Vintage options for bridesmaids

So far I’ve posted lots of info about vintage wedding dresses, but I’ve barely mentioned the other people involved in the average wedding party. If you want 6 bridesmaids in matching dresses you’ll struggle to find a vintage option. For you the best plan is to reproduce vintage dresses using an original pattern.

But if you have one Maid of Honour then there are plenty of pretty vintage dresses to choose from. Pippa Middleton’s dress drew as much attention as her sister’s, and to go for a similar slinky line you could dress your MofH in a bias-cut 1930s dress. If you are using online auctions websites try searching in the Formal Wear section of the Vintage Clothes pages for vintage evening dresses or ball gowns. 1950s New Look eveningwear is another good choice for a full-length dress but if you want to buy a cocktail-length dress you may find that 1940s fashions offer a better choice.

Think about the fabric too. For a winter wedding the 30s and 40s velvet dresses are warm and often come in lovely jewel colours. For a Spring or Summer wedding a cotton organdie or print dress will be light and pretty.

Designer profile - Edith Head

I plan to profile a 'designer of the past' each month, and the first I have chosen is Edith Head. Unlike designers working for fashion houses, Head made her name as an Oscar-winning designer of film costumes. Although her career started in the 1920s and ended in the 1970s, she is most often remembered for her work on 1950s films. It was in the 50s that Head designed costumes for Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Sofia Loren.

For any Retrobride, Edith Head's dress designs for Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn are the ones to pick out. Both actresses liked Head's designs for them so much that they chose to wear Edith Head dresses to important events in their private lives. Audrey Hepburn wore a specially altered version of her 'Roman Holiday' Edith Head costume when she accepted her Oscar for the film in 1954, and Kelly chose to wear a blue satin Edith Head dress when she accepted her own Oscar in 1955.

Off to Ireland in search of Wedding Rings

I'm flying to Dublin tonight and will spend a few days staying near the coast in beautiful Galway. I have been to Ireland a few times now and I love the fact that unlike English town centres full of endless chain stores, over there they still have a thriving range of independent shops.

This makes Ireland the ideal place to search for wedding rings. I am getting married in May and I have struggled to find any rings that both my partner and I like. Most of the generic designs out there are either clunky, boring or covered in tacky stones.

I would like something elegant, but also unusual - I'll report on my wedding ring search when I get back. Here are some rings I like...