Postcard from New York - Behind the Scenes

When I look these images I wonder how it was that the forces of the universe and the alignments of the planets threw Sharon Roberts, Carolanne Armstrong and I into the same orbit. Add to this vixen collective my long time, long suffering Bush legend Amy Plank and Juliet McKee - photographer and survivor of an argument with me. ( To be fair - sometimes utter frankness doesn't scan well on email - I 'may' have sounded rude.)

Then add in the models - Carolanne scouted the gorgeous Jade, Human League style, whilst working as a waitress therefore sealing her Svengali reputation and saddling her with a reputation for sexual ambiguity. Jeni - another Miss Bush veteran - is actually a friend of my daughter whose chiseled cheekbones make me want to weep and run off for some 'pillow-face' surgery. Ellie the fawn-like, long limbed lovely is the younger daughter of a friend and surprised Adam Crohill at the Postcard from New York event by changing back into her school uniform as she left.

It is a veritable recipe for disaster. Five decades of womankind working together to produce images of beauty that transcend our personal taste.  Belligerent, stubborn, creative, funny, clever, quirky - I don't know in which order of importance I'd place these but they've all got these qualities. Add in bossy and opinionated for me and from a flat pancake of possibility rises a beautiful confection of cool.

I'd happily spend my hours on Pinterest plotting new shoots were it not for the significant lapses in time that occur along with some badly fed kids and RSI of the mouse hand! For now here's a few backstage moments. They are my personal A Team, and in the words of Hannibal - I love it when a plan comes together.

Heavenly Jade being made up by her scout Carolanne Armstrong

Sharon and I consider our Park Avenue Princess Ellie

Jeni becoming the hottest boy ever...

My brief was sleek, sleek, sleek - and I don't care if it's greasy in real life!

Sharon, Amy and Carolanne at work at Miss Bush Chapel

On location - I sense I'll have Amy on my case for these photos

Amy doing what she does best - dressing and styling!

All photography Juliet McKee

Shed to Wed - more food than diet this week...

This week my attempts at diet and exercise have been futile owing to the giant Postcard from New York project that has been happening at Miss Bush HQ. However at Weight Watchers weigh in a magnificent 2 and a half pounds were lost. Whether this is due to atrophying muscle from not having run for a week or my nerves been stretched to pinging point I don't know. I will accept this weight loss as a pat on the back for 18 hour working days.

Stats

Week 7 Stats

Bust 441/2"
Waist 361/4
Hips 411/4
Weighing in at 12 stone 12and a half pounds

Week 8 Stats

About the same - the scales say about 12st 10lbs the measurements are the same more or less. I have run, trained but am tired and sleep deprived with a spin cycle for a brain.

Week 9

Official weigh in at 12st 10lbs so 2.5 pounds lost 'officially'

Person or persons that have  been feeding me unbelievably calorie free (not) lovely yummy food include :-

Ayca from Naughty but Yummy. Ayca saved my bacon with masses of cupcakes provided at a moments notice. Ayca, pronounced aitcha,  is the most bubbly wedding enthusiast I have come across. An extemely gifted cake maker she also created the cute New York themed cookies for the goody bags. I can report that the cupcakes in lemon and vanilla were indeed 'yummy'. No idea what the biscuits were like as they were all snaffled before I had time to try one. I can only take this as whole hearted approval. Naughty but Yummy, given more than two days notice can provide all sorts of tempting tiny gorgeousness. The mini cheesecakes take some beating. Are we beginning to see why I am not naturally slim...

Further temptation came from Creative Candi . Lovely Sarah spent more time on her knees with hygiene gloves than I have ever seen anyone do- short of birth or a Brazilian. I know it's one of those wedding services that you think you don't need. Or you can do it yourself - then people think that about running a wedding dress shop. The key skill that Miss Bush's partners have for an event like the Postcard from New York is that they are genius in their niche. They must be glamorous but make their skill look effortless. As a bride you really don't want a sweaty-faced panicker providing a service for you. You want discreet professionalism. All the Creative Candi's labels were custom made to match our mood boards, the sweets were arranged with a precision that would drive me mad. Even the spoons and sweetie bags were on message. It was so beautiful that guests were reticent to tuck in. That soon faded with the green light to load up their striped swag bags - the same way your guests would find this fun. All I can say is that is a good job that there were no chocolate mice or Jazzles or the diet story woould be very different...

Not on show but stashed in the Miss Bush Chapel was the crew food. One of The Lovely Marshy's oldest friends Kim runs a cafe in Woking and provided the kind of food that you can wolf down. Haylees Lunchbox provided sarnies, samosas, bits of stuff in breadcrumbs, wraps, sausages... It was heavenly and vanished as the teams of models, make up artists, hairdressers, dressers, seamstresses worked all day to get the fashion show perfect and inspiring. There were also New York cabbies, DJs and assorted helpers milling all day... an army marching on it's very slender and well toned stomach.

And what of the demon drink? I had first made the acquainance of Tom from Shaken and Stirred at the launch of Parallel Venues Fetcham Park and as a new girl to event planning I was really impressed with how the bar was run and the utter drinkabilty of the cocktails - I consider myself a keen amateur. The weather angels were definitely watching over us - although Shaken and Stirred were prepared for bad weather we had glorious sunshine on the 23rd March. Their alfesco bar was perfect - and Stressfree Hire added last minute outdoor lighting.

All that remains for me to find for my next event is wedding caterers that would like to promote themselves to brides and the media. In the interim there is Waitrose terribly efficient canape service. They were also good enough to add an emergency dozen bottles of Prosecco to my order - I knew we'd need fuel for the after-party.

All photos by the very fabulous Juliet McKee

Cherished Vintage Pop Up shop Saturday 14th January

Headdress by Cherished Vintage, Hair by Sharon Roberts, Make Up by Carolanne Armstrong

The adage 'you always want what you've never got' is never more evident than in a bridalwear shop. Your gene pool dishes out an A Cup - you lust for an E! Alabaster skin?  You'd rather have olive. At size 6 you worry about jutting hip bones - at size 16 you worry about jutting hips.

Accidentally, when I fell into the family business, I got a 16th Century vintage shop. Following this adage, I'd prefer a modernist 'space.' I long for high ceilings, for department-store size plate glass windows. I'd love my dress collection to be 10, crushingly expensive, minimalist dresses that could only be worn with aplomb by Daphne Guinness.

Not going to happen - like me in a cropped top - never...

Miss Bush is a chocolate box shop in a proper, busy village. Visitors to Ripley like cake, queue for hot sausage rolls, buy antiques, vintage motorcycles and Cath Kidston.  Ripley locals have there own tankards in The Ship. You'd be lucky to get more than one ice cube in your gin (Gordon's) and tonic and you can't get a cocktail. There is a village green.  The village school  makes a Fairy Liquid bottle nativity scene in the window of the chemists at Christmas. There are fetes...

It embodies 'vintage' - I cannot escape from it. I have embraced it. My village of Ripley is relentlessly charming, the shop is cute - brides and their mothers love it. It has always been vintage, the shop was already 200 years old when Queen Victoria was born.

Interior of Miss Bush

Regardless of fleeting fashion terms , wedding style has always been heavily weighted with nostalgia. Silent move stars, flapper girls, pre-Raphaelites, Parisian prostitutes, Calamity Jane, Land Girls, Dior, Goths, Mods and Rockers, even vintage Disney populate aisles across the country.

Combine the passion for 'ye olde England' & weddings; nostalgia & fashion and somewhere in the heart of a post-modern Venn diagram is Miss Bush.

On Saturday Cherished Vintage will be at Miss Bush with their fabulous collection. Like any self respecting Victorian, remodelling the family jewels, Cherished Vintage remodel old brooches, necklaces, earrings and other glamorous cast offs. They create beauty from forgotten pieces,  one off exclusive accessories to weave more history into you wedding day.

If you love a costume drama and are tempted by a teacake you will find them hard to resist - it's in bride's DNA.

Credits

All headpieces and jewellery by Cherished Vintage


Photography throughout by efc photography

This is a test post featuring the Bush legends...

From l to r Hayley, Gina, Amy and Corinne

Jesus Peiro 2012 Dresses in the Sample Sale

How much do I love Jesus Peiro, the Barcelona based label? Muchly indeed.

To demonstrate just how sub-zero cool our sample sale is feast your beautiful, bridal eyes on these incredible dresses. Not for Miss Bush are there any dated, five year old samples dragged out of stock rooms. I take our 'boutique' status very seriously. I expect our brides to be wearing leading designers with vast amounts of design savvy. Buying a sample should not mean shelving those values...

A further benefit of only putting current dresses in the sale is that they can still be ordered. Too big or too small - I can get the dress made to order . Any new 'made to order' dress from the sale range will have a lovely 'thank you' gift that will make any label loving bride swoon. Call or email to find out...