Eloise and Jaime were married in mid August at the rustic but contemporary Brookfield Barn wedding venue in Horsham. The styling for the day featured a subtle gin theme, with a beautiful hand drawn table plan created by a local artist, along with vintage gin bottle flower arrangements on each of the tables.
Eloise wore Jesus Peiro 7014 - a structured, modern gown with fitted cummerbund waist and full romantic skirt with petticoat, which fit perfectly and looked stunning in the elegant countryside setting.
Read on to find out more about Eloise's dress shopping experience, and beautiful Summer wedding day to husband Jaime.
Jesus Peiro 7014 wedding dress
My dress.... can I wear it every day. It now lives in a beautiful box all clean and wrapped up like a lovely present. This dress gave me the confidence to be unapologetically me! I felt a million pounds every time I put it on and I have never been stroked so much in my life, honestly people wanted to touch the dress all day to the point it had marks on it near the end from people touching it.
I chose the Jesus Peiro 7014, with a petticoat. I had been to a fair few bridal shops and with 32EE boobs I couldn't find anything that made me feel beautiful. I had come to the end of what I could endure and was adamant that I would have to settle for something that wasn't perfect. My husband had a colleague that had gone to Miss Bush and suggested I had a look. I was very nervous at first that it would be outside my price range so I booked in with just my mum on a week day in my school holidays to meet Emma. In the October before the wedding (so I had been engaged for well over a year)
Poor Emma was met by a very sad person that hated all wedding dresses and must have broken her heart the way I spoke about my hatred for them! She was a dream and so professional, smiling and promising me we would find a dress. I still laugh at how she got me from trying on the most plain dresses and worked me up to the 7014 and then added a petticoat. From I want something plain and simple she kept saying how I had an amazing body and needed to showcase it. To be honest ... I was sold at the moment she mentioned pockets.
From the moment I walked into the shop I felt at home, from not being able to see one dress I liked in lots of shops, I could see at least 10 and I knew again my husband was correct! Damn Him!
Taking just my mum meant I felt more confident to try a few different dresses, but Emma was amazing only showing me things that fell with in my budget including the alterations I may need. When I asked to see one I had seen on instagram she got it out even though it was outside my budget. We narrowed it down to three and booked to come back with the bridesmaids. I would advise this, don't take lots of people to the first appointment just bring one person you trust. I found having everyones opinion overwhelming and everyone has different styles so won't agree.
When I tried on the 7014 for the second time with all my bridesmaids and sisters I loved it even more, Emma took an amazing photo of me laughing looking at them. I treasured this photo on the run up t the wedding, I am not a girly girl but I felt so beautiful and so 'me' in that dress and I kept staring at it. So much so my husband had to tell me off as he didn't want to see it. I didn't share this photo but I was happy to show people on my phone. I didn't want the dress to be a big reveal but I also wanted some wow when I walked down the aisle. I have had so many compliments about my dress, but really it was the skills of the amazing team at Miss Bush, from finding the perfect dress and putting me in it to making it fit so amazingly.
Dress Shopping
I took my mum the first time and for most visits. My mum cried the second time (in the fitting room behind closed doors) but also on my final fitting, Probably because she wouldn't get to come back, but she isn't a crying person.
My bridesmaids, well one was pregnant and threw up.... but I don't think that was the dress! They all loved it, I have had so many people say its so different from everything they have ever seen! Maybe because I am tapped into the Bush network now, I see these dresses everywhere but I love the fact they offer made to measure and you can change the dress to your own design. I didn't (except removing the bow) I am not a bow kind of girl, but having seen it on other people I can see its beauty. Everyone loved it had pockets! I loved this and still laugh that it was the first thing I said to my husband when I reached him at the end of the aisle ... not I love you, He said "you look amazing" and I said " Thanks, look it has pockets" My friend said she couldn't stop laughing.
I hated shopping for 'the dress'. Emma made me feel calm and made me feel completely at ease, she totally got that I wanted to wear a bra! She didn't say we will sort that after, the dress had to fit around a bra and I felt listened to and relaxed. This sounds silly but honestly I had been told on so many occasions that we would fit the bra around the dress or even worse one tiny boobed human told me I could wear a stick on bra. I almost died with laughter, anyone with big boobs knows that stick on bras do not work I also didn't want to be in a strapless bra as I hate them!
The dressing room was big and the chapel is closed for just you and no giant windows with weird onlookers. I felt the privacy was so important to me, silly I know but I was so nervous. The idea of everyone looking at me made me feel sick.
I had never really imagined myself getting married so felt a bit of a fraud trying on wedding dresses. I loved how different all the dresses where and how they where almost all ahead of trends not following them, There was lace around but Emma listened and tried me in things that would suit but she thought I would also like with a calm "just trust me, try it on, you can always take it off"
The dress I went for was very traditional while still being modern, very classic and clean lines. I never thought I would have a huge petticoat or such a long train I thought I would wear something very fitting plain, oh how wrong I was. Trust the professionals and try on lots of different things as you never know what you will love.
Styling
I am a very clumsy human, especially when nervous so I wanted to wear trainers for the main part of the day. I saw that Keds and Kate spade had joined up to make sparkly pumps. I was going to get white sparkly ones when I fell in love with the rose gold ones and went for it! I also bought wedges for the evening and had my dress altered so I could hook it up in the evening and take the petticoat out. This was a great addition and really made me feel like I had a different dress for the evening. I loved being able to move more and dance with everyone without getting in peoples way. The team at Miss Bush are amazing and the additional things they added like the hooks to hold my bra in place where amazing! We also had a session where they taught my maid of honour how to dress me ... definitely do this as you won't remember. She was amazing and took notes and photos, but she is a perfectionist.
Makeup, I wanted my makeup to look natural a better version of me, but still me. I did have hair and makeup booked but she had to pull out last minute as she was pregnant and due over my wedding. I was very lucky that Emma sorted out the dream team that was Carolanne and Sharon for hair and make up for me and all my bridal party. I was lucky that I was getting married on a Friday and they were both free at such short notice as normally booked a year in advance.
For my hair I wanted it up, slightly messy but slightly neat. This is the only instruction I gave to Sharon and a few photos. What she created at my trial was perfect, I was in shock. She really is a genius! She told me to tell my hairdresser not to cut layers and to get the florist to wire some flowers individually for my hair. I did as I was told ... and I loved everything about my hair. We decided on the day two thistles in my hair was a bit too Miss Bush bride and put the other one in my maid of honours hair.
These two were an absolute dream, the morning was relaxed and fun and filled with caffeine as they had been at a Miss Bush event the day before. My bridesmaids hair even lasted till the next day at the BBQ, which with the wind that day was impressive. You pay for the top quality products and expertise and honestly it was worth every penny and more. Do not scrimp on hair and make up you will regret it when you get the photos and your hair has fallen out by the evening.
I had an amazing cathedral veil, with the satin edging. I wore this at the bottom of my head. My only regret is it hid my hair in the photos ... but I loved wearing it and didn't want to take it off. I still had it on for my first dance which with the wind I think was really impressive.
I wore my mums emerald earrings that match my engagement ring. My engagement ring was given to my husband by his nan. Who received it as a gift when Jamie was born, it is so unique and beautiful I wanted my jewellery to reflect this. My wedding ring is really simple gold band with tiny stones and sits underneath my engagement ring. I also wore a gold bangle from my maid of honour, we have been friends since we were 2. I call her my sister and she had it engraved with sister and an eternity sign. We have been through so much together having her on the day and this gift on my wrist as I walked down the aisle meant so much to me.
Apart from these the dress was enough and I didn't want to over complicate it.
A gin themed Brookfield Barn wedding
We started by choosing our catering company, we both love food and wine our holidays are often surrounded by brunching and dinners and we love to have people over for dinner and host NYE parties for the last few years (not this year). So we took time selecting the catering company. We were very luckily that we had a choice, one of the reasons we picked our venue.
We chose Kalm Kitchen because they not only prided themselves on presentation but they also marketed themselves as catering for all dietary requirements. Having being dairy free for lots of my life and most of my family being gluten free having excellent options for vegans and all dietary requirements was important to me. We also loved the idea of carve at the table and the patisserie bar all great additions. The food was out of this world and we have had so many compliments about how good it was. We focused a lot of our budget on the food and wine and I am glad we did.
The bridesmaids had very pale lilac soft tulle skirts by my clever mum and pale sequin tops form Lace and Beads. I couldn't find anything that matched what I wanted so my very clever and talented mum made them. Despite having a full time job as a headteacher and two bridesmaids being pregnant and giving birth just before I got married! She made and adjusted skirts to create them for me. I know she regrets agreeing to make them, but she can't help herself! It must be being a mum you just want your kids to smile and be happy and seeing my friends in them really did! I started by trying to find something they all wanted to wear but realised quickly my friends are all so different they would never agree and I am to OCD to have mismatch bridesmaids. Lots of people have asked me about the skirt and top choice. I didn't like any dresses and it was more me and my mum putting together items we did like and creating it.
There was an underlying gin theme, we both love gin and we named the tables after our favourite gins. With the help (a little to much help) of friends and family, we collected empty gin bottles for the tables and venue to fill with flowers. The invitations where designed by a local artist who also designed the table plan, table names and wedding stationary. I liked that they where bespoke and the artwork of pencil drawings of gin bottles were beautiful.
Flowers, all the bouquets, milk churns, long and low arrangement, button holes and the aisle decorations where created by the very clever Cabbage White Flowers, Lisa. My outline to Lisa was for it to look like wild flowers but a bit neater, I said I wanted pale blues and lilacs and natural colours and greens to match my engagement ring. I wanted the stems to be on show in the bouquets and it to all look very natural. The button holes I wanted a thistle not a rose. What she created surpassed all my expectations and where all stunning.
All the flowers in the gin bottles and jam jars for the tables where put together by myself and my maid of honour. I went to Coven Garden flower market very early on Wednesday before the wedding and arranged them on Wednesday. This did mean I could have everything I wanted on my budget but it meant extra work and help from my bride squad to make and get them to the venue in the morning. We had so many flowers it was a little bit crazy, but I loved it! Nothing beats real flowers and if your budget doesn't stretch then I would suggest this but it is not easy and is a whole days work! If you can, pay the professionals! Also don't attempt anything more than putting flowers in jars!
The cake, this was a little bit harder as I wanted a layer to be gluten free! I eventually found Wild Berry Bakery and actually only tried and booked them two months before the wedding. At the start of the process I wanted a naked cake but after so many weddings I went for marble icing with gold leaf and it was so beautiful and really tasty!
The little extras:-
The guest where collected on a green vintage bus from Dorking our home town and dropped at the venue, this was a fun way for some of the guest to start the day. Although my cousins being late at the wrong pub, made it a little bit stresful for Jamie not me!
My close friends are in a band and have beautiful voices, they sang me down the aisle to an acoustic version of I can't help falling in love with you and again during the singing or the register. I would like to say I recall how amazing they where but walking down the aisle was so overwhelming I couldn't hear a thing. But listening to them sing one of their own songs during singing the register was really special.
We also had three readings, one by my sister "you are not perfect" that summed up my very pragmatic approach to love. Then my friend wrote a poem which was lovely and then a final reading by a close friend to us both who read blessing of the hands. Which was probably a bit to much as she was pregnant and made a lot of people cry. She wasn't pregnant when I asked her!
We also had a sweepstake on the speeches with the money going to UNICEF, the charity of our choice. We had already given a donation instead of favours on the table and had put a card on each place explaining that as I was a teacher and Jamie loved football we had given a donation towards footballs and books with UNICEF. The winner got a bottle of champagne and everyone got involved, we are a competitive couple so this suited our competitive spirit.
We had also paid to have laser cut wooden name places and upgraded the linen so pale lilac napkins and thicker textured table cloths.
In addition we had a guestbook that removable pages. We had Polaroid's on all tables pens and the pages distributed by the ushers explaining that they needed to complete the pages as a table. This was great as everyone actually completed the guest book and it is hilarious. Someone commented that our wedding was very interactive, I never sign a guest book as I am always having to much fun dancing or at the bar. So I wanted to use a time when people where potentially not doing an awful lot more effectively. Also I mixed the tables up, so this activity made people talk.
Our evening food was pizza and chips and was distributed around the venue rather than static.
What inspired me? I just focused on what we loved as a couple and what made us "us". I think that made the day feel really authentic and real. Pintrest is great but is a bit of a wormhole and you can get lost and lose your own style and lose that authenticity that makes a wedding special and unique.
The Best Bits
Gosh, I loved every moment from the beginning to the end! Including all the planning! I was so nervous about it being an anti climax but it really was the best day of my life. Top 5 moments would probably be....
1- I loved the door opening and closing and seeing people I loved faces smiling filled with joy. When I turned to walk down the aisle I was a bit overwhelmed with everyone looking at me. But as cliche as it sounds seeing Jamie at the other end I just wanted to get there and hold his hand.
2- Seeing my mums smile as she walked me down the aisle....she looked so happy and filled with joy and walking holding her hand down the aisle is something I will treasure for ever!
3- Getting ready with all the girls, I just felt so lucky to have such an amazing group of women to call my friends and family. The night before we all went to a spa and had dinner and it was such a special and lovely evening. The next morning one of my oldest friends climbed into my double bed with me and we had a cup of tea and it was so calm and lovely, like it was any other day. I think she was just happy to have had a night sleep away from her baby but I will pretend it was all about me!
4- When meant Jamie went for our individual photos I could see over the lake to everyone having fun and we had a little we did it moment. I wanted everyone to just have fun and was so happy we had achieved it.
5- The wedding band, we knew we wanted a band from the moment we got engaged. My favourite memory is when they gave a friend a tambourine and she became an additional band member, she was having a great time and was even in time!
Eloise's Advice
Trust your judgements......
Tt may not be what other people love but it is your wedding no one else. If you love Disney, Halloween, Harry Potter, the 80's let it shine through and just be authentically you. There is no point trying to be anyone else. You are awesome and there is only one you so just be you!
Pick your Bride Squad with caution.......
My bridesmaids where amazing, pick them carefully. My choice on bridesmaids is still the best choice I ever made. Pick people you know are going to support you and help when they get called on as planning a wedding is a huge and hard job!
The bride squad is bigger than your bridesmaids though its all the people you select to support you on the day. Once I selected my Miss Bush dress everything else fell into place (thanks to Emma) but pick people you trust and you know who can do their jobs. Sometimes that means paying more, but on the day, when nerves kick in you will be glad you did. From the food, venue, hair, makeup and dress! Make sure that you select people that you trust. I am normally a very anxious human, everyone was really freaked out by how calm I was on my wedding morning. I was calm because I had 100% faith in everyone I selected to execute their jobs with as much attention to detail that I would.
Ask people you trust to recommend, hairdressers often know makeup etc. If in doubt just ask Emma her phone is full of amazing people.
There are no real traditions anymore! But pick your battles!......
I was walked down the aisle by my mum, my dad passed away when I was 18. I could have asked my step dad but if anyone has the right to "give me away" its my mum!
My maid of honour and mum did a speech.... I am a bit of feminist, I am not letting all these men give speeches without one of my very intelligent friends or family standing up and speaking. I hate public speaking so I nominated them... lol! Both of their speeches where amazing if not a bit embarrassing but I loved having them speak!
But pick you battles, some things you think that will matter on the day you don't even notice. Work out what matters to you and try and negotiate, yes it is your wedding but also means a lot to lots of other people as well. Try and explain why something is important to you as this often helps as in reality everyone wants you both to be happy.
Suppliers
Photography: Bethany Lavin Photography
Venue: Brookfield Barn
Catering: Kalm Kitchen
Bouquet & Buttonholes: Cabbage White Flowers
Table flowers and styling: DIY
Make Up: Carolanne Armstrong
Hair: Sharon Roberts Hair
Bridesmaids tops: Lace and Beads
Bridesmaids skirts: Mother of the Bride
Wedding shoes: Kate Spade
Bus: 1950's Vintage Bush Hire
Jewellery: family heirlooms