Phew, what a great weekend welcoming visitors to the studio again! I have set aside the first two weeks to catch up with fittings for current clients whose weddings are imminent. From 1st May the appointment diary is also open for initial consultations for prospective new clients. It really feels like we are getting back on track... and the sunshine really helps with the positive outlook🌥⛅️🌤☀️ #greyweddingdress #tulleweddingdress #longsleeveweddingdress 
Pretty evening light in the studio as I was closing up... 
A sneak peek of a custom version of the ‘Grace’ gown created for a beautiful Kansas bride for her wedding last month... Bethsy selected this delicious amethyst shade for the layers of translucent silk georgette and tulle, all hand sewn with French lace appliqué and sparkling with teeny tiny dewdrop Swarovski crystals. Bethsy and her fiancé Nestor kindly invited me to see the dress ‘in action’ as they exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony attended in person by immediate family, but shared with their wider circle of friends via a livestream. The support and love for this couple positively radiated from the screen, and it is clear that, in spite of the mandated restrictions, the occasion will be remembered joyfully by all those who witnessed it. Congratulations to the happy couple! 💜🌿 
You might have noticed I do love to use colourful fabrics and details for bridal wear...this does not mean I don’t also offer classic ivory and white, just that I like to show other possibilities that can look just as ‘bridal’... why limit yourself? Photography @camillajhardsphotography Videographer @hbrodiephotovideo Concept, Hair and Makeup @stephaniealexandrabridal Hair accessories @victorialouiseaccessories Dress @joanneflemingdesign Floristry @thebotanyhouse Cake Design @beth_haxby_cakes Jacket @bertievalentinelondon Crockery and Table Scape @banquetinghire Props @arrayweddingandeventhire Styling @smokeandwildwood Signage @forkeepsuk Stationary @silkandinkdesigns Model @a_la_mol 
When Elizabeth first contacted me in August 2019 from Russia about ordering the Yoake gown for her wedding the following Spring it was already a slight logistical challenge given the timescale and geographical distance, but little did we know at that point what was to come! Although it is possible to order and create a gown entirely without visiting the studio in person (a service I am used to offering overseas clients), it is a bonus if one or two visits can be made, so I had the pleasure of meeting Elizabeth and her fiancé Dmitri in autumn of 2019 when they visited the UK for a few days. She looked a vision in the studio sample, and I was able to complete the ‘toile’ fitting at the same time. Plans were made for a return visit in March for final adjustments and collection.... but well, we all know what happened next. Elizabeth maintained her calm (at least to me! 😉) over the ensuing months as the wedding arrangements were postponed and delayed. We were still hoping that it might be possible for her to pick up her gown in person, but as the drama of the last year unfolded it became clear that was not going to happen. Eventually at the start of this year, with Elizabeth’s heart set on a Spring wedding, the date was reset for this March and I made arrangements for the dress to be couriered to St.Petersburg. This is actually a very safe option, but we were both understandably rather anxious until the dress arrived safely! Elizabeth describes the moment beautifully... (excuse my Google translation of her Russian! 😅) ‘Finally I’m holding a box containing the dress. Nobody’s home, I open the packaging at the speed of light and simultaneously drop Pyjamas and slippers. I’m doing this all right in the hallway where the courier handed me the package. Can you imagine the overwhelming emotions? This day has finally come in reality...my hands are shaking, my heart is knocking in my chest...I put the dress on and as I approach the mirror I realise that all was not in vain. This is ‘my’ dress, and it was exactly how I was destined to marry, this is the dress I will save for life in memory of the happiest and most beautiful day❤️’ Beautiful photos by @antonovakseniya 😍