Bridal hairstyle inspiration

It's that time of the year again when my summer and autumn brides are on the look-out for hairstyle inspiration. The hairstyle you choose will determine the look and style of your hair accessories - are you going classic or boho-tousled, up or down or somewhere in between?!

Even though I have short hair, it doesn't mean I can't dream of having a hairstyle like this...does it? Hair extensions are so good these days! Below is my alter ego on a train ride somewhere in Russia with a sharply dressed secret agent.

Image via Dustjacket Attic

...and back to reality - I am always gathering images of pretty bridal hairstyles and have discovered a website called Pinterest which is amazing for visual inspiration. Once you have an account, you can save multiple style boards. The image below is from one of my boards called Yummy Hairstyles.

I also have folders of images on my Rangoli Facebook page. Check out the albums for Half-up hairstyles, Soft up-styles, and Short bridal hairstyles. Don't forget to look at the Rangoli Brides album too!

I've written lots of posts on hairstyles which are archived here. Have fun choosing your hairstyle and let me know if you'd like some advice on styling your bridal look!

Rangoli headpiece - Lace love

I'm working on a bespoke commission and thought I'd share my work in progress. It's no secret that I love lace and find it inspires many of my designs. I love it on many levels, for it sheerness, transparency and romantic qualities...its timeless nature and ability to work with vintage and contemporary dresses. Most of all, I love the linear floral motifs that twist and flow, following the contours of the female form.

The person that I am designing this piece for is having her dress made by London designer Fiona Clare. Let's call her *Lena! The dress features Chantilly lace as seen above. Lena just loves pearls which are the perfect choice for this style of gown.

Once I had met Lena and heard about her ideas, I began by making sketches of the lace design. There's so many interesting forms in there if you look closely!

For this commission, I'm working to a specific brief for a glamorous side piece which will replicate the lace design. The finished piece will be striking and very feminine. I also like that I've been asked to exclude rhinestone elements - it will be interesting to focus purely on pearl as the main component. I can't give too much more away at the moment but I hope to be able to share some wedding photos with you at a later date!


I'm currently working on lots of individual beaded motifs which will be woven together to form an intricate pearl lace form. I'm having fun creating vintage roses and delicate twisted vines, all lavishly embellished with ivory pearls of different sizes.

Welcome to my world - Hope you enjoyed reading about this latest commission! Please get in touch if you'd like to discuss some ideas for jewellery or hair accessories.

Have a look at my other posts featuring lace or check out my other recent bridal commissions

*Lena is the secret identity that I have given this client but her real name is even more beautiful!

Cake Pops!

Some of you probably know that my 'ickle sister Tara runs a cupcake business called Cupcake Me. Her cakes are truly gorgeous and I get to sample lots of them so I can say that hand on heart! The first I heard about her new cakes pops was when I saw her post on Facebook today...and I let out a mini-whoop because they look so cute!


Here's a few words from the Master Baker -

"As you know, I spend hours online checking out some seriously excellent UK and American cake websites and blogs. I came across the cake pops craze recently and thought to myself that I just had to get a bit of that action. So, armed with a book that I bought online and all the necessary bits, I set about putting some of these beauties together. Voila! The first batch that I made are featured in this picture - they are carrot and walnut with butter-cream bases, covered in a special type of candy coating and decorated...well, pretty much anyway you want!"

What's even better, we had a special home delivery of two cake pops this evening. Myself and Ben got to fight over which sprinkles toppings we preferred. (I went for the one which was ever so slightly larger). I'm delighted to say that I have now sampled my first, very delicious, cake pop. Can't wait to see the full range of colours and designs Tara!

For more info, visit Tara's website and Facebook page.