What better way to enjoy this sunny Friday afternoon than reading about our gorgeous Cicily bride Sarah who wore Clementine by Naomi Neoh for her English country-garden inspired wedding.
If there was ever a dress made for a bride it was Naomi Neoh’s Clementine for Sarah – beautiful, relaxed and full of romance.
Enjoy Sarah’s wedding journey…..
Naomi Neoh Real Bride Sarah – “I Chose Cicily Bridal”
How did you meet your soul mate and how did he propose?
Tom and I met at Durham University through a mutual friend. We went to stay in a beautiful eco lodge in the Scottish Highlands. The views were amazing and deer and stags would wander across the front of the lodge. Tom presented me with a bottle of champagne and a Mulberry make up bag and asked me to marry him. I got to choose my own ring a couple of weeks later. Tom had booked an appointment at Mappin and Webb where I was greeted with a glass of champagne.
Where was your venue and why did you choose it?
We chose Pendrell Hall. We wanted somewhere with character but with a more modern feel and also a place that provided exclusive use. We both loved Pendrell Hall as soon as we walked in. There was also no corkage and onsite accommodation so it pretty much ticked all of our boxes!
Describe the style of your wedding?
I wanted a very relaxed, soft and pretty English wedding. I wanted lots of English country flowers and a blush pink colour scheme.
I wanted everyone to be relaxed and have fun so we had garden games during the day and flip flops in the evening to make sure everyone kept dancing!
I also wanted to make it as personal as possible. Tom’s mum did the flowers and one of my mum’s oldest friends made and decorated the cake. The champagne we had was Laurent Perrier Rose champagne which was the champagne Tom gave to me when he proposed and the beer was Superbock- my Dad’s favourite Portuguese beer. Our family have been going to Portugal every year since I was 7- we love it there.
How did you find shopping for your wedding dress? Would you do anything differently? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?
Shopping for my wedding dress was much easier than I thought it would be. I found Cicily bridal online and really liked the range of dresses they had and the style of the boutique. I didn’t go anywhere else as I found my dress on my first visit.
Lisa and Victoria (and all of the team) made me feel so at ease throughout and always gave their honest opinion so I felt like I was in very safe hands. I wouldn’t have done anything differently!
The only advice I would have is to stay relaxed and trust the team! My dress needed a lot of alterations as I was a split size so I had to be patient with the fittings. It was worth it in the end and my dress fitted perfectly.
How did you accessorise your dress?
I had a full length veil, a Debbie Carlisle headpiece and beautiful porcelain rose flower jewellery by Marie Canning. I wore Monique in porcelain and rose gold shoes by Rachel Simpson. They were so pretty but also really comfortable. It all just complimented my beautiful Clementine by Naomi Neoh.
Who did your hair & make-up on the day?
My hair was done by Michael Hubbard from Root Hairdressers in Melbourne, Derbyshire. My make-up was done by Chloe McCall.
Both of them were great fun whilst we were getting ready and both got the relaxed and natural look I wanted.
Which florist and cake designer did you use?
Tom’s mum did all of the pew ends, ceremony arrangements and table flowers. The Blossom Tree florist in Melbourne, Derbyshire did the bouquets and the button holes. The flowers were perfect and were exactly what I wanted with lots of sweet peas, roses and peonies. Most of the flowers for the ceremony arrangements and table flowers were grown in Tom’s parents garden.
Which Photographer did you use, please can you provide their website details so that we can credit the images?
We used Barnaby Aldrick.
Barnaby was amazing. Neither Tom or I like having our photos taken but he made us feel so relaxed. We got the highlights video and blog the very next day which was great as we could look through the photos in the airport before we headed off on honeymoon.
Barnaby has a great way of telling the story of the day and his photos really captured everyone having fun.
What was the grooms outfit, did he get to choose it!?
Tom wore a navy blue suit which he chose. The tie was from Charles Tyrwhitt and he had some fun socks from Thomas Pink. Tom loves shopping almost as much as I do so I think he and the Best Man had a great day out.
What did your bridesmaids wear?
The three bridesmaids wore Dessy dresses in blush pink. I was going to let them choose but then I fell in love with that style…..
What was the best moment of the day?
The whole day was amazing but probably the best moment was meeting Tom at the bottom of the aisle. That made it all very real in a good way!
Where did you go for a rest!? – Honeymoon!
We went to St Lucia. It was amazing. Lots of relaxation, rum cocktails and yummy food. We also fitted in a few trips including a visit to the Hotel Chocolat plantation where we had a chocolate themed lunch overlooking the Pitons and got to make our own chocolate bar.
Looking back at your day, how would you describe it?
A complete blur but the best day of our lives so far. Having all your closest friends and family in one place to celebrate with you is pretty special!
What advice would you give brides to be?
Relax and enjoy it all!
Sarah wore Clementine by Naomi Neoh.
