Oh 'Shirley' | What I wore

One of the biggest forms of inspiration when it comes to bridalwear is, of course, seeing WHAT SHE WORE. Translation? What other fellow real-life brides-to-be wore on their wedding day. There’s nothing quite like it. To start things off I thought it only fair to kick start this section with myself and what I wore for the BIG DAY…

Finding THE ONE was a lovely experience. I started off at a local bridal boutique (which, as I always say, is a great way to start the process specifically if you don’t know quite what you’re after. Take this opportunity to try on EVERYTHING. From that billowing tulle princess dress to that super-sleek fishtail gown. This is your chance). Following this I booked an entire weekend of bridal dress appointments at various boutiques (I’m sure my Father was particularly pleased with this). I had THAT dreamy bridal experience (that every bride longs for) at the beautiful Blackburn Bridal Couture boutique in Blackheath, London with Russell Blackburn himself (and brought most of my family along for the experience too). It was everything I could have hoped for and more: a glorious selection of gowns (think Jenny Packham, the Blackburn Bridal Couture line, Claire Pettibone, you name it), champagne, and a man who knows exactly what he’s talking about…Russell Blackburn.

And, THE ONE? Why, I finally found her, surprisingly close to home at The Wedding Shop in Colchester, Essex. I highly recommend this store. I had such a wonderful time trying on dresses there, and their assistance was so professional and so helpful that I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Trying on dresses, I finally found her. There she was, Shirley by Jenny Packham. Was I surprised? No. I’ve always been a fan of the halterneck, and Jenny Packham is one of my most coveted designers. Every gown she creates is insanely beautiful and original, and I just felt completely right in her gown Shirley – just how you’re meant to feel. I didn’t cry – like some brides-to-be do (have I been watching too much Say Yes To The Dress?) I just knew. It turns out you’ll just know…

I chose to pair Shirley (I ended up just referring to my dress as just Shirley – like a real person – in the office when I worked at Wedding Magazine) with a pair of gorgeous glittering heels by the wonderful bridal shoe designer, Benjamin Adams. The pair I wanted weren’t available in the UK but they kindly shipped them from the USA so I could wear the glittering T-bars under the dreamily smooth hemline of my gown (and considering that it rained ALL DAY on our wedding day – which meant I had to hold my dress up a lot – it was a good thing that I chose such a show-stopping pair of shoes).