We're so pleased to share Ollie and Bethany's beautiful summer wedding with you today, which took place at St John's Church in Merrow, Surrey, followed by an elegantly styled marquee reception in the grounds of Clandon Park.

Bethany wore a personalised version of Jesus Peiro's chic, beautifully simple 166 wedding gown; the perfect choice for her elegant, contemporary wedding to Ollie. Bethany styled her wedding dress with a romantic full length veil, soft lose curls and delicate pearl earrings for a classic, timeless bridal look.

Read on to find out more, in Bethany's own words...

Jesus Peiro 166 wedding dress

I chose to create a personalised version of the Jesus Peiro 166. This allowed me to combine the neckline and back which I had been looking for. I wanted to create a modern but timeless look, the dress was wonderful and felt like a reflection of my personality. And...…it had pockets!

Dress Shopping

My Mum and I went to the first appointment together, with my sisters attending virtually. I really enjoyed being guided to try different styles and picking the elements we liked from each. I was drawn to the Jesus Peiro 166 and Emma guided me through the possibility of changing the neckline and creating the feature back I had hoped for. I had initially disregarded a structured skirt as I thought it wouldn’t work well in our outdoor, marquee-based reception. Emma encouraged me to go for it and I’m so pleased I listened to her advice.

I remember feeling emotional as Willow helped us load my gown into the car at the end of the final fitting. I wanted to go back and re-live the whole experience again! I suppose this reinforces that I hadn’t just been “sold a wedding gown.” I’d been welcomed into Miss Bush, guided and supported through the design and fitting process, buoyed with confidence and made to feel a million dollars.

A unique and personal marquee wedding in Surrey

Having grown up in Guildford, we chose to get married in the same church as my parents, St Johns in Merrow. The reception was held in a marquee in the lakeside grounds of Clandon Park. After the church service we were able to drive through the Golden Gates into Clandon Park.

My two sisters were my bridesmaids and we all stayed at home the night before the wedding. Being able to enjoy the morning together with my parents made all the difference. Looking back this was a really special part of the day. We were able to relax and enjoy the final preparations together as a family.

The church service was very personal and expertly led by Rev. Rona, who we had come to know well through the lead up to the ceremony. To be surrounded by family and friends while exchanging our vows was wonderful.

The wedding reception had always been designed to contrast the formality of the church service. In fact, we referred to it as a party when planning.
On arrival our guests enjoyed the gorgeous setting while sipping cocktails. We chose three cocktails for the day: Passion fruit martinis, Caipirinhas and Espresso martinis. These were served from the horse-box bar provided by The Drunken Jockeys.

In keeping with our relaxed vibe we decided against formal starters or canapes – instead our guests enjoyed sharer grazing boards while listening to the speeches.

The main course was served from two vintage Citroen trucks. One, Birmingham themed as we met at The University of Birmingham - this truck was serving both a vegan and chicken makhani murgh curry with saffron, dried fruit and almond pilau rice and roast garlic naan bread. The other was themed as Paris - as Ollie is half French and spent some time studying in Paris. This truck was serving "steak au poivre" - a flat iron steak with peppercorn sauce, french fries and fine green beans. Guests were able to choose which option they wanted on the day.

Pudding was our lemon and limoncello wedding cake served with strawberries and cream. We also had a barista serving from a converted black cab offering everything from builder’s tea to flat whites.
We danced our first dance to "This Will Be" by Natalie Cole, played by our live band. Our guests needed no encouragement to join us on the dance floor! We had a brief pause between the two sets to refuel with cocktails, truffle & parmesan fries and to enjoy the fire pits beside the lake.

Final Words

I can’t sum up our wedding experience. No word, sentence or paragraph could do it justice. Our day was a reflection of Ollie and I, our families, our friends, our personalities and who we are as a couple. To spend such a personal and important day surrounded by family and friends was wonderful.

To future brides and couples, instead of striving for the perfect wedding, perfect day, perfect Instagramable shots, focus on what matters to you two. There’s no formula for the perfect wedding as one size does not fit all. All I can say is that Ollie and I planned a wedding that emulated “us”. Using that as a starting point meant we relaxed into the day and both had a wonderful time.

For me, wearing such a beautiful, bespoke dress was a very important part of making the day feel so special. Thank you Emma, Willow and the Miss Bush Team.

Bethany's Advice

Finding your dress: Do your research, I really enjoyed looking through the Miss Bush real brides online to see which styles I liked and might suit me. However, don’t get too set on one style of dress before your appointment, try to keep an open mind until you try them on.

Planning: Write a “brief” describing the feel, theme and key elements of the day you’re hoping to create. Keep this in mind when you’re moving through the planning process. In the moments when you can't decide between two suppliers or you're overwhelmed with the endless options - comeback to the original brief. Ours was: A traditional and personal church service followed by a big party. The party should feel like a relaxed celebration with great cocktails and food. The day should enable us, and every guest, to have a great time.

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