So Long Our Cilla, We'll Miss You Chuck x

Dear Reader,
It's time to bid a fond farewell to Our Cilla today… 

Remember Blind Date? Back in 1988 – way before X Factor or BGT – Cilla Black's saucy TV dating game was an essential part of my Saturday night. Well, every girl's Saturday night really. It was the perfect backdrop to pouffing up your 80s hairdo ready for a night's dancing...!

But it's easy to forget that Cilla was a pop star twenty years before this, with a sweet and expressive voice that earned her a string of great hits. Take a look at her in 1968 – adorable at age 25, and already a mahoosive star. This song was written for her by Paul McCartney!


With her cute 60s style and natural warmth, Cilla became an enduring icon of the Swinging Sixties…

Cilla with Cathy McGowan

Cilla's own 1969 wedding to Bobby Willis was a media event in itself. Check out this gorgeous clip from Pathe News, which was broadcast into cinemas…




Sadly, Bobby died in 1999. But they did enjoy a long and loving marriage that lasted 30 years.

With Cathy McGowan in Kensington's Biba store

So long Cilla – we send you off with a lorra lorra love!

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

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Friday Inspiration – 1950s Wedding Dresses and Original Vintage Kisses!

Dear Reader,
Romance is in the air today at Heavenly Vintage Brides, as we take our Friday Inspiration from a charming new book, Hackney Kisses…

Original 1950s wedding dresses and original 1950s kisses!

Created by Sweden–based photographer Stephen Gill, the book has a lovely back-story too. While browsing on ebay, Stephen came across a single 1950s photograph that interested him. He bought it, and then saw another listed. And another. And so on. 

1950s wedding dresses and original 1950s kisses!

Eventually, he contacted the owner and offered to buy the entire archive – a treasure trove of over 9,000 vintage wedding photographs from the mid to late 1950s. The photographs were all in packets addressed to the bride's parents, but with no other details.

1950s wedding dresses and original 1950s kisses!

Some packets had many photographs, some just three or four...

1950s wedding dresses and original 1950s kisses!

But in every packet, the image that really leapt out was the kiss.

Original 1950s wedding dresses and original 1950s kisses!

Of the brides, Stephen says "I've never gone looking for relatives, but wouldn't it be great if someone recognised their aunt, or their mum."

Original 1950s wedding dresses and original 1950s kisses!

1950s wedding dresses and original 1950s kisses!

1950s wedding dresses and original 1950s kisses!

If you'd like to see more of these delightful rediscovered pictures, click here...

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

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Vintage Bride Carly, in a Flirty 1950s Lace Wedding Dress

Dear Reader, 
Excuse my absence last week… I was away enjoying a glass or two of prosecco in the warm sunshine!  Now I'm happy to be back with pictures of this week's darling real vintage bride, Carly…

For her Bristol wedding, Carly chose this original 1950s wedding dress – so pretty with its nipped-in waist, frothy full skirt and all-over cotton lace. Carly looked amazing in the dress, teamed with sassy red peep-toe shoes and a neat birdcage veil. And it suited her lovely personality to a T.

1950s wedding dresses are made to show off your curves, so a perfect fit is important. As soon as lovely Carly tried on this beautiful dress, it looked gorgeous on her. But as always, a few subtle and clever alterations can still make a big difference – lifting a dress from pretty to fabulous. That's where my secret weapon – super-talented seamstress Grace – comes in. As well as ensuring this dress perfectly fitted Carly's lovely figure, Grace even made the pretty teardrop headpiece and veil to go with it. 

Congratulations Carly, you look 1950s-fabulous! (And since my secret is out, I shall tell everyone more about Grace in another post very soon.)

Love
Helena
Heavenly Vintage Brides

If you like this post, please try...
A Guide to 1950s Wedding Dresses

For more Real Vintage Brides, check out my website page here...

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Friday Inspiration – 1960s wedding dresses from Vogue.

Dear Reader,

Friday has come early this week!

A vintage wedding dress in The Tuileries, Paris, from Vogue 1961

Or maybe I just couldn't wait to share my Friday Inspiration post…! I've just discovered these sumptuous vintage wedding dresses from a 1961 Vogue fashion shoot by photographer Frank Horvat...

Vogue Brides, 1961, Kent, England and Paris

Paris 1961

Of course, each of these 1960s wedding dresses in stunning, as you'd expect from a Vogue fashion shoot. But don't you think Horvat's pictures are so beautiful in themselves too? They look so fresh and natural, and bring 1960s Paris to life again.

Champs Elysees, Paris, 1961

His work can be seen in museums and galleries all over the world – including his native Paris where most of these beautiful images are set.

On a Paris bus, 1961

Montmartre, Paris 1961

Amazing 1960s wedding dresses, and an amazing talent! What a combination.

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

All photos with thanks to Vogue and photographer Frank Horvat.

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Sophie in 1950s Wedding Dress… and Cool Converse Sneakers.

Dear Reader, 
Today's fabulous vintage bride is Sophie, who married Jerome in April…

Sophie chose a 1950s wedding dress, in tulle and embroidered cotton – sweet and girlishly pretty.


And in a brilliantly inspired choice, she made it totally her own by pairing it with Converse sneakers. Well, she does live in them…!

And – see for yourself – they give the whole outfit a super-pretty Back to the Future 1950s vibe. So cool!

With her pretty dress, cool shoes and tightly-packed roses, Sophie made all the right choices. In Sophie's words… 

"I just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful wedding dress and your help selecting it. The dress fitted perfectly on the day and felt fantastic."

With thanks to David at Married to My Camera for these lovely photos. And thanks to you, lovely reader, for dropping in! Have a lovely weekend and hope to see you next week. 
Love
Helena
Heavenly Vintage Brides

To see another gorgeous 1950s–styled bride, try
More Real Vintage Brides…

And for a snapshot of many more Real Vintage Brides, check out my website page here...

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