Vicki in bespoke Jesus Peiro for a romantic, cosy winter wedding

We're looking towards the colder months again today, with Andrew and Vicki's beautifully romantic and cosy winter wedding making us feel all warm and fuzzy! The day took place at the gorgeous The Great House in Sonning, with lots of thoughtful, personal touches to make the day extra special. We particularly love the fab sparkler arch, which resulted in some beautiful images of the newlyweds.

We created a wonderful bespoke Jesus Peiro wedding dress for Vicki, which included elements from a number of different styles that Vicki loved, which were combined to create her perfect bridal look. The addition of a snowy white angora cardigan finished the ensemble, ideal for keeping warm during those outdoor portraits.

Read on to find out more, alongside beautiful photography by Chris at Ivory Fayre

A bespoke Jesus Peiro wedding dress

I chose a bespoke dress made by Jesus Peiro that incorporate two dresses that I loved in the Miss Bush show room. The style was code 5021 which combined the top and waist design of dress 913 with the 8004 skirt. I was delighted with the result and really felt like I'd found my dream dress. The idea I had in my mind was a classic cut, large skirt and feminine details. I knew I wanted a large skirt that had box pleating and made from a heavy silk. I was also obsessed with the idea of having pockets and a bow. The dress I chose was made with Mikado silk which meant the dress hung naturally and beautifully. I also had a large petticoat underneath that had multiple hoops placed through it make sure the width of the skirt didn't drop and the shape lasted throughout the day and evening. As a last-minute (3 days before the wedding) addition I bought a white cashmere and angora cropped cardigan, also made by Jesus Peiro. The weather was cold on the wedding day, so this kept me warm but perfectly styled the dress without taking attention away from the details of the dress (i.e the open back and waist embellishments). The fact that the team at Miss Bush were able to order the cardigan to arrive in time was incredible and I was so impressed!

The dress truly made me feel like a princess for the day, I couldn't have imagined a more perfect dress for myself. I wanted to go big but wanted to make sure it was chic and simple. I worried in the lead up to the wedding that I had gone too big with the skirt but actually it was exactly what I wanted and I'm glad I didn't change the width of the petticoat. In the end, I thought, when else will I ever be able to wear a dress like this! The small details like the bow, pockets and open back were important to me because I LOVE bows and pockets and the open back gave the dress a modern twist.

Dress Shopping

I brought my mum to the first appointment which was a lovely experience and one that I will always remember. It's such a special moment to share together. I think we both knew deep down what sort of dress I'd end up and luckily we have very similar taste. However, the team at Miss Bush did make sure I tried on lots of different styles which was really fun and I'm glad I got the chance to do this. I definitely fell in love with a few dresses that I would have been tempted with if I'd gotten married abroad and in the sun. However a winter Church wedding in the UK limits your choices a bit.
Once we had narrowed down our top 2 choices I brought my mum, two sisters, best friend and mother-in-law to Miss Bush to make the final decision; which was unanimous! There were a few tears but generally we all just got really excited. My bride tribe said they felt the dress we chose really reflected me as a person which meant a lot to me and was really important. I immediately knew the right decision had been made not just because my gut and heart told me so but because I trusted these 5 women implicitly. We had a couple of glasses of prosecco to celebrate.

I only visited two other bridal stores at the beginning of my dress search but I knew my dream dress was at Miss Bush. I also loved the service and feeling I got during my first visit at Miss Bush. The Chapel is just stunning and has a very cosy and welcoming feel as soon as you walk through the door, it was a wet and miserable day on my first visit but we were swiftly provided a delicious and large cappuccino from the next door cafe which made us feel right at home. I also loved the way the dresses were hung on the rail... So neatly presented with plenty of room to actually see the full dress in detail on the rail. The whole experience was really wonderful to be honest. I didn't feel stressed or worried at any point which was just amazing. The team at Miss Bush are so professional, experienced, talented, efficient and kind. The whole process was seamless and I never felt I wasn't being looked after. Whether it was choosing accessories, making alterations and final fittings I felt I had their full attention, was made to feel important but also very super relaxed and supported. The surroundings definitely attribute to this relaxed atmosphere but the people make Miss Bush a happy place to be.

Styling

Emma at Miss Bush is an incredible stylist and has an amazing eye. She has surrounded herself with incredibly and equally as talented people who work at Miss Bush. They are all experts in their field and the level of service is second to none.

Emma led both my initial and second dress appointments and it was her suggestion to combine the two Jesus Peiro dresses I loved. Once I knew this was a possiblity, I was sold! Emma also showed me the cardigan as a cover up option because I was worried I might be cold in outdoor photographs and going to and from the venue. The cardigan was truly perfect.

Emma also helped me in the accessories appointment which I combined with a hair trial, with Carolanne Armstrong, at Miss Bush during which I was able to try the sample dress at the same time. This really allowed me to see how the hair style and accessories worked with the dress, it was a great idea and I feel fortunate to have been given the chance to do this and highly recommend it.

Carolanne (recommended by Emma) was fantastic and completely understood the look I wanted which was a light, airy, texture up do with volume. I've always loved hair bands and liked the idea of having something that would tie in the embellished waist belt detail on my dress. It also made me feel like I was wearing a tiara without going too over the top! The hair band we chose in the end was from British designer brand Ivory & Co and very similar to the crystallised head band I'd seen on Pinterest that inspired the overall look. Ivory & Co is available at Miss Bush.

I found my shoes before I found my dress! They were a classic white satin pair of Jimmy Choo’s, with a patent heel.

Jo, from the Miss Bush team helped me choose the veil which was probably the one thing I really couldn't make my mind on. I loved the way the single tier veil fell down the back of the dress but I also wanted to be traditional walking down the aisle with the veil over my face. Jo was so patient with me and we tried the two veil styles many times. In the end I chose a two tier stitched veil with a very slim stain edge, I was so pleased with the way it looked in the end. Jo also helped me decide on earrings. I already had the embellishment in the belt and hair band so didn't want to add much else to my accessories. She suggested a subtle and delicate drop earring would work really well. The earrings were a gift from my Aunt and purchased from Carat London.

A romantic, cosy winter wedding

The ceremony took place at Church of the Sacred Heart in Henley-on-Thames. The reception was at The Great House in Sonning, which runs along the River Thames. Sonning village was described by British author Jerome K. Jerome in his book Three Men in a Boat as "the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river”.

Because the wedding was in the winter we wanted the reception to feel cosy. We love having friends over to our house for dinner and so wanted the atmosphere to feel like an intimate ‘dinner party’. The made sure there were plenty of candles at the Church and the reception was held in the pub area of The Great House which we made private. There was a pathway that led straight to the river and we had our photographs taken there. It was a misty day in the end but I like the effect it gave to our photographs. We arranged the table plan so that it felt like a bit of a banquet with long tables running down the length of the room whilst the top table connected the at the top of the room. It felt really cosy and informal.

The decor was really based around the flowers, lots of candles, good lighting and music. We didn't really have a theme but we do love wine! So, this perhaps became a bit of a theme. We asked all our friends and family to collect and donate their used wine corks 6 months before the wedding. We used these to create a ‘cork board’ that was used for the table plan. Our parents created the board together and we now use the cork board at home. We also used champagne corks as holders for the name place cards on the tables.

Important elements for us to make it the best day were: food, music, drinks, flowers, lighting, atmosphere to create a space that felt elegant and welcoming.

I remember seeing a photo of a sparklers moment on a wedding blog and loved how effective it was and it looked like a lot fun so I wanted to incorporate it into the day. We always knew we wouldn’t have a wedding cake, mainly because neither my husband or I particularly like cake…! We decided to do the sparklers after dinner whilst the events team got the room prepared for dancing so the timings worked perfectly as it meant all the guests were outside whilst the team moved furniture. I sourced the sparklers myself as it was important they were extra-long so they would last as we walked through the ‘arch’. It was fun because everyone felt included in the moment; from children to grandparents.

The best bits

It’s too difficult to choose! I keep thinking over what the best moment was and it’s impossible to choose. But, if I had to choose one it would be looking around during the Church ceremony and seeing the faces of all the people we love the most in one room. They were there to celebrate and support us. It meant the world knowing that we had such special people in our lives who would witness the most important, intimate and sacred day of mine and Andrew’s life. It made me feel so lucky and blessed.

A few others include:
• Andrew and I having two very special moments straight after the wedding; in the Church garden and the journey from the Church to the reception in our beautiful vintage Rolls Royce Phantom II. We couldn’t stop smiling.
• The car journey (in the same car) with my father to the Church. He made me feel so calm and relaxed.
• Our first dance which was sung live Niké, a London based artist and pianist.
• Having photographs outside with our families and bridal party.
• Meeting Andrew at the top of the aisle, the first time I saw him that day. I was so excited.
• Dancing under the moonlight on the lawn outside our venue as our photograph used smoke bombs to get the final photos of the day.
• Dancing with my friends to The Greatest Showman song ‘This Is Me’. We love it.

Vicki's Advice

Don't feel overwhelmed or stressed about finding the perfect dress. You will know you've found THE dress, even if it means you it wasn't what you expected.
Make sure you feel comfortable in your dress and definitely make sure you can sit in it comfortably.
Make sure the day represents you and your partner and what you love, add your own style to the day. There's no such things as do's and dont's.
Remember to take time at various points in the day to stand back and just take it all in. You'll remember those moments forever.
Avoid asking for too many opinions/advice because ultimately all that matters is that you do what you want.
Keep on top of your costs to make sure you don't go over budget too early in the day! Settle all the payments prior to the wedding, where possible so you don't have to worry about arranging any payments on the big day.
Make a run of show/schedule and keep editing it in the run up to the wedding so you can just give this to your venue contact/wedding coordinator, knowing that they have all the information they need and won't need to ask you any questions on the day.

Suppliers

My make up was done by a friend who is also a MAC make up artist. She is incredibly talented and used a mixture of MAC products and my own essentials which I cannot live without; Smashbox photo finish primer, Estee Lauder Pure Colour Envy Blush, Smashbox Be Lengendary Lipstick and La Mer The Lip Balm (which I also used the night before the wedding to make sure my lips were nourished). I don’t suit heavy eye make-up and in general keep make-up quite simple and quite matte (vs glowy, we realised glowy didn't suit me!). She made sure I still looked like me which was important for not just me but also Andrew.

All the flowers at the wedding were designed and created by Scarlet & Violet, an independent British florist owned by Vic Brotherson. They have a store in London. My mother and I worked closely with Vic to develop the style and theme of the flowers at the wedding. She arranged everything: my bouquet, bridesmaid bouquets, flower girl head bands, button holes for the wedding party and all arrangements at the Church and reception. The result was very natural, wild and elegant arrangements in predominantly green and white tones. White flowers and eucalyptus are my favourite.

The photography was done by Chris at Ivory Fayre. He was absolutely brilliant and totally understood that we wanted our photographs to feel as natural as possible. I personally feel really self conscious having my photograph taken, as I'm sure many people do but Chris really got this and I genuinely didn't realise he took half of the photo's he did. I felt quite strongly that I didn't want any photographs whilst I got ready because I didn't want to feel on edge. On the day he asked if he could pop into our dressing room to meet my mum and bridesmaids which was lovely and in the end he captured some lovely moments which I had not expected nor realised but was so pleased with. He also didn't push us to take too many 'official' photographs which meant we got to really enjoy the reception. He was really professional and out guests all commented on how much they liked him. I was delighted with the images!

We found an incredibly talented singer and pianist who performed at the Church ceremony, the reception, dinner and also sang our first dance song. I stumbled across Niké Jemiyo during an initial online search for a British solo artist. Andrew and I watched a few of her demo videos and just loved her voice. I didn't look any further after talking to Niké about how we wanted her involved in our wedding. She was so personable, professional and sweet. Her repertoire was really impressive and she also learnt our first dance song, nothing was too much trouble. She provided a great atmosphere with her sets during the dinner, a lot of our guests got involved in dancing and singing along. Having a professional singer at Church was also great because it meant people felt encouraged to sing loudly (which is always a bit of a struggle at Church weddings!). I couldn't recommend Nike more highly - she was fabulous.