#27 The Best of Us
Our Brides – Lizzie
Both Lizzie and her now-husband Amir are doctors, and when I heard from her a couple of weeks back it really brought home how hard they’re both working at the moment to keep us all safe and healthy. During her dress buying and fittings, Lizzie usually came in with her lovely mum, who clearly couldn’t have been proud of her. Until now, maybe.
Lizzie was always very clear on what she wanted for her wedding day, and totally stuck to it. The Jesus Peiro 8004 dress ticked all the boxes: it showed off her shape in an ultra-feminine way while still being quite conservative for their cross-cultural Anglo-Persian ceremony. Iranian knife dance included!
Congrats Lizzie and Amir! You really are the best of us.
Jess x
THE LOW-DOWN
How would you sum up the style of your wedding?
An Anglo-Persian winter wedding.
Where and when did you tie the knot?
On 15th February 2020 at The Tithe Barn, Bolton Abbey, near Skipton in North Yorkshire.
And what was your wedding dress?
8004 by Jesus Peiro.
THE LEAD-UP
How did you two first meet?
At work… It wasn’t love at first sight!
What about the proposal? When, where, how?
In Venice (my absolute favourite place). Amir was not so subtle and kept dragging me to thousands of bridges and chasing sunsets but no proposal… I thought he had changed his mind!
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 did have an idea and I stuck to it! I tried on lots of different styles but kept coming back to the initial design, and my friend sent me a screenshot of my dress months before I even started looking.
How did you find the whole experience of searching for the right dress?
I found my dress on my third shopping trip (the first was with my mum and the second was with bridesmaids) and I worried about how time-consuming it was for everyone.
Luckily as soon as we came to Alexandra Anne I knew that I would find my dress there. Jess was clearly super knowledgeable and seemed much more focused on me having a dress that I was happy in than selling. The ladies in the shop were so accommodating and relaxed.
What was it about your dress that made it ‘the one’?
I didn’t get an immediate ‘the one’ feeling, but it was the first dress I picked out and tried on. I tried on lots more after it but kept coming back to that initial one. I felt excited and happy; I couldn’t stop smiling!
It was really important to me that my mum approved and she absolutely loved it too.
How did you feel once you’d made the big decision?
Initially relieved and excited. As there were a few months between dress fittings, I got nervous in between that I’d made the wrong decision. I looked at pictures of other brides wearing the same dress and got all stressed, but as soon as I saw it and tried it on again I was completely happy with my decision.
Do you have any top tips for other brides out there shopping for their bridal gown?
Don’t take too many people with you and trust your instincts (and Jess!)
THE BIG DAY
Tell us more about your outfit on the day. How did you complete your look?
I had a bespoke double-layered veil by Joyce Jackson with pearl embellishments.
I found some simple ivory satin shoes in a charity shop for £7…. They broke just after the first dance – credit to the band!
My mum gifted me some lovely pearl earrings and my bridesmaids gave me a beautiful necklace engraved with the date and our initials.
And your bridesmaids?
I got all of my bridesmaids and flower-girl dresses from JJ’s House and I was so pleased with them: everyone kept commenting on how amazing they looked. I chose the colour and the girls each chose their style.
They looked incredible!
What do you remember about the morning?
I was terrified! It was amazing to have my family and girls around me and we ate endless pastries.
My bridesmaids had made a super cheesy playlist and didn’t tolerate my hypothetical ‘what if I fall/Amir doesn’t turn up/no one turns up/the car breaks down’, etc. Lucky them!
Who did your hair and makeup?
Chrys Chapman (in Harrogate).
Who took your wedding photos?
Did you follow any traditions? Or was there anything unusual about the ceremony?
We had a civil ceremony followed by an Iranian Sofreh Aghd (table ceremony).
Amir’s sister Sara performed a traditional Iranian knife dance, too.
How did your dress feel when you were walking down the aisle?
It felt perfect! I felt suddenly calm (in fact I started to calm down as soon as I got into my dress…).
THE MEMORIES
What are your favourite memories of your wedding day?
Seeing Amir at the end of the aisle, making our vows, the Sofreh and (although I was nervous) I’m very glad I made a speech.
What gave you the biggest laugh?
The speeches.
What got the tears flowing?
The speeches!
If there was one piece of advice you could give to a new bride-to-be, what would it be?
I wish that I had worried less about speaking to every single guest. I was still trying to do the rounds at midnight...
I’m also so happy that we had a videographer. Initially I was totally against the idea to save money but the footage has been watched in lots of different continents and it’s so nice to be able to share with people who couldn’t be there.
And last but not least, where is your wedding dress now?
At the dry cleaners and I wish them luck!
THE RECAP
Dress
8004 by Jesus Peiro
Accessories
Veil by Joyce Jackson (double-layered with pearl, cathedral length)
Charity shop shoes!
Venue
The Tithe Barn at Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire
Photography/Videography
Hair + Makeup
Chrys Chapman (Harrogate)
Decor
We collected brass vases and jugs from antique markets and charity shops and used them for flowers.
The Sofreh decorations were very kindly made and brought over from Iran.
Flowers
Marilou Floral Designs and Lush & Lang Florists – they were the best flowers I’ve ever seen!
Stationery
I wrote all of the invitations and the table plan. Don’t ever do this.
Table plan theme
Table names and favours were tea – important to us and to both cultures.
Caterers
Venue
Entertainment
Chris Hilton’s Little Big Band
First dance song
Baby I’m Yours – more Arctic Monkeys than Barbara Lewis
Like what you see from Lizzie?