Elegant Pearl Wedding Headband
Gemma said: "Because my dress was so ornate I was agonising for ages about what to do with my wedding hair accessories. I’d already decided I wanted braids (I was inspired by Wednesday’s hair on the Netflix show!) so I didn’t want to go too OTT with everything else. I also didn’t really want a veil because I didn’t want to cover the back of the dress. I’d already found some cool gold star pearl earrings from Wolf and Moon as well. So - it made sense to just go for simple pearls and I found Debbie’s pieces which were just so beautiful and elegant. I got so many compliments and the hair accessories really helped pull the whole look together into something ‘bridal’."
Supporting British Independent Designer-Makers
Gemma added: "It was important to me to support independent designers and it was really helpful to be able to email Debbie to discuss what I wanted and to be able to customise the ribbon and metal colours as well. The dress, rings and earrings were also handmade from UK independent businesses and it’s really nice to support them if you can, especially given how turbulent the wedding industry has been since the pandemic. It’s good to know that they’re high quality, sustainable and that I could wear them again in the future (maybe even pass them down).
Would You Recommend A Debbie Carlisle Accessory?
I would say - go for it, you’re going to get something really high quality and personal. When I ordered my pearl headband I felt reassured that I would have something special that wouldn’t break or look cheap when it arrived, which is always a worry when ordering online from big suppliers rather than independent ones. I’m happy that I got something classic that I could easily wear again. I got so many compliments and I will cherish my pearl wedding headband and hair pins always!”
A Handmade Art Deco Style Bridal Gown
Gemma chose a Lucy Can't Dance handmade wedding gown which worked perfectly with her pearl headband. She said: "I’ve never really been an ‘intricate florals’ kind of person and it feels like a lot of wedding gowns have this sort of style. I’ve seen some gorgeous, classic strapless sleeveless dresses with slits but I was worried about being freezing in December. Plus, I love to dance so I wanted something comfortable and a princess dress never felt like it would be for me. Lucy Can’t Dance was actually round the corner from where Martin used to live so I was already aware of the brand but when I saw Lucy’s dresses I was blown away. She is also a UK independent designer, handmakes all the dresses and is also very body inclusive so makes the dress exactly how you want it. I’ve always preferred slightly vintage, geometric Art Deco patterns so when I tried on her Galactic Blue dress it really felt like the one. The slip was a double-lined jersey so it was actually really warm and comfortable. It was also really quick to put on which was helpful when we were running short of time before the ceremony! I also didn’t need any help in the loo either so I wasn’t stressed about wearing it at all. I feel so happy that I found a dress that suits my personality and style so much. I’m hoping to get it shortened so I can wear it again in the future.
A Rustic Winter Wedding
We got engaged on 9th December and we really wanted a winter wedding - cosy, fewer hot weather issues, but also better for the budget! We were looking for a venue that had great indoor spaces and a barn style setting and I came across Ufton Court. I was so happy, as I actually went there on a school trip when I was 8 and I loved it then. I didn’t know they did weddings, but they use the VAT-free proceeds from the venue hire to fund their kids educational charity (which also makes it great value). It’s a beautiful original Tudor venue with a barn, manor house and amazing grounds. It’s basically dry hire with free corkage so you can customise everything to how you want it, so we were able to have fireworks, hot chocolate and a log fire plus amazing winter wedding food. We were able to get married exactly a year after our engagement, which was really special. The staff and wedding coordinator were amazing and we couldn’t recommend it enough.
A Unique Wedding Theme
We kept the structure of the day largely quite traditional for a civil ceremony, but we can both be a bit quirky and silly so we wanted some individual touches that felt like us. We both like diving and Martin is a shark documentary producer, so our table place names were different shark types with fun facts about them. I’ve always loved wintery colours like dark emerald green and gold, which made sense for the bridesmaids dresses so it could suit their hair/skin tones as well. So from there we picked dark burnt orange as well, as it's one of Martin’s favourite colours. This allowed me to have some of my favourite flowers in my bouquet (birds of paradise and orchids) which perhaps aren’t usual for a winter wedding, but we kept the arrangements quite rustic to go with the barn setting. Candles went well with the winter theme and the foliage (although there were some very minor fires with the aisle candles… whoops!). We’re also very lucky to have Martin’s brother who is a graphic designer, so we were able to have all our stationery and signs in the same colour scheme and to also look quite modern and original.
Personal Touches And A Confetti Tornado!
We had so many memorable moments - obviously the actually getting married bit and having some time on our own immediately after the ceremony. Having our string quartet play our favourite Radiohead song as we signed the register. Walking down the aisle together to a string version of the Dr Who theme. Our insane confetti walk - it was 40mph winds and it was like a confetti tornado! Amazing speeches including an excruciatingly bad teenage poem that Martin’s brother found! Our first dance to ‘10 Years’ by Dadi Freyr, a Eurovision song we love. But also just having a room full of people that you love is the best feeling ever.
Suppliers:
Photography: Johnny Dent
Dress: Lucy Can't Dance
Hair Accessories: Debbie Carlisle Prue headband and Prudence hair pins
Earrings: Wolf And Moon
Venue: Ufton Court