Our Brides – Alice

Alice stands in front of a white wooden door laughing and holding her bouquet. Her dress is covered in 3D petal lace and a full tulle skirt. She also wears a white floral headband.

Viewing dresses virtually for your first wedding dress appointment probably isn’t what brides had in mind pre-covid, but it’s exactly how Alice first saw our selection of dresses!

It wasn’t until a few days after lockdown eased that Alice could visit us with her mum and try those dresses she saw on screen.

Amelia was just the perfect dress - not the original plan (read on to find out more!), but just perfect. Those soft, tulle layers and botanical lace couldn’t have matched the theme of the wedding with more style. Plus, those golden hour glow photos in this dress are just something else!

Alice, you looked so stunning and this dress was just made for you. Please send us some more photos from your 2022 party when you get to wear it all over again!

Jess x

THE LOW-DOWN

How would you sum up the style of your wedding?

Boho x English country garden x Swedish midsommer! It was a tiny wedding so we just wanted everyone to feel relaxed and happy.

Where did you tie the knot?

We got married at Eyam Hall, Eyam (Derbyshire) on 26th August 2021, followed by a party in the evening at my parents’ house in Sheffield. We planned a micro-wedding so that our more vulnerable guests would feel safe on the day - even though there weren’t technically any restrictions at this point.

And what was your wedding dress?

Amelia by Love Story Bride.

See our Love Story Dresses

THE LEAD-UP

How did you two first meet?

Conor and I first met when we were 3 and 4 years-old (respectively!) at my brothers’ birthday party – Conor was in the same year as my twin brothers at our tiny primary school in Sheffield. Our families were friends and so our paths crossed several times over the years until eventually Conor invited me out for a drink at a local pub in September 2017… and the rest is history!

What about the proposal? When, where, how?

Conor proposed during lockdown. We were about to go to a hotel in Grindleford for a few days in November to celebrate our birthdays and – unbeknownst to me - Conor had been planning to propose there. However, the government introduced the tier system which meant that a couple of days before we were due to go, we discovered that we were unable to travel across counties from South Yorkshire to Derbyshire! Conor suggested that we went on a walk in the more local countryside, and when we stopped to look at the view, he passed me some beautiful postcards on which he’d written some lovely things… and written on the final postcard was “will you marry me?”

Alice stands with her 8 bridesmaids in a row, all holding their flowers

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 thought that I wanted a very classic silk slip dress and my brief was simply no lace and no sparkle. I had actually initially chosen Alexandra Anne because I had the beautiful Charlie Brear dresses in mind. When it came to trying dresses on, however, although the silk slip dresses were so beautiful and very comfortable on, they just didn’t look as I had imagined they would look on me and none of them felt like my dress. Before my in-person consultation with Jess, she very kindly suggested we have a virtual dress consultation as we were still in lockdown at that point – and as a wildcard dress in the final five minutes of the call - she had shown me the Amelia dress (technically it wasn’t traditionally lacy or sparkly!) I decided to try this dress on in person as soon as lockdown was over and I immediately fell in love with it.

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

Finding the right dress was a very smooth process as Alexandra Anne was the first and only wedding dress shop I went to! Jess was really helpful and showed me all of the combinations of the different dresses with various accessories so I felt that I had fully experienced all of the dresses. I took my mum with me and I knew Love Story’s Amelia was the right dress when she cried as soon as I put it on!

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

I loved the low back of the dress and the leaf-like applique on the bodice and the tulle skirt… it felt light and ethereal and summery. Dainty yet dramatic!

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

I had to take 24 hours to think it over before I committed to buying the dress – I think because it was so different from my original vision! Once I’d bought it, I couldn’t wait to have it fitted and just wear it.

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

Definitely try on a variety of dresses in different styles and don’t be disheartened if the dress you initially envisaged isn’t right for you!

THE BIG DAY

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

I wore very simple accessories with my Amelia dress because I felt that it was quite a statement dress and it was very pretty on its own. I wore a dainty gypsophila flower crown, pale pink strappy shoes, pearl drop earrings and my late grandmother’s ring. My beautiful bridesmaids bought me a delicate silver bracelet from Tiffany’s to wear on the day which was the perfect final accessory!

And your bridesmaids?

I had 8 bridesmaids (rather a lot for a micro-wedding!) who are all absolutely beautiful and all have totally different styles. We wanted them all to be comfortable on the day so we gave them some money and asked them all to choose a white dress in a style of their choice. They all looked incredible.

What do you remember about the morning?

My bridesmaids, my mum and I got ready in a little cottage in Eyam before going to the bridal suite at Eyam Hall. We had glasses of prosecco and we finished off our hair and make-up listening to music and chatting – it was very lovely!

Who did your hair and makeup?

I did my own hair and make-up – as did my bridesmaids! I knew that I wanted to look like myself on the day. I did purchase some slightly more luxury make-up for the day, including some Charlotte Tilbury products.

Who took your wedding photos?

Lovely Sarah from Sarah Taylor Photo & Film took our wedding photos and she was fantastic. We couldn’t recommend her more! She was so discreet on the day, and the photos are absolutely incredible – they capture the magical feeling of the day perfectly.

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

Both my mum and dad walked me down the aisle (which was quite funny as we hadn’t fully thought through how we would go about arm-linking or bouquet-holding beforehand!) and my mum wrote her own reading for the ceremony which was very special.

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

I absolutely adored my dress and felt like a woodland fairy!

THE MEMORIES

What are your favourite memories of your wedding day?

Obviously, marrying Conor was a particular highlight of the day! But getting ready with my bridesmaids and mum was very special, as were the speeches – my dad had created an app so that he could show childhood photos of me for his Father of the Bride speech without the need for internet connection (which can be intermittent in the Peak District!). There was a lot of love in the room.

What gave you the biggest laugh?

Walking from the cottage where we started getting ready to Eyam Hall was very funny. We were passed by cyclists, a horse, a few walkers and some of the villagers, all of whom were wishing us congratulations and words of good luck!