We're so delighted to share Lou and Mike's beautiful Spring wedding with you today, which took place last April in the Walled Gardens at the Cowdray Estate, West Sussex. With all of the restrictions in place at the time, the wedding was smaller than planned, but as you can see from the photos it was a wonderful happy day filled with love in the most gorgeous setting.

Louise wore Jesus Peiro 6019, an elegant a-line wedding dress with a chic v-neckline and a crystal belt for a touch of sparkle.

Read on to find out more about Lou and Mike's day, with images by Karen Flower Photography.

Jesus Peiro 6019 wedding dress

This was the first wedding dress I tried on. Amazingly, Emma chose it for me to try and I'm not sure I would have chosen to try it without her encouragement. I've never been in to 'bling' so I think if I were left to my own devices I would have ruled the dress out before even trying it because of the belt (which is perfect, it turns out). I went to several different bridal dress shops after trying the 6019 on, but nothing compared to this dress!

Initially, I liked the fact that a) it had pockets and b) my boobs didn't look enormous in it, and I could wear a proper bra with it on. Over time I realised that, actually, what I love most about it is that it nips me in at exactly the right places and that was super flattering and made me feel a million dollars on the day. I've always been self-conscious about the size of my shoulders, boobs and arms and that has restricted what I've worn ever since I began choosing the clothes I wear! I can honestly say that this was the first day of my life that I wouldn't have changed a thing about the way I looked - it is just the dress of my dreams.

Initially I visited with my sister - it wasn't emotional as we don't have that kind of relationship! I think she was gobsmacked that I was in a wedding dress because in her eyes, I am still her 12 year old annoying little sister! All of my other appointments were on my own because of COVID, and to be completely honest, I liked those appointments more.

Dress Shopping

My favourite part was that, in the end, because of all the COVID shenanigans, the dress 'experience' was the only aspect of our wedding that didn't have to change or be compromised on. That was really special to me.

We were originally set to get married in May '20 and I found it tough cancelling our wedding, particularly as a nurse very much on the front line at the time. I felt angry for a long time that the one day that was supposed to be OUR day was taken away from us.

I was overwhelmed by how amazing Miss Bush were throughout the rescheduling period - the compassion and understanding was something you'd expect from a friend as opposed to a business. That meant a lot, particularly as I knew how anxious it must have been for Miss Bush as a business too.

I joked once that I'd find out any COVID lockdown news from Miss Bush before BBC news, because the communication was always so prompt! Whilst the rest of the world was going in to major faff mode, Emma seemed to have it all together. That reassurance was important, and really appreciated.

Styling

I aimed for a classic look and just wanted to look elegant. I felt the dress spoke for itself so kept everything else minimal.

I wore my Grandmother's sapphire bracelet which is special because all of the females in our family have borrowed that bracelet on their wedding days.

The earrings were a close match to my JP belt which I loved, and I wore cute porcelain hair slides in my hair around my classic veil.

My shoes were a glittery low block heel with a pointed toe with a heart on the top. Having started the wedding planning process saying 'no bling' I quickly changed my mind!

A Spring wedding at Cowdray walled garden

f course, like most brides, I had the Pinterest board of dream weddings with enormous budgets. To save money, we decided to hand-make signage and other bits, for example we used ingredients from our garden to flavour gins for wedding favours. It was fun and we loved the decor all the more for the hand-made feel it had.

Because of the COVID restrictions that were placed on how we could celebrate our day and how many people could attend, I decided to go large on floral arrangements to make it as cheerful as possible. Our florist (The Gorgeous Flower Company) did not disappoint - the flowers were everywhere and smelt incredible.

The best bits

Our wedding day was the weekend after the initial lockdown easing, which meant that we were some of the first to have any form of wedding celebration in 2021. In many ways that made us incredibly lucky, but in other ways it was really difficult because the Government were slow to release guidance on weddings, meaning that we didn't actually know whether it would go ahead until 7 days before. Because of that (and this sounds gooey), the best part was finally getting to make our promises to each other. We both felt overwhelmed with emotion in our ceremony because by the time we got to the 17th April we both wanted to be married so, so badly.

Another aspect that was amazing was the fact that the weather was outstanding! That very same week it was snowing, and the day before I was desperately calling companies trying to order outside heaters, yet on the day we both got sunburnt! To see our closest friends and family (most of which we hadn't been able to see for months) and celebrate our marriage in the sunshine (which, again, we hadn't seen in months) felt like an absolute dream - I'll never forget that feeling.

Lou's Advice

Don't bother with the diet! I tried so hard to lose weight/tone/change my appearance for the first wedding we had planned (for May '20) and found the pressure of looking perfect stressful. By the time our April '21 wedding came around I had gained more than a little lockdown weight, and it didn't matter a bit. Being happy in your wedding photos will make you look more beautiful than having lost a few pounds.

Also, as silly as it sounds - 'you do you'! Everybody has an opinion on 'how to', whether it be in relation to getting married, having babies, decorating your house etc etc... Just smile in response to their unrequested opinions, and continue doing exactly what you were going to do anyway!

I think it's important to be kind to yourself. If you're anything like me you've felt a degree of guilt about getting upset or anxious for your wedding day. Particularly as a nurse, I felt that I was being selfish by feeling upset when my patients were dying. But it is likely to be the biggest day of your life so far, and you've a right to feel however you want to feel about it. Eat the chocolate - it'll help!

Oh, and always read the small print before signing on the dotted line!

Suppliers

Photographer: Karen Flower Photography
Venue: The Walled Garden at Cowdray
Caterer: Jacaranda Catering
Florist: The Gorgeous Flower Company
Cake: The Blushing Cook
Beauty: The Fountain Beauty
Tent: Great British Stretch Tents