Emma and Will's stunning wedding took place in late September, at the beautiful Glemham Hall, Suffolk. The day was a relaxed but elegant celebration, with creative personal details and tons of beautiful floral displays.
Emma embraced her simple, contemporary personal style, opting for Suzanne Neville's iconic Amber wedding dress, which she made her own by replacing the standard belt with a slim waistband. Emma styled her dress with an heirloom Vintage veil borrowed from her Mother in Law, along with Jimmy Choo Romy 100 heels and elegant drop earrings by Celine.
Read on to find out more about Emma's dress shopping experience and her wedding to Will, as told by the bride...
Suzanne Neville Amber wedding dress
I loved the timelessness of my dress and its elegance, it felt bridal enough for a wedding but with a contemporary edge which was great for me as I tend to lean for a more tailored look in my everyday wear. The straight line across the shoulders and neck made it feel really present for me and just elevated my confidence on the day. I also have a big bust and was very conscious going in to bridal shopping that I would struggle to find something in my style that suited my body type; I wanted support but also liked the idea of being able to go for an open back option, the structure and support I had in Amber was incredible!
I had my Maid of Honour (Rosie Durant) and one of my bridesmaids (Jake Simmonds) with me when I found the dress. We were a trio for the first fittings at Miss Bush and then I went on my own to make final decisions. I think Rosie cried and Jake just said "Slay", so I took that as a good indication going forward!
I wanted to make the final call alone as I tend to clothes shop solo and wanted to make sure of how I felt in the dress without my cheerleaders in tow!
At my final try before I made my decision it felt as good as I remembered from the first time, and I was sure it was 100% the perfect dress for me.
Dress Shopping
I really loved having that experience with my close friends, it was so much fun and the Miss Bush team bounced off our energy, which can be loud and chaotic at times... always fun though! I felt like the Miss Bush team matched us and so that made me super comfortable going forward.
I have a fairly small frame and big boobs, I always wear a bra and so this has made finding formal dresses in the past pretty tricky, trying to find underwear that could provide support and be 'unseen' at the same time is an impossible mission.
Knowing Miss Bush were so knowledgeable in this area brought me so so much comfort and I was reassured they would be able to find me a dress I was completely confident in. Amber has an inbuilt corset which gave me the perfect amount of support all day and had a large reveal on the back, something I would not normally be confident to wear without a bra, so it was really amazing I was able to have that option with the made to measure service!
Styling
I wanted to feel commanding in my wedding dress, I love sharp lines and tailored fits so the Amber was perfect for this. I paired it with my now mother-in-law's Phillipa Lepley veil from her wedding day, it has three tiers and is very dramatic. I loved it with my dress, I felt it had a contrast of textures and added a free flowing element to the styling.
For shoes I went with Jimmy Choo, a pair of ivory satin Romy 100's. They are so simple but cut a dramatic line in a way that matched the energy of the dress. I didn't want anything too bold as I had the drama of the veil and felt the cut and fit of the dress needed to shine, the shoes only elevated it.
I finished my day look with some gold and crystal Celine drop earrings and a set of black Celine sunglasses that made the whole look feel very Meredith Blake (The Parent Trap,) I loved it!
For my evening look I had a short 60's style beaded Ganni dress that was ivory with lots of embellished blooms on it. It was really fun with a pop of colour and reflected our surname. Having a shorter second dress gave me the opportunity to dance the night away and it was a bit more light hearted and fun than Amber which was nice as I could reflect both sides of my personality in the bridal styling!
A creative, flower-filled wedding at Glemham Hall
My husband and I decided to do the planning alone, having spent some time in events previously I naively assumed it would be a walk in the park to plan, style and organise our own wedding. Although definitely not a walk in the park, it all went to plan and we had an amazing day!
We decided to create a new second name to use in married life, the new name lead a lot of the creative decisions when styling Glemham Hall, lots of beautiful Blooms! We worked with a number of different vendors for décor hire to get the right balance of style that worked with both our taste and the venues existing décor.
We both went to the Slade School of Fine Art and so it was important we managed to get some of our own work into the day. I hand illustrated a number of items including the charger plates for the wedding breakfast and Will worked to create some beautiful stationery for us. It gave the styling a truly personal touch that took time but made our day special and unique.
The best bits
Impossible to choose one so I'll give you three:
1. A very important moment for me was spending a few minutes alone with our close friend to sign our Deed Poll. The name change was important to both of us and it felt like a deeply personal part of our day to share with the people we love.
2. Sitting back at dinner to see everyone we love in one space having the best time and knowing that we worked hard together as a couple and team to bring it all together, soaking that moment in as a married couple was really special.
3. Our band were AMAZING, I have had SO many guests ask me who they were and tell me what a great time they had! Shout out to Groove Station, you are the best.
Emma's Advice
For the dress, go in with an open mind and take your time. I found to really helped to make the final decisions on my own, it meant my head was clear and that I was sure my dress was one that I loved. Also having a larger chest and smaller frame it really was worth investing in a made to measure service, I felt 100% confident on the day knowing it fit perfectly and that I was secure.
For the day, we wanted something timeless and I felt the best way to do that for Will and I was to make sure that the day reflected us, our talents, hobbies and loved ones. We planned for 2 years so had lots of time to add personal touches and details that reflected us and our new families.
Suppliers
The Dress: Suzanne Neville at Miss Bush
Photographer: Emily Rose Hamilton
Veil : Vintage Philipa Lepley owned by Grooms mum
Bride Earrings and Sunglasses: Celine
Bride Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Bride 2nd Dress: Ganni
Hair and MUA: Unveil
Groom Suit: Oliver Brown
Wedding Rings: Riley & Riley
Engagement Ring: Studio 35
Venue: Glemham Hall
Planning & Styling: The Bride
Stationery & Illustrations: The Bride & Groom
Decor, Vases, candle sticks, urns, neon signs: Dottle Events & Hire
Decor, Linen, tables, tableware: The Banqueting Hire Service
Decor, Shells, Illustrated charger plates, linens, signs: The Bride
Flowers: Rose & Berry Flowers
Wedding Day Dog Care: Norfolk Paws
Jazz Duo: Mosey Jazz Duo via Entertainment Nation
Band and Acoustic Duo: Groove Station via Entertainment Nation
Wedding Cake/Cheese Stack: Slate (@slatecheese
Catering: Peter Harrison
Car: Aston Martin DB5 Hire / Premier Carriage Wedding Cars
Gift list: The Wedding Present Company