If You Want To Get Ahead – Get A Hat…

…or you can be really savvy and check out Helenae – Couture Millinery Wedding Hats in Preston, Lancashire. If any of my clients’ mothers, aunts, sisters etc, or would be clients extended family members are looking for headwear, then check Helenae out. She has the most beautiful bespoke hats & fascinators and then some…

Want to know a little more, then read on…

‘Inspired by classic 1950s cocktail hats but with a modern twist, Helenae Hats are individually designed and made by hand in windswept Lancashire using traditional millinery techniques. We’ve been designing and creating occasions headwear for Brides, Bridal Parties, Weddings Guests, Ladies’ Days, Race Days and day wear since 2001. Our hats are one-offs, so there’s no chance of someone else wearing the same piece.

We use traditional millinery methods to produce the highest quality hats and fascinators in a range of fabrics to coordinate with your outfit. We consider your face shape and hairstyle when designing a hat for you to ensure you have something that’s both comfortable to wear and makes you feel amazing wearing it! Our ready to wear collection aims to provide something for everyone, but alterations can be made to ensure they’re perfect for you. We also offer an alteration service for hats, adding extra colours, feathers, a bit of sparkle or a full re-trim. We can make both big and small alterations to existing hats so you can re-use an old favourite. Or, have something new designed and made to suit your personal style.

We’re exhibiting in Preston at the Harris Museum as part of The Alternative Wedding Fair on April 7th, 2018, and we’re travelling to York Racecourse on March 18th for The UK Wedding Event. You can also find us at “Moments in Time Bridal” in Blackpool.”

Find us online here:

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

PINTEREST

LITTLE MISS FICKLE AM I…

Looking for an app/software where you can save all your wedding notes, ideas, your appointments and photos too, then carry on reading…

A while ago I wrote about what a great piece of software Evernote was…and it still is…but I’ve/you’ve got to pay to get more space now. I don’t like that, I want something for free like it was in the beginning. It’s like shifting the goalposts when they do stuff like that. So…I decided to try and hunt for something else. I tried a few, they were ok but sluggish, I like to wait for a nano-second for things to load haha.

Anyways, fast-forward to Google Keep…it is mega magnificent with cherries and cream on top. If you’re looking for an app/software for keeping notes, “voice” notes (whilst you’re on the move) which record you and also show you as text (make sure you speak clear, haha, and that’s alls I’m going to say. But jesting apart, it really is a neat bit of kit and works on so many platforms and you can share your ideas too. You can also prioritise and get reminders…they have kept it simple which is important and it runs at the speed of light.

I needed to get all my hard-copy material on-line yesterday and it is perfect for what I want…Google…you rock…and then some!!!!

Want to know more? Then check out this very helpful tutorial:

GOOGLE KEEP

Photo above: Nancy Lisa Barrett Photography

Peace out for the mo…Nance x

If You’re ‘Appy And You Know It…

Tis well known in my photography circles that I adore techno things, be it some new software, a free programme, a new app or a free app. Well i’ve been researching all this morning for a free app for planning your wedding. I have looked at a lot and downloaded the ones I ‘thought’ would be uber cool and time saving…hhmmm…some were, shall we say, not very good. Some crashed!! Some had adds on them and a few looked a tad suspect, haha…say no more. Just as I was losing the will to live and was thinking about changing the content of my new blog  I came across a little gem. Not only was it a gem, it was a Lancashire gem too. Not only did the app work perfectly but it was crystal clear on what to do and how to do it. Could it get any better…well yes it could and did. They had a little video tutorial to show you what to do, just in case. Could it get any more better (is that the Queens English lol)…oh yes…they also have a super web page and blog.

If you’re planning your nuptials, you need to check the app, the video and their website out…if you know what’s good for you.

Webpage: LITTLE WHITE BOOKS

Video Tutorial: LWB TUTORIAL & LINK TO APP

I hope this has been of help to all you brides and grooms to be…peace out for the mo, Nancy x

My photo above is from the very beautiful and talented ladies at: ICED OF GARSTANG

 

From Wood With Love…

A couple of months ago I wrote a blog about coat hangers (yes, you read that right and yes I need to get out more). The blog was about choosing the right coat hanger for your wedding gown. Well fast forward a few months and one very creative Bride-To-Be who read my blog, decided to go ahead and make her own, not just for herself, but for her bridesmaids too. She kindly sent me some photos so I could share them with you all, which was jolly decent of her. Ruth, you’re a star…thank you very kindly. I hope this inspires you all to get your creative heads on. Enjoy Ruth’s photos and for the mo…peace out, Nancy x

On The Buses…

Are you up to the stage where you are planning your transport for your wedding or have you just cut to the chase and already done it. If you haven’t, here’s a little tip for you. There are many wedding transport arrangements that you can google, but an absolutely awesome one is hiring a bus. I especially like the older type buses, they really have a lot of character. Besides being a super transport option for you or your guests, they can also double up as a very quirky place to take some of your wedding photographs if the weather turns rainy on your big day. This is maybe worth a thought for all you budding brides and grooms.

I’ve just come across a lovely little site that does the above (I have no affiliation with this site, I google just like you guys, the photo is mine from another company)…it seems like a cool site and it’s in Lancashire which is always a good thing. Hope this little snippet helps…peace out for the mo, Nancy x

Saddleworth Vintage Bus

‘Saddell’ Up…

I’ve recently had the good fortune to visit The Kintyre Peninsula and visited many lovely places which assisted me in my Landscape & Wildlife Photography (my hobbies when I’m not shooting Weddings). There were many lovely beaches and many of these were without people…haha…which makes me sound a tad unsocial but worry not…I was thinking that some of them would make ace Wedding/Honeymoon destinations. Bear with me…I know I’m a Lancashire Lass and my blog is mainly about Lancashire Wedding Ideas but this was too nice of an idea not to share…and as a friend of mine used to say, “sharing is caring.”

Anyway, on my last day I happened to come across a very secluded beach which just happened to have a castle on it, a little fisherman’s cottage and a couple more beautiful little and one large white-washed houses. The beach isn’t private, but whilst I was there (which was a good few hours) there wasn’t another soul. There was seals though and numerous types of birds and a resident sea otter who visits on occasion too. It really is a little bit of heaven on earth!!

I noticed when I got back to Lancashire that the Landmark Trust who own the castle and houses don’t have a licence to do weddings but you CAN get married on the beach because I’ve just come across another couples/photography blog. Link To A Saddell Beach Wedding The video below is about the houses and the beach, it really is a beautiful piece of work. The castle and houses could hold a lot of guests potentially, and if you get the weather…well, you could save yourself a small fortune (and the savings should be spent on an excellent photographer haha). I hope this has been a little bit of help for all you lovely brides and grooms to be…Peace out, Nance x

Saddell Bay Landmark Trust Video

Oil Painting Photo by Yours Truly of the beach at Skipness (which is awesome too) 😀

I Best Get A Hat…

I’ve been out of the loop for a few weeks…so to get me back into the swing of things, how about a few sites that I like to frequent to get ideas and inspiration…hold onto your wedding hats, here goes:

Rock My Wedding…in their own words: rockmywedding

Launched in October 2009, Rock My Wedding was created by Charlotte O’Shea, a newly-wed with a passion for the pretty and the realisation that UK brides would benefit from a frequently updated on-line platform featuring achievable and unique Big Day inspiration. Rock My Wedding is now one of the UK’s most popular planning resources with 330,000 visitors viewing over 800,000 pages every single month. We aim to bring soon-to-be-brides a wealth of ideas through fresh and innovative content, daily “real wedding” features and access to the industry’s most desirable vendors. You can read more about the team and our other blogs on our company website rockmyltd

Rock & Roll Bride…in their own words: rockandrollbride

Launched in 2007, Rock n Roll Bride is one of the biggest wedding blogs in the world. Updated daily, the site and it’s accompanying print magazine attracts quirky, alternative and creative readers from all over the planet.The brainchild of Kat Williams, the site came about while she was planning her own wedding in 2008. After becoming jaded by the limited offerings of the UK wedding industry, Kat saw a niche for alternative wedding inspiration and ran with it! Rock n Roll Bride magazine, a bi-monthly, nationally available magazine was launched in 2015. Issue 1, released in January of that year, was reported by the distribution company as the fastest and best selling debut issue of a magazine ever. It also sold out for online orders within 72 hours, with over 1000 copies selling in the first day alone. The magazine is available to buy in WHSmiths, selected independent newsagents and online via rocknrollbride.com/shop and is currently the best selling bridal title in WHSmiths. If this is your first time around these parts, you should check out the idiots guide to rock n roll bride

The Knot: a FAB Wedding planner…check it out! theknot

Hope these are of help to all you budding brides to be…peace out for the mo, Nancy x

Gladrags and Coat Hangers

If there is one thing that confuses me to this day as a wedding photographer and that is going to photograph the brides beautiful wedding gown and then finding it hanging on a plain plastic coat hanger! Each to their own and all, but it’s the little things that matter, especially on a photograph!

The thing is, a vintage, blinged-up or contemporary coat hanger will or can be the finishing touch. Anyway because I’m a Lancashire Lass with a Lancashire Blog, I went searching for a Lancashire supplier very late last night and came across The Hanger Boutique in Longridge, near Preston. They have some lovely items and their web site is straight forward and easy on the eye if you ask me. If you want to look further afield try typing in Google, EBay or Etsy the keywords: wedding hangers…or failing that, you could make them yourself 🙂

Remember, the truth is out there…no wait…the coat hangers are…haha!!

  

Peace out…till the next time,

From Nance (who keeps spare wooden coat hangers in the boot of her car, nowadays).

The Kiss – Reinvented

In photography we have a saying…and that is ‘KISS’ which is quite apt considering this blog is all about love and romance.

But wait…this ‘KISS’ means = Keep It Simple Stupid!!!!

Haha…it always makes me chuckle because the first time someone told it me I thought they was being personal. Anyway, I’ve always tried to apply this in my work (see above photo for natures colour wheel)…she always gets it right!! I used the colours from that photo to style a fashion shoot I did over a year later.

I adore how the simplest colour schemes can invigorate a whole room, a car even, a super outfit or indeed a wedding collaboration of make up artist, hairdresser, wedding planner and the bride herself.

One of the simplest tools I use is a colour wheel, you’ve probably heard of them and it puts colours together in a way in which they can be:

a) complimentary – always a good thing, haha
b) monochromatic – groovy
c) analogous – what?…am I losing you yet 😉

Go check out this fab colour wheel  I found eons ago on this student site, it’s still the best one I’ve used, because it’s so simple. There is a little tutorial at the bottom of the page, but it is very intuitive to use. Once you get a colour scheme you like, then and only then, pop over to Pinterest to get the matching colour scheme…you will then use Pinterest like a boss…

Own it girl, haha…

Peace out – from: Nancy Lisa Barrett Photography  x

A Grand Day Out

Well…today was the Wedding Fayre at Best Western Garstang Country Hotel & Golf Centre  and didn’t they do just a lovely job of it. I managed to grab a few moments with quite a few exhibitors who were displaying some gorgeous items.

There was Once Upon A Cupcake  who had some stunning little cupcakes and I also got to taste some of their beautiful  wedding cake too…it was really quite divine…

Next I popped across to see Ellie Brook Photography …a top lass and tip top tog too…(that was harder to say than write haha)…I’ve worked with Ellie in the past and it’s always a pleasure.

Iced of Garstang had some absolutely beautiful wedding cakes, stunning detail and the pastel colours on the flower detail were just sublime…jolly nice ladies too.

I just had a bit of time to fire off a few shots of the catwalk brides…they really looked stunning. The dresses were really, really pretty…and the lasses modelling them were ever so nice. A big well done to all the guys who organised this, it went down a treat with everybody!!

Then onto a fab MUA who is Buff Makeup I’ve worked with Joanna in the past on a model shoot for Preston Photographic Society and she did an awesome job under quite pressured circumstances and then we worked together on a pre-wedding shoot and a wedding…a class lady who does an absolutely sterling job.

Then there was  Double Act with exquisite wedding stationery all done by their good-selves…just lovely!

A little bit of a shout out to the guys at Forever Living…”Forever Living’s aloe Vera based products are fantastic to help both bride and groom prepare for their big day. From body wraps, to cleanses and weight management programmes, skincare healthcare & beauty, let us help you feel & look your best.”

and last but not least…

…there was Heavenly Melted Chocolate/ …unfortunately I didn’t manage to get a free sample, hahaha…they were very busy and I’m not surprised…everything looked fab and tasty…really impressive stand!!!

 

All in all…a grand day out 😀

Peace out – from: Nancy Lisa Barrett Photography  x