Easily collect all your guests wedding photographs

Gone are the days of disposable cameras on tables, now a website has been created to gather all your guests images in one place.

Now, you may be thinking that you can do all this within Facebook. Which you can but Facebook would rely on your guests posting photographs onto their profile and tagging you in the image to make sure you see everything that is added.

I know in the past I have seen people post wedding photographs within another album, say for instance 'July 2009' so if you aren't tagged as being part of the photograph you may never see it.

Olapic works in a different way.

They provide the cards and email templates that inform your guests of the details of where to upload their images. You can also track who has uploaded image and who hasn't.

Images can be downloaded in bulk and at a high res quality, perfect to pop into an album. You can also order prints through the website.

Your images remain private until you choose to publish them.

The demo video is really cute too, you can see it here. As well as a simple overview.

Because we know it's always friends who get the most entertaining wedding pictures. They get the true essence and fun of the wedding.

Wedding Gift Registry - The NEW Trend

Setting up a wedding gift list can be a daunting task. First of all you need to find a store that both of you, as a couple, like. You also have to consider what your needs are when you first start out your married life.

Many couples already live together before they get married and so have all the generic household gadgetry that you would originally think of when choosing a wedding gift. We are also seeing the growing trend of couple's each having a house of their own that they sell to buy a 'martial' house once they are married... this results in having two sets of everything, so sometimes material objects are not the way forward for an ideal wedding gift.

I know many couples who think the only solution for them in this situation would be to ask for money. We ended up doing this for our wedding as we were emigrating to Canada soon after the wedding, packing up as much of our belongings as we could afford to take and leaving the rest behind. Taking heavy gifts with us wouldn't have been an option, but we also felt really bad about asking people for money. It seems really cheeky and we were scared of giving out the wrong impression.

UponOurStar is a website that could solve this problem. Instead of asking for money, the bride and groom can ask for donations towards 'wishes' that they have. Be it a new home or a dream vacation, all your wishes can become reality.

Upon registering, the couple is given a custom web page, like with most other online gift registry sites. Guests are invited to 'donate' to their wishes via an e-invite and after the wedding the money is transferred into the couple's bank account so they can live our their dreams.

This is a nicer solution than asking for money as people really feel they are contributing to a cause, giving you life experiences that otherwise you simply couldn't afford.

The only downfall is the 6% transaction fee that guests are charged. This may mean that you get a smaller gift than was originally intended as people counter balance this fee.

One idea could be to ask people for money, but give them a little notelet to fill in to tell you what they would like you to spend you money on...

We did this for our wedding, which people thought was a nice touch. They still felt in control of the gift they were giving us without the hassle of going out to buy anything!

The Website is LIVE!

... Finally!

After months of procrastinating I've finally managed to complete my website.

It's not perfect yet, but more work will be done to it in early 2010.

Visit strawberriesandchampagne.com or click on the link!

I'm so excited to finally have this up and running, here's to a more productive 2010!

Wedding Trend Review 2009

At the beginning of a new year I find it is always beneficial to take a run through of the previous years trends.

So, here is a brief run-through of the most exciting wedding trends of 2009 - and here's looking forward to 2010.

1. Male Engagement Rings.

I find this to be an unusual trend, but why should men feel excluded at this happy time. Why should women have all the fun (and sparkle!)

2. Themed Weddings.This is a continued growing trend. We are not only talking about Las Vegas style weddings, but more subtle themes exploring something couple's have in common, be it a love of gaming or a certain food type... No matter how subtle your theme it is a great starting place for planning any wedding.

3. Unusual Bouquets.An interesting trend that I decided to use for my wedding back in 2008 was a bouquet made from brooches. I was getting married abroad and wanted a bouquet I could transport to my wedding and use back at the reception at home. Other unusual bouquets may be created from felt or feathers, providing the perfect accompaniment to your wedding dress or theme. Also, this is a great keepsake and something that you can pass down as a heirloom.

4. Romantic Wedding Getaways.These have been growing in popularity over the past few years. Gone are the days where you can only get married in a hotel resort abroad. Specialized companies are now set up to give you any wedding you choose. Be it a secluded island or an ice hotel, the choice is yours.

5. Descriptive Wedding Invitations.Your wedding invitation is no longer just a piece that tells people where and when your wedding is, it should tell a complete story on how you met. Giving your guests a snippet into your lives together is such a beautiful personal touch.

6. Eco Weddings.Give something back to the environment after your wedding, ask people to offset the carbon footprint of your honeymoon, or give guests environmentally friendly favors like tree seedlings.

7. Maternity Wedding Dresses.The most beautiful wedding gowns are now available in maternity sizes. Following on from the trend of high street stores holding maternity ranges this gives women the chance to feel both beautiful and fashionable on this special occasion.

8. Multi-function Wedding Dresses.This is a relatively new trend that I'm hoping we will see more of over the coming years. My wedding dress is still wrapped up in the suitcase that I brought it home from our wedding reception in. I absolutely love this dress, but would never be able to wear it again. I would love it if it was multifunctional so that I could shorten it or take pieces from it to add to other outfits - but I don't dare cut it up.

9. Whimsical Weddings.I love that people feel comfortable enough now to really be themselves on their wedding day. I love that people don't feel that need to have a white gown, that it doesn't have to be floor length and that they can be proud of the skin they are in tattoos and all. Here's celebrating beautiful people on their special day.

Creating this list has made me so excited for what is to come in 2010. I hope you will join me on my journey.

pantone colour of the year 2010

pantone announced their colour of the year for 2010 today...

pantone 15-5519 - turquoise

this is a beautiful shade, something i think we will be seeing a lot of over the next 365 days!

read more about it here

new retail trend?

this is a really cool new concept for a mobile phone company, and a trend i see many other retailers adopting in the near future.

giff gaff is based in the uk and call themselves the "first people powered mobile network."  basically you order a sim card from giff gaff, pop in into any unlocked mobile phone and away you go.  you get rewards for recruiting new members to the network, and for participating in giff gaff's marketing promotions... ultimately building up a new community that i imagine giff gaff are hoping will have the same following as other social media sites like facebook and twitter in the future.

whether this takes off is basically just a matter of time, and how many people they can get involved in the site.  it would need a lot of promotion and encouraging the right kind of people to join the network in the beginning.  people who are heavily involved in social media and the blogging world would be a good primary target to spread the word.  here is an overview of the process.

The forums have a good number of posts so hopefully it will be a good concept.  i could see other online retailers taking up this, asos immediately springs to mind as they have a good community following...  i love the idea of getting you online followers to do your promotional work, let the people who love you spread the word.

bringing us one step closer to fluency!

i love this new app for the iPhone. Simply find the phrase you want to say, select the language and hold the phone in front of your mouth. the phrase is then read out load making it look like you speak any language!

can you guess the logo?

i was discussing last week about how certain logos are recognisable without any colour whatsoever.  once a brand becomes so mainstream that anyone could recognise it's logo...  as i'm hoping you did with the coca cola logo above.  there is even a guess the logo game that just proves how little of a logo you actually need to see in order to recognize it. 

the brands we see every day become imprinted in our minds.

eco-trend - colourless coke can

that's why i was so excitied to see this concept from ryan hoon and harc lee featured on lovely package.  they took the approach of creating a coca cola drinks can with no paint on the can.  the logo and details are instead embossed onto the bare metal.  this can be easily done during the actual production process of the can and would be so much more beneficial for the environment.  the aluminium could be recycled more easily without having to remove the paint during the melting process.

i'm sure this is something we would all like to see on the supermarket shelves in the near future.

weekend finds

a summary of all the exciting trends i have spotted over the weekend...

enjoy!

collette on the rue st honore - via trendpulse

vegas elopement save the dates - via oh so beautiful paper

dining room storage solution - via lake jane

sustainabiliy in fashion exhibition - via how blog

jim beam's red stag bottle label - via uncrate

holiday goodie bag by blue pool road - via black eiffel

edge painted cards by czar press - via oh so beautiful paper

red alexander mcqueen rocker clutch - via not couture

festive fonts by the font bureau - via now blog

pixelized mary janes by united nude - via the office stylist

christmas... already

i really need to get organized!

cheesecake brownie swirls

my next attempt at baking was cheesecake brownie swirls.

this is the result...

mixed and ready to go into the oven

looks cooked to me... now to cool and cut into squares

 the finished article!

the brownies were really lovely and moist but so heavy.  you only need a small piece.  i was hoping the cheesecake would have a touch more flavour to it, i may try a different cream cheese next time and maybe add a touch more vanilla.  i was happy with my first attempt though!

lest we forget

today marks remembrance day.  we should all take the time today to remember those who have fought so bravely for us and to support those who fight for us today.

anna sui fit flop

 

i need these. they are perfection, and they keep you fit too!

you can find them at net a porter for $195

baking update

so... i've finally baked something successfully. one of my early new years resolutions is to become a better cook and after many failed attempts i finally made parkin and bonfire toffee that actually tasted, well, alright!

my next attempt is going to be cheesecake brownies (recipe here)...

hang tight for an update!

monday niceties

a snippet of beautiful things i came across over the weekend.




beautiful packaging for elle macpherson intimates via lovely package




a stunning way to showcase your latest book purchase found at framed object

i love this table setting found on 100 layer cake

more fantastic brooches found on bleubird vintage

stunning goldfish tights from bitching and junkfood




this stunning interior decor found on lake jane

amazing packaging seen at jamie olivers store in london recipease found at hallmark snipets

beautiful handwritten typography photographed on brick lane by hallmark snipets

this elegant moleskine desk calendar found on greedy girl

stylish in fleece?

i can’t believe it’s november already, which means we’ve been living in canada almost a year now, and have nearly come full circle season-wise.  it is really starting to feel cold now, although we have still been having some beautiful fall days... (note how easily i slipped ‘fall’ into that sentence.. ahem, i mean autumn!)  the brisk autumn days we are having at the minute remind me a lot of england in december.  there’s a certain fresh air smell in autumn, when you breathe in and the air feels clean and cold – that only i seem to understand, everyone else thinks i’m a little strange!

the weather forecasters are predicting our first snowfall this weekend, i actually saw someone putting their snow plow onto the front of their truck yesterday which made me want to run home and hide under the duvet for the next 6 months!

i swear my fashion sense takes a plummet at this time of year.  whenever i dress up to go out i end up being really cold.  i’m still refusing to wear gloves yet although everyone else around me has succumbed already.  i just think i wouldn’t be wearing gloves at this time of year in england.  i can’t get my head to fully accept that i live in a colder climate and i should in fact dress accordingly.  It seems like 2 seconds ago that I packed away the Ugg boots for the summer and here we are again, best friends for another 5 months!

so yep, at the minute i’m resorting to walking to work in a padded gilet.  something i would never have worn at home unless i was on a hike, but it’s so cold in the mornings that i just want to bundle up and get to work as soon as i can...

so while i sit here trying to warm up my mouse hand (which is perpetually freezing, how does that happen?) i’m going to dream of all the nice winter clothes i would wear if
1.    i had a car to get me to work so i don’t have to wear 3,000 layers to work
2.    i could actually get up that 30 minutes earlier in the morning to make myself look presentable
3.    oh yeah, i had the money to buy all this stuff.

enjoy, and let me know how you stay fashionable in the cold weather...

this english gal is still learning!

i really want a body con dress like this for the winter months - although the bare legs may be a bit much in this climate

this is a perfect casual look for winter and looks so warm an cozy

this is how i would like to roll into work during the winter months.  warm but still stylish and professional.

how cute is this idea?

a fendi purse that you can hand embroider!  it comes with diagrams to create your very own bag and is reminiscent of the fendi bag that came out a few years ago with markers so you could create your very own custom graffiti bag.  i'm not overly fond of the design of the bag itself but i love the idea.

sunday freebie!

as it is a beautiful autumn day outside, i want to give away another cute little freebie.

this could be a birthday card, a notelet or even a card to go with a special gift.

freebie bird notelet

i hope you enjoy it!

thanksgiving freebie - illustrated handbag notelets

i have another freebie for you to download.

you are all probably aware of my love for fashion! well, my passion for handbags is the strongest part of my fashion love. i am actually working on a wall art illustration of repeated handbags in this style that gives my husband a panic attack every time he see's it because he knows it will end up on our wall and he will be forevermore surrounded by handbags!

so here they are...

two different styles of notelets for you to print and use to your hearts content. I intended to use these to create pages of a notebook, with a different bag on each page, but for now - i think they look pretty good as notelets...

freebie handbag notelets

thanks for reading and enjoy the download!

lovely package exchange - my gift to kellie

as promised... this is the gift that i sent to kellie from 74 lime lane.

i bought her a photo holder that could be hung over her creative space as i know she is a keen photographer and i thought it would be nice for her to have inspiration close at hand.

i also bought some beautiful notebooks from ecojot.  i just love the designs on these - and they are made in canada which i thought was fitting!

everything was placed in a box and was wrapped up in a bamboo mat tied up with ribbon.  i wanted to create an eco feel with the materials and colours i had chosen.  i hope this comes across.

i really enjoyed this lovely package exchange and i can't wait for the next one!

lovely package exchange - my gift

a few months ago i took part in the lovely package exchange through the blog oh hello friend.

i was partnered with kellie from 74 lime lane, and this is a slideshow of the lovely things i received...

everything was beautifully packaged and kellie was spot on with her gift choices...  my favourite piece was a special edition copy of vogue australia featuring illustrations by my favourite illustrator david downton!

i will post images of the lovely package that i sent to kellie tomorrow.

enjoy!

fabulous stella

i’m not ashamed to admit that stella mccartney is my ultimate favourite designer.  i strongly feel that she truly knows what works on women… so i was really excited to see her spring summer 2010 ready to wear collection.

however, i wasn’t totally wowed on first glance.  i know ready to wear is always the ‘safe’ option for catwalk collections but something about this just felt a little too safe.

and stella… what are you doing bringing my number one fashion hate of all time…

… the button down denim skirt (eww… this makes me shudder just thinking about it!)  if anyone ever catches me wearing one of these you hereby have my permission to tie me up and beat me with a lace glove.

i would sooner be seen in the 80s fashion disaster that is a shell suit than one of these skirts!

(oh yeah, i went down the jimmy saville, shell suit route!)

but i couldn’t make such a snap judgment about a stella collection – so i decided to look a little deeper.   actually there are a lot of lovely items in this collection.  i find it a little more like a cruise collection than a ready to wear spring summer collection but that isn’t a bad thing.  there are a lot of pieces that would be just lovely on a summer vacation.

here are my ‘one week in the sun’ suggestions….

and here are my favourite details from the show…

stella you have once again redeemed yourself in my eyes!

all catwalk images taken from style.com.