Beautiful, ethically made AND affordable? My newest Heavenly lace wedding dresses mean you CAN have it all...

Dear Reader,
I hope 15 May is in your diary! My first vintage wedding fair of the season is only a few days away, and I'm in the middle of planning what delights to take. 

Perfectly boho! Original 1970s lace wedding dress.

Original French lace wedding bolero, priced £235 

In the elegant surroundings of Charlton House, I'll have over fifty romantic and boho vintage wedding dresses to show you. As well as samples from my own collection of beautiful boho dresses.

Original 1970s lace wedding dresses available from Heavenly Vintage Brides. So boho!

And completely new for the fair, I'm delighted to be launching an affordable line of the most beautiful, ethically–produced lace wedding dresses. All my vintage and boho wedding dresses are handmade here in London, using only the finest quality English laces. And now they're amazing value too – priced from just £950!

Butterfly floaty lace wedding dresses, now available from just £995

I've spent SO many hours researching, refining and talking to new suppliers to make this line possible – at amazing value (from just £950 including a pretty underslip) with no compromise on quality or principles. 

Violette, shown here in satin, is now available in lace from just £950

The dresses are all ethically made here in London, by hand, and feature the most beautiful silks and laces. Even the buttons are hand–covered in real silk... and their teeny–tiny delicate button loops too! All are created by a wonderful team of skilled traditional seamstresses here in London for the best possible quality and ethical credentials.

Angel lace wedding dress – beautifully handmade in England.

So by choosing these dresses you're supporting local industry, and helping the planet a little... as well as choosing the most fabulous, romantic lace wedding dresses possible!

Boho lace wedding dress Butterfly, now from £995

One of the pretty tulle and lace wedding dresses for sale at my stand on 15 May.

I'll be showing affordable – and stunning – new versions of my most popular dresses: Angel, Butterfly and Violette. I'll have samples of these beautiful new wedding dresses with me on the day (as well as many beautiful vintage boho wedding dresses, of course).

Angel, one of my new romantic lace wedding dresses

Butterfly, one of my romantic and boho lace wedding dresses from £995

My new Violette is now available as a lace dress over a satin slip (it's shown here in satin only, as it's so new I don't have the photos yet. So you'll have to come and see if for yourself!) It's in the most beautiful delicate 'cobwebby' cotton lace for a supersoft feel and a lovely drape – and still priced from just £950.

Violette, shown here in satin, is now available all in lace from just £950

Violette is similar to Butterfly and Angel (both pictured below), both of which are always very popular. But with its higher back and more structure, Violette is exceptionally flattering to a curvier figure.

Violette (shown here in satin) is now available in lace from just £950

My new Butterfly is in a gorgeous cotton blend lace, with a geometric 'art deco' style pattern. It's available for £995, including a pretty underslip in a choice of three colours. 

Butterfly lace wedding dress, so romantic, available from just £995

One of my other most popular lace dresses, Angel, will now be available in a very soft floral lace – very flowing and SO romantic – priced from £995 including a pretty underslip in choice of three colours.

Angel floaty lace wedding dress – now available from £995

The dresses can be bought online and will soon feature in my Etsy shop or you can find them at my studio in Brentford, West London. I'm proud to say they're all made as one–offs here in London, and the lace is also made in the UK. I really believe you can combine amazing beauty, quality and still use UK suppliers and manufacturers.

Angel lace wedding dress, handmade in England and priced from just £995

Look forward to seeing you on 15 May at Charlton House, or just contact me to visit my studio!

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

If you'd like to see more of my lovely lace wedding dresses for sale, 

click here to visit my Etsy store...

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Vintage Wedding Dresses in the Movies: What's your favourite?

Dear Reader,

Ask anyone their Top 10 wedding movies, and the same films appear over and over. From My Best Friend's Wedding to Bridesmaids, from Twilight to Sex and the City.

Well, you probably know by now that I'm a fan of old movies. (We know, we know, I hear you cry!) Over the next few days, I'll reveal my Top 10 of fabulous vintage wedding dresses from the movies. The countdown starts here...

10. Emma (starring Gwyneth Paltrow, 1996)

In the film based on Jane Austen's wonderful novel, Gwyneth Paltrow stars as Emma, in a charming Empire line (high waisted) dress. 

In 1815 (when the story is set) this would have been the height of fashion. Dresses were made in soft flowing fabrics such as muslin, and corsets were not worn. Instead, long flesh-coloured pantaloons were worn under the dress!

9. Father of the Bride (starring Elizabeth Taylor, 1950)

In Father of the Bride, Elizabeth Taylor’s magnificent figure is supported as only a 1950s dress can. Her fabulous dress is by famous costume designer Helen Rose.

Helen Rose also designed Elizabeth Taylor's own wedding gown when she married her first husband Nicky Hilton in 1950.

Some of you may remember that Elizabeth Taylor married a remarkable 9 times, so there are plenty of dresses to choose from! You can see more of her wedding dresses here.

8. The Good Shepherd (starring Angelina Jolie, 2006)

In this Skull-and-Bones spy thriller about the birth of the CIA, Angelina plays Clover Russell in an array of fabulous 1930s-inspired dresses. Her ivory lace 'debutante' dress (above and below) would make a wonderful simple wedding gown. 

But for Clover's society wedding, Oscar-nominated costume designer Ann Roth created this sumptuous and slinky satin 1930s-style dress. (Ann Roth designed for some truly iconic films such as Midnight Cowboy, Klute and The English Patient).

So that's just the first taste of my Top 10. More to follow this week! Now, what's yours...? Do check out my facebook page, tell me what I've missed and add your own favourites right here!

Thanks for looking, 

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

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Annie dances in 1940s AND 1950s wedding dresses!

Dear Reader,
You may remember me showing this gorgeous original 1940s vintage wedding dress...

Well today, I have a treat to share - the pictures of lovely dancer Annie wearing it. And wearing a beautiful 1950s wedding dress too!

Annie described the pleasure of finding her perfect dress... sorry, dresses! (nobody says you're only allowed one!)

"I had tried on various dresses in some lovely boutiques, but it was when I visited Helena at Heavenly Vintage Brides that I knew vintage was the way for me. 

There was something very special about finding a vintage dress that hardly needed any alteration, I liked to think back to the dress’ first owner and wonder about them, if they were at all like me.  

So when a white lace 40s dress fitted me almost perfectly, I had my ‘it’s the one’ moment. I also fell in love with a 1952 buttermilk dress Helena had dubbed her Betty Draper. And with two wedding days it was clear I needed two dresses!  

The fact that the two vintage dresses came to less than one modern boutique dress was all the additional persuasion needed." 

The wedding took place in the wonderful surroundings of Annie's parents' Buckinghamshire garden, (with an intimate event at The Compleat Angler in Marlow on the day before). Annie's parents even built a romantic summer house specially!

And as you'd expect at a dancer's wedding, they certainly knew how to cut a rug. No Dad-dancing allowed...

Scotsman Dickie was no sartorial slouch himself. Here he is, looking very dapper in a Douglas family tartan kilt...

Happy days! If you'd like to see more of dancer Annie's wonderful wedding, check out her post on Rock My Wedding, here.

Love
Helena
Heavenly Vintage Brides

If you liked this post, please try:
Olivia in 1960s Lace Wedding Dress


With thanks to:
Photo: Peachey Photography
Shoes John Lewis,  Rachel Simpson Outlet 
Hair Accessory Lily Bella
Jewellery Baronessa 
Bridesmaids Warehouse
Groom MacDonald Kiltmakers & John Morrison 
Venue Compleat Angler Hotel 
Marquee Hire Joseph Benjamin Marquees 
Decor Pom Pom Studio & Preloved
Table Names The Literary Gift Company
Florist Green & Gorgeous Flowers
Macarons Pierre Herme
Band Juke Joint Jump
Catering Hibiscus Food

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