How was your experience in looking for a wedding dress? Did you look at lots of different designs/ places?
I'd always had an idea of what style of wedding dress I thought I wanted. It would have long lace sleeves, backless and a floaty A Line skirt. Not long after getting engaged in August 2019, I visited 3 traditional wedding dress shops, where I was encouraged to try lots of different styles of dress on. I tried on about 20 dresses - None of them felt very "me." Everytime I kept thinking of the long sleeved dress I had pictured in my head. I decided to take a break from visiting shops as I felt like I wasn't going to find what I was looking for. Instead, I turned my focus on booking the wedding venue and the suppliers.
What attracted you to come to Luna Bride?
I met Keely at the "Un-wedding" show in Leeds in November 2019. I'd attended the wedding show with my Bridesmaids for some inspiration, and to get excited for the planning ahead. Keely showed me a few samples of her dresses on the rail, I was instantly attracted to the beautiful materials. Keely explained that the dresses are all bespoke made and can be customised. I was amazed to find she was very local to me - her studio was only a few streets from my house! Because I'd decided to "take a break" from wedding dress shopping, it was another seven months before I visited the studio.
Which dress did you go for and how was the process from choosing to receiving your final dress?
In June 2020, I visited the showroom with one bridesmaid and tried on a few designs. As soon as I put the Posie on, I realised it was the design I had always imagined wearing on my wedding day! The silk skirt felt so soft and the lace was absolutely beautiful. We decided to customize the neckline into a V neck shape, as I felt it suited my figure better. Keely was really accommodating and helped me select a veil to go with the dress. With the impact of lockdowns, my first appointment to have my measurements taken was delayed, fast forward three more months and it seemed Covid was on the rise again. We made the difficult decision to postpone our wedding from April 2021 to March 2022. Whilst our wedding plans were put on hold, we decided to go ahead with our life plans and start our family. Keely was really supportive and understanding when I requested we leave my dress measurements and fittings as late as possible to ensure I was as comfortable as possible with my post partum body! In January 2022 with only 8 weeks until the big day, I revisited the showroom for my measurements. I was feeling really anxious that I was only 3 months post partum, and my whole body shape had changed, to complicate matters I was also going to be breastfeeding on my wedding day! Keely and George went above and beyond to ensure the dress fit me perfectly and even added in additional support on the chest area. I felt so grateful to have such incredible customer service, and even better that it was handmade for me in Yorkshire!
How did you choose your wedding venue, photographer e.t.c.?
We booked the barn at Hidden River Cabins in Cumbria whilst it was still a building site! We only visited two venues, and the decision was easy for us. We wanted a full weekend of celebrations with our guests, many of whom were travelling from overseas, so having accomodation on site was a must for us. I wanted to use as many small local suppliers as possible. Especially since Covid had hit the wedding industry so hard! We discovered many of our other suppliers through social media - including Stuart Grace Photography, Cheryl Davey our florist and Charlotte Wilson my make up artist.
Do you have any top tips for other bride to be's leading up to their wedding?
I found wedding planning quite overwhelming with a baby, covid restrictions changing and generally finding it difficult to get excited after postponing. My advice would be, if you find yourself overwhelmed, try to take a step back and put things into perspective... I just wanted to marry my best friend and have everyone who was important to us there with us to celebrate. Postponing our wedding and starting our family first put alot of things into perspective for us. But I wouldn't have had it any other way!
What was the reaction to the dress?
In the run up to the wedding, I asked my husband to describe what he thought my dress would be like. He described the dress perfectly- long sleeved, lace and backless! He was very emotional as I walked down the aisle, he took pride in saying "I knew it!" Everyone was so complimentary of my dress, describing it as "elegant, beautiful and extremely flattering."
Tell us about your wedding day?
Our wedding day was an incredible celebration with all our family and friends. We pinched ourselves throughout, it felt like such a long time coming! We had a sweetheart top table, which meant we could enjoy our first meal as husband and wife, just the two of us, overlooking the entire wedding party. By the evening reception, the atmosphere was euphoric - every man had his tie around his head and every woman had a piece of pampas grass in hand. After covid, it was the party we'd all been dreaming of - especially with live music back again! It was 100% worth the wait, and the added bonus that Jack, our son, was also there too!
