We're so pleased to share Olivia and James's stunning London wedding with you, which took place at The Savoy. With the groom in stylish black tie, incredible event styling and luxurious floral displays at an iconic location, the day was the perfect example of a fabulous London wedding.
Olivia chose the perfect bridal outfit for her glamorous wedding day, starting with a custom version of Jesus Peiro's 2403 wedding dress. This crisp satin dress features a moulded bodice with a full, romantic skirt. Olivia made the dress her own with the addition of wide shoulder straps, as seen on style 2332. The finishing touch was Jesus Peiro's incredible 2415 high necked poncho style cape, made from exquisite glittering 3D printed tulle that caught the light beautifully. Olivia styled her look with classic silver Jimmy Choo sandals and a chic up-do finished with a delicate hair vine along with a romantic two-tier veil.
Read on to see all of the gorgeous images, and find out more about Olivia's dress shopping journey and her wonderful wedding to James.
Jesus Peiro 2403 wedding dress with straps, and the 2415 cape
I wore the 2415 Jesus Peiro cape paired with 2230 with 2332 straps - a magical creation of Emma's! I felt like I was living a dream!
When I got engaged and the planning began, the thing I was most excited about (other than the actual marriage part) was THE DRESS!!! However, I was nervous about the actual shopping experience; the thought of being somewhere and feeling rushed into a decision without actually knowing what it would look like, or being in a busy shop and feeling overwhelmed.
I spent weeks looking online at various dresses and places to shop, then it dawned on me why nothing felt quite right. I just couldn’t imagine any of these beautiful dresses on me. Every model was so tall, slight and well... not 5 foot nothing with 32G boobs. So like any millennial I resorted to the black pit that is google, starting with ‘wedding dresses for short and large chested girls.' After some questionable search returns and some refinements to my search criteria… I found this article written in Cosmo by Jess about her experience at Miss Bush. I was finally reading something I could relate to. So I took the advice, started my mood board, gathered ideas, enquired at a few places and I just kept circling back to Miss Bush. No dress sizes (big tick), inclusive (tick), supportive (tick), nurturing (tick), unapologetic (tick).
So after discussing it with my mum, we decided Miss Bush was where we needed to go. So I booked my appointment and had a few weeks in between booking and my appointment, due to the roof restoration, which gave me plenty of time to overthink and worry about looking like I was playing fancy dress. Before the appointment, I got my questionnaire and started to fill it in. I treated it like a quiz, as if at the end I was suddenly going to be given a magical answer. Kinda like those quizzes that you complete to find out what Hogwarts house you should be in!!! I shared my 5 fave dresses that couldn’t have been more different, wrote a bit about myself my day, etc, submitted it and hoped for the best.
The day of the appointment arrived the nerves had well and truly sunk in. I was in Nest next door to Miss Bush (which became go to stop) with one of my closest friends and my Mum, sipping on coffee. It was all quite real. Not knowing what to expect, I walk into the gorgeous chapel, where I’m greeted by Rosie, shortly followed by Emma. After a little natter about the wedding day, Emma concluded “well you’ve never put a wedding dress on, so let’s start with that”. The first dress was the Gigi, the most wedding-y of wedding dresses. Stunning, but not right for me. We played around with some fun sleeves to add a bit of oomph and drama to the dress. But it was safe to say, at this point I was feeling a lot more relaxed, and knowing we had the chapel to ourselves really helped to put me at ease.
Dress Shopping
Getting married in such at OTT venue, Emma emphasised that I should still shine through and bring the drama. I then tried on a dress that was DRAMA. The petticoat made the dress as wide as I was tall, and it was fabulous and so fun, but maybe not practical.
Emma then referred back to my form and pulled THE CAPE. The 2415 Jesus Peiro cape is now only referred to in capital letters as THE CAPE, because that is is the level of prestige it deserves. We loved THE CAPE and decided to go for a simple but elegant and timeless dress underneath. The whole look was then built around the cape, to compliment and work with it. Given all of my boob related concerns, I put my trust in Emma when she suggested I tried on a strapless dress which could be adapted to have straps. I was apprehensive, but I didn’t need to be. The design, and where the seams were placed, made me feel secure, my chest appeared smaller and I didn’t feel like I was falling out of it. Emma assured me straps could be added and my favourite bra could be adapted to work and fit under it. I pranced around the chapel in my dress and felt so at ease. I had found the dress, and the dress was to be coupled with THE CAPE. I was genuinely so thrilled with the whole experience, I loved every second of it. I was genuinely sad when it was all over. It was truly one of the most fun days and if that day became my Groundhog Day - I genuinely think I would feel the same every time.
The same love and excitement resurfaced every time I stepped into the chapel, the warmth of the team at Miss Bush made every visit a joy and I loved it so much! I am so jealous of future brides-to-be that get to have this experience. My piece of advice is, do your research ahead of time, find the shops that you want to go to and sound like they’ll suit your needs. If something isn’t feeling right, then don’t go for it. I spent more time researching where to shop, than I did choosing my dress. The offerings at Miss Bush enable you to build your look, refine it and achieve whatever it is you want to achieve. There might be a fabric, style, shape, that is your starting point - it is all building blocks.
The biggest issue I faced was my own self-doubt and lack of confidence. Every time my confidence wavered during my appointment, or I worried about my size, how I’d look, what other people would think. Emma and the team at Miss Bush sell unapologetic confidence; whatever your quirks, hang-ups, concerns are, they will help you find the confidence (and the perfect outfit) for your big day.
Styling
In my quest to not be a stereotypical bride, I didn’t want to be another bride in another pair of Jimmy Choo shoes… alas.. that’s what happened. But they were silver, metallic chunky platform heels. Much like the cape the shoes were DRAMA.
When I went for my first shop, Emma twisted my hair into a low messy bun, so we went for something similar for the big day. I was looking for various hair vines, combs, etc. but couldn’t quite find what I was after. In the end, I found some pieces I liked in a local store in my hometown, it turned out the designer was local to where I grew up. So I worked with her to create a gorgeous hair piece that incorporated the drama and replicated the shapes on my cape and she even added a touch of blue. The best part is, I can re-wear it (well I already have).
I went for a short two-tier short veil which I wore for the ceremony only. It was very sheer as I didn’t want it to cover up the cape.
A classic black-tie wedding at The Savoy, London
The wedding itself felt like a dream, from start to finish I was surrounded by the people I love. The day was full of smiles, great food, good music, laughs and love. We didn’t see each other the week before the wedding, and the first time we did was in front of everyone as I walked down the aisle. There could have been 800 naked people in the room, I wouldn’t have known. James and I locked eyes and it was as if no one else was there. Even now I play it back in my head and it feels like a scene from a movie (I know, cringe). This was a really special moment.
My mum had done a huge amount of the heavy lifting when it came to planning and organising, she thrives off it. The day was beyond my wildest dreams and I’m still pinching myself! We had gone for a lilac, lavenders, purple-tone theme, which was reflected in the stationary, bridesmaids dresses, grooms jacket and flowers. The florals were part of the drama, and my lovely florist Craig captured my vision perfectly. We had a mix of flowers in different shades, foliage and branches, there were bit urns and little stem glasses, it was a mishmash of everything giving a whimsical vibe. I have arranged for my flowers to be pressed to create a keepsake - I’m very excited to see the result.
The ceremony was deeply personal and wholesome, from the words that were said, to the moment James smashed the glass, it was pure magic. The rest of the day consisted of a reception, dinner and dancing. People were on the dance floor all night, the only time it emptied out was when the delicious food arrived. Wine and cocktails were flowing all night and the espresso martinis shot made an appearance (something I never knew I needed in my life). The day went by in a flash and I’m so grateful to our photographer for capturing the day so beautifully. Every time I look through the photos I get to relive it over and over again. I can’t wait to see the video which we’ll hopefully see soon!
Olivia's Advice
Think I answered this earlier on... but the other thing I'd say is, don't worry about the little stuff, the most important thing to keep reminding yourself is you are marrying your person, as long as you are surrounded by the people you love and care about, and that is all the day is really about!!!
Suppliers
Dress and cape: Jesus Peiro at Miss Bush
Venue: The Savoy, London
Photographer: Robert Shack
Videographer: Galaxy Videos
Florist: Craig White Flowers
MUA: Andrea Stark Make Up
Hair: Matt Stark
Hair Accessories: Black and Sigi
Caterer: Tony Paige
Band and Production: Muzika
Wedding Stationery: RSVP Invitations
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Grooms suit: McCann Bespoke
Bridesmaids Dresses: Dessy