairband to match

Jackie O tried the soft look
A stunner on the night, Kate Ritchie took home gold in this Collette Dinnigan frock

Fuzzy wore this Grecian inspired gown with class Alex Davies was a vision in whiteI can’t forget the boys! I particularly liked Sam Clark’s smart pinstripe suit! L-R Stefan Dennis, Ben Lawson, Sam Clark & Ryan Maloney

Barbara Wilson Closing Down Sale!

CLOSING DOWN SALE
Barbara Wilson Boutique

465 Chapel Street
South Yarra
VIC 3141
Current Stock - HALF PRICE
All other stock, including samples, bridal and seconds starting from $50!!!
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5
Once in a lifetime opportunity
FABRIC SALE

Workroom closing ..all fabrics & trims must be cleared!

THURSDAY - 17th May
FRIDAY - 18th May
SATURDAY - 19th May
10am - 4pm

Couture` Fabrics Vintage and current
Imported French and Italian laces
Silks
Knits
Bridal fabrics
Linings
Vilenes & Fusings
Trims, ribbons, laces
Bindings and pipings
Zips, Buttons & Threads
Mannequins
Magazines – Collezioni, Italian Vogue etc

Machinery By Appointment only:
Industrial plain sewers, overlockers, baby lockers, buttonholers, pressers etc

Barbara Wilson Pty Ltd
10 Wilson Street, South Yarra, Vic 3141
Ph: 9804 7778

Eftpos and Credit card facilities available

Tins $6.50

I’m a big fan of anything handmade and personal for a wedding- especially when the touches use fabulous fabrics with a bit of vintage in them!

Brown Bag was started by Rebecca who wanted something different to an all white cookie cutter wedding, so set out to find cute favours to give to her family and friends that represented them as a couple.

Having no luck, Rebecca made her own- and Brown Bag was born!

Brides have the ability to choose from a wide range of cute fabrics, colourful bows and trims and yummy lollies for Rebecca to create them their own unique favour that will have guests talking for many months! If you can’t see what you want on your website, Rebecca also offers a custom service which allows you to ask her for whatever you want and she’ll do her best to provide!

Apothecary jars $7.50

Brown bag has a lot of goodies coming out soon- lolly tables, flag banners, wedding badges! SO stay tuned!

Brown Bag
http://www.brownbag.com.au/
info@brownbag.com.au
Ph: 0404 245 116
PO Box 40, Neutral Bay, NSW 2089

The perfect blend between old and new Comme has just celebrated it’s fist birthday and has swept Melbourne off its feet with its beautiful blend of architecture and modern touches.

A perfect venue for the bride with a bit of funk, Comme can hold from 16-300 guests in their special purpose upstairs function rooms. A blank white canvas, perhaps reminiscent of New York style this space is perfect for the metro Melbourne bride.

Food is rustic Mediterranean dishes from the French/Spanish border and will ensure your guests drool while watching the proceedings! and if you’re not sure, make a trip tos ee the bar on a Friday night for drinks to be enchanted by the unique touches this venue provides.

Comme
7 Alfred Place, Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Ph (03) 9631 4000
Email: info@comme.com.au

Lisa Gowing is having an end of season sale!

Bridal RTW- 40% off
Event RTW- 40% off
Selected Accessories (shoes included!) 20%-70% off

53 Queen Street, Woollahra (02) 9327 6332

Open Tuesday-Saturday 10-5pm
Sunday 11-4pm

___________________________

Bacinni & Hill Sydney have a clearance sale- 20% off all dresses ordered in May!

While PolkaDot Bride has been quiet this past week (don’t worry that will change!) I did have to send out a notice to say Crabapple Bakery has released a fabulous cookbook!

Any cupcake lover from Melbourne knows Crabapple’s cupcakes are simply to die for, so now you can go home and make them yourself!

Check it out at your bookstore or visit Crabapple Cupcake Bakery at Shop 6, Prahran Market
163 Commercial Road, South Yarra, Victoria