#31 Hope Valley Hottie
Our Brides – Nicola
The Hope Valley is only a short drive away from the shop, and what a beautiful place for a September wedding ceremony. Nicola and Edale both look pretty fine, right?
The lovely Nicola is a good example of how a bride’s usual shopping style comes into play when making the big decision on a wedding dress. If you’re naturally a bit indecisive when you’re out looking for a new outfit for a night out, that same indecision is going to feed into your wedding dress shopping. Only even more so when you’ve got so many people to please, and so many other dresses to flick through on Instagram or Pinterest.
Yes it’s been said before, but the golden rule is try not to overthink it. It’s especially hard when you don’t physically have the dress with you to try on again. And never feel like you should apologise for worrying or wanting to talk things through. It’s all part of the service 😉.
Congrats Nicola and James! (I should make a crisp-based Wheel of Misfortune for my James, too!)
Jess x
THE LOW-DOWN
How would you sum up the style of your wedding?
I would probably say the style was fairly relaxed and rustic with lots of soft colours, wild flowers and textures within the decor.
We weren’t too set on a particular style but definitely wanted to take influence from the natural, rustic setting of the Peak District.
Where and when did you tie the knot?
We had our wedding ceremony at The Gathering in Edale in the Hope Valley on 14th September 2019. (We’d already officially tied the knot on the 12th at Bakewell Town Hall).
And what was your wedding dress?
My dress was a two-piece consisting of a gorgeous Charlie Brear satin underskirt called Cataline with Rembo Styling’s Honeymoon overdress, along with a Charlie Brear satin silk sash.
The perfect hybrid of two beautiful designers!
THE LEAD-UP
How did you two first meet?
We both met through various nights out and house parties when my sister went to uni. One of her friends on her course was James’s best friend. And the best man at our wedding!
What about the proposal? When, where, how?
We got engaged in York (one of our favourite places to visit) in November 2015.
James isn’t the best secret keeper so I may have had an inkling that he was going to propose – mainly as he had planned the whole trip away, which is usually down to me! He seemed a little nervous and suggested we go out for a walk soon after we checked in.
We headed to the Museum Gardens where James suggested we sit down on a nearby bench (despite me moaning that it was a bit damp as it had been raining). As I eventually went to sit down I turned round to see James down on one knee....
I don’t particularly remember what happened next but after a few tears I obviously said yes! It was such a lovely moment, even with the group of school children who walked round the corner as he had just proposed! It definitely makes our future trips to York even more special, and it was where I spent a brilliant hen weekend with my friends.
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 had a rough idea in that I knew I wanted it to be quite floaty and relaxed, probably with some lace detail. Mainly something that felt ‘like me’ and wasn’t too heavy or fussy.
An important criteria for me was definitely to be able to dance!
I did try on a few different styles to be sure but I think I did pretty much stick with what I thought I would want.
How did you find the whole experience of searching for the right dress?
I was actually quite apprehensive at the start as anyone who knows me will know I am very indecisive and struggle with most decisions... so the idea of choosing a wedding dress was quite daunting.
I went to a couple of shops before and tried on a few beautiful dresses but I knew they weren’t quite right. My sister then found Alexandra Anne online and I will be forever grateful that she did.
I went with my mum, sister and best friend and as soon as we stepped in, we all fell in love with the place. It felt so welcoming and comfortable, with the most amazing selection of beautiful and unique dresses to choose from. I was spoilt for choice!
It was such a special experience and Jess was just wonderful and completely put me at ease during the whole process.
What was it about your dress that made it ‘the one’?
To be honest, I fell in love with quite a few of the dresses I tried on, so I did struggle with the idea of ‘the one’!
I actually went back just with my sister to try on two that I particularly loved, along with a ‘wild card’ that I had seen online just before our visit. I still loved the other two but as soon as I tried the third option on, it felt like just what I’d been looking for – almost a mix of all the ones I loved. Jess was brilliant in helping me to style it, offering ideas and suggestions to get it just right.
I felt so comfortable and happy, and loved that my friends said it looked like it been made ‘just for me’.
How did you feel once you’d made the big decision?
It was such a lovely experience to be there with my sister when I made the decision. I felt so happy, excited and emotional. Jess then brought us a glass of fizz to celebrate which was so perfect!
It did feel a little overwhelming though and over the coming months I did begin to have doubts, particularly as I kept looking at Pinterest and wondering if I should have gone for something different, perhaps more daring.
I ended up sharing these doubts with Jess and she was so lovely and helpful. She reassured me in my decision, and offered some really helpful advice – going above and beyond in her role!
I probably did feel a bit anxious on and off up until the wedding day but as soon as I put it on, all my doubts went out of the window.
Do you have any top tips for other brides out there shopping for their bridal gown?
Probably just try not to overthink it. I’m not sure I took my own advice but I just think you know how you feel and you need to go with that.
It’s definitely good to be open-minded, but I also think it is completely natural to love quite a few dresses, particularly if you are indecisive like me.
I would also advise to not look at any more once you have chosen. It's good to remember how you felt at the time, as you chose it for a reason.
THE BIG DAY
Tell us more about your outfit on the day. How did you complete your look?
As my dress had quite a lot of delicate detail, I didn’t want to distract from that, so I didn't wear any jewellery and just wore flat, nude slingback shoes from Next.
I borrowed a floor-length tulle veil that my sister wore at her wedding, which felt really special as my ‘something borrowed’. It complemented the dress perfectly.
And your bridesmaids?
I had two bridesmaids, my sister and my best friend. They both wore different dresses in similar shades, one midi-length, and one maxi, both from H&M.
I wanted them to feel comfortable and happy in what they wore, and most importantly, be able to dance!
What do you remember about the morning?
The morning was honestly one of my favourite parts of the day, although it did fly by! It felt so special to share it with my mum, my sister and my best friend, and even briefly with my best friend’s beautiful baby daughter.
I felt very emotional at first but everyone was on hand with a hug, cup of tea or glass of prosecco to calm my nerves.
We got ready in one of the beautiful rooms on site where we were staying which looked over the ceremony room, so it was great to have a sneaky peek when guests started to arrive.
Who did your hair and makeup?
Helen Sutcliffe Hair did the hair for me, my two bridesmaids and my mum. She had been the hair stylist at my best friend's wedding where I was also a bridesmaid and she was just brilliant.
It was lovely to have Helen with us throughout the morning: she put us all at ease and created beautiful, individual styles to suit everyone, as well as being on hand for any last-minute touches.
We decided to do our own makeup to help with the relaxed feel and so that we all felt like ourselves.
Who took your wedding photos?
Kieran Collins was our photographer for the day. We’d met him previously at a local pub and immediately knew he was the right person for us with his relaxed and informal style.
Kieran completely put us at ease on the day, and almost felt like another guest. We couldn’t have been happier with the beautiful photos he took, which captured the day perfectly.
Did you follow any traditions? Or was there anything unusual about the ceremony?
As the venue wasn’t licensed we had a celebrant – Theresa from Love Celebrant – who provided a lovely, relaxed service which felt really special and personal.
We followed a few traditions but were keen all throughout the wedding planning process that we wanted a relaxed, informal day. Essentially just a big party with all our favourite people!
How did your dress feel when you were walking down the aisle?
I just loved it! Any doubts I had previously had went completely out of the window.
It felt floaty and delicate but most importantly felt comfortable, and I felt like me. Seeing James’s reaction to it just confirmed my decision.
THE MEMORIES
What are your favourite memories of your wedding day?
There are so many, it’s hard to pick just a few. Every time I think back to the day I have a big smile on my face.
We were so lucky with the weather which was just an added bonus. It meant we got to enjoy the beautiful Peak District surroundings for our post-ceremony drinks, which was perfect. We loved chatting and laughing with all our friends and family out in the sunshine.
I also loved dancing the night away in the evening. Looking around and seeing all my favourite people smiling and dancing together was just amazing.
What gave you the biggest laugh?
I did have some great laughs getting ready in the morning with my mum and beautiful bridesmaids, but I’d have to say that the speeches gave me the biggest laugh. Speeches are often my favourite part of any wedding so I’m glad I enjoyed them at my own!
The best man’s speech was just brilliant and had everyone laughing! Let’s just say it involved a game-show style ‘spin the wheel’ with different heat levels (of crisp flavours – don’t ask!) related to different stories about my husband. It was brilliant and had everyone in stitches!
What got the tears flowing?
I was actually surprised how little I cried on the day (as I am usually very emotional!).
I probably felt the most emotional in the morning though getting ready with the girls as it suddenly became real. They were brilliant at calming me down though and I soon felt relaxed and just enjoyed the day.
I did think I would cry seeing James at the end of the aisle but I actually just had a big grin on my face as soon as I saw him, and it didn’t leave for the rest of the day!
If there was one piece of advice you could give to a new bride-to-be, what would it be?
Everyone says it, but just focus on what you both want and try not to overthink about what you should or shouldn’t do. There is no right and wrong and you just need to go with what will make you both happy. There are so many options for different styles of wedding now so you can have as much or as little input as you want.
I worried about how the day would flow and what guests might think, but on the day everyone is there because they love you and want to celebrate with you, and that is all that matters.
And last but not least, where is your wedding dress now?
It’s actually still at my parents’ house, as they took it home after the wedding. My mum has also kindly cleaned it, which was quite a task after a full day of walking around a barn, in the fields, and dancing the night away (with a few spilt drinks!).
We’re currently in lockdown but I look forward to getting it back when I can so I can look at it as a reminder of our amazing day.
THE RECAP
Dress
Honeymoon Overdress by Rembo Styling
Cataline Skirt by Charlie Brear
Accessories
Silk sash by Charlie Brear
Veil borrowed from my sister
Shoes from Next
Venue
The Gathering, Edale, Derbyshire
Photography
Kieran Collins Photography (Sheffield)
Hair + Makeup
Hair by Helen Sutcliffe Hair (Nottingham)
Makeup by bridal party
Decor
Flowers
Hollow Meadows Flowers (Sheffield)
Stationery
The calligraphy for our table plan and place cards was done by
our wonderful, talented friend Roxy aka Getting Ink Done.
Caterers
Ros Nield Catering (Sheffield)
Entertainment
Spotify playlist
First dance song
Green Eyes – Coldplay
Got green eyes of envy for Nicola’s look?