How to make a Floral Buttonhole / Boutonnière

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Silk Boutonnière / Buttonhole Tutorial, ft. The Secret Bridesmaid!

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Fancy getting hands on with your wedding florals?  Whether it’s a cost saving exercise, a budding passion for florals or wanting to be fully hands on with your wedding, experimenting with silk flowers is an excellent place to start.  There’s room for trial and error, you can play around and start again, AND you have all the prep time in the world as there’s no risk of wilting!  What’s even better is you’ll have yourself a keepsake after the wedding, or pass them along to another friend or family member who’s getting married…you can’t get more green than that!

So far in our silk florals mini-series, featuring silks specialist Steph from The Secret Bridesmaid, we’ve brought you step-by-step tutorials on how to create a wedding bouquet and a pocket boutonnière, and now we’re showing you how to make a buttonhole AND a corsage!  (Follow all the steps for the buttonhole, then continue on with one simple extra step at the end to turn it into a corsage – magic!)

We created the floral bridal bouquet first and then used the little bits and pieces left over for our buttonholes!  Genius!

Having a go?  We’d love to see what you did with yours.  Tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk. 

Special thanks to Steph for the Bride Society takeover this week.  If you’d like to see more of what she has to offer (including her custom silk bouquets and buttonholes!), you can find her website here and Instagram here.

Want to have a play with more florals for your wedding?  Check out our Floral DIYs playlist over on YouTube.  For even more content from us, you can find us in all of these places:

— Rebecca and Laura, Bride Society.

Surprising Wedding Laws from Around the World

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While we’re used to sharing advice and information about getting married in the UK, we decided we wanted to cast our net a bit further afield this week to see what’s happening out there in the big wide world.

We knew there must be some restrictions in other countries, just like there are certain things you must do here, in order to be able to get legally married. So we went down a rabbit hole of looking for some (possibly) surprising wedding laws from around the world.

While we’ve tried our best to be as accurate as possible with the information we’re sharing here, there is a chance that some of the points mentioned may now be outdated or not so common place anymore.

But we’d love to know if you were aware of any of the laws featured in the video or if any of them did surprise you. Let us know in the comments.

And if you’re interested in finding out a bit more about getting married in Mexico, Rebecca has filmed some videos at different Mexican resorts. Check out our Destination Weddings and Honeymoon playlist.

Looking for even more content from Bride Society?  You can find us in all of these places:

And please do let us know if you’d like to see a part two to this. We’re sure we’d be able to find even more surprising wedding rules from other parts of the globe!

— Rebecca and Laura at Bride Society

Wedding Table Number Inspiration

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Ideas & Inspiration for your Wedding Reception Table Names / Numbers

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Table names / numbers are fairly essential at most wedding receptions, however the ‘how’ of how you go about them can vary wildly.  Maybe you want to keep it simple with a number printed on card, propped up against your centrepiece on the table – it’s quick, easy and gets the job done, it’s not an aspect of the wedding planning that you HAVE to spend a lot of time on, especially if you’ve got a short window until W-Day. 

BUT, if you want to do a little something more, it’s another wonderful opportunity to express yourselves, incorporate your theme, reflect your personalities, interests or style.  You can never have too much YOU in your wedding after all!  Going the extra mile with your table numbers will get noticed by your guests, there’s no way of them finding their seats without clocking the table number first!

So if you’re wanting to elevate your table names/numbers game to the next level, check out our inspiration that’s waiting for you in this week’s YouTube video, along with it’s supporting Pinterest board:

Did something catch your eye? You can find most of the featured products here*.

(*Affiliate link – we get a small percentage of the profits made through our referrals at no extra cost to you when purchased through this link.)

Let us know which idea you’ve fallen for in the comment section – we’re nosey and would love to know.  And don’t forget to tag us in your photos over on Instagram too!

Looking for even more content from Bride Society?  You can find us in all of these places:

— Rebecca and Laura at Bride Society.

First Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

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Paper Themed Gift Ideas for a First Wedding Anniversary

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Symbolising the unwritten future ahead, your first wedding anniversary gift is traditionally made from paper. But instead of handing over a ream of the finest white, 80 gsm, A4 printer paper to your other half, we thought we could come up with a few more exciting and interesting options. So with that in mind, we’ve put together the ultimate gift guide for 1st wedding anniversary gifts, and they’re all paper themed!

The first anniversary is also a great opportunity to capitalise on the wedding memories and potential memorabilia surrounding the wedding; think honeymoon photos, tickets, receipts etc. As after year one, you may be pushing it slightly creating gifts along those lines. But for your first anniversary, go for it!

Everything we talked about in the video, plus even more, can be found on our 1st Anniversary Gift Ideas Pinterest board. You can find the Pinterest board here.

Items featured in the video:

(Items marked with * are affiliate links: this means we get a small amount of commission from the retailer for the referral at no additional cost to you.)

We hope you’ve found our suggestions helpful, and will mean your spouse is receiving an on theme and thoughtful gift from your on your anniversary. Let us know if you decide to choose any of our suggestions in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you.

– Rebecca and Laura – Bride Society

How to make a Floral Pocket Square / Boutonniere

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Floral Pocket Boutonniere Tutorial, ft. The Secret Bridesmaid!

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One of the hottest wedding trends of 2024 so far!  The bridal party have moved on from having handkerchiefs in their top pockets…it’s now all about ‘floral pocket boutonnieres’, and we’re here for it! 

Florals for jackets were once reserved purely for the buttonhole, which sort of limited you to a very small posey and could be tricky to secure on the morning of the wedding, especially if the florist isn’t on hand to help you attach them.  And you know no one will think to look up how to attach a buttonhole ahead of the day, resulting in manic YouTub’ing and many finger pricks!  Enter the pocket boutonniere!  All you have to do is slide it into the top pocket and off you go.

In today’s video, our guest host, Steph from The Secret Bridesmaid is back, lending us her expertise to show you how to make your very own flower pocket boutonnieres.  What’s even better is we’re using silk (faux) flowers in this tutorial, meaning you can prep your floral pocket squares well in advance and get a job ticked off that wedding to-do list!  No wilting, no last-minute panics and no risk of blood-stained shirts!  And of course, that added bonus that they can accommodate a bigger flower display to make those suits extra snazzy. 

Having a go?  We’d love to see what you did with yours.  Tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk. 

Special thanks to Steph for the Bride Society takeover this week.  If you’d like to see more of what she has to offer (including her custom silk bouquets and buttonholes!), you can find her website here and Instagram here.

Want to have a play with more florals for your wedding?  Check out our Floral DIYs playlist over on YouTube.  For even more content from us, you can find us in all of these places:

— Rebecca and Laura, Bride Society.

Inspiration for Dressing Your Wedding Chairs

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Gone are the days where you automatically think of white chair covers with big organza bows to make a venue ‘wedding-y’. There are so many more ways and options to decorate and dress your wedding chairs, to add interest, style and decor to your ceremony or reception venue.

A lot of venues now helpfully have chairs which are aesthetic enough to be on show, so there’s really no need to hide them with chair covers anymore. (Unless you want to of course!)

Regardless of the theme you’re planning for your Big Day, there’s an option for you. From draping (in loads of different ways – tutorials coming soon!), to adding fresh flowers, or adding a boho touch with some macramé.

How are you dressing yours?

Check out the full Pinterest board for all the ideas we shared in our video, plus more!

Which is your favourite option? Let us know in the comments below!

Want even more content like this?  Join the Society and find even more from us. Find us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X!

-Bride Society

How to Make a Silk Floral Bridal Bouquet

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We’ve been taken over this week! Thankfully this is no hostile takeover, and we in fact invited our special guest to share some of her wealth of expertise and show us how to create a hand tied floral bridal bouquet using silk/faux flowers.

We are, of course, talking about Steph from the Secret Bridesmaid! You may recognise Steph from our series of Multiway Dress videos (check out the playlist here)

Faux flowers have come a long way from the options of the past, and can now be a fantastic option if you’re planning on DIY-ing your blooms (they can be made well in advance) or would like to keep your bouquet as a keepsake after the wedding.

For this particular bouquet, 6 stems of assorted foliage and 11 stems of assorted flowers were used. The type and amount of silk flowers you use will affect the size and style of your bouquet.

A big thank you to Steph for taking over Bride Society this week. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming videos as Steph will be popping back and sharing even more. We can’t wait!
If you’d like to find out more about Steph’s luxury multiway dresses and everything else The Secret Bridesmaid has to offer (believe us, there’s a lot!), you can find her via her website and Instagram.

As always, if you give one of our DIY ideas a go, we love to see the results! Tag us over on Instagram so we can see how yours turned out!

— Rebecca and Laura, Bride Society

Customise Notebooks with Cricut

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Use Cricut to personalise your notebook or wedding planner with our step-by-step tutorial for faux leather and card notebooks.

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Our love for Cricut creations continues!  Whether you’re a crafty bride to be wanting a special place to keep those most important notes, or a creative friend making an engagement gift for a friend – the latter being what actually inspired this latest tutorial, we are talking you through step-by-step, how to use your Cricut to add that personal touch to your notebook / planner. 

We’re showing you how to create your design in Cricut Design Space – simply switch in your desired text, how to cut your design and then apply it to either faux leather or cardstock/paper notebook covers. 

There’s a learning curve with Cricut and transferring vinyl to card / paper was one of the lessons I learnt the hard way, so I’m here with this tutorial to steer you around the pitfalls! 

Tip!  Whatever you do, don’t use transfer tape to move your vinyl onto card/paper, it will stick to the surface and tear it off!  I’ve been there, done that, with extremely bad results.  But we’ve got the solution for you in our latest video:

Materials we used (with product links if you need them!): (* = Affiliate links: we get a small amount of commission from the retailer for the referral at no additional cost to you.)

If you’re in Canada, you can find the HTV here: https://amzn.to/3P0m3Uw* USA: https://amzn.to/3RtuMA9*

NB. This video is not made in association with Cricut. Some materials listed above are affiliate links, these are clearly marked by an asterisk* where applicable. This means we get a small amount of commission from the retailer for the referral at no additional cost to you.

Having a go?  If you stumble into any problems & have questions, let us know in the comments, we’re happy to try to help you out!  Don’t forget to tag us in your photos over on Instagram, we’d love to see how yours turned out!

Want more like this? Check out the Cricut tutorial playlist on YouTube! You can also find even more content from us in all of these places:

— Rebecca and Laura, Bride Society

Pet Outfits and Accessories for Your Wedding

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Whilst neither Rebecca or I have our own pets, we do like to live vicariously through others, especially when it comes to dressing them up in an amazing outfit and including them in your Big Day!

Your cherished pet may be the one guest who you don’t mind being upstaged for. And let’s be real, if your four legged friend walks down the aisle with the rings, whilst wearing a tuxedo, (for a short while at least) all eyes will justifiably be on them!

From ring pouches to floral leads, ‘pet of honour‘ neckerchiefs or full on tuxedo outfits, we’ve got inspiration for every kind of outfit or accessory your beloved pets may need if they’re attending your wedding!

We have a whole dedicated Pin Board that supports our video! Find it here:

Find the featured pet accessories from our video here! (NB. this is an Affiliate Link. Affiliate links mean we get a small amount of commission from the retailer for the referral at no additional cost to you.)

This is definitely one topic where we’d love to see your pictures. If you’re including your four legged best friend in your wedding, please tag us in your photos!
And for even more content from Bride Society, don’t forget you can find us in all of these places:

— Rebecca and Laura, Bride Society

Valentine’s Day Heart Napkin Folding

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Step-by-Step Heart Napkin Folding Tutorial

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At Bride Society, we’re all about the love.  Romance is our game.  If you’ve got the feels this Valentine’s Day and want to go that extra mile for your fiancé(e), have a go at our heart shaped folded napkins! 

You’ve planned the perfect Valentine’s evening…you’ve dug out that outfit they always compliment you on (if they happen to be your sweats, who I am to judge?!), you’re having a bash at cooking that meal they loved on your first holiday together, you’ve chilled the bubbly, their favourite flowers are on the table, you’ve asked Siri to, “play romantic music”, and you bought the dessert they can never say no to when they see it on the menu.  You’ve thought of everything, and some major fiancé(e) points are coming your way for sure.  All you need are two final little chocolates* (*oops, you can tell what’s on my mind!) touches; 1. Don’t forget the candles and 2. These heart napkins, to really elevate your table setting.

Easy step-by-step folding instructions to turn your square napkins into hearts this Valentine’s Day:

Looking for more ideas like this?  Check out our wedding origami playlist on YouTube.

Folding success? Tag us in a photo of your Valentine’s tables over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk, we’d love to see your napkin hearts in situ!  Comment below what your dinner guest had to say about them – we’re nosy and would love to hear!

— Rebecca and Laura, Bride Society

Garden Wedding Inspiration

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Ideas and Inspiration for Every Aspect of your Garden Themed Wedding

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After what seems like the longest January ever, we’re finally in February and spring is just about on the horizon. With that, we’re dreaming of an abundance of beautiful blooms, long sunny days and wedding season!


It got us thinking about our wedding theme series and the perfect theme to follow on from our daydreaming about the coming months, is a garden theme! Whether that’s an outdoor ceremony in your own or loved one’s garden. Or you’re bringing the outside in to your wedding venue, marquee or tipi, we’ve got ideas and inspiration for how to really lean in to that garden party feel. And hint, flowers may be featured quite a lot!

We’ve got all aspects of your garden wedding covered in this week’s video:

We have a whole dedicated Pin Board that supports our Garden Wedding Ideas video! Find it here:

For even more content from Bride Society, don’t forget you can find us in all of these places:

— Rebecca and Laura, Bride Society

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas | 2024

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Personal Gift Ideas for this Valentine’s Day, all under £20!

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Valentine’s Day 2024 is just around the corner (if you’re currently thinking, “yikes, when’s that?”…February 14th) and we figured those of you currently in wedding planning mode, may be feeling the romance even more than most this time around…unless you’re mid disagreement over whether Save the Dates are in fact a necessity, then you may not be at your most warm & fuzzy!

Whilst you might be keen to at least acknowledge this Valentine’s Day, with lots to organise for the wedding we get that your mind may be laser focussed on W-Day at this stage and that any extra pennies may already be allocated to the dog’s tuxedo for the big day.  Call us Cupid!  We’re helping you bring your romance-game by sharing all the gift inspiration you need, right to your fingertips…and for under £20!

Some ideas are a twist on the classics, others unique, whilst others could have a secondary purpose and be used at your wedding too!

Find your Valentine’s gift inspiration here! (Product links below)

>>> You can easily shop any of the products featured in today’s gift guide here*. <<<

(*Affiliate link – we get a small percentage of the profits made through our referrals at no extra cost to you when purchased through this link.)

Want to browse the Pinterest board that supports this video?  Find it here:

Let us know what you picked and if your partner loved it!  Tag us in your photos over on Instagram, we’d love to see!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

— Rebecca and Laura at Bride Society

How to Make ‘Paint Your Own’ Biscuits

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We’re huge advocates of an edible favour and when that can be made even more exciting with an added creative element, what more could you want?! Our DIY ‘paint your own’ biscuits are an edible blank canvas where creativity can be unleashed! The possibilities really are endless with the designs you can create and the ways they can be decorated. The perfect wedding or party favours, turning a delicious treat into a fun activity.

These would make excellent wedding favours for children, but let’s be real, adults would be big fans too (if they can resist eating them before they’re coloured in!). But if the thought of drawing 100+ designs is daunting, you could order a printed edible image to add to your biscuits instead. Stick the printed image to your rolled out icing and just follow the steps as normal, excluding the drawing bit!

Sugar cookie recipe we used:

  • 250g butter
  • 180g caster sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or flavouring of your choice)
  • 1 egg
  • 400g self raising flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt

The cookie cutter used to make the large square biscuits is 11cm x 11cm. The mix makes approximately 20 biscuits of that size.

You will also need:

  • Roll out icing/Fondant icing
  • Cookie cutter in the size and shape of your choice
  • Royal icing in the colours of your choice
  • Piping bags
  • An edible ink pen
  • Food safe paintbrush

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

-Bride Society

Wedding Planning Q&A

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Depending on where you read (and we’re not sure how reputable the sources are) anywhere from 15% to 25% of engagements supposedly happen over the festive period. And while we can’t back up any of those stats, we do agree that the festive season does also mean an increase in proposals. So you may just be finding us now after saying yes to that very important question very recently. Congratulations and welcome! After our reintroduction last week and a whirlwind tour of our YouTube channel and what you can expect from Bride Society, we thought we’d continue with content for the newly engaged and answer some questions to help kick start your wedding planning.

We asked over on our Instagram page recently what questions you had if you’ve just found yourself newly engaged, or, if you’ve been planning your wedding for a while, what questions you had at the start of your wedding planning journey that might help those who find themselves there now. And you didn’t let us down!




And thank you for sending in your questions over on Instagram. If you missed it this time, go give us a follow there to be involved in our Q&A videos in the future.

If you have other questions, we might have a video about that topic already on our channel, or if not, we’d be happy to make one! We always welcome video suggestions. Feel free to pop any in the comments below.

– Rebecca and Laura – Bride Society.