Readers' Wedding: Laura and Dan

I haven't posted a reader's wedding for a while, but I couldn't resist this utterly beautiful one, especially as Laura hired out my own collection of vintage china (one of my first clients!). Textile designers Laura and Dan designed their own tablecloths and napkins, screen-printing them in their studio in Dalston, East London.

The creative couple decked out Ratsbury Barns in Kent with personal and original details, such as handmade paper-cut bunting, family photos strung up with pegs, wild flowers by Cafe des Fleurs and giant wooden initials. Laura's lace dress had a vintage feel but was actually by Australian designer Collette Dinnigan, and I love the vintage bridesmaid dresses too. The results are beautifully shot by photographers Tom & Lindsey Fallon.

Our wedding day: the ceremony

We have received all the photos from our photographer James Davidson and could not have been happier – he has captured the essence of our wonderful day and all the details so beautifully, and all with the minimum of fuss on the day – thank you James!

The ceremony was so special, surrounded by family and friends in the beautiful sandstone church in Burton Village. Our fabulous florist James at William and Benjamin, expertly tied jam jars filled with flowers to pew ends and arranged a garland of flowers over the church door (he also made my beautiful bouquet and the bridesmaid’s sweet pea posies).

The real talking point was the porch strewn with a carpet of lavender stems (the groom’s idea) that filled the church with a wonderful scent and had an amazing calming affect on the little flower girls before they walked down the aisle. My friend Lindsey had also hand made lavender-filled heart-shaped cushions for our two chairs at the front of the church.

The vintage block print letters that had taken so long to hunt down were put to good use - we hand-printed the order of service booklets with them on kraft card tied with twine.

There were so many moving moments during the ceremony – but one of my favourites was our friend Fiona singing her own version of the Kings of Leon’s Use Somebody accompanied by Matt on the piano – I don’t know how she held it together with me blubbing a few steps away!

My mum made the vintage-style floral silk bridesmaid dresses, and the little flower girls wore traditional smocked dresses, embroidered with tiny roses, and flower crowns in their hair.

My dress was a tulle 50s design by Kate Halfpenny, which she beautifully remade for me, customising it with a huge handpainted silk flower corsage and long dusky pink washed silk sash. My vintage-style pale pink net veil was handmade by Rio designer Muggia. The gorgeous groom looked dapper in his traditional morning suit and Jil Sander polka dot tie and baby blue double-breasted Gieves waistcoat.

We left the church (having dodged aggressive confetti throwers!) in a vintage green MG borrowed from my godfather and bunny-hopped our way to the reception…..

Vintage wedding dress hunting: Clerkenwell vintage fair

I cut my Sunday morning lie-in short today and peddled down to Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair - a newcomer on the London vintage fair calendar, and not as big as the likes of Hammersmith and Battersea - which makes it all the more appealing if you’re feeling a bit bleary eyed!

It’s a good place to start if you’re looking for initial wedding or bridesmaid dress ideas or for hunting down old lace, textiles, jewellery or divine pillbox hats with net trims. Pieces range from 1800s to the 80s and are well-priced compared with buying in the shops (it also has a tea room and handy alterations booth.)

A Vintage Wedding's stand

Elaine Bernstein's stand

A few stands caught my eye: A Vintage Wedding had a range of frou-frou net and lace bridal dresses, while I loved the adorable bridesmaid dress at Elaine Bernstein’s stand. I couldn’t resist going a bit snap-happy at Fola Solanke’s beautifully styled stall (she’s a Friday regular at Portobello) – honeymoon inspiration perhaps? I just need to track down the perfect 1950s swimsuit…

Fola Solanke's stand

Readers’ Vintage Weddings: Amy and John

Amy and John's day is a true inspiration for all those planning a homemade wedding. Accomplished in a matter of months with the minimum of fuss and without a Bridezilla moment in sight, she planned the perfect vintage-themed wedding. Here’s the low-down:

Where: The ceremony took place in awe-inspiring Southwark Cathedral (with a crowd of Borough Market onlookers outside), followed by a sunny walk (following hand-drawn "walk of love" maps by Amy’s sister Sally) along the Thames to the faded grandeur, paint peeling walls and fairy lights of Wiltons Music Hall – London’s oldest surviving music hall.

The look: 50s-style dresses for the bride (http://www.dollycouture.com/) and floral ones for the bridesmaids, her favourite pink shoes, an ice-cream van and jam jars filled with peonies and pink roses, bought during a dawn visit to New Covent Garden flower market a couple of days before.

A bridesmaid in Vivien of Holloway

Homemade things: Amy says: “I sewed the table runners and bunting using cheap fabric from Abakhans in Manchester; I made the flower girl dress from an extra metre of fabric I bought from Vivien of Holloway; The favours were handmade by us and my sister Sally - little brown envelopes stamped with vintage stamps from etsy, filled with homemade badges made by my sis, special poems written by John and my favourite baking recipes”. Amy, we salute you!

Amy’s tips: “When I was looking for a new 50s style dress, I would have loved one from somewhere like Candy Anthony but they were too pricey. America has lots of companies that create more affordable vintage-style dresses... It was a bit of a risk as I was worried that it wouldn't fit, but the dress was perfect. And a fraction of the cost of anything similar in the UK.”

A "Walk of Love" map by Sally Leach

Wiltons Music Hall

Inside Wiltons