Ellis Bridals love hearing back from our brides, there is nothing more gratifying than seeing the pure joy and happiness that our Ellis Bridals wedding dresses get to be a part of. Recent bride, Georgie, got in touch to tell us about her special day in her Ellis Bridals modern ballgown. In Mikado from the 2017 collection, this off the shoulder ball-gown is proof that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. With a full ballgown skirt and pockets, this is contemporary luxury at its true finest.
Ellis Bridals Mikado Ballgown | Style 19093
When and where did you meet your husband?
We met just over 7 and 1/2 years ago whilst at a party. I was actually dating someone else at the time, but after a few months we couldn’t stop chatting. (Don’t worry I called it off with the other guy before making anything official with Graham).
How did you know he was the one?
I knew from fairly early on in our relationship that I would marry Graham, he’s the kindest person I’ve ever met, and somehow we manage to compliment each other’s weirdness and quirks, he makes me laugh everyday and has supported me through everything – what more could you want?
How did he propose?
The proposal was incredible. It was our 6 year anniversary in June 2017 and we were going on a mini break to Bristol. Before setting off he said we were going for a picnic, he drove us to the village I grew up in, in the New Forest and found the perfect picnic spot near my old school. After setting up the picnic he said he’d left something in the car. He came back and handed me a present, which was a box of puzzle pieces he’d made himself, the next present was a frame. I made the puzzle up in the frame and it spelt out my name (at this point I was getting the ‘proposal butterflies’), when I turned the frame over, it said ‘will you marry me’ and Graham was in front of me on one knee with the most stunning engagement ring, after a lot of tears I obviously said yes!!
When and where did the big day take place?
We had our wedding day on September 29th 2018 at Gorwell Farm Barn in Dorset. It’s an amazing converted barn surrounded by fields and the beach is just a couple of miles away. It has so much character and was the first and only venue we visited; it had everything we wanted including cottages for our whole wedding party to stay in. We aren’t religious so it was an ideal place to have the ceremony too.
When did you start planning?
I have to admit I had started planning (in my head and on Pinterest) long before I was engaged, I’m kind of wedding mad!! So the proper planning was in full swing from the day he proposed! The venue was booked by the end of the July and everything fitted into place after then, I always wanted a September wedding and didn’t want a hugely long engagement so timing was ideal! I’ve wanted to be a wedding planner for about 5 years, and this has just confirmed my decision! I loved every second of the planning!
Where did you get your dress?
I found my dress at Sass and Grace near Winchester in Hampshire, it’s a beautiful boutique in the middle of stunning countryside and I had a fabulous experience there!
Is that the sort of dress you thought you would go for or was it a surprise?
Completely different!! My Pinterest board was full of bohemian, lacy, floaty dresses that all had sleeves and flower crowns! I couldn’t have chosen anything more different but after trying on the Ellis dress I couldn’t get it out my mind. I went to other boutiques but every dress I tried never compared to the Ellis wedding dress (which we nicknamed Classic at the time). I completely fell in love with how timeless and elegant it is and the fact it had pockets was a huge bonus! (It reminded me of Audrey Hepburn) I genuinely Googled or Instagram searched my dress everyday leading up to the wedding, I was just so excited to wear it.
Who came dress shopping with you?
Sass and Grace was the first shop I went too, and I had my mum and 2 bridesmaids with me, on my second visit I had another bridesmaid with me too. I’ll never forget their reactions!!! They were fairly honest with some of the other dresses I tried on!!!
Where did you get your bridesmaid dresses?
I had 6 bridesmaids and thought it would be a nightmare to get them to all agree on 1 dress, but it was quite possibly one of the easiest wedding decisions we made. I ordered about 8 different dresses from various online retailers but all the bridesmaids agreed on 1 immediately, it was a fairly plain maxi dress in a burgundy/plum colour from TFNC but had a gorgeous back detail. They all looked so beautiful!!
How did you arrive at the ceremony?
The cottage I stayed in the night before with my bridesmaids was about a minute walk from the barn, so no cars or transport was needed, just a short walk with my dad and best friends beside me!
Did you have anything unusual during the ceremony?
My family are hugely into music, we had some live acoustic music playing me down the aisle and in between the formalities my Grandad introduced some traditional family written songs that everyone had the lyrics to on their order of service (they are a bit wacky, but suited the day down to a tee). We also wrote our own promises which was quite possibly the most emotional moment of my life and Graham’s brother and wife sung whilst we signed the certificates.
How did you accessorise to make your wedding day look unique?
I really wanted the day to be super personal, we covered our Tandem (named tinkerbell) in flowers and foliage and placed it in front of the head table, we had the proposal puzzle on the cake table and loads of outside games including table tennis, table football and air hockey (we’re both rather competitive). Our flowers were all supplied and done by a close family friend so lots of fun was had the night before setting up flower arches, table displays, hanging flower circles from the beams and lots more! It was so lovely having all my bridesmaids get stuck in the night before.
What was the inspiration or colour theme for your wedding?
Since before I got engaged I wanted burgundy and gold as the colour scheme but also loads of foliage in a really natural setting. I’ve been thinking up ideas for so long that they all came together so well.
What style of maids and groomsmen did you go for?
We opted for Graham being in a light blue suit and his ushers in dark blue, with burgundy ties and pocket squares to match the girls.
What kind of food did you have? Cake?
Graham made the plates and platter boards for the starter which was a mix of fresh bread, olives, pesto and charcuterie. We then had pie and mash supplied by a local company near us (I’m slightly obsessed with mash so it had to be done!). Pudding was mini meringue pavlovas which even matched our colour scheme with gold dust and raspberries!
This was all followed by cake and a sausage and chip van in the evening… I think it’s safe to say no one left hungry!
What tips do you have for new brides picking their wedding dress?
Be open to trying on something completely different to what’s in your head and enjoy it, do not stress! Finding my dress was one of the most enjoyable days when I was planning and take it all in!!! It’s a massive decision, but it will 100% feel right when it’s ‘the one’.
Where were your photos taken?
We snuck away after the wedding breakfast and went to a field with our Cavapoo, Narla (we had to get her involved). The sun was just setting but all our dog wanted to do was play… muddy dogs and white wedding dresses definitely don’t mix but we managed to get through it!
What was your favourite moment from the day?
It’s so tricky too chose one!! So here’s 3…
We were about 1/2 a mile away when we went to get our photos taken, and as we were walking back to our photographer’s car all we could hear was laughter from our venue. (I think there was some serious table tennis competition happening between the guests), it was such a happy and joyous moment!
The ceremony: basically the whole thing! And from what I’ve heard there wasn’t a dry eye in the barn! My Maid of Honour and mum did readings too which were just beautiful and everything about it was perfect.
The morning of: I was surprised at how relaxed both me and all my bridesmaids were… my Maid of Honour had organised lots of close family members and friends to write letters for me… I made sure I read these before my make up was done as there were a LOT of tears!! Graham also wrote me a letter which was so beautiful. It’s something I will keep forever!
Our photographer was Jack Aldridge Photography.
We would love to hear from all of our Ellis Brides! If you would like to share your story please get in touch: diana@ellisbridals.com
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