Fern got in touch and told us how fabulous she felt when wearing her wedding dress. We invited her to take part in our Real Bride feature and tell us more about her bridal experience.
“I’d spent 6 months searching for a dress, visited 5 stores and tried on about 40 dresses before a friend recommended Sharon at Flutterby Bridal Boutique in Doncaster and I was so glad I visited.
Whilst I’d always dreamt of wearing a mermaid-fit dress I had previously been encouraged to try ball gowns, and a-lines, all with either too much fluff or not enough! I was starting to feel disheartened and overwhelmed but on meeting Sharon I just clicked with her and she instantly knew exactly what I wanted.
She tried a few styles on me first to just definitely confirm her idea and the second she put my gown on my body I couldn’t breathe. I was shaking. I felt that for the first time in my life, I looked beautiful. I didn’t want to change ANYTHING about the dress and when offered a veil I said the dress alone was so breathtaking I didn’t want to hide a single detail. Once again, Sharon’s expertise shone through as she suggested, that instead of a veil, I try a stunning crystal hairpiece in the shape of a Fern. It was the perfect touch. I didn’t think it was possible but she did it. The only alteration I had was to add bra cups and a bustle button to lift the train for the evening. The length and size were literally perfect!
My husband Dean and I got married at Hodsock Priory in Blyth near Worksop, Nottinghamshire which is a beautiful stately home famous for its wild bluebells, snowdrop festival and for its historic gatehouse which has links to Henry VIII. Dean grew up in a small village on the outskirts of the grounds and has many childhood memories with his mum, who would take him walking in the woods and to see the horses on the grounds, so it was a perfect choice for us.
We used Danny Jones Imagery, a dear friend of ours whose work is incredible, to capture picture-perfect memories. The other wedding professionals we chose were recommended to us; Blue Horseshoe Weddings dressed the venue to enhance and highlight the beautiful rooms and Flowers by Kay Ranskill created my beautiful bridal bouquet along with our bridesmaid’s bouquets and men’s buttonholes
An overriding memory of the day is when my dad saw me in my dress for the first time. I know it’s a cliché but as my dad is not an outwardly emotional guy to see him brimming with happy tears I felt I’d really achieved “that” moment when my dad thought “This beautiful woman is my daughter and I’m going to show her off to the world today!” It was a hugely emotional moment for us and he was the king of the dance floor all night long, he was so happy. To see my future husband actually shed a tear was like another huge win for the ego boost! Honestly, I have never ever felt so beautiful, for once I was the sunflower instead of the wallflower.
My wedding dress made me feel unstoppable, completely unafraid and so empowered. I will treasure my experience always.
Photography – @djimageryuk
Venue – https://www.hodsockpriory.com
Venue Dressing – @bluehorseshoeweddings
Flowers – @flowers_by_kay_ranskill
Wedding Dress – Flutterby Bridal Boutique
