Lisa in bespoke Suzanne Neville for a summer wedding at Athelhampton House in Dorset

Our feature today celebrates the wonderful wedding of Lisa and Felix, which took place on a glorious summer's day in August. The couple were married at Athelhampton House and Gardens in Dorset; a very special venue to the family, as it's owned by the Groom's father! The focus of the wedding was to spend as much time as possible with their friends and family and making sure that everyone had a brilliant time, so the wedding took place over the whole weekend, creating a fun, intimate and relaxed atmosphere. Style wise, the bride and groom opted for classic, seasonal flowers and a natural colour palette.

Lisa's bespoke Suzanne Neville wedding dress was a combination of two styles that she loved; whilst she adored the sleek skirt with split from Hailey, it was also important to Lisa that she was able to incorporate a bra, making the bodice from Ariel the perfect choice. We all know that you cannot wear a split skirt without a pair of fabulous shoes, and Lisa did this incredibly stylishly with a dreamy pair of rich emerald green Manolo Blahnik Nadira heels, which feature an eye-catching asymmetrical crystal leaf embellishment. A girl after our own hearts, Lisa had a pair of back up Manolo flats to change into, plus the most gorgeous Terry De Havilland heels for the evening reception!

Lisa told us more about her dress shopping journey and about her wedding to Felix - read on to find out more!

Lisa's bespoke Suzanne Neville wedding dress

I chose a customised Suzanne Neville with an Ariel top and Hailey skirt. A priority was having a dress which I could get a proper bra underneath so anything strapless or with thin straps was out of the question. I loved the structure of the Suzanne Neville dresses but the Hailey skirt injection some fun into the dress.

Dress Shopping

My best woman, Ellie, came over from the Netherlands especially for the dress selection. My friend Rebecca, who was heavily pregnant at the time, also dialled in over a video link.

The support of the Miss Bush team was amazing! From the moment I arrived, Emma and the whole team made me feel at complete ease. I thought finding a dress would be a nightmare as I usually hate shopping and hate my body shape but the kindness, patience and enthusiasm of the Miss Bush team alleviated any concerns I had. It was such a comfort to know everything would be customised and that no one would have seen my dress before as it was totally unique to me!

Styling

The shoes were key to the look. The Hailey skirt has this fabulous slit up the side so my shoes could be seen. I therefore wanted to have a flash of colour and went for green Manolo Blahnik Nadira heels with green Manolo Blahnik Hangisi flats for when my feet needed a break. I have to confess, I also had a pair of Terry de Havilland's for the evening as they're super comfy and incredibly fun!

About the Day

Our main priority was spending as much time as possible with our guests and enjoying the weekend.

We were lucky enough to have both sets of family staying for the full weekend. On the Friday night, we had sundowners in the gardens followed by a meal in the Great Hall. On Saturday, we all had breakfast together before retreating to separate wings of the house to get ready. Our photographer Paul captured the fun of the morning (the copper bath photos are some of my favourites!) whilst the ladies at Amazing Face helped prep the wedding party.

The ceremony was at 2.30 pm and I wanted to ensure I wasn't late for our guests! After a short ceremony, it was into the formal gardens for drinks and canapes. We then transferred to the marquee which was set up on the other side of the grounds for dinner, dancing and karaoke. A particular highlight was the band letting me duet (quite terribly) Proud Mary with them on stage.

The best bits

I couldn't pick a single moment - everything was perfect, even the British weather played ball with not a cloud in the sky for the whole weekend and a pleasant 23 degrees!

Lisa's Advice

Go to Miss Bush - you won't regret it!!!