Bespoke Suzanne Neville dress for a traditional Surrey weddingMiss Bush

Alannah and Paul's beautiful wedding took place in mid June at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Guildford, followed by a traditional marquee reception at Alannah's dream wedding venue, Loseley Park. The day was styled by Miss Bush favourites Susie Evans and Gill Pike Florist, bringing the outside in with tons of fresh, colourful flowers in shades of blue and lavender amongst classic off whites and green.

Alannah wore a special bespoke Suzanne Neville wedding dress, which featured elements from Romance and Amethyst, along with the addition of some sentimental lace appliques worked on by the brides aunt.

Read on for the full gallery of images, along with details about the day as recalled by our bride, Alannah.

A Bespoke Suzanne Neville Wedding Dress

Choosing a dress from Suzanne Neville was an easy decision. I loved her classic and elegant style with a focus on a structured fit. Before the designer day, I attended a dress appointment at Miss Bush to narrow down my choices. After meeting Suzanne and discussing my idea, she confirmed what I secretly knew all along. We went with a combination of the bodice from Romance and skirt from Amethyst whilst incorporating a beaded lace applique my Aunt had worked on.

I loved the idea of being able to custom design a dress using existing dresses as a base so I could visualise the end result. I was able to get the fit that I wanted and felt like a beautiful version of me.

Dress Shopping

I brought along my Maid of Honour to the initial appointment and the designer day as she knows me inside and out. Due to COVID restrictions and as my mom lives in South Africa, she joined the appointments via Zoom so she could still feel a part of it.

As I was getting a bespoke dress made, only once I had my first dress fitting were we able to see the drawing come to life. My Mom had travelled over especially, and I was joined by my Maid of Honour as she was there for the whole crazy journey. There was a lot of emotion in the room, as it meant this was finally happening.

My favourite parts of the whole dress shopping experience was attending the Suzanne Neville designer day, getting a bespoke dress designed by Suzanne herself and incorporating the hand beaded fabric my Aunt had worked on into the design. I previously had other ideas for my dress but navigating different continents, I am originally from South Africa, and multiple postponements due to COVID, meant I needed to rethink my approach. The Suzanne Neville designer day in November 2020 almost didn’t happen due to an impending lockdown, however lady luck was on my side, and we just made it. Other aspects of the wedding felt like the focus was on what other people would like, however when it came to dress shopping it was all about what I wished for. Having the opportunity to try on dresses and have that one-on-one time with Suzanne, meant I was able to discuss the design and visualize the end result. After all the previous disappointments due to COVID, this was this first time I felt excited, and this was thanks to the team at Miss Bush and Suzanne Neville for being so accommodating.

Styling

Classic, ethereal, and timeless was the look I was going for. Due to the detail on the bodice of the dress, I wanted to make sure I didn’t overdo it when it came to accessories.

I worked with Jo from Miss Bush to add removable straps and select a veil. Both the straps and veil used some of the leftover beaded applique from the bodice of the dress to continue the design elsewhere. The veil created a bit of interest from the back during the ceremony but having the removeable straps allowed me to change up my look throughout the day.

To complement my dress I had Emmy London shoes, finding the balance between being practical, I went for a block heel as it was a marquee wedding, and still looking pretty. This was a generous gift from my Maid of Honour as we both have a love of shoes and she introduced me to this boutique when she got married.

As a treat to me, I designed tanzanite and diamond earrings with the help of a family friend. Christy was able to incorporate a bit of home and a touch of blue to tie in with the bridesmaids. Paul worked with Christy to surprise me on the day with a matching necklace.

After coming across the beautiful handmade hair accessories on Instagram, I immediately reached out to Georgina from Vivi Embellish to create a bespoke look for the day. Using the hand beaded fabric for the bodice of my dress as a base, this formed the inspiration for the five hair pins Georgina created.

About the Day

Some people have a dream dress, for me it was a dream venue. After attending a family wedding as a ten-year-old, I knew that this is what I wanted for when I got married. Having a marque meant we had a blank canvas to create our vision.

My parent’s wedding also helped inspire the day. I always knew the theme colour of the wedding would be periwinkle after seeing pictures of the bridal retinue. Varying colours of blue, lavender, greens, pinks and white featured everywhere from the wedding party to the church and marquee.

Loseley House created the perfect backdrop for the marquee and the walled gardens added to the guest experience by creating an ideal setting for serving the welcome drinks and grazing starter.

An important aspect of the day for me was bringing the outside in and adding colour and interest to the marquee and church. Gill Pike, our florist, took the brief to another level, making us feel we were in a secret garden filled wonderful reminders of home as she incorporated the national flower of South Africa, the protea, into all the designs.

Alannah's Advice

When finding your dream dress, I would stick to what makes you feel like you, albeit a slightly more glamorous version. Find a boutique with supportive staff who will guide you on the journey and make you feel like you matter. With all the other craziness that comes with planning a wedding, working with Miss Bush meant my dress was one less thing to worry about. I trusted their judgement and appreciated their communication. The whole process felt effortless despite trying to navigate a pandemic.

When it comes to planning a wedding, the suppliers you choose will become like your family. Choose those that have your back, and you would still like to work with afterwards. Our day wouldn’t have been as successful as it was without the guidance and love from our wedding planner, Susie Evans. She was a part of our lives for so long, seeing us through multiple postponements and a venue change. She was our shining star on many a gloomy day. With the benefit of hindsight, it is easy to become wrapped up in the commotions of planning, try to take time out from the wedding to enjoy doing things as a couple as it will help to remind you why it’s worth it.