The Wedding

Friday the First of May, 2015

A sartorial look at a stylish wedding…

Complete with a stunning bride and a handsome groom.

It was immediately obvious that the little…and not so little…. girls present had all their Princess fantasies confirmed as the lovely bride walked up her open air aisle. Appearing through a green arch, ably squired by her papa, she smiled with real joy. This was the opening act of what was to be a true family wedding. One that had a warmth that had nothing to do with the temperature.

I shall start with the star of our show…..the Bride.

White dress. Veil. Flowers.

That’s it.

Not really.

The bride wore a confection that combined a classic satin dress with an exquisite net and chiffon overdress which sparkled and glittered with pearls, sequins and brilliants. Lines of fine detailed stitching and hints of lace swirled across the bodice and dipped away under the bust in long sweeping trails down and around the skirt. Sunlight bounced off the slender sequined straps and flashed on the jewelled ornament on the bodice. A fine gauze veil with lace edges streamed out from the back of the brides head, held in place with a comb that sat just above a strand of pearls tucked into the waves and curls of her coiffure. There were brief glimpses of her T bar ankle strap shoes, complete with peep toes and a hint of silver sparkle.

She looked at ease in her glorious gown. As if she was wearing it, rather than it wearing her. And as she later proved, she certainly was comfortable…. eating, drinking and dancing the night away. With the veil discarded, two strands of hair curled down her neck as her hair relaxed along with the rest of her. Then the high heels were off and the train was looped over one of the tiny buttons that marched down the back of her dress, and viola! there was a ceilidh dancing bride and her kilt clad husband.

It was a sight to be seen.

I was glad that the bride didn’t change out of her wedding gown for the evening. So much love and care and effort (and yes, expense) goes into THE dress, it seems a pity when it only gets worn for a few hours.

The bridesmaids were straight out of ‘Perfect Bridesmaid Weekly’ three tall slim young ladies who were poised and pretty in floor length eau de nil gowns. Columnar in design, a broad satin band under the bust gave a hint of an Empire line. The satin band was finished with a jewelled motif that echoed the detail on the brides’ dress. The bridesmaid’s hair had been styled with pearl pins which matched their pearl jewellery.

(Which was a present from the bride.)

The tiny flower girl, simply dressed in a white dress and bolero with pearl detail, proved that girls are never too young to multi task, having ably assisted with the rings as well.

The ladies of the bridal party complemented each other in shades of blue. The mother of the bride rocked a pale blue sheath, with an off the shoulder swathed bodice with more than a hint of fifties chic, teamed with a matching net trimmed fascinator and pale pearl shoes and clutch.

The grooms mum wore dark blue and white. Her slim fitting dark blue dress had a blue appliqué design on the white bodice, all topped off by a white bolero jacket with the appliqué design echoed on the cuffs.

The bride’s grandmother was quietly elegant in a blue and white patterned dress with a blue jacket and accessories. She wore a tall crown narrow brimmed hat and I believe that it was the only example of an old school wedding hat I saw all day. The mother of the flower girl showed where her daughter got her taste from. Her dark blue velvet coat with a deep embroidered hem was gorgeous. I guessed it would be a ‘name’ item and there it was on the label ‘Betsey Johnson NYC’.

nb. Before you ask, I did ask permission to scrutinise the coat. The lady had already removed it, so once I had finished admiring her strapless dark blue dress with sash and back bow in dusty rose pink, I headed straight for the label.

It’s hard to know where to start with a fashion breakdown of what the lady guests were wearing that day. All sorts of lengths were on parade. Short, midi, long. A pair of culottes teamed with a black lace bare midriff top and a plain black jacket was striking. Some gauzy floor length dresses drifted past me..romantic and fashionable. A favourite for me was a dark green dress patterned with water lilies and white cranes. It had a crossover top, which revealed a triangle of skin above the waistband of the slim fitting skirt.  Shift dresses in vibrant shades of lace gave a pop of colour and showed off some neat figures and carefully chosen accessories. Patterned dresses worn under plain jackets were a look that was popular. Two of my favourites were a raspberry patterned dress with plain raspberry sash, teamed with a raspberry jacket, bag and shoes, and a midcalf dress, black, with a colourful pattern and black jacket, ankle strap shoes and oversized clutch. Black was a popular choice in one shape or form. One extremely svelte outfit was a white dress with black piping and the reverse for the jacket..simple but effective.

Separates were as popular as dresses. One willowy lady nailed a red pencil skirt and white sleeveless top patterned with peonies. An example of  perfect coordination showed in one ensemble of blush pink jacket, light grey jacquard print dress and nude shoes / clutch. Classic glamour was present in the shape of a pale pink silk gauze coat, patterned with satin tendrils, worn over a dress of the same colour with a bead encrusted bodice.

Hats were mainly small neat shapes worn at the front of the head on an Alice  band. Fascinators ruled and everyone had taken huge care to match colours and styles. My favourite hat was a dazzling blue and white number with fabric loops and blue flowers, setting off a cobalt one shouldered draped dress to perfection.

(Well I say my favourite hat, because if I said my tiny red bowler complete with lace, bow, feather and fake diamond was the best, it wouldn’t be strictly impartial…would it?)

A red lip was everywhere and a lot of nails had clearly seen the attention of a manicurist.

The meal over, the falling away of hats began and by the time the ceilidh was in full swing, heels were a distant memory. I was comforted by the fact that the majority of the assembled company were of the medical persuasion.  I felt that an orthopaedic surgeon might well be required as the dancing and the bare feet got together on the dance floor. Thankfully not.

I could write as much again about the love and care and time that went into planning this wonderful day…but will simply mention a few standout items.

A Polaroid camera, provided for candid shots of the guests by the guests. (Am I the only person who didn’t know Polaroid cameras were back? Oh and what about Dymo labels…are they cutting edge or retro??)

Thanks to the painting skills of the bride’s father everyone had a silver horse shoe at their place as a wedding favour. No bag of sugar almonds or a box of dragees for this bride. There were white lace effect lantern holders outside and photos of the happy couple as boyfriend and girlfriend inside. Plus my personal favourite…photos of their grandparents and parents weddings. It seems only yesterday the bride’s mother and I looked that young…….

The button holes and table flowers were some of the best I have ever seen. Using lots of different sized and shaped clear glass jars and pots as vases was such a clever idea. Needless to say the flowers coordinated perfectly. Everything coordinated with everything else. Invites, cake, orders of service, the table plan and the colours of the ink used on the menu which was written on a mirror..endlessly inventive.

Oh, I haven’t mentioned men.

There were some there. The groom’s party were in kilts. Men in kilts and socks with long shoe laces and sporrans and black waistcoats with silver buttons. I shall refrain from the usual kilt based innuendo, but did note that a sporran makes a very useful handbag……

Thanks for letting me into your wedding world K &N.

It was perfect. Perfectly lovely.