Hello! I hope you’ve had a wonderful Christmas! For this strange inbetween time between Christmas and new Year, we’ve decided to share our bride Emma’s beautiful destination wedding which took place on Isla Mujeres in Mexico, and featured one of our absolute favourite Jesus Peiro gowns from the 2019 Heritage collection. Settle down with your leftover tub of Quality Street, forget wondering what day it is, and enjoy the dreamy sandy beaches and blue skies of Emma & Jonny’s day.
Emma wore 982 by Jesus Peiro, named the ‘Crisálida’ – a very special silk fil-coupé dress with a stylish V-neck at the front and back, finished with statement ruffled shoulders and sleek A-line skirt.
Emma tells us all about it…
JESUS PEIRO 982 Crisálida WEDDING DRESS
I always was sure that Miss Bush was the place to find my dress. I actually went through committing to 3 dresses after multiple melt-downs and significant weight loss after the birth of my son.
For me, it was the worry of finding a dress that was formal enough to be considered wedding-y, but not too formal for a wedding in the sand. It was going to be hot (30 degrees +) too so finding something I could cope in the hot weather without melting was imperative.
I went through 2 other Jesus Peiro gowns and then saw the Crisálida. As soon as I saw the photo I was adamant this was my dress. It had that mexico feel with the frills on the shoulder, the sparkle which was perfect against the backdrop of the ocean and also really suited my new shape with a 4 stone weight loss. It was just everything I wanted. Words cannot describe how much I loved it.
More than anything, I had so much support from Miss Bush and the team there. They were honest from minute one at telling me what would work and what wouldn’t. They didn’t just say something looked good to make a sale, which is what I was worried about. At no stage did I ever feel pressured to make a decision or buy something. I never felt like a sale. I always felt like they were part of the wedding itself!
DRESS SHOPPING
My mum never saw the dress until I wore it on my wedding day as she lives abroad and instantly, she cried. It was just perfect. Emma was always really generous by allowing me to have my mum on a video call, as it was so special to have some part of my mum there. For me, that was really important and really special for both me and my mum! At the appointments, it was a mixture (mainly due to my incessant need to change my dresses!), but I always had my best firend there as she is always the rational one to help calm me in my moments of panic!
My favourite part of the dress shopping experience was how supported I felt. I was finding the whole situation quite stressful due to changing shape so much. Finding a dress that suited our wedding which was held entirely on a beach was really difficult. I didn’t really want to wear shoes, but I wanted something that was still formal enough for a wedding. At every stage of my journey, Miss Bush were supportive, helpful and made sure I made the right decision for me.
STYLING
I had the Ivory and Co ‘Cathleen’ headband for extra sparkle and a plain veil. I wanted my hair up so I could show off the back, keep the frills on show and also I knew I would be hot and fiddle with my hair down too much! I wanted white on everything, so chose white flowers, pearl earrings and really let the dress be the feature.
A SIMPLE WEDDING IN MEXICO
I really wanted to make the day as simple and clean as possible. The sun sets quite early there, so from 630pm it was dark. So we wanted a LOT of candles and festoon lights to keep the beach looking as magical as possible. Being on a beach at sunset, there was no need for lots of decorations.
We aren’t big fans of colour, so we went quite foliage heavy with white flowers on the tables and a big leaf for the plates to incorporate that tropical feel. We had no wedding planner or coordinator there, so everything was down to me and my partner so we wanted to keep it simple so that we could enjoy the day and not be stressed out.
For us, it was perfect. We had an incredible DJ and light up dance floor, cigar bar, cocktails galore and a 5 course meal, so people were well fed, well watered and could really let lose! That was exactly what we wanted: to celebrate our new family with our friends and relatives.
THE BEST BITS
I can’t chose one! But a top moment was seeing my husband-to-be’s face for the first time and he instantly told me how beautiful I looked. Also, I have to add dancing! It was just so much fun to feel comfortable in my dress and be able to let lose after months of planning and worry about a wedding abroad on a tiny little island in Mexico!
ADVICE FROM THE BRIDE
I just wish I hadn’t stressed out so much over little details that in hindsight didn’t matter. I spent forever looking for the ‘perfect’ name card holder that worked on a beach, and realistically, no one remembered them! Everyone remembered the party, food and drinks!
In terms of finding the dress, the minute I stopped listening to what other people said and focused on what I wanted, I was calm, collected and could make a decision. It was the perfect dress for me and my style and at the end of the day, that was what is important. My partner was really traditional, and I was so petrified he wouldn’t like me dress as it wasn’t the typical lace, fit and flare that I had seen on so many brides. Afterwards, he even said, he couldn’t imagine me in any other dress and it was perfect for our day.
Finally, be aware of social media envy! This caused a lot of anxiety for me, I would pick a dress and then spend ages searching for people in the same dress and over analyse everything, eventually telling myself I had made a mistake! Emma actually warned me to stop and the minute I did, things became easier!
GALLERY
SUPPLIERS
Photographer: Christina B Photography
Venue: Mayan Beach Club, Isla Mujeres – Florist was through the venue.
Hair and Makeup: Ursula Lopez
Bridesmaid Dress – No. 1 Jenny Packham
Mens Suits – M&S
Videographer: Indigo Wedding