Tell me about the proposal?
Matt took me on a surprise trip to Paris for my birthday in December 2019! We had a lovely day wandering round the Louvre and Latin Quartier and went wine tasting in the evening, after which we found a little restaurant for steak frites. When walking back to our hotel past the Louvre again he gave me one final birthday present – a beautiful diamond ring.
Tell us about your wedding where was it set and what was the feel of the day.
Our wedding ceremony was in Claverdon, with the reception at Swallows Nest Barn. It was such a warm, joyful day – our 100 or so guests were able to celebrate with us with no Covid restrictions and enjoy dinner and dancing in the beautiful converted barn at Swallows Nest.
What did you love/hate about dress shopping?
I loved every minute of dress shopping. Madi made it such a special experience and immediately understood my style and what I wanted from my dress. My session didn’t feel rushed, and Madi encouraged me to keep trying on the two dresses I couldn’t choose between and highlighting benefits of each. I chose my dress on the day which I was thrilled about, but a part of me was disappointed that I wouldn’t get to go dress shopping again!
What made you pick your dress?
I knew that I wanted an a-line or ballgown style: fitted on the top and fuller on the bottom. I was trying to decide between a Jesu Piero dress which had a really unusual texture and a lot of structure to the skirt, or an Essence of Australia dress which had a very sleek bodice and beautiful flower embroidery on the skirt. They were very similar in shape and in the weight of the material, which was what made it difficult to choose between them, but in the end I went for the Essence of Australia dress because of the simple top, fitted waist, and, most importantly, the floral skirt. It felt like the perfect amount of detail for me, and I liked that it would reflect the harvest festival time of year.
How did you style your day, and yourself ?
We wanted our day to be classic and traditional but also warm and happy, with autumn colours in the bridesmaid dresses and flowers (by Willow and Wild). We went for Sorella Vita bridesmaid dresses in Sangria colour, and part of what made me choose my wedding dress was that it matched the bridesmaids’ dresses (it’s the same designer). I had a simple updo (by Mode Bridal) to match the clean lines of the dress, with simple gold jewellery. My veil and shoes had satin trim on them that, again, highlighted their clean lines.
What advice would you give to brides now?
Choosing the dress, bridesmaid dresses and accessories are possibly the most exciting parts of the wedding prep! Enjoy every fitting as they’re additional chances to wear your dress – you won’t be able to justify it after the wedding!
If your wedding was effected by Covid how do you make adjustments for this?
Our only Covid hiccup was when the factory where the bridesmaid dresses are made was shut down due to a Covid outbreak. The dresses were delayed to within a week of the wedding, leaving no time for fittings. Madi threw herself into finding alternative options that were either in nearby boutiques or in storage in the UK, trying to match the colours and original shapes of the dresses. We ended up finding three gorgeous dresses that went perfectly with my dress and that I was completely happy with. The only risk was that they were in different sizes from the ones we ordered, but our seamstress (Make It Sew) worked absolute magic on the dresses to fit them to my bridesmaids perfectly!
Please feel free to mention any suppliers you might want us to link to, eg Your Photographer, Make up artist, Florist, Cake supplier etcChloe Ely Photography, Mode Bridal, Willow & Wild Floral Events, Make It Sew