Jesus Peiro 246 for an English Garden wedding Hever CastleMiss Bush

Alice married James in early September, bathed in golden Autumnal sunlight at their picture perfect English Country Garden wedding! The day took place in Hever, Sevenoaks in Kent, starting with a traditional church ceremony followed by a beautifully styled reception filled with personal details and stunning florals at Hever Castle & Gardens.

Alice's bridal look was classic and pretty, opting for Jesus Peiro's 246 puff sleeve wedding dress, which she fell in love with before even before setting foot in the chapel! It was the perfect choice for the day, working wonderfully at both the church ceremony and the elegant garden party reception. Alice styled her look with simple accessories, opting for delicate jewellery and a romantic single tier veil, finishing it all off with a fabulous pearl headband.

Read on to find out more about the dress and the day in Alice's own words...

Jesus Peiro 246 wedding dress

I wore the Jesus Peiro 246. I'd actually seen the 246 on Pinterest a year before we got engaged and saved it in case I was ever in the position to try dresses on! When I first saw it online I fell in love with the incredible puff sleeves, voluminous skirt and cinched-in waist and in person it lived up to all my dress hopes and dreams. I loved how feminine and classic the dress was whilst also looking cool and modern with the low v-neck. On the day itself, I felt really special and elegant in my dress. The dress was everything I had hoped for and more.

Dress Shopping

I went shopping with my Mum and Grandma. Knowing me well, they knew I was after something classic, voluminous, and a bit of a showstopper! I tried on some beautiful Jesus Peiro dresses with Corinne and really I was spoilt for choice. However, when I tried on the 246 there was something about it that felt so special to me - it truly felt like one of a kind. I could see my Mum and Grandma's eyes light up and I knew it was the one for me! I remember feeling really great in it there and then, before any fitting and it made me feel confident that I'd feel good and like my best self on our special day.

It was super fun trying on lots of incredible dresses with Corinne before coming to my conclusion. Corinne was so kind and patient and I really appreciated her expertise and advice during the session. It made for a really special occasion with my mum and grandma. Further down the line I also loved my fitting sessions with Ben. Again, I just always felt in such brilliant hands with Ben and felt super confident knowing my dress would fit me perfectly on my wedding day.

Styling

Given the volume of the dress I wanted to keep the accessories simple and I also wanted the sleeves to have their moment! I wore a beautiful pearl bracelet, which was my something borrowed and was originally gifted to my mum by my dad on their 30th wedding anniversary. The earrings I wore were a gift from my parents - delicate pearl and diamond drop earrings that I'll treasure forever.

A lover of headbands in general, I was always pretty keen to wear one for my wedding day. It was just a case of finding the right one. Through a Google search I came across the Grace headband by Alice & Blair, a white velvet headband decorated with pearls and Swarovski crystals. Not only was it beautiful, but it was also really comfortable and not once did I get sore ears! I did really like the idea of having my hair up in a low elegant bun which I do think would have looked lovely with the dress on the right person. However, after my trial I just didn't feel quite myself with an up-do. I usually have my hair in a half up, half down style day to day and in the end, opted for this for my wedding day. I felt the headband elevated my everyday look, along with the loose waves that Hannah our lovely hairstylist put in. Veil-wise, we went for a simple, single tier which I'm really pleased about. I'm often drawn to big and voluminous and I did get excited by the prospect of a big 80s style veil! However, I'm really glad for Rosie at Miss Bush's styling advice - the single tier was perfect and didn't overpower the dress and headband at all.

I knew my shoes weren't going to be seen so comfort was of most importance to me. I went for Billie by Rainbow Club, a low heeled white shoe with pretty lace. I've never worn such comfortable shoes! I wore them all day and didn't take them off once. Although not seen on our wedding day, I'm wanting to get them dyed so they can have their moment.

About the Day

We fancied an English country garden-style wedding with some formality and tradition but also a day where all our family and friends could feel relaxed and have a really good time! It was a real privilege to get married in such a historic church, which has been standing for over 900 years and which houses Thomas Boleyn's (Anne's dad!) tomb. My dad and I were taken to the church in a really cool VW camper van, which was fun and also practical being able to house the size of my skirt! My Mother-in-Law, Yvonne, my Mum Liz and friends did the church flowers which were absolutely stunning and exactly as I'd hoped, pretty blues, pinks, whites and greens.

Both James and I grew up playing the cello so it was a special moment to walk down the aisle to Felix, James' childhood cello teacher, playing Ave Marie by Bach / Gounod and for more cello music during the signing of the marriage document. We went for some classic hymns (which were also absolute bangers IMO) and had special friends and family read prayers and readings. Blue is my favourite colour, so I opted for pale blue bridesmaid dresses from Maids to Measure for my two adult bridesmaids and very sweet, smocked dresses with a pale blue wildflower print for my flowergirls. I loved the beautiful bouquets, flower girl posies & flowercrowns created by our florist, Suzanne from The Flowersmiths which really added to the bridal party look - I was delighted.

We were keen for the day to be as simple as possible for our guests and really liked how friends and family could walk from St Peter's through the gardens of Hever Castle to the drinks reception. We were also so lucky with the weather and I was really pleased our guests could enjoy the stunning backdrop of Hever Castle on a sunny late-summer afternoon. As for the wedding breakfast and party, we wanted the venue to look pretty yet personal which was made possible with the help of The Flowersmiths and Becky from My Beautiful Day who styled the room. We had fairy lights dotted throughout the venue, photos of friends and family hanging down from fairy-lit walls and lovely flower arrangements on the tables by The Flowersmiths - again with soft pinks, whites and plenty of foliage. James and I worked on the wedding stationery together and I was so pleased to include my drawings of special places on the table plan and table names.

Post dinner, our band South Supreme kicked-off and it was brilliant - the dance floor filled and we partied the night away!