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Hair stylist Sian Sharkey styled beautiful bride Helen’s hair into a bridal masterpiece, complete with elegant, traditional curls, vintage accessories pins and finger waves. Helen's make-up artist, Alyson Smyth, kept her look classic with flawless skin, a soft smoky eye and natural lips.

How I achieved Helen's bridal hair, by Sian Sharkey:
"Helen had long hair past her shoulders and was inspired by vintage, classic hairstyles. To start, I sprayed Helen's hair with Label M Superstar Spray (see below) and dried it in to the hair so it wasn't too silky. I then curled all the hair with a GHD, pin-setting the front section where I was going to secure the finger waves.
I sectioned the hair in two parts - front and back. Backcombing the roots and dusting with Label M Resurrection Dust, I began to secure the back section into the shape I wanted to achieve, spraying with Bed Head Masterpiece Hairspray as I went.
I then brushed the top section, maintaining the height Helen wanted and secured, to blend with the back.
I took out the pin set and shaped the hair into the finger waves at the front. This can be a slow process and requires patience! Spraying and pinning and spaying again, then removing the pins on view when the hair has set in position.
Finally, I added her vintage hair accessory - a vintage broach from Jenny Vander and her veil!"
Contact Sian about your wedding day: Website | Email | Phone: 086 8819600

Hair products used - Bed Head Masterpiece Hairspray | Label M Resurrection Dust | Label M Superstar Spray
How I achieved Helen's bridal make-up look, by Alyson Smyth:
"Helen chose a vintage style with her hair, so I kept her make-up really classic with flawless skin, a soft smoky eye and a natural lip.
I applied Laura Mercier’s Oil Free Foundation in Sunny Beige, which gives a fantastic natural, all-day coverage. I used MAC Powder Blush in Swoon on the cheeks creating a gorgeous shape to her face.
For extra definition on Helen’s eyes, I applied some temporary individual lashes from the outer corner of her eyes across to the centre.
Eyeshadows used were MAC Brule, Satin Lights, Espresso and MAC Paint Pot in Constructivist – these colours combined were used for the glam factor!
To complete Helen’s classic, elegant look, I kept her lips soft by using MAC Dervish Lip Liner and nice Buzz Lip Gloss to keep the colour in place for longer!"
Contact Alyson about your wedding day: Website | Email | Phone: 086 8107969

Make-up products used (clockwise) - Laura Mercier’s Oil Free Foundation in Sunny Beige | MAC Powder Blush in Swoon | Buzz Lip Gloss | MAC Dervish Lip Liner | MAC Paint Pot in Constructivist | MAC Brule
Wedding Photographs by Naoise Culhane of Maxwell Photography
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WOL’s fabulous bridal blogger Fallon Wasser is getting ready to marry her fiancé Darren Dunne on December 7th, 2012. Fallon is taking us on her wedding planning journey, through the ups and downs, highs and lows and is sharing her wedding planning tips and tricks with us along the way!
I don’t know about you ladies, but for me the hardest thing about organising my wedding to date was definitely picking the venue. When I got engaged and started looking at all the different places, I had myself a mini-meltdown! There is just so much choice and it can all be a little over whelming. Luckily for me, I had my friend Louise on hand. She got married last year, so she was in the loop in terms of what a good package should contain and what questions I should ask the hotel. So we sat down one evening over a bottle (or three!) of wine and I must have given her about ten different venues that I liked for various reasons. You see, I love the old country house feel with creaking floorboards and chandeliers but I also wanted the comfort and luxury of a modern hotel. Honestly, I’m really not that fussy, I just wanted everything! We went through the various hotels that I picked and narrowed it down to three, which were all around the Meath area, one of which was Dunboyne Castle. The plan was to make appointments for a single day and Louise and I would go and do a little research on them. If there was any that I liked I would bring himself down and do the hard sell on him.
Winding Staircases
When we arrived at Dunboyne Castle we had a lovely lunch. The food was fab and the service from the staff was really great! The castle felt like the perfect combo of new and old that I was initially looking for and I fell in love with the old house with its beautiful winding staircase and period features. We met with a member of the events team to go through some details and get a proper tour of the hotel. She asked me to fill out some forms and when I looked down at the page Louise’s name was down for the bride and my name was down for the groom. She thought that Louise and I were a couple, which we had a good giggle about!
So home I went to convince himself that it was perfect, luckily for me on our return visit the following week he loved it just as much as me and we booked it! I’ve been back down on a couple of occasions since and have never been disappointed with the level of service. Sinead and the events team have always been extremely helpful with my many questions over the past few months and I know I’m in safe hands.
You're onto a Winner
For any bride and groom out there in venue hell, I would say sit down and write down what’s the most important thing to you about the venue and what can’t you compromise on. Make sure you look at the package available and price up the extras that aren’t included, because it’s the hidden extras that will hike up your overall cost. Any decent venue will want to work with you and try and facilitate your big day as much as possible - it’s all give and take. The last thing would be to read reviews, there are always going to be people who have had a bad experience at some point but as long as the overall vibe is positive you’re onto a winner!
In Fallon’s next bridal blog post, she looks for the perfect wedding shoes to help her glide up the aisle and dance the night away!
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We just love heels. Maybe it's the way they make you stand straighter and taller, so you look more confident and dare we say, slimmer too? So a good pair of shoes on your wedding day is an absolute must! It might sound a bit clichéd, but more than anything else in the world, being you and showing off your personal style is one of the most important things for any bride! Keeping all that in mind, we found attention-grabbing shoes for those who like to take risks, classic heels for those who don't, and the perfect pumps for the brides in between! By Amy Croffey
“It’s hard not to be sexy in a pair of high heels!”
— Tom Ford
Show-stopping Heels

Clockwise from top left: Dune | Dune | Stuart Weitzman, €335 from Brown Thomas | Carvella, €180 from Brown Thomas | Badgley Mishka
We love something that little bit different like the shoes above. They're all in great pastel shades, which makes them a safe'ish option but with that little bit extra. Check out the gold shoe boots from Dune above, perfect for a fashion forward bride with a high-low gown or a dress with a thigh-high slit, because these shoes are for showing off, especially when matched with bright red toes!
Classic Heels

Clockwise from top left: Rachel Simpson available from Bella Bleu Vintage Bridal | Rainbow Club available from B CoutureBridal; The Bridal Emporium; Dance World | Swan by Badgley Mishka | Protocol Bridal | Monsoon, €110
Classic bridal shoes will always be in style, so if you're not feeling the colourful hues, but want something to make you stand out, opt for a pair with some extra details. We just love Rachel Simpson's ivory heels with bow details available from Bella Bleu Vintage Bridal or Badgley Mishka's white and diamante detailed shoes, which would look great with a hair-piece to match!
Colourful Heels

Hey Lady! available from Bella Bleu Vintage Bridal

Clockwise from top left: Carvella, €135 | KG, €195 | KG, €195 | KG, €195 - all available from Brown Thomas | Pumps with Bows from Accessorize
All eyes will be on you on your wedding day, but if you team a pair of bright heels with your wedding gown, we promise not an eye in the house will stray from you all day! These shoes are loud and proud and they demand attention - as well as good balance! Wear a shade that matches your wedding theme and bridesmaids, or decide to follow a major current catwalk trend and go for a hue that totally clashes with the rest. Our favourite from above has to be the light blue, peep-toe KGs, if not for your something blue, then for your something fabulous!
For more amazing bridal styles in your area, see more Wedding Shoe Stockists!
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Clockwise from top left: Escort cards on skeleton keys photo by Kate Headley via UnitedWithLove | Outdoor umbrella photo by Lisa Poggi via 100LayerCake | VitorreStationery by Pretty as a Picture, Dublin | Blueberry and white icing cake via YummyWeddingFood | ‘Felice’ by Cymbeline, Kadee Bridal Boutique, Westmeath
After interviewing Sara Mazzei from Infinity Weddings & Events last week for this piece, I just can’t seem to get my mind off bella Italia. So much so that himself had to hide my iPad over the weekend when I decided I had to know EVERYTHING there was to know about Florence, Rome, Tuscany, Venice...and that he had to know them too. Sadly, the closest I got to booking a trip to Firenze was having a glass of red wine (actually from South East Australia) and some pizza (which I’m pretty sure was made in Wicklow) and watching The Italian Job on Channel 4 (original version, though filmed moreso in the UK than in Italy I suspect).
Anyway I decided to day dream again today, while the rain beats down on my skylight, about warm evening sunsets, scrumptious blueberry sweets and a silken-clad sposa on the rolling hills of Tuscany.

Clockwise from top left: Rustic chandelier image by Leo Patrone via Snippet&Ink | Bride holding grapes photo by Mike Larson via StyleMePretty | Outdoor banqueting table with glass candelabras and petrol blue runner styled by Clara Boatto via 100LayerCake | Salmon canapés by Eunice Power Catering, Waterford | Bridesmaid dress in nude with black ribbon from Moreland Bridal, Dublin
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Clockwise from left: Wedding cake by Little Cakes | Vintage-style shoes from Beholden Bridal at Bella Bleu, Cork | Photo of wedding guest by Jodie Chapman
Spring is all about fresh flowers and pretty pastels -what better colour scheme to evoke for the most romantic day of your life? However some brides don't go for all things girly and pink, so this palette is the perfect choice for those wishing to create dreamy wedding decor with touches of feminine fancies, but at the same time want a more mature, refined style of occasion.
Grey will be your anchor for creating this palette, and you can go from various intensities and shades of grey (have at most three shades, to keep some consistency however) The trick to this is to use accents of pale pinks and greens to brighten up the palette, in flowers, accessories, and with stationery and table decor.
Compiled by Karen Birney.

Clockwise from top left: Pink stripe invitations from The Parlour Press, Dublin | Table plan brown cards and polka dot pegs photo by Shaw Shots | Groom in pink shirt with pick button hole photo by Cappy Hotchkiss via Snippet & Ink | Grey, pink and green wedding bouquet by Bloomsday Flowers, Cork


Main image: Green and pink table decor photo by Lisa Lefkowitz via The Sweetest Occassions | Clockwise from top left: Vintage teacup candle photo by Jenna McKenzie Photography for Hey Gorgeous | Reception room in George in Rye | Pale pink v-neck bridesmaid dress by Lela Rose at Dessy | Table decor photo styled by Pearl & Godiva -Event Styling and Vintage China & Crockery Hire, Ireland
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Top image: Hair by Davey Davey | Left: via TheKnot | Right: Hilary Duff
The top knot is the newest hair trend for the elegant, refined bride. Heights and degrees vary to suit each individual but generally the hair is pulled top the top of the crown, neatly and softly, showing off the neckline and making room for a stunning headpiece or veil.
A high bun is a timeless style, it looks less complicated and therefore less fussy than the popular bridal chignon. If you haven’t been blessed with a lustrous full mane (we hear ya sista), a donut is your best option to create a big, buoyant bun. Donuts provide shape and support to the bun and are very easy to use if you want to try doing your own hair.
Try not to pull the hair back too much –you don’t want to look like a startled ballerina for the day and be left with a pounding headache for the wedding night! But also remember that wear it too loose and you may be at risk of looking a tad ‘day-after-the-night-before‘. You need to get it just right so that it says complete elegance, but also seems natural and easy.
Only go for this look if you are happy to be very ‘out there’ for the day, there is nowhere to hide when you’ve pulled the hair back off your face unless you’ve opted for a birdcage veil, so make sure you are content with your side profile and your make-up. Don’t be afraid to go for statement earrings to make your whole look ‘pop’.
Compiled by Karen Birney.



Top two images by Jessica Claire | Main image by Jonas Peterson via OnceWed | Bridesmaid dress image from Lela Rose for Dessy | Bride in mirror, hair by The Hair Mob | Bride in fur hair by Bridal Hair by Marie (Hickey) | Smiling bride with crystal earrings photo by Eric Savo
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Meet our new bridal blogger, Fallon Wasser, who will marry fiancé Darren Dunne on December 7th, 2012. Fallon will be taking us through the ups and downs of her wedding plans and has promised to share any wedding planning tips and tricks with other brides-to-be along the way!
Fallon and Darren met ten years ago through mutual friends in a night club called Club Diva at the Red Cow Hotel. When Fallon first met Darren she thought he had a great smile and was confident in himself and that he was a bit of a flirt too! When Darren first saw Fallon, he thought she was beautiful, "I knew I wanted to see her again," he told us.
Darren proposed to her on their ten year anniversary. "I came home from work thinking we were just going to have a normal dinner together," said Fallon. "Darren told me to sit down at our kitchen table, then he popped into the other room and came back with a beautiful bunch of red roses. I thought it was just an anniversary gift until I looked at the card which said 'Will you marry me?' on it. To say I was shocked was an understatement. He had told family and friends that he was going to propose and they were all standing by for the party."
The one makes you go weak at the knees, can bring tears to your eyes and can make you feel like the most beautiful woman on earth. I'm not talking about himself, I mean the frock, the guna, your wedding dress. When you know it's the one you just know, isn't that what people say? It's such a bazarre thing because I have heard friends talk about just knowing and I always thought 'yeah right' until I had my own experience in The White Room in Mullingar. Let me fill you in.
Last November, off I trotted to The White Room. This was a full year in advance of my wedding but my objective at the time was to try on as many different shapes and types so I could narrow it down to a certain style of dress. That was when the real search would ensue, or so I thought.
Before I get into the dress-trying-on part, I'd like to say how important it is to have the right people with you for this experience. I personally wanted to keep it to one or two people. You don't want too many different opinions being thrown at you. So my Mam was an obvious choice. Now my Mam, bless her, would have told me on the day that I looked great in a white plastic bag. The emotion of it all really got to her seeing her only child in a wedding dress. She's not the most critical person in the world so I knew I needed to have someone who has similar tastes to mine and who, more importantly, would tell me straight out if I looked like a sack of potatoes, so I asked my cousin Tamlyn, who had recommended The White Room, to come along also.
A Little Girl's Dream
When we arrived for our appointment we were greeted and brought upstairs to our own private fitting rooms, complete with dressing area, a seating area for those accompanying you, full length mirrors and a box thingy to stand on that you see in the movies. The woman in the shop told me to go through the many, many racks of dresses and pull out as many as I wanted. She advised me to try all the different styles, not just what I thought I wanted and that's exactly what I did. Ballroom, fishtail, 1920s, lace, no lace, fitted, sleeves, no sleeves - you get the idea. Each time I changed a dress, my little dresser friend was there to help me in and out and pin me together. I cannot rave enough about the level of customer service that I experienced in The White Room and the quality of the dresses. I can only imagine how many times they get tried on but they were all immaculate and the show room itself was like a little girl's dream, rows and rows of dresses, a veil section, jewellery, shoes and an area holding an assortment of boleros etc. Amazing!
It is so surreal putting on a wedding dress for the first time, whether you like the dress or not, seeing yourself in head-to-toe wedding get-up is just mad. I tried on around 10-12 dresses and after the first few, I knew that a fitted dress was going to work best for me. I then put on the last dress that Tamlyn had picked up as a "sure ya might as well try it" type thing. So there I stood in my little curtained off dressing area with my little dresser friend standing behind me closing me up and literally as she did so I started to well up. Yes, I actually had myself a little moment! I was in love, I'd met 'The One'. I stepped out from behind the curtain to show my mam and Tamlyn and then they had a moment, we were all a little glassy-eyed. I'd like to think my little dresser friend had a moment too. She popped a veil on and told me to stand on the box thingy and well, it was game over. I was sold. A couple of days later I paid the deposit and haven't been inside another bridal shop since.
I can never understand other brides-to-be when they say they have seen a dress that they love but are going to keep looking just in case. Let me tell you this; if you're still looking, it's not the one. Stop stringing yourself and the dress along and end it. Window shopping is okay, we all want to know what's out there, but trying on others behind your dresses back, well that's just not right! Occasionally I go onto the designer website just to have a look at her and each time I get a little flutter in the pit of my stomach that tells me "yes she's still the one".
Fallon will have a regular WeddingsOnline blog spot, feel free to leave a comment for Fallon here, or chat to her in the WeddingsOnline Forums!
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By Amy Croffey
This classic colour pairing not only looks fantastic for Easter weddings but also in the spring/ summer season. It's a colour combo that evokes soft soothing feelings that signify a stylish fresh start to married life. One of the best things we love most about this soft eggshell blue and nude colour scheme is that you can use it in every part of your wedding because it’s so calming and gentle. Integrate it into your big day by using it in your flowers, wedding dress – as your ‘something blue’ perhaps, bridesmaid dresses, shoes, head table and altar decor.

Image from top left: Wedding Dress Romona Keveza | Vivienne Westwood Shoes | Shaw Shots | JK Photography| Kurt Vinion – See the rest of Claire Durkin’s Real Wedding | Finer Details | JK Photography | Favour Boxes from the WeddingsOnline Shop | Confetti Shop Photobox £5.49 | Two Birds Bridesmaids Dresses |
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The traditional look for a bride was the French manicure – a style that’s classic and always looks elegant and refined. But more and more brides are now opting to mix it up a little by adding some colour to their overall look - and a striking nail polish is the perfect way to go!

Image by Brooke Courtney
The best colours to go for - if you don’t want your photos to age too much - are reds (bright or dark) or dark browns. Bright reds are fun and flirty and will really stand out to give you a cute and kitsch look, while dark reds and browns will look elegant and stylish without overshadowing the rest of your look.
If you are an ‘all or nothing’ type of bride, then consider going for a colour that’s a little more daring like neon pinks, bright yellows or even greens. You could also match your nails to you bridesmaids’ dresses or to your overall colour scheme.

Get your nails professionally done so as to ensure they are looking their best on the day and make sure to take really good care of your hands and nails in the run up to the wedding. Hand and nail creams, cuticle creams, a clear varnish and plenty of calcium should guarantee your nails are at their best when you go to the salon.
You can bring your own colour polish to the salon if you like, most manicurists won’t mind, however, make sure you invest in a great one because, unlike a French manicure, a chipped nail will be very noticeable while wearing blood red!
To get the wedding nails that are right for you see: Breda O'Neill - More Than Make-up; Blush - Nicola Walsh; Amelda Faherty Make Up Artist or the Pillo Hotel & Spa.
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By Amy Croffey
If you decide to take a step back in time for your wedding theme, then there is no better time period than the roaring 1920s. This decade has a certain pizzazz like no other. Made up of an assortment of extravagant characters, pearls, fabulous flapper girls, feathers, pin-striped zoot suits, fedoras – this is a wedding theme that won’t be forgotten!


Clockwise from top left: Styling by Pearl and Godiva, image by Aspect Photography | A Piece of Cake | Made U Look | Stacey Hannan Designs | The Invite Inn | Sanyukta Shrestha | Wildflowers Photography | Wildflowers Photography |
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By Amy Croffey
When you make your first post-nuptial appearance, you want to look chic and stylish because all eyes will still be on you, especially if you have planned a day-after the wedding brunch or BBQ, so here are some of our top looks. They are mostly high-street finds, so you’ll look fabulous without breaking the bank!

Images clockwise from left: Very.co.uk | Penneys €13 | Accessorize | Christian Louboutins |
Clockwise from left: Ted Baker blazer | Littlewoods.com | New Look €34.99 | Accessorize |

Clockwise from left: Next | M&S clutch | River Island dress | Ted Baker clutch | Dune | Bertie | 
L-R: New Look | Very.co.uk | M&S

Clockwise from top left: Dune | Warehouse | Next | Accessorize |
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By Amy Croffey
This wedding theme, inspired by our feathered friends, has a bohemian, whimsical feel. Every single part of the wedding can be adorned with these motifs, from centrepieces, to bouquets, to buttonholes, to floral arrangements - the sky really is the limit. You can also use an endless amount of colour combinations to achieve this floating-on-air look.
Images clockwise from top left: Jerry Yoon Photo | David Shields | This Modern Romance Photo | Monique Lhuilllier | Stacey Jacobson | JuJuBee Etsy | ASOS.com |
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By Amy Croffey
We say it time and time again, wedding invitations are so important for your big day as they act as the first point of contact with your guests and remember, first impressions are lasting ones.
Couples are now going to great lengths to make their weddings stand out by sending beautiful, colourful, memorable invitations. Stationery that matches your wedding theme is most popular, whilst other couples opt for simpler colours in order to surprise guests with their wedding colour theme on the big day.
Your perfectly darling, perfectly charming stationery should be sent about eight weeks before your wedding in order for guests to get prepared and make travel and accommodation arrangements if necessary.

Invites by Pretty as a Picture

Invites by GiggleLicious

Invites by Weddings by Legato

Invites by The Invite Inn

Invites by Helen's Paperie
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It's Valentine's Day tomorrow and we're feeling all warm and fuzzy here in WOL, so we thought we'd put together a little Valentine's Day wedding palette to rosemantic up the WeddingsOnline Blog.
Now as you may already know, red is a bit of an iffy colour for us WOL girls, our view is it's far too easy to OD on when it comes to wedding decor and can be very overpowering in photographs, however, there's nothing better than a few red accents on a Valentine's Day celebration. Afterall, red is the colour of passion, love, and festivity!
Red has a tendency to bleed into white, so go for an off white or cream colour as a staple. Ways to incorporate red in a subtle way are in shoe clips, nail colour or as earrings, or as accents in your decor with small red heart confetti or as table numbers. By Karen Birney

Clockwise from top left: Image of couple via MyWedding.com, Dress by Peppermint Pretty | Bottle and table number image via GreenWeddingShoes.com | Love letters, Cake topper and Cupcake images by Brumley + Wells via GreenWeddingShoes.com | Shoes by Vivienne Westwood (RRP €169) image by Next Exit | Girl with heart-shaped lolly image by Elizabeth Messina
Get the Look
Personalised lyrics tree in frame by Domestic Notions via Etsy.com, $72 | Heart lollipops, Confetti.co.uk, 12 pack £8.99 | Heart table number holder £3.99, Eco table numbers 1-15, £9.99 both Confetti.co.uk | Glittering heart burlap bunting by WhiteHouseBlackCat via Etsy.com, $22 | Heart shaped chalboard, 6 pack by Dazzling Success via Etsy.com, $39.90 | Cardigan with heart buttons by Yumi, £44.77 | Red stitch ribbon 3m, Confetti.co.uk, £3.49 | Heart shaped sky lantern, Confetti.co.uk | Valentine's Day champagne flutes x2 from M&S £15
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Underwear shopping for the most part is a time consuming and often a downright boring aspect of being a sexy, well dressed and confident woman. There are seams and wiring to worry about, choices between lace and satin, and usually a decision to be made about whether being comfortable, looking good with clothes on or looking good with clothes off is the most important factor for the day. But every now and again we ladies get to have a bit of fun with what goes on underneath our clothes. Valentine's Day is a perfect time to pick up something a little more special, a little sexier, and perhaps a little more expensive than our typical uniform.
We’re often told that the only way to look sexy is to feel sexy, so this week why not treat yourself to some alluring intimates? We’ve picked some of our favourite pieces below that are bound to make you feel like a real glamour puss. And the best thing? He thinks it’s all for him! By Karen Birney

Main image: Stella McCartney via Asos.com, €251;
Underwear sets by Elle MacPherson Intimates, click for Irish Stockists; Lace pleated midi slip, Topshop.com, £46; Peach Ladder Seam Slip, Topshop.com, £65; Navy Embroidered Kimono, Topshop.com, £68
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