Elie Saab and Claire Pettibone ~ Two Wedding Dresses and an Art Deco Inspired Black Tie Ball…

Welcome to new readers and a warm hello to the regular visitors 🙂 This first blog feature of today is a rather glamorous art-deco inspired affair, where the Bride, Caroline, was lucky enough to wear two utterly beautiful dresses.

Caroline married her Beau Nick on 3 December 2010, at St. Peter & St. Paul's Church in the little village of Yattendon in Berkshire, followed by a reception at 'The Dew Pond' in a nearby village. The couple chose to celebrate their nuptials over two days.  And that meant TWO dresses for Claire.  What a lucky lady indeed!

"Because the wedding was a two day event I opted for two dresses.  The dress I wore in the church on the wedding day itself was an Elie Saab 'Erato'.  For the party I wanted to have something that worked with the theme and I chose the Claire Pettibone 'Clara' – which I bought from Blackburn Bidal Couture in Blackheath.  The team there was fantastic and the dress was stunning. 

So many guests complimented me on the dresses and asked where I had got them from.

Another friend said I had the wedding they had all wanted because I had the best of both worlds.  I had a traditional dress with a train for the church and a sleek dress for the party.  I was also able to wear my hair up one day and down the next.  I'd never thought of it that way but it was fun to dress up twice and showcase two different looks…"  

Love My Dress Wedding BLog – Photography Copyright (c) 2011, Raw Silk Photography

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"I chose the Ellie Saab 'Erato dress to wear during the day and for the ceremony, because it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen!  I saw a photo of it online and fell in love with it immediately.  I prayed it would fit me and work with my shape so I went to Pronovias in Harrods to try it on.  Timeless, traditional and elegant – it was perfect! 

I loved the fact it looked like a family heirloom even though it was new.  The lace was so beautiful and the champagne colour of the silk underskirt gave it  an antique look.  When I tried it on for the first time the mermaid cut was flattering and the integrated lace shawl was so delicate and pretty.  It was well over my original budget, but I knew I had to save hard in order to have it. 

My biggest fear was that the dress would wear me, but on the day I felt  wonderful in it.  It felt like part of me and I couldn't wipe the smile from my face .  You can't put a price on how you feel when you walk down the aisle and see your husband in tears. Even my dad cried when he saw me in it!  My husband loves the dress so much he said he wants to frame it and hang it on the wall!"

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The Bridesmaids dresses were from Monsoon ……"as they were a lovely colour and a flattering cut for everyone."  The maids also wore cream faux fur boleros from Debenhams

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"I didn't wear a veil, instead I chose the Jenny Packham Crystal Acacia II headpiece for the day, and  the 1920's Pearl Drape Flapper Band from Euphoria Couture for the party."

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"I needed to find some delicate flat shoes in a champagne colour, which was actually quite a challenge.  There were lots of gorgeous options for glamorous heels, but as my husband is shorter than me I wanted to wear flats.  In the end I found some satin pumps in New Look, which were a good colour match for the dress  and had pretty rose details on the toes.

For the party my deco dress  needed to be raised off the floor, so I wore a pair of Rachel Simpson wedding shoes with a small heel called 'Grace'…"

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"A family friend, Bertha, did our flowers for the church and restaurant on our wedding day.   The flowers took my breath away and really lifted the whole occasion.  I didn't want to put my bouquet down!  Before I started wedding planning I had no real interest in flowers, but the more I looked into it the more interested I got and I'm now thinking of training to become a florist. 

As it was a country wedding we chose metalina roses, green tea roses and avalache roses with lavender, rosemary, hypericum, ivy, skimmia and lisianthus.  The bouquets, boot scrapers and pew ends were tied with raffia for a country garden feel and ivy and candles were placed on each of the window sills in the church.  Vintage jugs with posies were dotted around the lounge area.  Our table centres at the restaurant were very simple – pillar candles in storm lanterns with ivy.  Gold accessories, such as placemats, table numbers and cake ribbon were very Christmasy and added to the vintage feel…."

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"Nick bought his navy suit in Zara.  He searched high and low for the perfect suit and was delighted when he found something that fitted perfectly and didn't cost the earth.  As the suit was a reasonable price he bought the Ushers and Best Man the same suit and gave it to each of them as a thank you gift…"

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St. Peter & St. Paul's Church in the little village of Yattendon in Berkshire played host for the couple's wedding ceremony…

"We chose to have a country wedding and wanted to hold the ceremony there because my parents were  married in the church and raised in the local area.  Many of my family still live in the village and we know the Vicar very well.  It is a close knit community and it was lovely to share such a special occasion with everyone.  Yattendon is a beautiful rural location and we thought it would be perfect for a Winter wedding.  We decided to have an evening ceremony at 4pm by candlelight and to see the church in the snow with lanterns and candles was just magical.  We had a choir in the church and it was lovely to sing Christmas carols by candlelight."

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How beautiful does Caroline look here? Radiant, proud and so elegant in her gorgeous dress, red lipstick and tumbling blonde locks!

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"We planned a larger event the following evening for all of our friends, neighbours and work colleagues.  We decided to hold an Art Deco Black Tie Ball at Donnington Valley Golf Club in Newbury to give people an opportunity to glam up and dance the night away.

We chose our theme two years earlier when Nick proposed with a vintage art deco ring from a local antique shop in Hungerford and everything stemmed from there.  I totally immersed myself in the 1920's and 1930's and spent most of my time researching the era and the details to ensure everything was as authentic as possible.  Everyone thought I was mad at the time, hoarding all manner of weird and wonderful objects, but when they saw it all come together on the night they were thrilled with the result.

For the party Nick hired an evening suit with tails to keep in with the theme.  He looked very debonaire!"

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"My second dress was equally beautiful, but very different.  I chose it because it looked like an original 1920's dress.  It had a straight cut, a dropped waist with a silk belt and a fabulous lace panelled back.  The dress was ivory silk with  a stunning deco lace overlay.  It had a scalloped hem which just brushed the floor – perfect  for dancing!  The deco design was just gorgeous and the style made it ideal  for the theme.  I loved the crystal encrusted neckline and belt, which added some glitz and glamour and I worked my accessories  around those details.

I wore an ivory feather cape from Sasso, which made me feel like a movie star and kept me warm in the freezing weather.    I also wore a very delicate necklace and earrings that were similar in style to my engagement ring.  I found them at a Coutts jewellery fair in London on a day out with the girls."

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"For the art deco party we used a mainly black and white colour pallet and lit the venue with candles…"

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"Nick and I are well known for our fancy dress  outfits.  There have been many great fancy dress parties and murder mystery dinners that we have attended and hosted where we have both fully embraced the theme.  As such I think there was a certain expectation from our friends that we would have a themed wedding.  We told guests that it wasn't a fancy dress party but a nod towards the 1920's / 30's would be appreciated.  Everyone made a real effort to look glamorous and it made for a great atmosphere and some lovely photos…"

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"Sophie Garner and her 5 piece band played at the party.  The music was mainly Jazz and Swing and ranged from 1920's – present.  Sophie was lovely and even dressed in 1920's clothes for her first set.  They were an excellent band and everyone commented on how good they were.

Before the band started we played 1920's music as guests arrived to get everyone in the mood.  I found a variety of Past Perfect  CD's in a little shop in Islington which all had original 1920's  charleston tracks that had been remastered…"

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Words of Wedded Wisdom…

"Take some time to think about what you and your husband want before you begin to plan your wedding.  Lots of people will offer you their thoughts and opinions and it can easily sway you, but stay true to yourself and remember it's your day.   If you know what you want it makes it easier for all your suppliers to deliver on your expectations.  If you're paying for a service don't feel you should have to compromise, especially when it comes to quality.  It's good to take advice from the experts but if someone can't or won't deliver what you want then go elsewhere.

It's important to work with people you like a it makes the whole process much more fun.  You have to spend a lot of time with your seamstress in the run up to the big day and your photographer and hairdresser will both play a big part.  Nick and I were very lucky to be surrounded by such level-headed, professional and friendly people around us and it made all the difference. 

Make sure you're around people who can keep you relaxed and make you laugh.  My bridesmaids were great  on the day.  My oldest friend Jo arrived early on the morning of the wedding with an ipod loaded up with cheesy dance tracks from the 90's, which bought back fun memories and made us both laugh."

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"Do your research – buy lots of wedding magazines and search the internet for approved suppliers.  Love My Dress is the best blog out there and is an ideal way to get inspired by real weddings.  You'll soon get an idea of what you like and don't like.  I  cut out ots of pictures and made scrapbooks for my florist, my hairdresser and my cake maker so that they all understood thelook I was going for. 

Never underestimate how busy the last two weeks will be before the wedding.  I barely ate or slept!  No matter how organised you are there will still be lots of things to do right up until you walk down the aisle, so make sure you draft in your friends and family to help.  Make your day personal with handmade details.  We put together a black and white photo board of old family wedding photos. It made our parents feel special and it gave our friends  a giggle!  The things Nick and I most enjoyed was involving the family. I loved making the table plan with my mum and Nick went walking with his mum and sister to collect  ivy from the woods for our centre pieces. 

If something doesn't go to plan don't panic.  My wedding car broke down and a friend had to take me and my dad to the church!  Rather than getting upset we just had to laugh about it.  It's those things you remember.  Enjoy the planning but don't let it distract you from the most important thing – marrying the man you love.  When you're saying your vows you won't care about what colour the button holes are or what the table plan looks like, you'll just be caught up in the moment.  Accept that you won't get a chance to speak to everyone individually on the day but ensure you make time for your new husband…."

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♥   ♥   ♥

Brides Dress – Elie Saab 'Erato' from Pronovias in Harrods + Claire Pettibone 'Clara' + Sasso
Brides Shoes – New Look + Rachel Simpson
Bridesmaids – Monsoon + Debenhams
Groom – Zara navy blue suit
Venue – St. Peter & St. Paul's Church, Berkshire + The Dew Pond {reception}
Photographer – Raw Silk Photography
Entertainment – Sophie Garner and her 5 piece band
Brides Hair Accessories – Jenny Packham Crystal Acacia II headpiece  + 1920's Pearl Drape Flapper Band

♥   ♥   ♥

Huge thanks to Caroline for being so warm and friendly and enthusiastic in sharing her wedding story with Love My Dress.  It's wonderful to see another Bride do it her way and not feel like she had to confirm to tradition.

You can see more from Raw Silk Photography here on Love My Dress, including this gorgeous 1920s and 1930s inspired wedding in a Theatre.

Much love,

Annabel xXx

Annabel

Annabel View all Annabel's articles

Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.

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