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An Evening in Florence

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.

Classic styling

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's bridal look

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.”

Best tips

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.”

Special Thanks to...

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. 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.

For a beach or seaside wedding, pinning sections of your hair back will be handy on windy days to keep the hair off your face. If you’re looking to wear a veil, consider a half up hairstyle so your veil has a firm foundation to rest in so it won’t fall out. If you feel most comfortable with your hair down and loosely curled, then go for it!

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.

Shop New Arrivals: Bridal Headpieces, Veils & Hair Accessories
Explore this season's latest accessories for modern brides

1. Hollywood waves

Sarah was inspired by two very different headpieces from our collection: the clay flower and pearl details from our MARION headpiece and the lace elements from the MARIAH. Her wedding dress exudes classic appeal – a clean and modern silhouette, French lace details across the bodice and neckline, and a stunning plunging low back. With these details in mind, we started dreaming up her beautiful piece.

This headpiece was designed to be worn with or without a wedding veil. We wanted her headpiece to be a ‘veil cover’ and to frame the top section of the veil during the ceremony. Sarah will be styling her hair in a low set updo so this symmetrical piece will look beautiful even after she’s removed the veil for the reception.

Sarah will also be wearing a veil on her wedding day – our AUDREY minimalist veil – which will pair perfectly with this exquisite lace hair piece. We also love the  idea of this textured piece with an embellished veil also. Our LOREN chapel veil with pearls would also look incredible with this comb.

2. Half up wedding hairstyles

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.

3. Soft loose curls for long hair

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.

4. Ponytail wedding 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.

How To Accessorise Long Wedding Hair

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.

Shop New Arrivals: Bridal Headpieces, Veils & Hair Accessories
Explore this season's latest accessories for modern brides
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