#3 Rustic Winter Glam
Our Brides – Kelly
Who doesn’t love a bit of moody black-and-white wedding photography? This is Kelly, bringing a touch of couture glam to her rustic winter wedding to hubbie Tom in rural Nottinghamshire just after Christmas last year.
The dress? Millie Dillmount by London designer Eliza Jane Howell, and a personal favourite of mine. It’s named after the lead character from the Broadway show Thoroughly Modern Millie, so here’s a thoroughly modern Kelly!
Kelly was so lovely to work with. Like a little energetic ball of sunshine every time she came into the boutique! It’s wonderful to see her so happy on her wedding day. (There are some pretty joyous colour photos, too!)
Nice work Kelly and Tom!
Jess x
THE LOW-DOWN
How would you sum up the style of your wedding?
A little bit rustic and a little bit of winter glam! Beads and black tie.
Where and when did you tie the knot?
We had our ceremony in St John’s Church at Perlethorpe in Nottinghamshire on 27th December 2018, followed by a lovely party at Hazel Gap Barn in Budby.
And what was your wedding dress?
Millie Dillmount by Eliza Jane Howell ☺.
THE LEAD-UP
How did you two first meet?
We met on Match.com! Both of us were fumbling our way through online dating, trying to work out what ‘winks’ mean and who should send a message.
Anyway, after some winks (ha!), Tom sent me a message and we went for our first date shortly afterwards. He brought his wingman – Jasper the dog – on the second date in the Peaks.
What about the proposal? When, where, how?
1st July 2017. I had been working away all week and working on the Saturday and so we were keen to get out into the Peaks to spend some time together before I travelled back down to London the next day. We went for a lovely walk up to Kinder Scout (one of our favourite places), had a nice picnic and Tom proposed not long after.
It was a beautiful day and amazing views up there; I will remember it forever.
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?
No not really! I tried every style and shape going. I didn’t know whether I wanted something bigger or slimmer and what I wanted frequently changed!
I did know very quickly I didn’t want a lace dress so that was a starting point at least.
How did you find the whole experience of searching for the right dress?
Lovely! How often do you get to try on some of the most beautiful dresses ever designed and play about in them?! (I am missing it to be honest!)
There were times where I felt a bit stressed with it. I tried on so many dresses and I was quite indecisive. One of the things I found difficult was to imagine how a dress would look when it fitted properly; I tried on so many that I managed to get my head around what I liked because it was my size and what I loved even though it didn’t fit!
I also think that there is a common misconception that there has to be this ‘moment’ where you just ‘know’ and everyone cries. Everyone has a different experience!
What was it about your dress that made it ‘the one’?
I don’t know where to start. I wanted something elegant but a bit different.
Millie Dillmount by Eliza Jane Howell was hand-beaded everywhere, it sparkled, it had buttons, it had SLEEVES and the most wonderful back. I really LOVE a good back.
Oh and I got to add on the skirt of dreams to it too!
How did you feel once you’d made the big decision?
Relieved!
Do you have any top tips for other brides out there shopping for their bridal gown?
Just enjoy the process. Enjoy finding out what you like and what you don’t. Don’t feel rushed or pressured.
Also remember it is about what you think and how you feel in the dress, not your friends, your mum or Aunty Sue. They are there to see you having the best time playing about in the dresses. You aren’t trying to please anyone else with your dress (and you might not enjoy Aunty Sue’s style either).
This outfit is for you to feel amazing in and it is a time when you just get to wear exactly what you want to make that happen.
THE BIG DAY
Tell us more about your outfit on the day. How did you complete your look?
I had some lovely classic shoes from Rainbow Club (so comfy!) and some earrings from Miss Clemmie which I just loved. I also borrowed a gorgeous veil with some added sparkle from my sister-in-law Holly.
And your bridesmaids?
I had 6 Bridesmaids! My lovely friends are all different so we stuck to navy but they all chose a different dress. We had a loose theme of a bit of beads and long dresses but I was so pleased with how it all went together, especially given that I never saw them all together at the same time!
They all looked phenomenal and one of my best bits was seeing them all together outside the church – I think I remember saying ‘We’ve nailed it girls!!’ Haha!
What do you remember about the morning of the wedding?
Such a special time with my favourite people who all made such an effort to be there for me. I feel very lucky to have had that.
My bridesmaid Caralyn was also having a fabulous time practicing walking down the aisle with a kettle before the flowers arrived!!
Who did your makeup?
Amy George did my makeup! She was absolutely MEGA and made me feel amazing on the day. So calm and collected.
Who took your wedding photos?
Darina Stoda – also MEGA. She is like a photo wizard. I don’t even know where she was for some of those shots!
We also invested in a videographer (Perfect Moment Films) and this took a bit of persuading for Tom but he now says this is one of his favourite things that we spent our money on – it is such a wonderful thing to look back on. (You can watch the video here on Vimeo.)
Did you follow any traditions? Or was there anything unusual about the ceremony?
We did a lot of the usual traditions for a church ceremony. Although my dad walked me down the aisle, we didn’t do the ‘giving away’ bit – I wasn’t a fan of that!
I didn’t throw my bouquet. I wanted to keep that bad boy.
How did your dress feel when you were walking down the aisle?
AMAZING.
THE MEMORIES
What are your favourite memories of your wedding day?
The ceremony and saying our vows – singlehandedly the best bit of our day.
Our first dance and all the dancing!
The speeches!
Getting ready with the girls in the morning.
Party in the car on the way to the church.
Seeing the girls all together looking amazing.
One of my best friends Triona telling me she loved me before she walked down the aisle before me.
I loved it all. I just loved having all of our favourite people together celebrating one of the best things.
What gave you the biggest laugh?
The girls in the morning! Climbing over a fence with Tom and Darina and frolicking around in a field in my beaded dress!
First dance – I’m lucky there was no face planting.
What got the tears flowing?
The vows and seeing my grandma do her reading from Corinthians. Such a special ceremony.
If there was one piece of advice you could give to a new bride-to-be, what would it be?
Don’t overthink the day afterwards and don’t worry if you didn’t get round everyone! It’s one day and everyone is there for you – they don’t mind.
And last but not least, where is your wedding dress now?
Hanging up in our study. I look at it most days!!
THE RECAP
Dress
Millie Dillmount by Eliza Jane Howell
Accessories
Rainbow Club (shoes)
Miss Clemmie (earrings)
Venue
St John’s Church, Perlethorpe, Notts
Hazel Gap Barn, Budby, Notts
Photography
Darina Stoda (based in Cambridgeshire)
Videography
Perfect Moment Films (based in Notts)
Makeup
Amy George (based in Leeds)
Decor
Flowers
Campbell’s Flowers (Sheffield)
Stationery
The Vow (Sheffield)
Table plan theme
Band names / song lyrics
Caterers
Hazel Gap Barn
Entertainment
Mellow Rebellion (band)
First dance song
Simply the Best – the James Bay version ☺
Crazy for Kelly’s bridal style?