You’re Invited

Bride Society Leave a comment

Wedding Invitation Inspiration

***

The date’s booked and now all you need are some of your nearest and dearest to help celebrate your Big Day.

Choosing your wedding invitations can be a challenge as there are so many styles and types to choose from! They can be used to set the tone and give your guests a glimpse of what your wedding day may bring so you may feel like there’s some pressure to get it right.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed to find that perfect invite that’s unique, creative and a bit different to the norm, fear not! In this week’s video we’ve rounded up some of our favourite styles of invitation to help inspire you and hopefully help you choose the right invitation for you. We’ve also got tips for how to avoid losing grip on your invitation budget if you fall in love with a definite splurge style.

Check out our Pinterest board that accompanies the video here (all products featured in this video can be found over there).

Disclaimer: We are not currently working with any of the businesses featured in this video and cannot vouch for the quality of these specific products or reliability of services.  The images are intended for inspirational use only.

-Bride Society

Here’s to the Girls!

Bride Society Leave a comment

Bridesmaid Thank You Gifts

***

Your girls have been with you through thick and thin.  They’ve rushed to your side with the tissues and trashy mags after every break up and been the first to put a glass of Prosecco in your hand after each promotion.  And now you’re getting married, things are no different…your bridesmaids have been there counselling you through every wedding planning headache, they’ve planned your bridal shower/hen party/bachelorette, they’ve helped you pick your dress and DIY’d with you in to the early hours, long past the caffeine wearing off and the wine bottles being drunk dry. 

Come the day of your wedding, they are your teammates, your ‘Bride Tribe’ – calming any nerves, holding your dress up around your head when you need the washroom, warding off any wedding day glitches before they happen and making you feel truly special.  These girls have and will always have your back, #sisterhoodrules. 

In today’s video we’re giving back some love to your ‘maids, bringing you inspiration for bridesmaid thank you gifts.  Whether you’re looking for a small token of your appreciation or wanting to go bigger, gifts for on-the-day or keepsakes, we have ideas you’ll love…and even more importantly, that they’ll love.

Check out our Pinterest board that accompanies this video here (all products featured in this video can be found over there).

What’s your favourite of our picks?  Got other gift inspo to share?  Let us know in the comments below to help out other brides looking for ideas…

Disclaimer: We are not currently working with any of the businesses featured in this video and cannot vouch for the quality of these specific products or reliability of services.  The images are intended for inspirational use only.

—Bride Society

Hearts Aflutter

Bride Society Leave a comment

Origami Butterfly Name Cards

***

Butterflies are said to symbolise love and marital bliss.  And whilst I might not ordinarily want to encourage insects into your wedding, butterflies might just be elegant enough to get over the line!  In some cultures, couples enjoy a butterfly release at the end of the wedding ceremony – which must be a beautiful array of colour. Whilst I’ve never witnessed that in person, I have been victim a couple of times to those wind-up paper butterflies that get put inside cards/gifts to jump out at you as they’re opened…fun (assuming you don’t lose an eye), but probably not quite the blissful serenity we’re going for here!

Today we’re bringing the butterflies indoors for our wedding DIY in the form of origami.  These butterflies are quick and simple to make, beautiful as decoration, name cards, escort cards, or simply as a relaxing activity on a rainy afternoon.

Making them for your wedding? Get the girls over (abiding by government guidance of course!), open a bottle of wine and get folding together (any excuse right!?).

Happy folding!

Equipment used in this video:

  • Sharpie in Gold
  • Paper from The Works, £1, dimensions 15cm².

Got any questions or video requests? Leave them in the comments below and we’ll do our best to help. Tell us how you got on and tag us in your photos over on Instagram: @bridesociety_uk, we’d love to see your butterflies!

—Bride Society

Wave Your Wand High

Bride Society Leave a comment

DIY Ribbon Wand / Confetti Alternative

Weddings and receptions are back on! Albeit on a smaller scale and not quite back to normality yet… If you’re after some DIY projects for your micro/small wedding we’ve got you covered.

This week we’ve put together an easy DIY tutorial to create a jingling ribbon wand which is perfect as a wedding confetti alternative, especially in these social distancing times.

Leave your wedding ceremony to a guard of ribbon wands with the added bonus of them keeping everyone at a safe distance!

They look great in photographs and when dancing is allowed again are a fun addition to the dance floor for both adults and children alike!

You will need:

  • Wooden dowels – we used 8mm wooden dowels cut to approx. 30cm in length
  • Screw eyes – https://bit.ly/3gHH3xD
  • Jingle bells – https://bit.ly/2G4ywYQ
  • Wire – we used jewellery wire but you could also use jump rings
  • Ribbon – colours and type of your choice!

Use a selection of ribbons in your colour scheme and choose whatever length of ribbon you fancy.

Just remember that you will lose a little bit of length when you attach the ribbon to the dowel. The screw eye may take a bit of force to screw into the dowel.

A way to avoid this is to drill a small pilot hole as a guide for the screw eye. This will also minimise the dowel splitting.

-Bride Society

Hey Beautiful!

Bride Society Leave a comment

Cricut Mirror Decal Tutorial

***

This week we’re plunging back into the crafty and creative world that is Cricut (click here if you’re thinking Cri…what?!), helping you learn how to use your magical machine to make beautiful, professional looking DIYs for your wedding.

On the morning of your wedding, you and your bridesmaids will be busy beautifying from head to toe and your photographer likes to capture a piece of the ‘getting ready’ action…so we thought a decal on your mirror would be a clever & personal touch to those memorable photographs…though I like to think this project works whether you’re planning a wedding or not (our design reads, “Hey beautiful” and it’s still on my mirror, that’s all I’m sayin’!)! 

We’ve got step-by-step instructions, suitable for any skill level, on how to use Cricut ‘window cling’ to create this week’s work of art.  It’s the perfect material for working with mirrors or windows as it is fully removeable with no residue and can be reused – just hang on to the backing paper to store it!  And I say all this without Cricut paying me to sing its praises!

Here’s a list of what you’ll need to make our decal project:

Having a go?  Share your made-over mirror creations with us by tagging us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk, we’d love to see!

Any questions?  Just ask, we’ll try our best to help.

NB. This video is not made in association with Cricut or Hobbycraft. There are no affiliate links listed here. If you choose to use other materials or equipment to make this project, please refer to the cricut website as instructions will vary slightly.

—Bride Society

Jumping on the Cakesicle Bandwagon

Bride Society Leave a comment

We’re back with a twist on our classic cakesicle tutorial! These fun drip cakesicles look like mini ice creams but won’t melt in this hot weather!

(N.B. chocolate might go a bit soft if left out in the heat)

Go wild with whatever colour you want to create these eye-catching sweet treats.

They would work perfectly as wedding favours, hen party treats or even canapés after your ceremony. I doubt anyone would be able to resist picking up one of these!

One of the best things about making cakesicles is that you can use any cake you fancy to create the insides of these cute treats. If you have leftover cake (what’s that?!) or offcuts then you can easily use those and you can bask in the knowledge that you’re also reducing food waste!

A top tip for creating a natural looking drip is to hold the cakesicle vertically when adding the melted chocolate/candy melts with a piping bag to the coated cakesicle. Gravity will work it’s magic and the ‘drips’ will travel down the cakesicle.

Make sure to add your sprinkles before your drip has set. Sprinkles will stick to the melted chocolate but won’t once it has set.

For the drip tutorial we used some chocolate cupcakes we had leftover, but you can use your favourite cake recipe or check out the simple vanilla cake recipe we used for our original cakesicle tutorial below.

Vanilla Cake recipe – (will make approx 18 cakesicles)

  • 115g butter
  • 115g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 115g self raising flour

We used an 8″ cake tin. Bake at 160ºC (fan) for approximately 20 minutes.

Buttercream/frosting –

  • 75g butter
  • 175g icing sugar
  • 1tsp vanilla extract

Approximately 400g chocolate to coat all the cakesicles

Cakesicle mould used – Silikomart Mini Ice Cream Silicone Bar Mould Set, Classic, White* (Affiliate link – we receive a small share of any sales made through this link)

Funcakes Pink Deco Melts – https://bit.ly/33YwYJB

-Bride Society

Good Things Come in Small Packages

Bride Society Leave a comment

The Perks of Small Weddings

***

So we have found ourselves in the unexpected age of the ‘small’ wedding, thanks COVID-19.  Although it may not have been what you planned and hoped for, it dawned on us that there are a few very good reasons why the petite wedding deserves its day in the spotlight, that isn’t all about germs!  

If you’re here because the pandemic has forced you to make the choice between downsizing or postponing, firstly we want to acknowledge how much that genuinely sucks. We’re so sorry your special day isn’t going to plan and for all the stress and anxiety that has likely come with that. We appreciate there are pros and cons to whatever decision you have made / make from here and you’ve no doubt been having those continuously circulating around your minds for the past few months.

Or indeed if you’re reading this in post-Covid times (hooray!) and are trying to weigh up how you want things to go down, then take a gander at this!  You do you, bigger is not always better…

With this in mind, we decided to take a look into the pros and perks of the smaller wedding…sharing our thoughts, keeping it positive and sharing our experiences of attending smaller weddings…and even how to get the best of both worlds.

To all those of you out there who’s wedding ceremonies and receptions continue to be impacted by the ongoing pandemic and government restrictions around the world, know that our hearts go out to you.

–Bride Society

Ice Cream without the Chill

Bride Society Leave a comment

How to make Neapolitan ‘Ice Cream’ Cupcake Cones

***

We’re back with the sweet treats this week, and while they may not cool you down like an ice cream would, these cupcake ‘ice cream’ cones are certainly a crowd pleaser!

Perfect for a summer treat, or how about a unique alternative to a wedding/party cupcake tower.

Three flavours of cake batter (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry) make up these Neapolitan cupcakes and we’ve kept the decoration classic with a ’99’ buttercream swirl and flake. But you could decorate however you fancy! Why not add sprinkles or a sauce (or both!)?

Recipes (to make 6 cones):

Vanilla cake –
2oz butter
2oz caster sugar
1 egg
2oz self raising flour
1tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate cake –
2oz butter
2oz caster sugar
1 egg
2oz self raising flour
1oz melted chocolate

Strawberry cake –
2oz butter
2oz caster sugar
1 egg
2oz self raising flour
1tbsp strawberry jam

Add a spoonful of each mix into the cones (as 3 layers). Leave room at the top of the cone to allow the cake to rise. Bake at 160oC (fan) for 20 minutes.

Buttercream (for 6 cupcake cones plus leftover)
125g butter
295g icing sugar
2tsp vanilla extract (optional)


These flat bottomed cones are perfect as they stand up easily by themselves!

We’d love to see your pictures if you give them a go. Tag us in your photos over on Instagram.

-Bride Society

We Are Three!

Bride Society 2 Comments

This week we turned 3, which got us thinking about the journey that’s brought us here.

***

1.9k Instagram followers

860 YouTube subscribers

500 Instagram posts

158 YouTube videos

To date, you lovely lot have viewed our videos 163.7k times and spent 6.1k hours watching them!  Thank you!  We spend a lot of time, energy and passion on this project – as you might imagine, so much more goes in to everything you see from us than just that finished product…so we truly do appreciate every minute each of you takes out of your lives to spend time with us on YouTube and our other platforms.  You’re the best!

We have loved being a part of this bridal community (…we may have been in denial that our own weddings were over…be gone post wedding blues!) and we really hope that you find a gem of wisdom or a spark of inspiration amongst these 158 videos that helps you on your own wedding planning journey (and if we haven’t already said so, congrats on your engagement!).

2020 has been a strange year for all of us, but we’re excited to see what the year ahead holds, especially in what is set to be a bumper wedding year!  Love is not cancelled! (For those of you that cannot currently see me, I’m fist bumping the air right now!)

We hope you enjoy this quick look back at the past 3 years in a nostalgic trip down Bride Society Lane as we say, “Happy Birthday, Us”…

Thank you for being along for our ride and we hope this is only the beginning of the excitement.

With love,

Rebecca and Laura at Bride Society xx

Dipped Delight

Bride Society Leave a comment

Chocolate Coated Strawberries

***

The perfect dessert – hits the sweet spot AND provides you with healthy vitamins!  Strawberry season is in its stride…Wimbledon may not be on this year, but the strawberries are still coming out!

Chocolate strawberries are the ideal summer wedding (or party!) treat, served with afternoon tea, or as part of your dessert table.  And FYI, we’re ALL about the dessert table!

Dark or white chocolate (we’ve used both!), so many toppings and ways to decorate…you’ll have just as much fun making them as you will eating them, I’ve made sure!  Serve them up as favours, or simply pop favours bags next to them on the dessert table so your guests can pick their favourites and take them home (bonus: no worries about your guests being too full after the wedding breakfast to enjoy the ‘extras’!).

Check out this week’s video to learn how to create your own gourmet strawberry masterpiece!

We are using:

  • Strawberries
  • White chocolate
  • Dark Chocolate
  • Crushed Oreos
  • Crushed Biscoff
  • Chopped nuts
  • Desiccated coconut
  • Gold sprinkles

Having a go? Tag is in your photos of your chocolate strawberry creations over on Instagram!

NB. If possible, when using white chocolate, try to avoid any containing Madagascan vanilla – although extra tasty, it is harder to work with in melted form (I forgot to read the small print whilst shopping!).

*Please take care not to touch the sides of the porringer with your hand, it will be hot.

—Bride Society

Paper Flower Power

Bride Society Leave a comment

Tissue Paper Peonies

***

Peony season is coming to an end, but it doesn’t have to!  Peonies are up there in my list of favourite flowers…maybe it’s because before they fully open, they look like delicious scoops of ice cream!  Just me?  In fact my own wedding bouquet was mostly made up of white peonies, so they’ll always mean something special to me now. 

You may have guessed by now; peonies are the inspiration for today’s video!  We’re making these high-impact, statement flowers out of tissue paper!  I’m using tissue paper I have left over from various sources, like delivery packaging, shopping and birthday gifts to give it a second life – hello upcycling – by turning it in to a decoration you could use on your wedding day.

We’ve got step-by-step instructions for you here.  All you will need is:

  • 9 x sheets 15cm2 pink tissue paper (or whatever colour you want your peony to be!)
  • 1 x sheet 15cm2 yellow/cream tissue paper (to represent the pollen)
  • Garden wire
  • Scissors

(Makes 1 flower)

Having a go?  We’d love to see your floral creations!  Tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk.

—Bride Society

Start the Day the Tasty Way

Bride Society Leave a comment

Bridal Brunch: Cinnamon Buns (/Rolls)

***

The perfect morning pastry, served warm that melts in the mouth.  So basically works on any given day, but if you’re starting to think about your wedding morning, this would have to be up there as the perfect way to start the day with your ‘maids.

I started making these at home after I learnt what a family favourite they were for my OH.  We’d stay at my MIL’s house and I’d wake up to the smell of freshly baked cinnamon buns for breakfast (well, in truth I’d wake up to the banging of pans and whirring of the electric mixer, but eventually the alluring smell reaches me!). 

I’ve experimented with and tweaked my recipe over time, my husband has put in the hard yards as taste tester – a sacrifice like no other, and now that I’m told my cinnamon baking skills have reached perfection, I figured it was time to spread the cinnamon love.

So enjoy your bridal brunch, or indeed any brunch, any day!  I hope you find this recipe tasty and that these step-by-step instructions make the process easy.

Here’s what you need…

Ingredients (makes 10-13 buns)
Dough:
• 300ml whole milk, lukewarm
• 25g caster sugar
• 2 tsp dried active yeast
• 500g strong white flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 1 tsp salt
• 85g unsalted butter, softened

Filling:
• 50g unsalted butter, softened (plus extra for topping)
• 80g soft dark brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 50g raisins (optional)

Serving these buns of joy?  Tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk, we’d love to see your baking creations.

—Bride Society

A Hen’s Gotta Do What A Hen’s Gotta Do

Bride Society Leave a comment

Virtual Hen Party Ideas

***

Lockdown and social distancing have definitely put more than just a spanner in the works for so many of your plans, including your hen party / bachelorette! And whilst we know your plans are postponed rather than cancelled, we thought it would still be a great idea to mark your original date with a virtual celebration! It may not be the one you planned, but it’ll certainly be unique and memorable! With that in mind, we’ve put together some of our favourite ideas for what you can get up to at your ‘Virtual Hen Party / Bachelorette’! Cluck cluck!

Got other virtual hen / bachelorette party ideas? Share your ideas with other hens / bachelorettes in the comments below and tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk.

—Bride Society

Hanging with the Best

Bride Society Leave a comment

DIY Personalised Wedding Hanger

***

On the wedding morning as the bride-to-be is getting ready, the photographer always tries to capture a shot of the wedding gown.  They know how many hours you spent looking at dresses, travelling to boutiques, trying so many of them on until you found ‘the one’…so of course they would capture it in all its pristine glory as a memory for you to treasure.

In fact it’s hard to believe that the current trend of personalising wedding dress / bridesmaid dress hangers hasn’t been around for longer!  Such a beautiful touch for the photos, but also something your bridesmaids can keep after the day…with the added bonus that it prevents confusion over who’s dress is who’s!

We’re mixing it up from the more common approach of attaching vinyl directly to the hangers, by adding a ribbon.  Change the colour of the ribbon and the text to suit your colour scheme and style…you can easily add your wedding date and ‘bridesmaid’, ‘bride’ or ‘flower girl’ text to the name once you’ve learnt the steps.

For this tutorial we’re using a Cricut Maker machine.  If you’re new to Cricut and are crafting for your wedding, this DIY is the perfect place to start with step-by-step instructions to get you on the road to vinyl success!

Materials we used (with product links if you need them!):

NB. This video is not made in association with Cricut or Hobbycraft. There are no affiliate links listed here. If you choose to use other materials or equipment to make this project, please refer to the Cricut website as instructions will vary slightly. The Cricut website has a really useful heat guide for transferring your vinyl if you’re using different equipment/materials to ours, take a look.

Having a go?  We’d love to see your hanger creations!  Tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk.

—Bride Society

Get Them Started

Bride Society Leave a comment

Engagement ‘Starter Pack’

***

When I was planning my wedding, a big part of what made the whole experience so special was how much everyone around me seemed to love a wedding…the interest, the positivity, the excitement! So now when friends / family announce their engagements, I’m immediately so excited for them and always want to find a way to help make the experience extra special for them too…enter ‘the engagement starter pack‘!

So if you’re looking for a gift idea for the newly engaged couple in your life, I’ll let you have this one! Simply assemble a selection of items focussed on helping them on their wedding planning journey. In this video we are showing you what we put in ours to give you a little inspiration for what you can do…. (Once we’re allowed out again that is!)

Putting together your own engagement pack? Let us know what you’re putting in yours in the comments below and tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk.

NB. Please note this video footage was filmed prior to the Covid-19 lockdown in the UK and therefore social distancing was not in place at this time. We are both now safely in our own homes.

— Bride Society