#2 Cross-Country Cool
Our Brides – Lauren
Now this is how to rock a winter wedding! Here’s Lauren, bringing pure boho wedding chic to the Derbyshire Peaks, courtesy of Rembo Styling. Hunter wellies and everything!
Long-distance runner Lauren was a real pleasure to work with when she visited the boutique, and there’s something very special about a winter wedding here in the Peak District. I can’t get over how fabulous the photos are! #GirlCrush.
Congratulations Lauren and Andrew! As Brucie used to say on Strictly, you’re my favourites.
Jess x
THE LOW-DOWN
How would you sum up the style of your wedding?
Winter wedding in the Peak District.
Where and when did you tie the knot?
Upper House Hayfield, Derbyshire, on 14th December 2018. In a hunting lodge/family home turned wedding venue overlooking Kinder Reservoir. It’s just a few miles from where we live.
It is absolutely stunning, from the great hall where the ceremony took place (and later the dance floor), to the grounds, the tipi where we had the wedding breakfast, and then the house itself where we got ready the morning of the wedding and stayed that evening.
And what was your wedding dress?
Honey Bear by Rembo Styling. As soon as I tried it on it just felt perfect for me!
The lace detail was so stunning yet simple. Being a keen distance runner I don’t have the most feminine figure but this fitted perfectly.
THE LEAD-UP
How did you two first meet?
At the European Cross Country Championships in Budapest in December 2012. We were both representing Great Britain and got chatting over the weekend away.
We then had our first coffee date back in England on 14th December exactly 6 years to the day before the wedding!
What about the proposal? When, where, how?
1st January 2018, Monsal Trail, Derbyshire.
We are both very keen runners so it was of course mid-run. It was early morning on New Year’s Day so it was very quiet and we pretty much had the whole trail to ourselves.
THE DRESS
Did you have an idea of what you wanted when you first started looking for your wedding dress? And did you stick to it?
I wanted something a bit boho style, some lace yet quite simple and comfortable/lightweight. And yes I did pretty much stick to it.
With it being a winter wedding I thought I may have gone for something with sleeves which was actually an option with my chosen dress, but decided against this.
How did you find the whole experience of searching for the right dress?
We originally planned to get married in Autumn 2019, however due to a few different reasons we moved the wedding forward to December 2018. The more research we did on winter weddings the more we fell in love with the idea of a winter wedding. From booking the venue and date I then only had 4 months to pretty much plan the whole wedding and of course find the dress.
I went to 3 bridal boutiques, Alexandra Anne was the third and final one. It is such a lovely boutique shop in a quaint village on the Chatsworth Estate. The dresses were all so beautiful. I loved the experience and I was glad I got to go back a couple more times after the initial visit to see Jess and the shop.
What was it about your dress that made it ‘the one’?
As soon as I tried it on I knew it was this one or that if it wasn’t this one it would be very similar. I could see myself wearing it, and could picture it with the style of wedding I wanted. Also I was sure my husband-to-be would approve.
It also got approval off my mum and sister-in-law who were with me.
How did you feel once you’d made the big decision?
I was so happy with my decision. And I guess massively relieved as decisions aren’t something I am very good at.
Do you have any top tips for other brides out there shopping for their bridal gown?
I found looking at the shop websites and Instagram sites helped a lot. You can be a bit overwhelmed by the choice and different styles when you arrive at the shops. Also Pinterest boards are great to get an idea of all the different styles out there.
Try different styles at a few different shops: I was surprised how different styles I would have never previously considered looked and felt when I tried them on. And probably give yourself a bit more time than I did!
And when you’ve found the one, go away and give yourself a few days to think about it before confirming.
THE BIG DAY
Tell us more about your outfit on the day. How did you complete your look?
I wore a pair of nude heels from Zara, a deep red fur jacket from Sezane and a stunning floral crown made by our very talented florist Marianne Slater from Frances and Rose.
Accessories-wise I had a silver Alex Monroe bee necklace. (We are huge Alex Monroe fans and I already have the gold bee necklace amongst others, and my engagement ring and wedding bands are from there).
And your bridesmaids?
I had 4 bridesmaids and 6 flower girls (they were so adorable!!). Bridesmaid dresses were a bit more tricky than I originally anticipated. With 4 months to go I knew one bridesmaid was pregnant, one may be pregnant by the time the wedding day arrived and one lived in Florida so I just had to hope the dress fitted!
I chose a lilac/grey colour from Asos – they were in the sale so were a bargain! I had initially planned to have 2 different style dresses but due to the complications above they just all had the same style.
Flower girl dresses were from Monsoon: I needed a shop that sold the same style from age 1 to age 8.
What do you remember about the morning of the wedding?
The morning flew by. I arrived at the house just after 8am with my mum and sisters and bridesmaids. My makeup/hair stylists were already there and set up and ready to go. We just chilled out having breakfast, plenty of coffee and champagne as we took it in turns to have our hair and makeup done. It was so much fun.
My mum was busy in the other kitchen putting the wedding cake together and I would pop in and out to give her a hand. It was just so nice to have different family members arriving throughout the morning and having the use of the house to get ready in.
Who did your hair and makeup?
Amba Logan and her colleague Lyndsey.
Amba is based in her own studio in Bakewell. She did an amazing job!
Who took your wedding photos?
Mariola Zoladz. She’s absolutely incredible! You would hardly notice she was there, working away in the background.
Mariola also did a pre-wedding shoot with us which I would really recommend as it meant we got to know her really well and that the day was more relaxed from the moment she arrived.
Did you follow any traditions? Or was there anything unusual about the ceremony?
No traditions or anything unusual that I can think of.
How did your dress feel when you were walking down the aisle?
I felt amazing! It fitted perfectly and I just embraced the moment of walking down the aisle.
Of course there’s always a worry I might trip but we had made sure the dress was the perfect length and I went for comfortable heels.
What are your favourite memories of your wedding day?
The ceremony – just standing in front of our closest family and friends and looking at each other and saying the vows was so so special.
Seeing my nieces and friends daughter as flower girls – they were adorable.
The speeches and the food!
What gave you the biggest laugh?
The speeches! The best man speech probably wins with the appearance of a life-size Jolly Tall (my husband Andrew’s childhood teddy was a giraffe called Jolly Tall). He got one of the ushers to dress up in a giraffe costume and sneak in to the tipi mid-speech.
What got the tears flowing?
I’m not one to cry so I just couldn’t stop smiling throughout the ceremony and the day.
If there was one piece of advice you could give to a new bride-to-be, what would it be?
Embrace the day. I dislike being centre of attention but realised I shouldn’t stress about it and just really enjoy it. Having that positive attitude massively helped.
Also take a step back and just take everything in at different points throughout the day.
And last but not least, where is your wedding dress now?
At my parents’ house – my mum is going to get it dry-cleaned / it’s probably been dry-cleaned and hung up waiting for me to collect!
THE RECAP
Dress
Honey Bear by Rembo Styling
Accessories
Alex Monroe (jewellery)
Sezane (jacket)
Zara heels, Hunter wellies, New Balance trainers (a girl can never have too many shoes!)
Venue
Upper House Hayfield, Derbyshire
Photography
Mariola Zoladz (based in Sheffield)
Hair and makeup
Amba Logan (based in Bakewell)
Decor
DIY
Flowers
Marianne Slater, Frances and Rose
Stationery
Ben Edwards (family friend)
Table plan theme
Favourite running routes (mostly local ones in Derbyshire)
Caterers
Vanilla in Allseasons (canapes, wedding breakfast, evening food)
Hulsons (pork pie wedding cake)
Wedding cake by my Mum, Vivienne Howarth
Krispy Kreme donuts with donut board made by my Grandad
Entertainment
Spotify playlist
First dance song
Slow Show by The National
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