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Behind The Blog: The Life & Times Of A Wedding Blogger #2

May 5th, 2012 | Brides Up North Wedding Blog

Today, I’m off to a Real Wedding! Yes, an actual in the flesh celebration outside the pages of the wedding blog. To celebrate Chris and Becca’s big day (congratulations guys!), I’m giving myself the rest of the day off – but will be back tomorrow with more bridal lovely.

Now and again, I like to give you an insight into what goes on behind the scenes at Brides Up North HQ. Our last glimpse behind the scenes of the wedding blog was back at the beginning of April. Its’s about time we had an update, so I thought I’d leave you with an iPhone eye view of what I’ve been up to in the past month or so…

Iphone May 2012 132

1 Brainstorming for my first Wedding Magazine column

2 With Andrea of Fabulous Day following my presentation on Social Media to the North West industry

3 Pizza and friends = the perfect combination

4 Chaos at Brides Up North Headquarters

5 Ready to meet and greet my lovely readers

6 The Nostell Priory Brides Up North Wedding Exclusive in session

7 My peach iced tea fix. Thanks for keeping me alive Costa

8 The mind boggling selection of nail art by Nancy Loves Nails

9 Mid make-over at The Wedding Institute

10 Post make-over – that’s better!

11 Our blushing bride at the Rise Hall Wedding Exclusive

12 More is more rose petal aisle decoration

13 Gorgeous bridal peg doll cake toppers by What Katy Did Next

14 A pretty Brides Up North Wedding Advice Clinic

15 Lunch with the in-laws

16 Walking off lunch with the in-laws

17 Taking wedding day floristry to a whole new level

18 On a secret mission to scout a new venue

19 A boozy lunch with the husband

20 A very busy Rise Hall Brides Up North Wedding Exclusive

21 The best chocolate brownie ever

22 Practising my parenting skills with my friend’s baby – nice to borrow, good to give back!

Until tomorrow!

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Snapshot From The Weekend

April 16th, 2012 | Brides Up North Wedding Blog

The Brides Up North Wedding Exclusive at Nostell Priory via Black Tie Photobooths

The hubby and I celebrating another amazing day at a Brides Up North Wedding Exclusive and having a fabulous old time in the Black Tie Photobooth at the beautiful Nostell Priory.

Did you venture into the photobooth at the event? Watch the blog for more images, coming soon!

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Behind The Blog: The Life & Times Of A Wedding Blogger

April 3rd, 2012 | Brides Up North Wedding Blog

As regular readers of the wedding blog will know, I sometimes like to throw a personal post into the mix of gowns, Real Weddings and general bridal fabulousness that you usually find on these swirly silver pages to keep things real over here at Brides Up North.

I always get lovely feedback after my personal posts and have had requests for more insight into the world behind the scenes as I feel my way in my new and most modern of careers as a professional wedding blogger. So, in attempt to give you a feel for my hectic, crazy and upside down schedule, laced as it is with plenty of Swarovski, tulle and white wine, I thought that I would let my iPhone memories of the last few months do the talking.

Hold on tight… it’s been a rollercoaster!

Iphone 2014 (c) Brides Up North Wedding Blog

From the top:

1. “Just Married” with my friend Rachel at the end of a busy day at All Wrapped Up Events’ Wedding Carnival

2. With team mate Squash half way through the Ski The World Challenge for The Make A Wish Foundation

3. Playing Auntie with my BBF (Baby Best Friend)

4. Strutting our stuff on the catwalk at the Top Model UK after party

5. A packed out Battle Of The Wedding Bands with AMV Live Music

6. Team Brides Up North ready for a record attendance at Allerton Castle

7. A glitzy ceremony at The Bridal Buyer Awards 2012

8. Last minute pancake flipping

9. Turning thirty ain’t so bad with beer and a glitter tee!

10. Raising another glass at The Wedding Industry Awards 2012

11. Styling on location with Cat Hepple and The Harrogate Wedding Lounge in Masham

12. Fresh air and friends

13. Styled to the max for a promo shoot with Karen McGowran and House Of Mooshki

14. Lynnie of Stems Design working her magic for the Brides Up North Tweet Up Yorkshire

15. Back to blog school with the Forward Ladies

16. Brides Up North on tour at The UK Wedding Shows

17. I find inspiration everywhere

18. On bridesmaid duty at a fitting – work it!

19. Brainstorming styling ideas

20. All you can eat Yo Sushi

21. In the FROW at Sheffield Fashion Week with The White Room Sheffield

22. A diabolical attempt at cupcake making with Fancie (theirs are much better!)

23. The World’s cutest yet naughtiest dog

24. Sparkle from By Gina to select from at a styled shoot

25. A very pink and messy Brides Up North HQ

26. A weekend break in North Yorkshire to recharge the batteries

27. A rare night away from my laptop: date night down the local

28. Caught on camera

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Come In? Do You Read? A Brief Bulletin From The Ski The World Challenge

March 31st, 2012 | Brides Up North Wedding Blog

If you caught up with the news on Thursday, you’ll know that I am currently in Courmayeur, Italy, taking part in the Ski The World Challenge with Ski Solutions and Graham Bell in aid of the fantastic Make A Wish Foundation, in my freelance capacity with Wedding Ideas Magazine.

I thought I better drop by with a quick message to let you know that I am still alive… just.

Legs Of Jelly

This is no leisurely press trip! The aim of the challenge is as one of a team of 2 or 3 skiers, the height of the largest peak in each continent across a weekend – that’s 43,314 vertical metres over 3 days.

I’ve been hitting the slopes hard all day as part of a team of three, including the lovely Ms Katy Dartford and this inspirational lady. You can read more about Squash Falconer and her amazing achievements over on her blog. We have skied over 49 300m runs today. Read that again! FORTY NINE 300m runs. It’s safe to say that my legs are feeling it! In fact they are pure jelly.

This is a deliberately short post – I’m desperately in need of a long muscle soak in a hot bath before the third and final day of the Ski The World Challenge commences – but as well as reassuring my Mum that I’m A-Ok, I also wanted to remind you that you can donate your pennies to this amazing charity – The Make A Wish Foundation – by clicking here. Thank you so much for your support.

To learn more about the Make A Wish Foundation, see my earlier blog post.

I’ll see you on the other side. Have I got some cracking wedding inspiration saved up for you next week!

Over and out!

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Count Your Blessings?

October 19th, 2011 | Brides Up North Wedding Blog

I’d like to try a new feature here on the wedding blog – and I’ll need some help from you Brides Up North, if you please. This short anniversary break with my hubby (hello from the Lake District!) has allowed me to chill out, take stock and celebrate all that’s good in my life at the moment, and I thought it would be nice to run a regular feature celebrating the things that are making us happy right now.

Brides Up North Wedding Blog: Count Your Blessings?

Here’s the plan - draw up a list of ten things that are making you smile today. It feels great!

It might include wedding related joys, people who have touched your life, plots and plans, fashion finds, a great meal or something else entirely. From the frivolous to the fundamental, it’s your blessings that you are counting, and the contents are down to you.

Please email me at julia@bridesupnorth.co.uk with your own lovely list, and I will try to feature as many as I can here on the wedding blog. Spread a little happiness!

10 things making me smile now:

1 A warm fire and half a pint after long windy walks

2 Discussing “the next steps” with my husband

3 Customised comedy cards at www.moonpig.com and a surprise bunch of blousy white roses

4 The lovely response on the wedding blog and twitter to this post

5 Deep, hot soaks in baths perfumed to perfection with our hotel’s miniature bottled bath bubbles

6 Feeling glad for my friend Natalie that her little bundle is just about ready to enter the world

7 Having the chance to get stuck into a good book for the first time in a whole year!

8 An electric blue Shellac manicure (that I would never have been able to have in my job as a lawyer)

9 Party dresses laden with sequins and paillettes hitting the rails in time for Christmas: one will be mine – but which?

10 Looking back on our honeymoon photos a year on, and creating a collage for my husband on our “paper” anniversary.

Email me julia@bridesupnorth.co.uk to submit your own list.