Set in beautiful parkland in the picturesque West Sussex countryside, exclusive use wedding venue Cowdray House was the perfect backdrop for Eloise and Damian's romantic, elegant wedding. From getting ready in the stunning bedrooms to their romantic ceremony in the iconic Buck Hall, through to the evening celebrations, every moment was beautifully styled with exquisite florals and elegant finishing touches brought together by a dream team of wedding professionals. Twinkly fairylights, soft candle light and festive styled add a cosy, festive atmosphere, perfect for their December wedding date.

Eloise wore a custom version of Suzanne Neville's stunning Brahms wedding dress, featuring a romantic ballgown skirt and fitted bodice, covered from top to toe in the most exquisite lace. To make the dress her own, Eloise customised the shoulders, taking inspiration from Florescence to create a more sculptural look. To style her look, Eloise added a striking full length lace trimmed veil, with an iconic pair of metallic gold Roger Vivier heels with a sparkly brooch embellishment.

Read on for more details about the day, with words from Eloise about her dress shopping journey. Featuring a beautiful gallery of images by Emily Jayne Weddings.

Custom Suzanne Neville Brahms wedding dress

I always knew I wanted a lace wedding dress. I sent Emma a Pinterest board before my first fitting and she picked out two gorgeous Suzanne Neville dresses for me to try - Brahms and Fluorescence. I fell in love with both instantly and after a few appointments and help from Emma, I decided on a bespoke version of Brahms with different shoulders. When I tried on my dress for the first time after it was ready I was completely in love and everything about it was perfect and even better than I could have imagined. I love the soft detail of the lace, the corset and feminine neckline and also being able to customise the shoulders to suit me.

I brought my Mum, Sarah, to each appointment, and I could tell she fell in love with it too. She knows me better than anyone and is always my go-to for advice, so she was the perfect person to have by my side at every step.

Dress Shopping at Miss Bush

I genuinely looked forward to every appointment at Miss Bush, the team are so accommodating and made the whole experience feel incredibly special. From the very first try-on, through the toile fitting, to the final appointments with Jo when my dress was ready, each stage was exciting in its own way. Seeing all the ideas slowly come to life was such a special and memorable part of the journey.

I took a little while to decide on the final version of my dress, and the team were incredibly supportive throughout. I had several appointments with Emma, who always gave me the time and space to decide and offered such helpful, thoughtful advice on what was possible. I never once felt rushed - it was a really enjoyable process, and I’m so glad I took that time because the dress ended up being perfect. Jo was also wonderful during the alterations, so supportive and helpful, which made the whole experience feel very calm and reassuring.

Styling

The dress was so beautiful that it didn’t need much else, but I did wear a stunning Nortier veil. I actually had two veils on the day, I wore the Nortier veil for the ceremony and drinks reception, then later changed into my mum’s veil which she had mended for me. It felt incredibly special to wear, and I loved having a veil on for much longer than I’d originally planned. On the morning of the wedding, my husband Damian gifted me a diamond necklace, which I wore on the day and absolutely loved. For my something blue, I wore my grandma’s earrings that she had gifted to my mother. My shoes were a gorgeous pair of gold Roger Vivier heels with a sparkly buckle.

An elegant wedding at Cowdray House

We got married at Cowdray House in West Sussex, close to where I grew up, and it felt like the perfect setting for a December wedding. Damian’s family and friends travelled from Ireland, with many staying on the estate for the weekend, which made it feel like a real gathering rather than just one day. The house was beautifully decorated for Christmas, with a huge tree in Buck Hall and large vases of Quality Street dotted throughout, which guests loved.

I spent the morning getting ready in the bridal suite with my cousins, who were my bridesmaids, and it was such a calm, special start to the day. Charlotte did all our hair and makeup, which made the whole morning feel relaxed and personal.

Our photographer was Emily Jayne Weddings and our content creator was Wedding Luxe Socials. As sisters, they worked so naturally together and brought such a calm, reassuring energy. We are so happy with everything they captured.

Caroline from Nordic Twigs created a stunning fireplace installation with greenery, fairy lights, roses and candles, which made the space feel so warm and romantic. We were lucky to have a bright winter’s day, and guests gathered outside in sunglasses before the ceremony. Halo Strings quartet played throughout the ceremony and drinks reception, performing some of our favourite songs.

My friend Rosie from Rosebuds Design created all our stationery, from invitations to on-the-day details, and brought my vision to life perfectly. During the drinks reception, guests enjoyed champagne, Guinness and Jacaranda canapés while Buck Hall was transformed for dinner. The tables were filled with candles and roses, and each menu was tied with a ribbon, with my mum spending evenings before the wedding making every bow by hand.

The wedding breakfast by Jacaranda was incredible, and afterwards The Drunken Jockeys served three signature cocktails we had chosen together in advance. They kept the atmosphere going all evening, and we also had a cigar bar with personalised matchboxes, which added a fun touch.

In the evening, After Dark Productions DJed and kept everyone dancing until our sparkler exit. We left briefly on a golf buggy before returning to stay in the house

The best bits

I loved getting ready with my bridesmaids but definitely marrying my best friend was the best moment!

Eloise's Advice

Take time to pick out what you want! Try not look at socials too much because it doesn’t help. Don’t take photos of you in the dresses - I know I would look at them and it would ruin the magic. It was so nice to not pick photos apart in between appointment but just go off the feeling when I was in the dresses itself.

Suppliers

Photographer: Emily Jayne Weddings
Content creator: Wedding Luxe Socials
Florist: Nordic Twigs
String Quartet: Halo Strings
Catering: Jacaranda
Bar: The Drunken Jockeys
Stationery: Rosebuds Design
Make up and hair: Charlotte Polka Dot
DJ: After Dark
Venue: Cowdray House