Hen do's with a difference!

Like everything else in life, hen do's are changing and evolving all the time!

 We all have that the image in mind of the "Hen" decorated in various ribbons, badges and wedding paraphernalia or a group of very drunken ladies in random fancy dress stumbling out of Limos in the local town centre and why not?  After all, a brides hen night is a chance for the bride to let her hair down amongst all the chaos of planning a wedding.

What if you don't fancy a night out on the town?  We look at the alternative hen do's.

For the more adventurous bride:

Battlefield Live 

If you fancy getting down and dirty but not in the traditional sense then why not try something a bit more "hands on".

Battlefield Live in Pembrokeshire offers the ultimate in outdoor laser combat.

They use infra-red so it is suitable for everyone with no pain or bruising.

Team work is the key and you will need your wits about you as well as stealth and strategy to defeat the opposition.

The missions include sabotage, flight box, sniper, patrol, capture and hold and rescue the VIP.

Games run for 2 hours and cost £20 per person.  There is no extra charge for ammo and no long waits.

Does this sound like your ideal hen party?  Click here for more details.

Naughty but Nice?

Why not try out the latest in indulgent treats and organise a Cup Cake party for you and your friends?  The Vintage Tea party company, based in Carmarthenshire are offering Cup Cake decorating classes and afternoon tea parties for groups of 8 to 10 people from £30 per person, which includes everything you will need to make a stunning display of delicious delights (plus you get to scoff them when you finish!!).  

A touch of class?

The perfect accessory to every girls outfit is her jewellery, so why not take the opportunity to hold a jewellery party for you and your friends?  
Made With Love by Polly offer stunning handmade jewellery with necklaces, bracelets, brooches and more.  They can offer a bespoke service to co ordinate with your outfit and work with you to create the right piece of jewellery from a range of styles or even from your own ideas!

Ally x

Pretty Pastels and Vintage Vows

More and more people are using themes to base their big day on so for my first blog post I have decided to explore the theme Pretty Pastels and Vintage Vows.

Pastels have always been a popular colour for weddings, more so during the spring season where it can be enhanced by the seasonal flowers which are available at the time of year.  Once you have decided which pastel colours you are going to incorporate in your big day it’s important to get the balance right and accessorise appropriately.

Walking down the aisle hand in hand with pastels this season is vintage.  These themes are the perfect complement to each other and both are widely available from designer boutiques to the high street stores.

So what is available at the moment?  Let’s start with the stationery.

Invites are the first thing your guests will see and will set the scene for the big day.  Your theme can then be followed through to your Order of service, place cards, favours, thank you cards, favours and table plans.  This beautiful example from Cards by Sophie show how subtle touches can still have impact.

Pastel coloured flowers are easiest to source during the spring season.  Your choice of flowers are as equally important as your dress choice as it will bring colour and accent to your dress and finish off your table settings perfectly.

Pastel flowers are very popular with the modern bride and can add that subtle hint of colour without taking attention away from your dress. 

Perhaps you would prefer an alternative to fresh flowers, something that you can keep and pass on to your children?  Why not take a look at Tiny Gems heirloom bouquets.  This exquisite twist on a floral bouquet are made to your requirements from approximately 30 vintage style brooches finished with a ribbon handle and collar to match your colour scheme.

To get that true vintage feel why not look closer to home for your wedding dress and ask mums, grannies and aunties about their dresses.  True vintage dresses are making a huge comeback on modern weddings with intricate details and that true handmade feel.  Not only will it cut out the stress of finding that perfect dress but it’s also a great cost cutter and possibly a way of starting a new family tradition!

Most brides won’t fit perfectly into their mothers wedding dresses but a good seamstress who is experienced in working with vintage gowns will be able to make any alternations needed to give it that extra personal touch.

One bride who did just that is Kyra who wore her mothers dress at her wedding. 

 Kyra says

"I've always loved the photo of her on her wedding day. 1969 - the grooviest decade in history is coming to a close, man is preparing to walk on the moon and my mother, at 22 years of age is laughing on the steps of a registry office in the miniest-mini-skirted babydoll dress of all time! It had to be a civil wedding - the minister would have been apoplectic at the hemline!

My parents had a terribly romantic secret wedding with only two friends invited to the ceremony. They had known each other for approximately 10 weeks and the general feeling amongst their peers was "it will never last!". The dress typified the craziness of the event, pale pink with a matching (2 inches longer) lace brocade coat.  The dress lived as a largely forgotten memory in my auntie's cupboard for 20 years until a 12 year old me tried it on and loved it all over again.

When I got married 12 years later there was only one dress I wanted. Sure, I did what you have to in a couple of bridal shops, I half heartedly thumbed a few catalogues but there just wasn't anything out there that was as daring, swinging, original and flattering as the dress in my auntie's cupboard. I had a very small wedding, i'd got engaged to my fiance on the third time of meeting and no-one thought we had a particularly long future either,what else could i wear?

With my mother's blessing I got a panel of silk sewn in to the front. The lady who made the adjustments for me called her friends over to admire the dress and reminisce about the days when they too had dared to show as much leg.

I am very pleased that the dress got a second outing. Hooray to crazy, hastily organised, small but romatic weddings, in disgracefully short skirts!"


Ally xx

La Roche Uk

Introducing To You Ally Rosser

La Roche is very pleased to introduce you all to our resident blogger, the lovely Ally Rosser.

Ally will be covering all our articles and blogs and keeping you all up to date with topics from the latest wedding trends to new shop launches.

We are very happy to have her on board and we love her to bits. x

Resident Blogger of La Roche - Ally Rosser

My name is Ally and I am a 31 year old mother of 3.  

I live with my fiance Richard on an organic beef farm in Pembrokeshire.

My passions are photography, reading, running and of course blogging!  I have always kept a diary since I was little and have now blogged for several years on different subjects, the most recent being Richards battle with cancer and the affect it has had on our family.

I am thrilled to be blogger for La Roche UK and look forward to finding out lots of little gems of information to share with you all to help make that special day even more perfect! - Ally