FREE WORLDWIDE EXPRESS SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $350 AUD.
With Rachel’s love of all things vintage, she and her fiancé, James, spent months treasure hunting through charity shops and car boot sales to find special pieces for their wedding venue styling. Their months of rummaging were well worth the effort. They were married in a country barn in Wales, and filled the venue with their vintage candle holder finds, fairy lights and flowers, to achieve the perfect rustic, romantic, fairy tale theme.
This theme was also echoed in Rachel’s stunning bridal look. With her off the shoulder lace gown and flowing hair adorned with our regal FLEUR crown, she was a garden princess.
Rachel and James’ ceremony and reception took place at Pencoed House Estate, which is an old, family run barn in the South Wales countryside. The estate features manicured gardens contrasted with wild woodland, providing the perfect setting for their fairy tale wedding.
“I knew I wanted lots of flowers, and I based a lot of the theme around a flower called Protea (my absolute favourite),” says Rachel. “This was used on our invitations, incorporated in my bouquet and in the centre pieces on the tables,” says Rachel.
The rustic vibe was enhanced with the brass and cut glass candle holders the couple found at second hand stores, which they used at the ceremony and on the reception tables. The also used brown paper bags with a drawing printed on them, as favour bags.
“James got an illustration of us done for my birthday a few years ago and we love it so much we got it printed onto brown favour bags which we then used for Welsh cakes for all the guests.”
Music also played an important role in achieving a relaxed and intimate vibe.
“James and I hired an amazing band for the entire day who were special to us after watching the singer busk numerous times the years before we got married. He sang Crazy Love by Van Morrison which is a special song for my dad and I. He later sang our first dance song which was Times Like These by the Foo Fighters, the lyrics are so beautiful.”
Rachel was coveting an old Hollywood style but with a relaxed edge for her bridal look. She achieved this with a stunning off the shoulder gown, Hollywood waves and a gold crown.
“I wear a lot of Bardot dresses and jumpsuits and I knew this flattered my figure the most, so I knew exactly the shape I wanted before trying any dresses on,” says Rachel. “When we first got engaged my best friend bought me a bridal magazine and after flicking through it, I saw my dream dress! A gorgeous off the shoulder, embellished lace fish tail dress by Pronovias sister brand, St. Patrick. I searched the designer to see where they stocked it in my area. I found it in a bridal shop a short distance away. It was the very first dress I tried on and fell in love with it straight away.”
In keeping with the rustic, fairy tale mood of the day, our gold, vintage inspired FLEUR crown was the ultimate accessory for pulling together this look.
“I found Tania on Instagram and fell in love with all the pieces. I actually found it difficult to chose which tiara to go for as I was torn between two others. I’ve always been a bit of princess growing up (haha) so I knew a tiara was definitely appropriate. Being a hairdresser I did a lot of research on how to wear my hair on the day – it was styled down in a Hollywood wave but still soft and natural as I wanted to feel special but very much still myself,” says Rachel.
“The advice I would give to any bride is to be your true, authentic self, wear what makes YOU feel amazing and don’t try to please anybody else.”
Rachel’s tips to couples planning their wedding is to organise your time. Save time, plan your time and take your time to enjoy your special day. She also suggests not worrying about the small stuff.
“It looks great in a photograph but it’s not worth losing sleep over!” she says.
And most importantly…
“The best advice I would give is: take it all in. It’s so cliché and you hear it all the time but the day really does go by in a flash.”
Whether you’ve fallen in love with the look of long flowy trusses, Hollywood waves, side swept or a sweetly braided bohemian hairdo, there’s a wedding hairstyle for every bride.
Having long hair certainly has its advantages and the options increase exponentially with a few extra inches of hair. You can be a little more creative and adventurous with your hair but remember, your wedding day isn’t the day for experimentation.  Opt for something that you just know suits you.  You will feel so much more comfortable and you will feel more relaxed on the day.
When it comes to choosing the right hairstyle for you, there’s a few factors to think about. Your wedding theme, location, venue, face shape, whether you’ll be wearing a veil, your dress and the neckline on your gown. And most importantly, what feels the most comfortable for you.
We’ve pulled together our favourite wedding hairstyles for long hair. Wispy Hollywood waves, loose curls, half up hairstyles and the chic ponytail. Anything goes on your wedding day and remember, there are no rules.
Loose Hollywood waves are a timeless choice that exudes effortless beauty and romance. This hairstyle is perfect for brides who want a soft, feminine look that works well with various dress styles and wedding themes. We love how loose waves frame the face beautifully and enhance the cheekbones and jawline.Â
A half up hairstyle is a popular choice for brides because it keeps the hair off your face (particularly handy if your wedding will be outside and potentially windy – think beach or seaside). It’s also a great way to secure your veil because it will have a firm bed to rest in. A half up hairstyle has the benefits of up hair and the romantic and glamorous feel of loose curls.
We adore soft loose curls. Messy curls, neat curls, wispy curls. Whatever your preferred look, this look is endlessly romantic and chic. If you have shorter or thin hair, chat to your hairstylist about extensions to lengthen and/or thicken your hairstyle.
We adore soft loose curls. Messy curls, neat curls, wispy curls. Whatever your preferred look, this look is endlessly romantic and chic. If you have shorter or thin hair, chat to your hairstylist about extensions to lengthen and/or thicken your hairstyle.
Loose curls can be styled with halos and wedding crowns for a look that exudes regality. You can also still wear a veil with an all out hairstyle but do ensure your hairstylist knows you want to wear a veil as they’ll have to use a few extra bobby pins to secure the veil into place.
When it comes to choosing accessories for long wedding hairstyles, the world is your oyster. Traditional veils, wedding crowns, flower halos, delicate headbands, hair pins – there’s a lot of options out there for you.
The best accessories will depend on the style of your dress, your personality, your face shape and whether you’d like to wear a veil. Some hairstyles suit a veil or headpiece that is attached to the front of your head, but others look better with a veil that is attached further towards the back.
If you’re planning to wear your hair half up/half down, you will have the perfect foundation to secure a wedding headpiece secured into the back or side. However, if loose flowy curls are more your style, you will just need some bobby pins and a little teasing and your hair piece should stay in place all day long.
We’re here to help. We work with brides worldwide to help them coordinate and choose the perfect wedding accessories from our collections.
Feel free to send us photos of your wedding dress, bridal hairstyle and details of styles from our collection you love and we can go from there.
Bespoke and ready-to-wear bridal accessories and veils. Designed and handcrafted in Canberra, Australia. Our online store is open 24/7 with worldwide delivery available including express options. The Fyshwick showroom is by appointment only. Virtual appointments are available for interstate and international brides.
