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You may have heard me shouting it from the rooftops once or twice and I’ll say it again {with feeling!}: Brides to be! Oi! Yes you! Join the Northern Revolution!
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If you are new to the wedding blog, you might have stumbled across these swirly silver pages after becoming more than a little bit disheartened that everything “wedding” seemed to be going on down South. Magazines, wedding blogs, directories, TV. They all seem a bit Southern focused, non? Nothing wrong with that I guess – and still so gorgeous – except it does get a little weary for those of us Up North doesn’t it?
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As a bride to be that’s what I thought too. And I thought that it was time something was done about it.
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As I’ve explained in various press interviews, like this one and that one, when it came to wedding planning, I was in no way properly informed about all the fantastic bridal talent in the North of the country, and fully anticipated lots of costly trips to London to source my suppliers. In my efforts to save on train fares, I ended up doing a lot of research into the local wedding industry and uncovered a thriving hub of talented suppliers that just weren’t buzzing loudly enough about their businesses.
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I thought that somebody needed to turn up the volume – and why shouldn’t it be me?
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Step forth, Brides Up North and our very own little Northern Revolution! Join us!
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I’ve already featured an inspiration shoot from today’s collective of suppliers – remember this? You loved it! Today I am featuring another part of the same shoot some images from which have <<<shock horror>>> already appeared on another wedding blog over at Annabel’s Love My Dress, but the reason I’m doing this (repeating similar content is not something I like to do very often – if ever – let me tell you) is that, well, this wonderful group of Northern suppliers asked me so very nicely.
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I also wanted to give a different slant to featuring a styled bridal shoot by finding out a bit more than the norm about each talented individual who has worked so hard to put it all together as well as showcasing the gorgeous results. I feel a bit of a wedding blog series coming on here, so why don’t I stop crusading for a moment and introduce you to a group that I’ll call my first set of Northern Revolutionaries, lead by the oh so fabulous Vicky Trainor (whose styling and stationery is to die for – did you see her in action at the Brides Up North Super Showcase?!). I’ve nicknamed them “The Vintage Victors” and here they share their own past, present and future and their pretty vintage “Rigwood Manor” styled shoot.
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As I explained, this is a slightly different format to your usual wedding inspiration shoot, so this morning, we meet them and see a few sneak peeks – and this afternoon… we venture behind the scenes!
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Vicky Trainor – Stationer and Stylist
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Let’s go back
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Paper girl, actress, bar-maid, student, textiles designer, owner of greetings card company, lecturer, aka Mrs Hunter, house owner, mother of two gorgeous girls Ava & Mia, floral inspired stationer.
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Right about now
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Designer & maker of printed card and linen stationery, creator of The Vintage Drawer, professional potterer, stylist, freelance greetings card designer, one of the founders behind The Wedding Institute, lover of all things hand made.
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Flash Forward
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…to continue to approach designing stationery with a creative twist. To develop my range of hand made products for receptions. Enjoy varied styling adventures. To further work with Becky Mitchell on new and exciting styled photo shoots and continue to make The Wedding Institute an exciting and creative wedding fair experience.
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Becky Mitchell Photography
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Let’s go back
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I’ve always loved looking at pictures and people fascinate me so photography seemed a natural course to take. When I started taking photographs I was shooting on an old Hasselblad and developing the film and printing work in a darkroom. My background in traditional, documentary photography has given me a deep appreciation for the medium.
My first child, Charlie was born in the final year of my degree and accompanied me along with my long-suffering husband on those early projects. Then Lilla, my little girl, was born two years later and I took a year out to enjoy my children. During this time the little ones were my main subject and the perfect models and I started making pictures (this time with a second-hand digital camera) documenting their earliest years.
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It’s lovely to know those early pictures of my own children formed my first portfolio of child portraiture and from there I started my own business. This quickly blossomed and developed and took on a new direction when I had the opportunity to photograph my first wedding.
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Right about now
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Things have gone in leaps and bounds. My husband (and a pretty amazing photographer too) and I opened Profile Gallery & Sitting Room – a dedicated photography gallery and a vintage inspired teashop – my pride and joy. I have been able to indulge in my love of all things old and beautiful and organize ‘For The Love Of’ vintage fairs in my Victorian hometown of Saltburn-by-the-Sea.
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Flash forward
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I’m really looking forward to working with my amazing brides and grooms. I’m always thrilled when couples choose me as their photographer it makes my day!
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Make-up By Jo
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Let’s go back
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I’m Jo Leversuch, the owner of Make Up by Jo. I am a professional freelance make-up artist who specialises in bridal make-up at home or abroad. My services include bridal make-up and private one to one make-up lessons.
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Right about now
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I’m a busy bee at the moment with wedding season which is now popular all year round. My exciting news for this year is that I am a feature writer for The Bridal Magazine which I am really enjoying, my current article is what make-up to wear if you are getting married abroad.
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Flash Forward
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I’d like to continue with my bridal feature writing and planning to set up make-up lessons courses for anyone who wishes to know basic hints and tips about make-up.
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Adrian Wray – Hair Stylist from Chocolate
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Let’s go back
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Hello, ok, well, I was in the Coldstream Guards for six years when I left school and on leaving the army worked in France as an adventure training instructor. I then did a lot of youth work with disengaged teenagers and worked for Connexions (I have a Royal Humane Award for bravery!). I decided to start hairdressing as I wanted a total change in jobs, starting with an apprenticeship with Hooker & Young before going Freelance, but after a few years took time away to focus and enjoy being a Dad!
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Right about now
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I’m working as a Freelance Hair Stylist with clients and also enjoying being involved with various photo shoots, mainly in the wedding industry. I work with clients creating and developing interesting vintage styles influenced by varied eras.
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Flash forward
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…So my future is simple: to be the best I can be. I’m grateful for the people that help me on the way and give back as much as I receive and I always remember that I’ve never done it all by myself. The clusters of people around me are a continuous inspiration.
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www.adrianwrayatchocolate.blogspot.com
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Just Darling Cakes – Claire Weir
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Let’s go back
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I am Claire Weir (nee Darling, hence the name of the business), a largely self-taught Cake Designer based in Huddersfield. The Just Darling Cake business started off as a home based business in 2008 and moved into The Just Darling Cake Studio in November 2010, a huge leap but one that is definitely paying off.
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Right about now
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The business is growing fast with twice as many weddings already booked for this year than in 2011. They vary enormously from uber sophisticated glamour with silver, diamante, crystals and deep red roses to the most relaxed but lavish strawberries and cream tea party, which includes a three tier cake and a spread of scrummy scones, cupcakes, cookies and trifles. This wedding season is going to be so much fun!
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Flash forward
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The way in which the business is growing means that I will soon be looking to take on staff and I would love to train an apprentice from scratch and eventually have a whole team of highly skilled cake designers to work with, although we may need a bigger studio!
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The Wimslow Collection (Designed By Zoë)
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Let’s go back
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Well it all started by accident really. I think it was in the summer of 2009 when I went to Glastonbury festival where they were selling really simple floral hair garlands. That’s where the story starts. I fell deeply, truly, madly in love with mine and returned mud splattered back to North Yorkshire vowing never to take it off. However, it broke and so the creative in me decided to make a new one, and it really worked. From there I set out with one small, but beautifully formed, wicker basket and a few headbands and sold them on the little market in Whitby during the summer. My little wicker basket turned into one table and then two tables and then travelled all around the country selling more and more elaborate pieces.
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Right about now
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The wicker basket has continued to grow and develop and really rather excitingly it is starting to get noticed. The basket, or rather floral hair adornments have had their debut appearance in Wedding Magazine, and have looked utterly fabulous at various real weddings. Currently I am focusing my attention more and more on the beautiful brides here, there and hopefully everywhere. There is nothing more fabulous than seeing the smile on brides to be faces when their pieces, my creations, are ready to be taken home.
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Flash Forward
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Well Designed By Zoë has some extremely exciting news… we are rebranding and travelling to The Wimslow Collection. Fingers crossed, The Wimslow Collection will allow for me to continue producing fabulous pieces whilst maintaining the same ethos but will carry us forwards too. That ethos being to make gorgeous pieces that make people feel fabulous, resulting in making people smile and feel on top of the world. Over the next few weeks and months we will be travelling around and would love to meet you. Pop over to www.wimslow.com to find out where we will be. Also please watch out for our appearances in Brides Magazine, Wedding Magazine and Wedding Flowers over the next few months, and remember that it all started out from one little wicker basket!
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Poppy Children
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Let’s go back
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I was brought up in the North East in Yarm. We lived on a farm on the outskirts of town and we had loads of freedom as kids. Life was always centred around my parents’ two businesses, Strickland and Holt, a small independent department store in the middle of town and Poppy. My parents started Poppy in 1980, they were not sure if Strickland and Holt would pull through as it was in a bad way back then. So Poppy was born: they started with decor, bedding and even sold to Harrods.
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Then the clothing came and from my experience it seemed a bit like Marmite, people loved it or hated it. The company did really well until the year 1998 where prints went out of fashion and British manufacture seemed to disappear. The company was mothballed in 2000.
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I was wanting to carve my own future and desperate to do my own thing, so I went to Manchester Metropolitan to study three dimensional design consisting of product design, ceramics,glass,metal work and much more. When I left I moved to London and started working as an assistant photographer, this was really my passion at the time. It took me a while to realise it was all about numbers and technical stuff, and that basically I wasn’t very good at any of it.
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I started working for Cath Kidston. I would be given a time table each week and I got to travel to each and every different shop around London. I soon started thinking of a business model for Poppy, based on a more lifestyle shop rather than giving people a specific product. I learnt a lot from there and I then moved home to start Poppy. They gave me a space to open a Poppy shop in the back of Strickland and Holt, where a lot of the garments had originally been made.
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I decided if I drew all my own prints i could convey the old fashioned look that I wanted to. I was inspired by 1950’s children’s books, the colours and the illustrations. This is where it all started. It was important to me that a dress would be cared for and not just a cheap item to be disposed of. I wanted it to have more importance to the children. So Poppy and her dog Fred were born, this way there is always a story to be told.
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Right about now
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Well, I think the most exciting thing is the adults clothing, I always made a dress for me to wear at the shows I did. People kept saying they would wear one, I didn’t believe them but in the end we thought lets try it and see, that was last autumn winter and here we are making more and more, it seems they are just like nothing else.
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Flash Forward
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Well the plan was always to grow Poppy more as a life style brand, and I would like to grow the bedding, accessories and also the women’s collection. I think that in terms of the wedding world, we can stir it up a bit too, our dresses have been doing well as bridesmaids dresses and offer something really unique, also it does not matter if your tiny or grown up, we have a dress to fit.
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Lillian’s House by Sarah Heseltine
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Let’s go back
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I specialised in silk screen printing at university and after graduating in 2010 with a degree in Surface Pattern Design, I started to build my own little studio, hidden away in an attic space, where I started to print again and figure out the direction in which I wanted to move.
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Right about now
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‘Lillian’s House’ is my exciting new adventure into the business world. Beautiful hand printed paper and fabric makes ‘Lillian’s House’ the perfect place to find something unique and delicious to adorn your home or even have in place at your wedding!
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My most recent beautiful collection of hand printed
t-shirts and sashes for tiny bridesmaids shows the ‘Lillian’s House’ look perfectly; wonderful colour, attention to detail and a light hearted and quirky twist. Tiny details like the inclusion of the bride and groom initials in my products give a personal feel and create a keepsake for all those involved in your wedding day.
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Flash forward
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With all sorts of new collections being formed and exciting ideas coming into fruition, the next few months will be a busy time for ‘Lillian’s House’. April will be our official launch, with all information and sneaky peeks until then to be posted on my blog, keep reading!
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www.lillianshouse.blogspot.com
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Tea With Ruby – Jane Day
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Let’s go back
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I am Jane Day, mother, wife and lover of china in any way shape or form which is why I am the proprietor of Tea with Ruby. I previously worked in the IT industry but you don’t want to know about that, I left it behind to be a Mum, home maker and avid china collector. You’ve probably guessed by now that I have a china hire business (due to my collection ever growing), hiring out all my bits and bobs to events to add that little bit of a vintage twist. Can you imagine sipping champagne on your big day from a vintage teacup? How delicious!
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Right about now
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Right now for Tea with Ruby, exciting isn’t the word. My current big adventure is being part of The Wedding Institute, a wedding event spectacular that will knock your socks off. It will be a most memorable experience for brides wanting something out of the ordinary.
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Flash forward
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The world is my oyster and the Tea with Ruby journey has only just begun. China hire world domination here I come, well you may as well dream big!
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.Rose & Aster
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Let’s go back
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I have always been a magpie and lover of all things pretty and sparkly. I remember even at school I was often sent to the headmaster for accessorising my uniform just a little too much! I harboured my passion until a year ago when the opportunity arose for me to turn this passion into a business. I hand picked a collection of well made, beautiful pieces from predominantly British designers and presented it to the world hoping it would be loved… thankfully it was and Rose & Aster was born. (Rose & Aster deriving from both mine and my daughter’s birth flowers)
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Right about now
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One year in and things are starting to happen for Rose & Aster. Our website is slowly becoming recognised as an exquisite place to visit for timeless, on trend, affordable, ready to wear jewellery & accessory collections for both the bride, her bridesmaids and her wedding party. My log cabin showroom is always a warm and friendly place to visit should you require a personal shopping opportunity plus there are many open days planned throughout 2012.
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Flash forward
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2012 is going to be an exciting year for Rose & Aster with a fabulous new highly visual website and new blog due to be launched in the Spring. The blog will concentrate on how to translate current jewellery trends for your wedding day, Jewellery icons both past and present plus general indulgence in all things beautiful and sparkly!
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We are currently investing in what will be our best bridal jewellery collection so far plus some fabulous stand out pieces for your honeymoon. Watch out also for our expanding collection of luxurious tablet op accessories and venue decor.
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Debbie Stogden Photography
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Let’s go back
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After years working in IT, redundancy gave me an opportunity to change direction. I did a
Masters degree in Creative Digital Media at Teesside University, and wherever possible bent
the modules to fit in my photography. At the end of the course I decided I really needed to set
up as a photographer.
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Right about now
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I am currently working as a wedding and portrait photographer and I was thrilled to be given
the chance to video the Rigwood Manor shoot, if a bit nervous of swapping stills for video. I
am working on a number of weddings to take place over the summer. It is lovely getting to
know the bride and groom at such an exciting time in their lives.
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Flash forward
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Photographing weddings, which I love, but I would not rule anything out; so many unusual
and challenging opportunities have presented themselves in the last year. I am also in the
early stages of a personal documentary photography project, due for completion in
November.
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www.debbiestogden-photography.co.uk
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Peeling Paint by Wendy Walker
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Let’s go back
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My fascination for re-loving furniture began as a hobby five years ago. Initially practising on friends pieces, the response was wonderful, the word spread, commissions followed and Peeling Paint was born.
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Right about now
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50% of our work is still commission driven alongside international web based sales. September 2011 saw the opening of our first showroom in North Yorkshire.
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Flash forward
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2012 will include the extension of our showroom space, sourcing new stockists and developing a Vintage hire service aimed at the wedding/functions/film industry. The latter was born out of meeting the amazing group of creatives at The Rigwood Manor shoot. Each person involved in day left me feeling energised and inspired and I look forward to sharing many more thoughts and ideas with them in the future.
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Let’s go back
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I’m Katie, a Yorkshire lass now at home in the North East. I’ve had a camera pretty much attached to my hand since I was about 5 years old, and after studying a degree in Photography, Video & Digital Imaging, I found myself drawn to the fabulous world of weddings. Since 2009 I’ve had the honour of photographing a stunning variety of weddings around the country. I love my job!
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Right about now
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Things have been going from strength to strength. I’m thrilled that next week Wedding Ideas Magazine (issue 107) will be featuring a beautiful real wedding that I photographed last year. I am also part of Just Perfect Wedding and Events Gallery which is based in Cramlington, I’ve been exhibiting my work there since October, and the feedback I’ve had from clients has been fantastic. It’s a new concept, basically a permanent wedding fair, where couples can browse in a relaxed environment and find everything they need for their wedding, it’s been great being part of such a fantastic team of exhibitors who I regularly network with, and some have become good friends.
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Flash forward
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I have some amazing things lined up for this year starting with a photoshoot next week, which I’ve been working on since October. It features a range of fantastic North East wedding suppliers who are getting together to create a beach themed wedding photo shoot, at the UK’s only cave bar, which also hosts wedding receptions. I also have some exciting weddings coming up, from small and intimate with two guests, to country/farm themed, to glamorous stately home celebrations. I can’t wait for what this year has to bring!
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Image of Katie by Karen McGowran
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Little Black Book
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Images – Becky Mitchell
Styling & Stationery – Vicky Trainor
Venue – Be All You Can at Rigwood Manor
Brides Dress – Truly Beautiful
Adult Bridesmaids – Poppy
Make-up – Make-up By Jo
Hair Styling – Adrian Wray of Chocolate
Flowers – Bels Flowers
Cakes – Just Darling Cake
Furniture – Peeling Paint
Silverware – Tea With Ruby
Chair Bows – What Katy Did Next
Glassware – Northern Lights Interiors
Little Bridesmaids– Lillian’s House
Little Bridesmaids tutus – Bo & Bo
Little Bridesmaids hair pieces – Designed By Zoe
Vintage Props & Dresses – Margaret Garbut
Jewellery – Rose & Aster
Hair Accessories – DC Bouquets
Behind the scenes images – Photography By Katie
Videos – Debbie Stogden Photography
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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2012 Becky Mitchell and as credited where possible if different
Vicky Trainor is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier, but this is not a sponsored post
Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier
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