So you made it all the way to the text in this incredibly photo heavy post!  Well done!  And sorry the photos aren't the best... all taken on the iPhone!

In June I spent a week in Northumberland to celebrate the marriage of two wonderful friends.  The week was full of lots of fun, food, laughter, day trips to local landmarks, wedding preparations and finally post wedding wind downs!

We stayed the week in Seahouses, on the coast by the Farne Islands.  Seahouses was the perfect spot for our day trips out to the pretty town of Alnwick, the historical Bamburgh Castle and impressive Lindisfarne Castle, but of course very close to the fabulous Newton Hall - the venue on the special day!

Just have a think about one of the most fun places you could ever eat, well Alnwick Castle has a restaurant in the biggest treehouse you've ever seen!  And the food was pretty good too!... Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.  We had so much fun on the beach at Bamburgh, which has to be one of the prettiest beaches in the UK, the sand dunes are just incredible - though I did ruin my little Primark pumps wondering over them!  Oh well, it's good job those shoes were cheap!  I have to say the Holy Island was a bit like a retirement centre, but a pretty one at least!  The views to and from Lindisfarne are just stunning!

My friends wedding was amazing, she looked a-ma-zing, and the venue was amazing.  Everyone had so much fun!  I wore a little skirt and top combo from Warehouse, but I don't think it's in stores anymore.  Sorry!  After the wedding, once we'd recovered from our hangovers - with the aid of curry, a few of us went on a boat trip over to the Farne Islands (Staple Island - I think).  What an experience!  It was nesting season so we spent the whole trip running from extremely violent, dive-bombing birds!  But we didn't stop laughing the whole time - and even managed to pop a bottle of bubbly on the boat to celebrate a wonderful wedding and wonderful week!

If you know the area, do let me know your experience of Northumberland in the comment section below.  I would love to hear any stories or trips you've made there!

I spent last weekend in Barry Island, South Wales for my friends' wedding...  Congratulations Charlotte & Tom, it was the best day ever!  I was a bridesmaid too, yay!  Check out my instagram (@charlcollection) for a few pictures.  

I made the most of the last of the British Summer by wearing this AX Paris Wrap dress to Sunday lunch, a get together at Barry Island Yacht Club, the day after the wedding.  It was amazing being with so many friends in such a beautiful place, the comedy show Gavin and Stacy does not do justice to the gorgeous coastal scenery of Barry!!  This wrap dress was perfect for the occasion, just the right combination of casual with the jersey material, but nicely stylish and classy at the same time.  I love the flattering shape created by the drapes.  Better yet, the stone colour paid homage to my bridesmaid dress worn the day before (picture)!

AX Paris Wrap Dress*  |  Zara Sandals  |  Parfois Bag

Illamasqua Smash nail polish, which I got at the fabulous Meadowhall Blogger Style School  //  My lovely Clippy Bag  //  I love my new purse, from TK Maxx  //  York Minster  //  Writing a blog post  //  Brilliant way to get someone to purchase a chocolate bar!  I was convinced!  //  New Ikea candles, they smell amazing!  //  New Journal from Home Sense, I'm obsessed!  //  Free glasses from Lollapalooza 2009, still going strong!  Lollapalooza is the best festival ever, I really want to go back to Chicago again for it!  //  Quorn sweet and sour!  //  I found a load of lipglosses in the bottom of a drawer, time to chuck them out I think!  //  Mummy to be, at my friends baby shower  //  Cupcakes at the baby shower  //  Bubbly at the baby shower!  //  Me before leaving for a night out  //  Salvo's Italian restaurant!  //  I've been eating a lot of Innocent veg pots this week, yum!