Ruby News - The AntiBride, Choccywoccydoodah and me!

Wow - what a week, my AntiBride photo shoot has finally been featured on a fabulous blog (see The Boho Wedding Blog here) and at last I can share the images with you!  It has literally been killing me to keep the shots to myself so I hope you agree it was worth the wait! 

Who is the AntiBride?
For me the AntiBride represents the total polar opposite of the traditional blonde haired, angelic image of a skinny model dressed in a white dress, that so many photoshoots and magazines make us believe a bride should look like.  I was the 'bride' in the styled photo shoot and guess what, I've got bright red hair and I'm not a size 6 - so not your 'typical' bride!  I think a bride should dress exactly how she wishes on her wedding day and if a traditional white dress is your thing, then great - but if you are looking for something a bit different, then the AntiBride is right up your street!

The Plan
The idea was simple - approach our industry friends and suppliers to work with us on the shoot, everyone kindly volunteered their services and time for free, after all this is a fantastic way for all involved to promote themselves.  The dream team were Tino&Pip, Paula Rooney Weddings, Choccywoccydoodah, Joyce from Brides & Beauty and Thornbury Castle, with invaluable contributions from many, many more fabulous people.

The Story
Over time the AntiBride developed a personality and a story grew about her as we thought about the images we wanted to capture to deliver her message. The shoot took a theatrical gothic style as its guide and the Hammer House Horrors as her muse.

The venue
We were totally spoilt by the stunning location that is Thornbury Castle.  The staff were so generous and gave us a free pass to use their stunning Tudor Hall and breathtaking Bedford Chamber.  Paula truly blew us away with her attention to detail in her styling of the room, her floral bouquets and centrepieces were amazing.

The Cake

We were totally over the moon when Christine from Choccywoccydoodah agreed to make a bespoke cake for the photoshoot and not only that but she wanted to include the story in Choccy's documentary series on the Good Food Channel - more on that soon!

We were thrilled with her ideas and enthusiasm for all things AntiBride, she described a four tier dark chocolate cake with a raspberry coulis inside that captured the AntiBride theme perfectly, covered with black calia lillies, roses and moths - we knew instantly that we had come to the right place!

Not your typical romantic story; the AntiBride gets her heart broken when she discovers that her love is cheating on her with not one but both of her bridesmaids.

She takes out her anger on the cake and then seeks revenge, axe in hand, from those who have hurt her most, before returning to her room to drown her sorrows.

I can't thank the massive talent that is Brides & Beauty and Tino&Pip enough for making me look so good - they are really amazing!  I have met some wonderful industry gems through the whole AntiBride project and I'm sure you will agree that their hard work and team effort has truly come together to create something beautiful! 

Lots of Love

Photographer: Tino & Pip Photography
Event Stylist & Florist: Paula Rooney Weddings & Events
Hair & Make Up : Brides & Beauty
Venue: Thornbury Castle
Cake: Choccywoccydoodah
Bridesmaids: Joanna Dickinson & Francesca Hodge
Groom: Lee Broderick
Butlers: Butlers in the Buff
Brides Dress: Veromia
Bridesmaids dresses: Fairy Gothmother
Grooms outfit: Angels
Fascinators/hats: Esemee Fascinators
Jewellery: Models own & Kloof and Kandy
Umbrellas: Love Umbrellas

Ruby Loves - Sex and the City Afternoon Par-Tea!

On Saturday my girlfriend Vickie treated me to an early Christmas present and we went to the Hyatt Regency Hotel - The Churchill, London for afternoon tea with a fabulous twist!  Our Sex and the City themed afternoon Par-Tea in the Montagu restaurant included savoury dishes inspired by the city of New York and include pastrami on rye, and New York bagels with smoked salmon and cream cheese. Mini burgers (named after Jack Berger, one of Carrie's boyfriends) and mini New York hot dogs with a light drizzle of mustard add a little Manhattan glamour to the tea.

For the sweet tooth there was a selection of pastries, created with each of the girls in mind. For Carrie, a strawberry-flavoured chocolate pink stiletto; for Charlotte, a pink strawberry cupcake; for Miranda, glazed doughnuts and last but no means least for Samantha, an appletini jelly in a mini martini glass.

You could also choose from a fine selection of teas that have been chosen to reflect each of the girls: For Carrie, 2007 Organic Silver Needle White Tea: Light, delicate quenching flavours, yet surprisingly full textured with a satisfying velvety finish. For Samantha a Flower Osmanthus, an explosion of variegated green tea leaves out of the heart of which unfolds the flame-coloured petals of the osmanthus. For Charlotte the traditional Sapphire Earl Grey, refreshing and bright, a perfectly focused classic and finally for Miranda; Darjeeling 2nd Flush; sprightly, lively, sappy and refreshing.  As a non tea drinker I went for the lightest option - the Carrie and it was delicious, I drank the whole pot!

All of these delights were of course washed down with a glass of champagne too!  It was a fabulous afternoon and I can't recommend it highly enough, whether you are a SATC fan or not!

After a few hours of eating, drinking and catching up on gossip we went for a wander down Oxford Street to check out the Christmas lights which are truly magical and really got me in the festivie spirit.  My favourites were the enticing winter wonderland of Selfridges and a glamorous, sparkly stiletto shoe!

I love visiting London at any time of year but in the lead up to Christmas it is just the most amazing place with sparkly treats around ever corner!

Tune in on Thursday for an update on my AntiBride photo shoot.

Lots of Love

Ruby Loves - Meeting my Curious Friend!

Unless you've been living under a stone you will have heard about the fabulous Curiosity Project - the creation of Tiffany Grant-Riley.  I have been reading her blog over the last few weeks watching such lovely stories unfold as people send in photos of their gifts from fellow Curious Friends.

I sent my box of treats to Nat (who I now know to be my Curious Friend) on Monday and have ever since been waiting to see whether she liked the gifts I'd sent.  Today, to my relief, her comments were posted on the blog and she was happy with what I had sent to her.

In the meantime I came down with a horrible cough and cold so was feeling quite low and sorry for myself, then on Wednesday afternoon a knock at my door signalled the arrival of my box and I instantly felt a warm glow.  I was beyond excited, I took the wonderfully wrapped parcel into my bedroom and began to delve into its contents.

After opening the beautifully wrapped outer layer I discovered a box tied with string with an enticing label 'Open Me', inside under layers of turquoise tissue paper were a gorgeous photo/memory box, a set of silver beaded coasters and a white wicker heart.

Further thrills came when I looked inside the photo box and discovered a 'Curious Happiness Kit' and a beautifully handwritten letter from my Curious Friend.

The note comments on how the written word is a lost art and how nice it is to receive - so true! The note also describes what is included in the Happiness Kit:

A tea bag for those great moments of contemplation
A plaster to patch things up if they ever go wrong
Marbles, for when you lose yours
A coin, so you can never say you are broke
A candle so you can light your way
A battery for those times when you lack energy

I am delighted with all of my gifts - thank you so much Tiffany for creating such a delightful opportunity to put a smile on a strangers face!

For those of you wanting to join in, there is a new Christmas Project to sign up to but you must be quick, the registration deadline is the 7th November!

Stay curious my friends and spread the word!!

Lots of Love

Photography Corner - Dulwich Picture Gallery Wedding from Tino & Pip

I'm thrilled to feature this gorgeous wedding captured by the fantastic team that is Tino & Pip, aka Penny and Martin.  Here they describe the day in their own words......

"Imagine if you will a wedding with elements of an English country fair, a trombone, bagpipes, bold stripy dresses, a church with a stunning contemporary geometric entrance fused onto a traditional Victorian shell, and an incredibly cerebral reception venue filled to the brim with classical oil paintings.

In your head it seems a bit bonkers, right?! Well somehow the reality worked, and Hester and David’s day was brilliantly unusual, and a pleasure to work on!

 

As David greeted their guests at the fabulously restored All Saints’ in West Dulwich, Hester was just two minutes walk away, getting ready in her childhood home.

Having donned the stunning veil that had been passed down through several generations of her family, Hester began the walk downstairs accompanied by ‘Here Comes the Bride’ on her father’s trombone!

A lovely ceremony was beautifully finished by one of Hester’s friends soloing on the cello, and we headed for Dulwich Picture Gallery, where Hester and David spent a few minutes relaxing in the grounds before heading in for nibbles and drinks!

And what a quirky yet beautiful backdrop it was for their reception........

Still the surprises hadn’t ended – as the couple left the gallery, they spotted their car, decked out with soda cans and ribbons, ready to take the off into their future life together! We wish you both the very best!"

Thank you so much to Penny & Martin for sharing their work with me - stunning as ever!

Lots of Love