Our Brides – Phoebe

“When Jess put on the cape it was nothing like I had seen before – it felt in equal parts elegant and fun. I then tried on the feathered crop top which again was so fun, but it also felt very me, particularly in terms of the fit. I knew I couldn’t wear a cape all day, so I chose both! The dress we picked for underneath (and the evening) was a lot more fitted than anything I would normally wear, but I felt incredible, and it made me confident to show off my figure both on the day and more generally in my day-to-day life!”

THE LOW-DOWN

How would you sum up the style of your wedding?

Elegant and fun – fairly simple, but with some fun details!

When and where did you tie the knot?

Saturday 2nd November – Aswarby Rectory.

And what was your wedding dress?

Jesus Peiro 2401 dress, Cape 100 and feather boxy top 268!

See our jesus peiro dresses

THE LEAD UP

How did you two first meet?

Ben and I met at the end of secondary school and have been together ever since – so over 12 years in total!

What about the proposal? When, where, how?

Ben proposed in February 2023. We had a weekend away booked in the countryside, and he proposed whilst we were out walking our dog on the first evening… I turned around just as we were nearing the end of the walk, and he was there down on one knee! Despite being together over a decade at that time, I was still in shock!

THE DRESS

Did you have an idea of what you wanted when you first started looking for your wedding dress? And did you stick to it?

Yes and no, I didn’t stick to it! I thought I wanted a dress with puffy sleeves and a big skirt – I couldn’t have picked a look further from that!

How did you find the whole experience of searching for the right dress?

It was so special and fun, and my big sister, who was one of the people came with me on the day, also found her wedding dress whilst I was having a break from all the outfit changes! It was so much fun to be able to try on so many new styles and beautiful dresses!

What was it about your dress that made it ‘the one’?

Mine and my family’s reactions. When Jess put on the cape it was nothing like I had seen before – it felt in equal parts elegant and fun. I then tried on the feathered crop top which again was so fun, but it also felt very me, particularly in terms of the fit. I knew I couldn’t wear a cape all day, so I chose both! The dress we picked for underneath (and the evening) was a lot more fitted than anything I would normally wear, but I felt incredible, and it made me confident to show off my figure both on the day and more generally in my day-to-day life!

How did you feel once you’d made the big decision?

So excited! I tried on the dress exactly a year before the wedding and I couldn’t wait for the fittings and the day itself to get to wear my outfit!

Do you have any top tips for other brides out there shopping for their bridal gown?

Come to Alexandra Anne! But in all seriousness, I don’t think I would have found my look anywhere else. My family who came with me picked out lots of dresses for me to try, so I wasn’t just trying on the ‘look’ I had in my head. As well as this, and after a few outfit changes, Jess gave me a few different accessories to try on – including the cape!

When I tried on the cape and the feathered crop top, I felt incredible and we built the rest of the look, and the main dress, around these. So, I think my top tip would be to be open minded and try on all the styles, including those you think you won’t like or don’t feel confident enough to wear – I would never have thought I would have chosen my outfit, but I loved it!

Since my wedding dress fitting, I have started wearing fitted skirts and dresses and have been so much more confident to wear outfits with halter necks and with my arms out – it’s crazy how just trying on some new styles at my fitting has given me the confidence to wear different styles and outfits (outside of my wedding)!

THE BIG DAY

Tell us more about your outfit on the day. How did you complete your look?

The cape and feathers were quite a statement, so I kept the rest of my look fairly simple. I wore a headband from Jesus Peiro and had some simple white court heels from Dune. The only other jewellery I wore was a delicate gold bracelet with a small heart on which Ben gifted to me the night before the wedding.

And your bridesmaids?

The bridesmaid dresses were made by Olana (@olanaclothing). My sister has a design agency, and she worked with Jodie at Olana a few years ago to design the Bellevedere dress that the girls wore. The dress was originally in a black velvet, but I worked with Jodie to pick out the perfect shade of green. They are the most gorgeous, feminine dresses and the girls looked incredible. These are now sold on her website, and I’ve even bought one for myself!

What do you remember about the morning?

The morning was gorgeous, it was so lovely to spend it with my closest friends, sister and the incredibly lovely Hannah and Helen who did our hair and makeup! Until about 15 minutes before the wedding ceremony, I wasn’t very nervous at all and was just soaking up the atmosphere, music and enjoying some champagne! I was also pretty tired – I had all in about 3-4 hours sleep, I couldn’t sleep with all the excitement – but the energy and atmosphere of the day carried me through the whole day!

Who did your hair and makeup?

Hannah Dora (@hannahdoramakeup)

Helen Sutcliffe (@helensutcliffehair)

Both incredibly, lovely ladies who made the morning of my wedding. They both brought such calm

energy and made everyone look and feel incredible!

Who took your wedding photos?

Helaina Storey (@helainastorey)

Did you follow any traditions? Or was there anything unusual about the ceremony?

Fairly so, we had a couple of readings from both of our mum’s in the ceremony. We had speeches, cake cut and a first dance!

How did your dress feel when you were walking down the aisle?

In the words of my brother, who said this to me just before he walked me down the aisle – ‘you look like an eleven princess!’ I am not too just about the elf bit, I think it was a Lord of the Rings reference (haha), but I did feel like a princess and incredibly elegant, in a way I never had before.

THE MEMORIES

What are your favourite memories of your wedding day?

The day was perfect, so I think it’s a huge blend of gorgeous memories! However, for me, hearing Ben’s speech was really special – Ben’s not a big public speaker but he really did such a perfect job and had me in tears! The ceremony was also really special, and we (and all the guests) loved having live music throughout the day!

What gave you the biggest laugh?

The best man’s speech was fun, but I think the funniest part of the evening was when the musician sang a series of about 5 songs and swapped my name in for the names of other or words – thing ‘Valerie’ by Amy Winehouse, ‘Baby’ by Justin Bieber, but the most comical would have to be ‘Phoebe’s mum has got it going on’ – we were crying! I also hear that when I was running late for the ceremony, and Ben was stood at the front waiting, our musician played ‘Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone’ and the ceremony room was in hysetrics!

What got the tears flowing?

Ben’s speech. Ben isn’t a big public speaker, but he wrote a beautifully sweet (and short) toast for the start of our wedding meal, that was incredibly heartfelt and kind!

ADVICE FOR BRIDES-TO-BE

If there was one piece of advice you could give to a new bride-to-be, what would it be?

Surround yourself with your favorite people and lovely suppliers (who you really like too – you will spend so much of your big day with these people)! Also, I really think live music just makes a wedding, and Mark Elliot who played at ours just carried us and our guests throughout the day! So if you can, have live music integrated into your day!

And last but not least, where is your wedding dress now?

In my wardrobe, awaiting a good cleaning. As the dress has quite a simple flattering fit, I would love to maybe get the dress altered to be a midi length so that I can re-wear it and I will also definitely re-wear my crop top with feathers!

THE RECAP

Dress

2401, Capa 100 & 268 all by Jesus Peiro

Accessories

Headband from Jesus Peiro, simple white court shoes from Dune

Venue

Aswarby Rectory (@aswarbyrectory)

Photography