A big trend for 2009 - and a timeless one in my humble opinion - is the use of bows. Simple because we can all remember tying your shoe laces for the first time and stylish because nothing says sophisticated like simple, clean lines executed beautifully.

Bridal dress designers are using bows to great effect - check out Vera Wang's over-sized bow and Armani's abstract bow necklines are just stunning without being over-fussy.

There are so many ways to incorporate bows into your day but the key is not to go bow-tastic, one stunning bow element works best...

- personalise your dress by tying a sash into a bow around the waistline
- roll napkins and secure them with a simple ribbon bow
- accessorise your wedding bouquet with a simple satin bow (a la Mrs Willson!)
- use bows to decorate staircases or chair backs, with or without flowers

If you need help perfecting the art of tying the perfect bow, look no further than the lovely Martha Stewart and get practicing!

Until next week,






ps - you can get wedding planning advice from Magic Dust's regular wedding tips & advice newsletter (and don't worry, we don't give your details to anyone else - we'll only use them to send you the newsletter)

Labels: style, tips

Labels: stationery, style

I couldn't resist the opportunity to step out of the ordinary, throw caution to the wind and ignore Friday 13th, blogging on Valentine's Day instead!

If you have been a little perturbed this week by the news that marriage levels in the UK are at their lowest levels ever, take heart (see what I did there!), as I have from Charles Darwin who, in 1838, wrote down reasons for and against marriage. My personal favourite Darwin reason for getting married is that it's 'better than a dog'!

He concluded, "My God, it is intolerable to think of spending one's whole life, like a neuter bee, working, working, working, & nothing after all. Only picture to yourself a nice, soft wife on a sofa with good fire, & books & music perhaps." He enjoyed a very happy marriage and my wishes to you, now in a fabulous minority, is for exactly the same.

OK, time for an admission - my name's Tammy and I have an 'all things heart-shaped' addiction. Oooh, it's out there now! It goes without saying that my job tends to feed my addiction on a near daily basis and, in honour of St Valentine's Day, I'd like to share a few of my current favourites, and the lovely websites you can find them on...

Slate ones to write on...

Simple wooden ones...

Metal lantern ones...

Silver ones to wear...

A mother of pearl door adornment...

Hearts on mugs...

Must stop now...!

Still on the subject of hearts, February is National Heart Month and, at Magic Dust, we have been wearing red as often as possible to support this cause. We will also be donating £5 from every On The Day co-ordination booking made in February to the British Heart Foundation's campaign. And you can buy heart-shaped lovely things at their online shop.

If you'd like to see if we're free on your wedding date to be your 'On The Day' wedding coordinator, so you too can relax and enjoy every second of your day, or you would like to book a wedding planning session to kick-start your wedding plans or you simply have a question that's been keeping you awake at night, please get in touch - we're here to help!

Until next week,

Labels: decoration, style, supplier

Labels: style, supplier