Follow the Bride #3 spotlights

It’s follow the bride time again and this week we asked our Bride to spotlight a few items on her wedding checklist.

• So we’ve been dying to hear about the engagement ring! You said your brother Tom was making it? Tom is my elder brother by 3 years, I was his partner in crime when we were little. He was always very interested in how things worked and use to love taking things apart and putting them back together! They didn’t always work in quite the same way afterward though! He has always been one of the more artistic of my siblings (I am 1 of 7) and has always been very creative! He is a working jeweller so he mends, alters and makes jewellery. He can make anything you want, he even made someone a replica sword once! He has just launched a Facebook page (Tom Robertson Jewellery) and he does have a website which has his contact details www.tomrobertsonjeweller.co.uk

• And you said that Jim had helped design it?  I did not have any input into the ring, it was all Jim and Tom (although I think Tom had a fairly big influence in calming Jim’s mad idea’s down). Each piece is different so is will vary, my ring took about 8 weeks, mostly because Jim kept changing his mind!

• Last time we caught up with you, place settings were the next job on the list, how are you getting on with making them?  Any pics to show us?   I have made 60 place setting so far, they are coming along nicely although I keep getting distracted, Rose collared me into helping cut out the bunting, we are cutting up old curtains and bed sheets! I also had to finish my wedding favours (jars of chutney), 100 jars made!

• Any helpful tips for brides who want to make their own place settings too? Well I always wanted to use brown labels and string, but wanted to cheer them up a bit and love sitting paper with sewing machine. I think it looks quite funky and it doesn’t even matter if your not very good at it, they still look great if the stitching is a bit wonky!

• What do you think of the growing trend for DIY weddings? Making the odd thing for the wedding like the place settings, table plan, favours and bunting is great fun and adds a little something to the day, but it’s important not to go crazy and try and do too much otherwise not only will your inner bridezilla come out you may also have a nervous breakdown. Choose a few things to do and always rope in friends and bridesmaids for help. Not that my bridesmaids know it yet but they will be coming and helping me put tops on all the jars.

 (I spy with my little eye... Jess making tags... wearing her beautiful engagement ring designed by Jim and Tom Robertson Jewellery)

• Anything else you would like to spotlight on?  I have just orders the flower girl dress from Gilly Gray http://www.gillygray.com/, which is quite exciting, I am having 3 flowers girls all nieces, 2 Jims (Emily & Alice) and 1 mine (Sophie). They are all very excited. It was originally just going to be 2 but we didn’t want to leave little Alice out so, I just ordered an extra Dress, what’s 1 more!  I have also now sorted out all the Big Bridesmaid shoes, great website called elegant steps, I bought 3 pairs of shoes (they go up to a size 9!) and I am going to get them dyed to the colour I want, it just so simple and means no more trolling round the shops looking for the right colour shoe in the right style!

Thanks Jess!  Next time we catch up with you will be down at the National Wedding Show at Olympia in London Friday 22nd Sunday 24th February where we will be seeing what Jess and Jim both think of the Wedding Shows.

Love as always SP x x