#49 Elegant, Fun & Relaxed

November 13, 2024 Jessica Seaman

Our Brides – Hannah

“It was fabulous to try on so many beautiful gowns - all more luxurious and flattering than anything I’d ever worn before, so it did make the decision very difficult.“

THE LOW-DOWN

How would you sum up the style of your wedding?

Elegant but fun, relaxed.

Where did you tie the knot?

At a chateau in the South of France.

And what was your wedding dress?

A simple fitted Love Story dress with a long pearly veil.

THE LEAD UP

How did you two first meet?

On the second day of University, we lived across from each other at halls, and we were both part of the same group of friends, who were all guests at the wedding.

What about the proposal? When, where, how?

We were in Toulouse, which is where I studied at University and we’ve made many trips since. It’s also the closest city to the chateau that ended up being our wedding venue. Lewis proposed on a sunny but crisp weekend there in January, and we spent the rest of the weekend drinking champagne and eating Oysters at the lovely little bars there.

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?

I was fairly sure I wanted something fitted, and I felt that a big dress wouldn’t be suited to the venue, or the climate! I also knew I wanted something simple and without lace, so I guess in the end I did stick to it, but it took me a long time to get there!

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

More difficult than I expected! I went to 5 or 6 shops, and Alexandra Anne ended up being the final one. I tried on every style of dress you can imagine, I didn’t really stick to my original thoughts as I felt I wanted to explore everything before making my decision.

There were some stunning cathedral dresses that I would have loved had I been getting married in a grand English venue, and also some beautiful simple dresses that I loved but didn’t feel ‘enough’ for my wedding dress!

It was fabulous to try on so many beautiful gowns - all more luxurious and flattering than anything I’d ever worn before, so it did make the decision very difficult.

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

It felt very ‘me’, and it ticked the boxes I was looking for. I wear a lot of high neck dresses and it was really flattering and elegant, with a little bit of drama in the leg slit! I was also obsessed with the pearly veil but it didn’t look right with anything fussy, but the two together looked perfect.

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

Content with my choice, it absolutely felt right for me.

Though I’m not sure it’s possible in the Instagram age to not feel some doubt creeping in! There are so many beautiful dresses out there, but you can’t have everything. Several of my friends got married this year, and I know they all had moments of doubt about their dresses, and they were all stunning.

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

Consider the practicalities, the climate and the style of your venue. Is dancing important to you? Make sure you can dance in it! Also don’t forget that the ‘extras’ - veil, belts, fitting, shoes, jewellery - will add up, so make sure to consider that in your budget.

THE BIG DAY

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

The pearly veil set off a bit of a modern pearl theme, which I loved and I felt came together really nicely. I got a beautiful set of pearl drop earrings from my MIL, and a gorgeous gold choker necklace with a single pearl from my mum, as well as a bracelet from my husband. I decided to have loose waves in my hair and red lipstick, which made it feel a bit more dramatic and fun I think. I often wear red lipstick and never wear my hair up, so it felt more suited to me!

And your bridesmaids?

I loved how the colours came together on the day - my friends and sister wore a silky cinnamon rose dress and my younger relatives had a chiffon dusky rose dress which complimented them really well. The guys wore cream linen suits and together they looked awesome - our flowers were bright pinks and oranges and really popped against their outfits.

What do you remember about the morning?

The bridal suite was calm, with my friends styling my cousin and niece’s hair and steaming the dresses, while it was organised chaos in the grounds and in the chateau! I was actually very grateful that we had so many family members staying on site (26 people stayed for a long weekend) as they turned out to be very helpful! My husband took over the organising for the final (most important) day, but faced a few language barriers given all the suppliers were speaking French! Meanwhile, we were literally at the top of an ivory tower so we were having a much more serene time.

Who did your hair and makeup?

I got local French suppliers for everything, including our make up artist, Laurine (Mademoiselle L) and Sandrine, the hairdresser.

Who took your wedding photos?

Geraldine Buis and Dans les yeux d’Emilie

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

Given it was in France, we wanted to do some things a little differently. Our celebrant, Jacqueline, was brilliant and held a champagne toasting ceremony for us which was lovely. We also had a Croquembouche (profiterole tower) instead of cake - which we almost forgot to ‘cut’ - until the photographer reminded us at about 1am!

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

I loved it! I surprised myself and kept the veil on until the dancing (when I swapped it for a shorter version!) The dress was also brilliant to dance in, though it did get pretty filthy at the bottom.

THE MEMORIES

What are your favourite memories of your wedding day?

Seeing everybody arriving from the bridal suite - a few people spotted us peering out the window! Giving all our guests a big hug at the drinks reception - it was so nice to see them in France. I loved the speeches, they were the only bit I didn’t manage and they fully exceeded my expectations! For me though, it was all about the party - the DJ did an awesome job of keeping the dance floor full all night. We drank spicy margaritas and negronis and danced until 3am!

What gave you the biggest laugh?

My husband grabbed the mic at about 2am and did an impromptu rap on the dancefloor (Rappers Delight) which was hilarious and actually surprisingly good.

What got the tears flowing?

My Dad’s speech was so lovely and unexpected - he’s a typical Yorkshire man of few words usually but spoke from the heart on the day.

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?

Do everything you possibly can before the big day. And do get a videographer, or just someone to film the speeches if you can - we didn’t and I have to say it’s my only regret!