Heavenly Vintage

Helena of Heavenly Vintage has around 60 to 70 beautiful vintage dresses, ranging from the 1930's to 1970's at her home in West London.  We’re delighted that she’s going to take us through just some of her gorgeous collection. Of course, if you want to see Heavenly Vintage’s collection up close, you’ll want to visit our Fair this Sunday, March 10^th at the Clifton Pavilion.

This first dress is from the early 1960's. It’s silk with French lace appliques, would be priced at around £1000, and showcases a beautiful headpiece by Abby at Cherished.

  

  

This second dress is from Helena’s new Heavenly Collection; a vintage reproduction range of dresses available in modern sizes from the website. Helena had the pattern specially made - it was copied from a 1930's lace dress and the intricate cutting has been preserved in the new dress to get the soft sexy feel of the best 1930's dresses. The lace is an old-fashioned style of lace called 'English Net', made for Helena by a family who’ve been lace makers for three generations! The slightly deeper slip underneath shows off the pattern of embroidery on the fabric and the slip can be made in ivory, champagne, the pale dusky pink as seen here, or any other colour that works with the style. This dress would cost around £1250, and is made to order. All the headpieces are by Abby at Cherished.  

  

Below is another vintage dress from Heavenly Vintage, with a very fitted 'Mad Men' feel to it, in a shade of soft pale gold. It’s original vintage, and would be priced at around £1000. The wonderful headband is again by Abby at Cherished – she and Heavenly Vintage did a joint shoot as their styles suit each other brilliantly (Abby is also one of Helena’s favourite people in the Vintage Bridal business!)

  

This lovely silk satin dress below is another example of the range of styles Heavenly Vintage has to offer in their own Heavenly Collection. It’s copied from a 1930's wedding dress and has a slinky fitted look typical of the bias cut dresses of that era. Helena loves the complex bias cutting of the dresses of the Art Deco period, and has tried to keep it as faithful to the original as possible, so that it hugs the body but in a gentle figure-flattering way. The headpiece uses an original 1930's dress embellishment and vintage beads - the perfect foil for the subtle glamour of the dress. Again, the headpiece is designed by Abby at Cherished.

  

This last dress is a sweet wispy lace 1970's dress, an original vintage rather than a copy. Helena always looks for these romantic soft dresses on her travels. The 70's offer a soft Boho feel, which is very pretty and floaty; the fashion influences at play in that decade ranged from Edwardian to 1930's. An original vintage dress like this one would be around £800. Helena is also working on a copy of this lovely little dress for her own Collection and will be adding styles as she continues to develop the range - this one is planned for the Summer. The pretty beaded headpiece is made by Abby at Cherished again, and is called 'Cow Parsley', from her new range, launching soon.

  

Helena loves vintage wedding dresses so much, but there is of course only one of each, and only in one size, so copying the most beautiful ones seems a great solution to being able to offer the most lovely styles to more brides. Come and see them in person at our next Fair!

(Many thanks to Helena’s lovely models Georgia and Lucy for bringing Heavenly Vintage’s dresses to life so well, and to Robert Lawler for the fantastic photographs.)

Til There Was Uke

Til There Was Uke are a fantastic Ukulele/Vocal Duo who perform an eclectic range of covers from 1920s to the present day.

Providing the perfect musical backdrop to your wedding day with their relaxed, enjoyable sound during the all-important ceremony and with entertainment during your drinks reception, they can add atmosphere to your wedding breakfast or simply keep your guests entertained whilst the photos are taken.

  

Til There Was Uke will bring a touch of originality and vintage style to your day, making it as special and individual as yourselves.

With a variety of packages to suit every theme and budget and everything tailored to your requirements, choose from the Classic Reception (includes 2 x 45 minute sets (with a 15 minute break) and your pick of a mixture of 35 songs from our extensive set list), Classic Plus (same as Classic Reception but with a personalised twist, the set list of 35 songs can include up to 10 songs requested by you. They’ll source the songs, learn them and perform them with a sprinkle of Til There Was Uke treatment or Decade Defined… This package is perfect if you have chosen to have a specific vintage theme to your wedding defined by an era, we can play an entire set to suit. Choose from: Totally 20s, Thrilling 30s, Fabulous 40s, Fun-Filled 50s or Swinging 60s.

After something for the ceremony itself? Til There was Uke will learn and perform up to 4 personal song choices throughout your wedding ceremony. They can provide music as your guests arrive, play for the entrance of the bride, during signing of the register, and as your guests leave.

You can find all the details you need for Til There Was Uke on their blog, Twitter and Facebook. You can also sample their style on YouTube.

Intrigued? Why not come and listen to them at our next Fair!  See you there…

(With thanks to Caroline Blake for photographs 2 & 4)

Cox & Baloney

For owners Amy and Joney, vintage-style tea parties with a twist are the order of the day.  From their gorgeous shop on Cheltenham Road, Bristol they run a delightful vintage-style tearoom amidst their full to the brim with treasures and gems shop. 

A hen party with Cox & Baloney would begin with the very best tea and some gooey homemade cakes.  There would be Babycham from teacups, all served in your own private room and followed by a workshop of your choice.  You could try your hand at making knickers, nipple tassels, hair fascinators, tutus or having a vintage Hollywood-style hair and make-up lesson.  They’ll organise everything you need and make sure you have a wonderful time. You can even let your hair down and try on as many vintage outfits as your heart desires. Of course, if you need a little help, they'll be around to help you achieve exactly the right look.

It’s not just hen parties Cox & Baloney can make special.  The morning of your wedding is a busy time and they can ease the pressure by delivering a sumptuous hamper of delicious goodies to you and your bridesmaids.  You’ll find mid-morning snacks, pastries and of course, some champagne!  They’ll make sure you don’t forget to eat and bring some extra sparkle with them.  

On the day of the fair, both Amy and Joney will be around, so do make sure you come and ask them about their hen party ideas.  Don’t forget to pop into their lovely shop if you’re passing too.  They have everything you could possibly need for creating a truly vintage lifestyle, from original clothing (ladies and gents) to furniture, homeware, books and a dressmaker who can make wedding and bridesmaids dresses.  There’s also a beautiful 1960s wedding dress for sale and it comes complete with a photo of the original owner wearing it.  Their tearoom is open for quintessential English favourites at elevenses or for a traditional afternoon tea served on delicate china and you simply must ask about the Cream Tea Towers!   

Everything Cox & Baloney stock has been lovingly hand-picked and is either original vintage, designer or limited edition.  You can find them on Facebook and Twitter as well as in store and if you’re planning a hen party with a twist - they really can host a perfect afternoon.  Think of lashings of clotted cream and fresh strawberries as you enjoy a good gossip over a piece of cake and a fresh cup of tea.  Think.. why am I not already there?