My mad wedding week ended with firsts. The first Quaint Queer Weird Wedding Spectacular and the first Belle’s Events Wedding Fair of the season.

The lovely Helen of Doily Days collected me from Hove train station and we set off for Belle’s Vintage Wedding Fair. It was great to see faces from the Doily Days Magazine launch party and new some new faces of those that couldn’t make it. I made a beeline straight for Sue Kwiatkowska Photography, this talented photographer is a new one for me and she was lovely! Her style of photography is very cinematic and modern while having a rustic charm to each of the shots that make you feel as if you are viewing a still from an indie movie!

Oh My Honey was there with items from her sample sale which is online too, so grab yourself a bit of a bargain from her previous collections. This busy lady is off to Australia and America before releasing her new collections around November. She’s going global! Literally as well as her amazing designs! It was also lovely to see Claire again who I met at the launch party, this was her first wedding fair with her laser cut jewellery and handmade crafts. Her company Cat-a-Cake Creations sells her own illustrated greetings cards and jewellery and Claire also runs her own craft fair The Fairy Tale Fair in Brighton.

Jo was there with her Big Bead Boutique, the place to go for beaded headpieces and hand crafted gifts. If you are a crafty bride to be, this could also be the place  for your hen do. Her boutique has room for you and your hens to create beaded jewellery, why not even make your own bridal head dress, not only will it be completely personal and to your exact liking, it will save you a fortune! Jo’s fellow boutique dweller Nicky with her Pretty Pout vintage hair and make-up shop was there too! You can incorporate Nicky’s salon into your hen party too, they even have vintage tea rooms on the premises, so all your bases are covered!

I had a fantastic catch up with Anna of Anna Pumer Photography who took the bloody brilliant photos of Doily Days launch party and Tess of Chatter Cakes. Tess twisted my arm and forced (yeah right) a massive slice of vanilla sponge on me, which was absolutely delicious! I didn’t get much further round the hall, I managed to get a quick chat in with Gillian of Daisy Mays Bouquets and Olivia at Nitty Gritty Events before Helen dragged me out the door to head to QQW! There was obviously enough time though to dive into Rosie, the Vintage Caravan Photo Booth with Helen and Clair, the lady behind Creative Brides and have our picture taken!

Then it was back in the car and we were on our way!

I have to say, it couldn’t be more different! We were greeted at the Quaint Queer Weird door by the Trotters Independent Traders three wheeler, the A-Team van and a hearse. Upon entering the dark cave-like entrance way, we encountered Bruise Violet amidst her burlesque routine and Joe Black waiting in the wings to go on stage. Bruise Violet is gorgeous and probably one of the very few people that can pull off electric green hair, her act was stunning and if you love burlesque, catch one of her performances, you will not be disappointed!  Joe Black took to the stage with his unique brand of entertainment, accordion in hand he serenaded us  with a macabre comedy routine where he converses with Death.

It was a great introduction to the fair and as we made our way round we met three owls from Sussex Falconry, the barn owl screaming every time Mr Black did was highly entertaining! Bella Does Brighton was there with her unusual ‘doll head’ decorations. She’ll show you how to up-cycle your everyday objects to reduce costs and put your DIY stamp on your big day.

I was chuffed to pieces to finally meet Jo from Death & Glory Taxidermy, her pieces are even more amazing in the flesh and I got to try a few on! I have now fallen in love with a gorgeous black raven piece that will one day be mine I tell you!! Fat Cakes are a company who could rival Choccywoccydoodah for the crown of most unusually decorated wedding cakes. There was a bondage cake on display which meant that there were leather straps and buckles wrapped around the base all made from icing.

Fashion came in the form of incredible corsets by Angels Carrying Savage Weapons, Louise McKay‘s leather harnesses, a rubber wedding dress made especially for the show by Am Statik and Get Cutie, a must for anyone embarking on a Mexican ‘Day of the Dead’ theme! Male clothing by Jed Pheonix. The whole show was expertly compared by Dawn Gracie.

We ended up in the Infinity Photographic risque photo booth where I donned a gimp mask and Helen ended up wielding a whip! I then got locked into a pair of handcuffs that wouldn’t come off! Helen finally came to the rescue (after taking a photo!) and used her insider knowledge of bondage gear to get me out!! The whole day was a right laugh and it was well worth seeing different perspectives from inside the wedding world.

All images by Helen of Doily Days apart from blow up doll, Bruise Violet, Infinity Photographic Risque Photo Booth and squirrel in a fez!