Sophie and Matt's wedding is a beautiful example of a wedding at home, with elegant styling and plenty of thoughtful touches to make the day extra special.

The wedding took place in July, with a romantic ceremony at St Peter's Church in Old Woking, followed by the reception at my parents home. Sophie's parents were married in the exact same locations 32 years ago when her grandparents lived in the family home, making the venue choices extra significance to the family. This was reflected in their photos which echoed the photos that Sophie's parents had taken on their special day.

Sophie wore Jesus Peiro style 8070 which was the perfect choice for the relaxed but elegant nature of the day, featuring a delicate lace bodice with scalloped lace capped sleeves, above a fitted cummerbund waist and full skirt with pockets.

Read on to see more from their beautiful Summer wedding day, along with images by Matthew Lawrence Photography

Jesus Peiro 8070 wedding dress

I had tried on countless dresses and it was starting to feel like a blur of white! I had always been told that the wedding dress experience would be magical,but I was beginning to lose hope in the process. It can be quite a daunting experience, clambering in and out rather inelegantly of reams of tulle and lace, but as soon as I stepped in and saw the dresses at Miss Bush I knew it would be different. I fell in love with the stunning Jesus Peiro 8070 dress. I wanted something classic with delicate lace and Miss Bush had exactly that!

Dress Shopping

I took my Mum as I trusted her opinion and knew she would tell me the truth, even when I didn't want to hear it! She had seen me try on countless dresses, but instantly we knew something was different when Corinne pulled it from the rack. I knew in my heart that it was the one for me, it felt comfortable and I felt unbelievably happy. I stepped out not wanting to take it off and had Corinne not been there I might have bolted down the street wearing it. I remember pulling back the curtains, trundling out and feeling truly like a bride. It was everything I wanted the dress to be. I will always remember my Mum staring, and simply saying 'Oh my, that's the one'

I can confidently say my favourite part of the dress shopping experience was the team at Miss Bush. Everyone plays a crucial role and they work tirelessly to provide an exceptional service. I was welcomed through the doors by Corinne who instantly put me at ease. We laughed snd chatted and amongst considering my dress, i began to think whether i should throw in the towel at my job and apply to join the Miss Bush team. After this I met Rosie for my accessories appointment. This was where it really began to feel real and having the opportunity to have the one on one session with Rosie meant I could really get to know the dress and what went well with it. I then met the extremely talented Jo who is clearly at one with her sewing machine, recognising exactly how to get that comfortably close fit. Finally, I collected the dress from Emma who gave me an insight to the incredible ethos and family that is Miss Bush. Someone once said that clothing should never wear you but you wear the clothing, and I loved that Miss Bush helped you to not only find a dress, but something that was en extension of your personality, style and perfectly unique for you.

Miss Bush provide an array of incredible extra benefits and host a range of events to help you better plan and prepare the big day. I attended 'Sunday Service' with one of my bridesmaids and was given key advice around makeup, hair to general guest welfare. These are all things that are so daunting and it can feel like there are a million and one things to consider and then suddenly someone asks 'Where am I sitting on the table plan?' and you fall apart at the enormity of all the things ahead. These little services really help to just get your head around those essential tasks.

Styling

I unfortunately look rather young for my age and wanted to avoid looking like a child bride. With this in my mind I wanted something elegant and mature, with simple lace detail. I have always adored Grace Kelly's wedding dress with its deep waistband and elegant skirt. The thick satin skirt was so classic and I loved how many of the Jesus Peiro dresses emulated that style. I had my hair up with white roses and a long simple veil. I avoided anything to detailed as I wanted the lace on the dress to do the talking! I bought some diamond and pearl drop earrings and my heels were also embellished with pearls. In the evening I changed into converses which I had printed with the date and my name!

A creative, personal garden wedding

I was inspired by the idea of a garden wedding and wanted to craft a lot for the big day. We had no colour scheme as we realised we just wanted a range of colours in all the things we loved. We hand made our invitations using my cricut machine and created a 4 page 3D silhouette of where we were engaged. We also built a bar out of pallet wood and handmade the wedding favours where we engraved the guests names onto oak wood. I learnt calligraphy and painted a world map for the table plan. I began making paper flowers and bought special travel themed paper to tie in with our world map seating plan. This all seemed a very exciting idea with a year to go but quickly became a rush for the finish! It was very important for us to put our own creative spin on the day and make our mark.

The best bits

My favourite part of the day was walking down the aisle and seeing Matt at the end. It suddenly felt like all the weight of the past year had been lifted and I could really enjoy what we had worked so hard towards. There was something so special about entering a room filled with your loved ones and knowing that they had come to celebrate such a special occasion with you.

Sophie's Advice

Someone once said to me that wedding planning would be so easy if people weren't involved and this couldn't be more true. Everyone will have their own opinion on what is right and wrong, but in truth there is no right or wrong, just what makes you happy. You have to put yourself first and create a day that suits you both.

Suppliers

Photographer: Matthew Lawrence Photography
Hair and Makeup: Catherine at NW Makeup
Marquee: Country Tipis
Bridesmaid dresses: Coast
Flowers: Longacres
Catering: Super Event

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