Swanson Wedding Dress - The Beautiful Izzy

Our Swanson bow back dress in a real wedding and looking breathtakingly Hollywood.

Laura (the amazing photographer) recently dropped off some prints from the wedding she shot late last year. We shared the gorgeous bride Izzy, I made the dress and thankfully Laura took the photos.

'Who is your wedding photographer?' is one of the first questions I ask at consultations, I like my dresses and the people wearing them to be captured beautifully. I know they can be expensive but they really are worth being paid for all the hours they will spend on your photographs. Take out the fluff from your wedding and all you really need is some friends and a photographer to capture a meaningful day.

I am so grateful to Izzy for looking completely stunning (she says she doesn't look like this really, but she does!) and to Laura for capturing Izzy looking exactly how I wanted, showing off her likeness to the blonde bombshells of 1950s Hollywood.

Izzy chose the Swanson dress and opted for a dark ivory shade of silk duchess satin. A rhinestone belt was made to match her strappy rhinestone shoes and the hair stylist found a beautiful glistening vintage trim to wrap around Izzy's platinum blonde locks.
I love the marabou feathers surrounding the bouquet and Olivia's (Izzy's Daughter) matching cape.

We also made Olivia's blue lace and silk organza bridesmaids dress which she helped me design with a sweetheart under bodice and silver glitter stars on a belt to match her sequinned converse pumps. The two looked fabulous together!

LAURA MICHELLE PHOTOGRAPHY

LAURA MICHELLE PHOTOGRAPHY

LAURA MICHELLE PHOTOGRAPHY

LAURA MICHELLE PHOTOGRAPHY

LAURA MICHELLE PHOTOGRAPHY 

This image is officially my most favourite photograph of a bride, she looks like a film star surrounded by fans at a premier in the 1950s. I just adore it. This image to me is exactly why you want a good photographer who knows just how to make people naturally beautiful. To see more gorgeous photos of Izzy and her wedding visit Laura's Blog here. 

Behind the scenes of the new collection shoot

A couple of the behind the scenes images from shooting the new Spring Stripes collection.

The photo shoots are usually very unorganized on my part, I spend so long working on the dresses I always put the shoot second. This time I had the dresses ready and a bit more of a plan, all I needed was photographer Laura Power and a couple of beautiful models to put the dresses on.

I like to use the same photographer for shoots, it's important to find someone on your wavelength and a person that feels free to experiment. I completely trust Laura to produce the images I want for lookbooks and when it comes to fashion photography, she knows her stuff. I love that she uses digital, film and allsorts of exciting looking cameras and isn't pretentious in her work. She simply captures something no one else does.

I wanted to work with Natalie and Kim again, they are very natural together and despite Kim being 7 months pregnant she looked radiant at the shoot. It was the first time I have ever seen a pregnant tummy in real life she she looked so incredibly beautiful.

We started the day outside as I wanted to get a single image that would capture the mood of the collection. The rest of the day was spent shooting the looks (quite a tiresome exsersise for everyone) and then some more experimenting. The backdrop was kept to simple white walls and lots of Vogue's. The light in the Winter goes so fast so my grand plan for visiting the local decaying seaside resort had to be put aside for another day. Making Kim and Natalie stand out in the freezing wind in sheer summer dresses wasn't really fair either. Natalie was already in shock from the morning shots. Fur coats and hot water bottles needed.

As usual the last shots of the day were to be some of the best. I can't wait to share them!

HUGE THANK YOU'S TO LAURA, NATALIE, KIM AND ANNA FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK xxx

Christmas Eve Cottage Photo Shoot

Even the woodshed of this cottage in the gloomy British wedding looks beautifully styled

Sue the lovely lady owner of the cottage

I love the beautiful pink tones Laura has used for the shoot

LOOK AT THIS STOVE! This is a real Cornish stove, fully working and used to heat the house. Forget handbags I want one of these :) 

Head of Feathers pretty glitter Star hairband in pinks 

The cutest pair of Bear Muffs from Head of Feathers. 

Cakes by Cake Couture, Bristol. I've tried her cakes before and they are yummy, yum, yum, especially the raspberry chocolate cupcakes that I still dream of. 

A few weeks ago on a soggy Monday morning, I bundled a case of festive dresses into my car. Then my car (the little pink 1970 beetle) decided it didn't want to drive. Luckily Anna was there to the rescue and we arrived in Chipping Sodbury to Christmas Eve Cottage. Yes this is a real place and yes it most certainly lives up to the name. The little two up two down cottage is completely stunning, if I could pay to stay here over Christmas I totally would! 

Laura (our lovely friend and fabulous photographer) was organising a festive styled shoot at the cottage and she got together some wonderful industry professionals to give her a hand. There were Christmas decorations in creams and frosty tones filling the snug lounge being styled by Sorori Design, Dotty Design and LA styling.

In the prettiest Kitchen was Natalie the model being made up, I spent a  while oogling over all the gorgeous make up and brushes and then had a tour of upstairs which continues to be breathtaking. A white iron framed bed sits under the grand wooden eaves of this listed cottage, covered in printed cushions and in the bathroom of course there is a big roll top bath styled straight from the dream house world of Homes and Antiques. 

This teeny little cottage is really all you could want from a home for two. Sue told me she had waited most of her life for a house like this, I really hope to have a home as beautiful when I hit Sue's age. 

Anyway enough about the cottage, you'd think I'd fallen in love with it or something. I didn't even tell you about the stove .................

The dress Natalie is wearing is a blue silk skater dress with silver sequin trim and It will be coming up in next years cocktail collection. I love how the pale blue looks so festive.  

Here's what Laura says about the shoot 

“Our theme was a ‘Mother & Daughter Christmas’. The shoot was inspired by hand drawn 1950s postcards of the ‘perfect family christmas’ — cheesy grins, glamorous mums in the kitchen & beaming children under the tree. 

Whilst hinting at the 1950s through dress & décor, we also wanted to give the shoot a modern twist too with pastel/winter wonderland colours & glitter accessories.  Still staying true to the feel of a traditional warm cottage home, our location was ‘Christmas Eve Cottage’ in Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire. Sue Bridgeman who owns the cottage ( & is in amateur dramatics) was the perfect ‘glam mum’ to model and was over the moon that we wanted to feature the cottage.

From the beginning I really wanted to take on the ambitious task of a full Christmas day shoot! Just as I would on a full day wedding! The suppliers did a fantastic job in bringing together our Faux Christmas in less than 2 weeks from initial idea to shooting! I felt it was important to use local suppliers & also wanted to work with some of the people who helped bring together my own wedding in October! Although this shoot was not typically ‘wedding’ it was a chance for all us wedding suppliers to get creative & have fun in our craft. It was a really magical day & felt just like Christmas.”

Everyone did such an amazing job, Thank you! Here's a video that Jen Head of Feathers took too :) 

                 

The cast and crew .....

Alexandra king (dresses) us!

Head Full of feathers (headwear) including the super cute Bear Muffs! http://headfulloffeathers.storenvy.com/

SJ Beauty By Design (makeup) http://www.facebook.com/SJBeautyByDesign?fref=ts

Cake Couture (cupcakes) http://www.cakecouturebristol.co.uk/

Sorori Design (florist) http://www.sororidesign.co.uk/

Dottie Design (homemade décor) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dottie-Design/333138113398147?fref=ts

LA Event & Styling (stylist) http://www.facebook.com/LAWeddingEventStying?fref=ts

Chloe Lee Photography (assisting) http://chloeleephoto.blogspot.co.uk/

Natalie Power & Sue Bridgeman (modelling)

and finally and most importantly ......

Laura Michelle Photography (photographer)http://www.lauramichelle.co.uk/blog/index.php/category/blog–2/

Also featured on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings. 

RockN'Roll Bride Feature ........

Our new bridal collection and styled shoots are on RockN'Roll Bride today with Laura Michelle Photography and What Katy Did Next. Go check it out, Huge Thank you for everyone involved!!!!

The Lookbook - Bridal 2012 'Seven Brides' collection

 

Sophia - red rose printed silk full length halter gown

Lily - rose printed pale bronze tea length gown

Penelope - ivory crepe rhinestone dotted wiggle dress

Carla - pale blue silk pleated dress with tulle underskirts

Judy - sheer polkadot tulle illusion calf length dress

Louisa - soft ivory tulle ballerina skirt dress with beaded sleeves and rhinestone polka dots

Claudia - full length wedding gown in champagne tulle with a fine bead and sequin trim.

 

At long last here's our 2012 bridal collection look-book beautifully shot by photographer Laura Michelle. The 'seven brides' collection is available made to order from our online boutique, some of the dresses require consultations (either online or at the studio) to discuss fabrics, beading options and designs and others you can simply click and order.

For the next seven weeks I will share more details about each dress, the photo shoots and the wonderful people we worked with.

You can click on each image to take you to the boutique for more info.

Photographer : Laura Michelle Photography

Accessories : What Katy Did Next (see more beautiful pieces in the shoots coming later)

Models: Kimberley Louise Hill and Natalie Power

 

Friday Friends - Laura Michelle, 'Power' photographer!

Laura Michelle Photography

Laura Michelle Photography

My Friday Friend this week is Laura Power of Laura Michelle Photography. I have been waiting to write this for such a long time, and at last I can share this amazing lady.
Laura first came to me for bridesmaids dresses after a vintage wedding fair, I was in the changing rooms at the time and Anna pointed at her across the room saying this girl just came over and wanted a dress. Laura was at another wedding dress stand and didn't come back, so I assumed she was the one that got away!

Thankfully she emailed me a few weeks later and came to visit the studio where we chatted bridesmaids dress and she told me she was a photographer. I thought nothing of it until I looked her up and fell head over heels in love with her blog and photography skills.

This is just a selection of my favourites, she is able to make beautiful the most mundane things and she was the only option when it came to shoot the bridal collection. I'm a complete control freak and we usually do all the photography ourselves but Laura is one of those people you can totally trust and is great to be around all day. She's also one of those uber talented people who doesn't have any idea quite how talented she is.

Here are a few other things about this wonderful photographer:

- Laura has seven (yes, 7 like a doctor) years of photography study behind her, a degree, two years of black and white study and two years of colour study

- She's super passionate about photography

- She has so many different cameras, lomo cameras, Polaroids, all sorts of gadgets to make amazing images with.

- I loved that she said that it doesn't matter how expensive your camera is, it's the skill in using it. The two photographs below were taken on a cheap digital point and shoot.

- She's a very lovely person that you would want at your wedding, not bolshy, just lovely.

- Laura will capture the most amazing moments when your not looking and get images of your family that perfectly represent their personalities. At the same time she is brilliant at directing models/brides to look your very best.

- She's very well traveled, has a black lab named Alfie and is getting married herself this year too! 

- Here are the photos Laura took at her first bridesmaids consultation at the studio.
- Here are the behind the scenes images of the bridal shoot! 

This image Laura took whilst in San Francisco of a couple at sunset, this is how great she is at capturing split second moments, even with a crappy camera.

The ceiling in the Bellagio Lobby, Vegas

My favorite image of the bridal shoot taken on the beach.

I know, once again I must seem like I'm totally over the top about this lady but she is wow factor, up and coming and soon to be up with the very best. I was blown away when I saw the shots from our bridal collection, the above image is exactly what I dreamt of and there was no way I could have taken this image myself.

NOTE: Now I've seen some terrible wedding photos, the type you want to hide they are so bad, taken by people who call themselves professional photographers.. And that's the one thing from your wedding that you keep and look at again and again. The photographer is even more important than the dress!

We all need to value genuinely talented photographers like Laura far more, it's certainly not just pushing a button on an expensive camera.

Peeky peek

 

 Last week I just about finished the new bridal collection for 2012 and on Tuesday we took a whole fabulously, long day out with photographer Laura Michelle Power to shoot the lookbook. This was one of my photos of Kimmy Lou in our pale blue silk (there's little white in this collection) and tulle dress with a super gorgeous ' what Katy did next ' oversized bow. 

I can't wait to see the official photos, there will be lots more to share on the run up to the launch over the next few weeks. Keep your eyes peeled xxx