Alexandra & Carlo | The bride wore: Naeem Khan

If you’re in need of a little real-life wedding inspiration this 2017, prepare to be completely and utterly ENCHANTED with the wedding celebrations of Alexandra and Carlo Carello. With a glamorous ceremony in London at the Little Brompton Oratory and a luxury three day wedding affair in Turin, Italy, including a ceremony and reception at the breathtaking Castello di Racconigi, you know the bride’s dresses (yes, there was more than one) are going to be INCREDIBLE…

As the Jimmy Choo PR Manager and with an incredible day-to-day wardrobe (evident via her beautiful Instagram feed here), it was with baited breathe that we waited to see what the bride would choose to wear for her celebrations. Happily, I caught up with Alexandra to talk to her about her wedding dress journey… 

Photography: Margherita Borsano Photography 

#1 How did you start your wedding dress hunt? 

“For London I found it on Instagram through a designer I had worn before: Esme Vie. I asked them to send me a sample to try and it was perfect. For the Italian cermony I went to every wedding shop I could find in London and found my dress in The Wedding Club who are the only stockists of Naeem Khan and Zuhair Murad. Their way with embroidery and embellishment is so intricate everything else failed in comparison.”

#2 Did you have a clear idea in your head of what you wanted? Did you try on any other dresses before you found ‘the ones’? 

“I knew exactly what I wanted. In my mind it was always long sleeved, full-skirted and embellished with a small waist. The dress process was the funnest part so I wanted to extend it for as long as possible so I tried on every dress style I could.”

#3 Talk us through the service and experience you received with your incredible Naeem Khan gown and also your beautiful Esme Vie creation. Plus, how did you discover your Georges Hobeika gown for the brunch? 

“Georges Hobeika was another Instagram find. I followed them and emailed them asking where I could find something to try on. They only have a showroom in Paris and by chance I was there for a friends birthday. I put so much effort into finding each dress. Really doing my research. From the beginning I had a vision in my head and I didn’t waiver at all. I know my style so I was determined to find what I had in my mind which took a lot of research and trying on, and because of their design and craftmanship, each of the dresses made me feel beautiful.”

#4 Was it the dress experience you always wanted when it came to finding the ones?  

“It was harder than I thought it would be, actually. I loved it but it is a lot of pressure to narrow things down to just one dress. I tried on the Naeem Khan three times even though I knew it was the one. By the end of it – shopping for four different dresses (London, Friday, Saturday & Sunday in Italy) – I never wanted to see a shop again. I got over that pretty quickly though!” 

#5 Did the theme or style of your day and your venue effect the style of your Naeem Khan dress? Your Esme Vie gown too? 

“I think the venue certainly dictates your choice. if I had worn the Naeem Khan dress in London it would have been out of place.”  

#6 What accessories did you opt for for your celebrations? What shoes did you choose and why? 

“London, I had a beautiful pearl headband by Miu Miu and these vintage flower mother of pearl earrings from my Mother. The dress was very classic but I wanted to give it a bit of a modern twist with the accessories. 

For Italy I had Made to Order Jimmy Choo shoes with a date plaque on one sole and also an A heart C monogram on the other. They were white satin as I couldn’t have anything embellished otherwise it would rip the dress. I had a veil made with the embroidery of the dress which was divine. I just wore diamond stud earrings. I didn’t think the dress needed dressing up any more.”

#7 Tell us a little bit about your bespoke TH&TH bridesmaid dresses…what was the bespoke TH&TH experience like for you and your bridesmaids? Did you fall in love with a particular design? 

“TH&TH are the best. One of the hardest decisions I found was choosing the bridesmaid dresses. There are so many unflattering designs made with cheap fabric. I had a design in my head so I had consultations with TH&TH who got what I wanted instantly and did beautiful sketches for me, came round to my house for fittings and meetings etc.” 

#8 What would be your advice to brides-to-be starting the dress search? 

“I think it depends on the person. Some people can get very confused trying on too many pieces but I loved the process of playing dress up so much and knew it would be my only chance so I wanted to prolong it as much as possible.”

#9 What would be your advice to brides-to-be starting the bridal shoe search? 

“You need a shoe that does not compete with the dress. The shoes are there to compliment not out do the dress. Also go for a style that you know works for you. Trying something new on your wedding day is not the time to start! There would be nothing worse than a bride who couldn’t walk. You are supposed to glide.” 

#10 And finally, do you think you might wear any of your incredible gowns again? 

“110%! I buy everything as an investment. My Naeem Khan dress is being cut as we speak to a mini dress. The Georges Hobeika is not so bridal so I will leave that as it is and wear to something else. My friday night dress was actually a black RED Valentino dress and I have already worn twice. I think the hardest to wear will be the Esme Vie – if I can fit in it I will wear it to my children’s christening!”

Brunch…