Caroline and Peter's Vintage Circus Wedding

I'm back after the wedding of 'my' year! It was the Vintage Circus themed celebration of my good friend Caroline (Dirty Fabulous) and her dashing beau Peter. Caroline has spent the last six months planning and creating every last glittering detail! This day was a true reflection of Caroline's life-long love of all things quirky and vintage.

The day was photographed by Shane from Aspect Photography and we are all dying to see his photos! In the meantime though, I thought I'd share a handful of mobile phone pictures that myself and my friends captured on the day.

Clockwise from top left - The Bugle Babes sang in strong harmonies, the magician and the bearded lady, three glamorous Quinn wives and moi with cherry hair and sequins!

So where to begin? Firstly, some words to sum up the extravagant attire;  top hats and braces, ruffles, corsets and flaming red hair. How about bearded ladies, trapeze artistes and spandex donning strong men? There was all of this and much, much more. There was also heaps of love in the room and this meant lots of eye-wiping. The first surprise was a duet from Neil Hannon and Cathy Davey. It made a very special pre-wedding first dance!

 Clockwise from top left - Neil Hannon an Cathy Davy sing a duet, (later in the evening) Peter and his family sing a 'Take That' song, the wedding ceremony, 'The Cheese Course' - Caroline and Peter perform 'Islands in the stream' by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.

After this, was a change of clothes for Caroline and Peter and an elaborate stage make-over. During the ceremony, Peter sang a beautiful unaccompanied song for Caroline. Afterwards, while we all took a moment to beam at each other, there was a thunderous noise as The Dublin Allstars Marching Band started filing through the room, horns and drums blasting. The carnival atmosphere was in full swing!

The evening continued with a tasty vegetarian buffet from the crew at Cornacopia restaurant. Then lots more drinking and dancing and catching up with people I haven't seen in a while. Music was a key element of the day and the Quinn family are all talented musicians. The most unexpected moment was seeing Peter and his family jump up on stage to perform a 'Take That' song. Below is just a tiny selection of the creative costumes on show - strong men, lion tamers, ring masters, fortune tellers. trapeze artists, clowns, mime artists and bearded ladies!

I know some of these images are not great quality but I wanted to share them with you because they tell the story of the day. This year two of my best friends got married and it's been a brilliant party summer. I hope you enjoyed having a peek at Caroline's wedding? I know you'll be bowled over when you see Shane's official pics!

Congratulations Peter and Caroline - your day was amazing. See you when you get back from your honeymoon. A big thanks also to thank Sandra Crosbie for styling my hair and doing my make-up!

Venue: Dublin Food Co-op, Newmarket Square

Performers:

The Bugle babes

The Dublin Allstars Marching Band

Neil Hannon and Cathy Davey
Photo credits: Paula Nolan, Ayelet Lalor, Tara Nelson and myself.

'Save the date' ideas

Imagine in your head, fourteen years of bridal research and then banish any ideas that *you* might be a bridezilla. That's how long I have been keeping up to date with the latest wedding trends. And, the truth; I still love it!

So while I am researching hairstyle, hemlines and jewels,  I come across quirky ideas that I love sharing with you. In a previous life, I was a graphic designer so I have never lost my love of all things paper + print.

Today's post is about messages that you send to guests in the post. It's rare that any of us receive handwritten cards or letters any more so it's really special to receive a nicely designed invitation. Today I'm talking about 'Save the date' ideas.

First up are these 'Polaposts'. These turn regular photos into Polaroid prints by inserting them into a white bordered sleeve. There's a seal to keep them from slipping and you can write messages on the backside. Please send me one if you choose this option :)

 

Next, a really cool map envelope liner which was photographed by David McClelland at one of his recent weddings. I'm guessing that the envelope opens up to reveal the location to the wedding. I like a bit of interaction! Endless possibilities here -

And finally (and most importantly), a ''Save the date' from my good friend Caroline. The anticipation is building for this 'Vintge Circus' themed wedding. Last time I visited her house, the table was covered in a sea of glitter, miniature ponies, glue-guns and stripy ribbons!

What are your thoughts on the 'Save the Date' idea? Do you think it's fun or totally unnecessary? Go on, spill the beans. You might also like to check out my 'Wedding Inspiration' board on Pinterest.

Image credits:

Polapost - via Photojojo

Envelope liner by David McClelland