Today we have yet another gorgeous Cicily Bridal real bride who has been kind enough to share her wedding journey story and her beautiful images with us. Sit back and enjoy reading about her relaxed, informal outdoor wedding……
Real Bride Olivia says “I Chose Cicily!
How did you meet your soul mate and how did he propose?
We actually first met when we were about 9 years old! I had just moved from Canada to England with my family and one of my Dad’s new work colleagues had us round for dinner – it just happened that he’d invited Tim’s family too! After that, we saw each other very occasionally, but didn’t really get to know each other until we were about 18, when we were both part of the same theatre group. We became best friends for a couple of years and then finally got together in 2010.
Tim proposed when we were on holiday in 2015. We were away for my birthday and he told me he’d bought me a birthday present for each day we were away! On the third day, which was the day before my birthday, he kept asking whether I wanted my present for the day and then when I’d say yes, he’d tell me I had to wait! But then finally, after we’d had dinner, we went for a walk around the lake and he said I could have my present! He told me to close my eyes and placed the box in my hand, then when I opened it, he asked me to marry him!
Where was your venue and how did you choose it?
We actually had three venues! We got married in the church Tim has gone to his whole life and where I’ve started going over the past few years, so it felt very special.
After the service, we went to The Old Vicarage which is a restaurant we’ve both had countless meals at over the years. Food is very important to us so we wanted to make sure it was delicious!
After the meal, we travelled to Moira Furnace Museum and Country Park where we had a marquee on the grounds. Guests were able to go inside the Museum, have canal boat rides and sit around in the sunshine. The bar we hired was a converted horse box and we had a fish & chip van come along later in the evening too!
Describe the style of your wedding
We didn’t really have a theme, but we knew we wanted it to be summery, home-made and relaxed. We chose pastel colours to keep things light and tried to incorporate flowers and balloons wherever possible! Everything just sort of came together and so many of our guests said how unique it was. Even some of the older people we’d expected to leave early were there until the very end!
How did you find shopping for your wedding dress?
It was different in every shop I went to – one place I went to was not friendly at all, one was very sales focussed and the other was Cicily Bridal, which I have to say was perfect for me! I really felt like Lisa was there to help me find the perfect dress and was happy to spend time doing so. I had such a good every time I went and will really miss going in!
The advice I would give is not to worry if you don’t try dozens of dresses on. I’m sure the majority of brides try on way more than I did, but at the end of the day, I ended up buying one of the first dresses I tried on! I’d also say to be open to ideas – my dress was by Jesus Peiro, a designer I hadn’t even looked at before I went to Cicily.
How did you accessorise your dress?
I wore a single tiered chapel length veil and added flowers to my hair. For jewellery, I wore a simple silver ring, silver bracelet and silver drop earrings.
What shoes did you wear?
My shoes were heeled sandals with beaded flowers by Jenny Packham, although I did also have some white, flowery, flat sandals to change into in the evening!
What lingerie did you choose to wear?
I had cups sewn into the top of the dress and then just wore nude seamless semi-high-waisted Spanx. I also wore a garter that one of my bridesmaid gifted me which was from Heidi Klum’s lingerie collection.
Who did your hair and make-up on the day?
I did my own make-up and had my hair done by Kayla Holroyd, a friend of mine who does bridal and SFX hair and make-up. I used to work with her when I lived in London so it was really lovely to have someone I know do my hair – I knew I could be honest and achieve the look I wanted. She did all the bridesmaids’ hair too.
Which florist and cake designer did you use?
The fresh flowers and bouquet flowers came from a wholesaler in Burton called Trent Flowers. They were arranged by a whole team of helpers from church as well as my mother-in-law and sister-in-law so it felt very personal. I did all the bouquets myself and my sister did the corsages. We were so thankful for everyone’s help!
The flowers for the other venues were all silk and we got them from various places including The Range, Planters at Bretby and Byrkley Park Garden Centre. We had loads of small arrangements in cans, vases, and bottles so it saved us a huge job the day before because we could arrange them in advance!
My mother in law and one of her friends made the cakes too! We had three – lemon, chocolate and vanilla. We had French Macarons to go alongside and they were made my Emily at Eclat Bakery in Tutbury.
Which photographer did you use?
We used James Mottram and we are so happy we did! All the photos are so natural and will really help us remember how happy we were.
What was the Groom’s outfit and di he get to choose it?!
Tim’s suit was from Burton menswear, along with all the Ushers’ suits. They wore blue with tan brogues and belts and the colour looked gorgeous in the sunshine! He did indeed get to pick it himself! I gave my opinion and he made sure I liked it too, but he chose in the end. It’s only fair!
What did the bridesmaids wear?
One of the bridesmaids works for ASOS so we got the dresses from there, with a pretty generous staff discount! They were a pale peachy pink colour and went so well with the boys’ suits. The top was lace too, so they also looked great next to my dress which also had a lace top.
What was the best moment of the day?
I think, for me, the service was the best moment. All the anticipation of walking down the aisle and meeting Tim at the other end made it so emotional. I really felt like we were making his amazing commitment and just felt so happy.
Would you do anything differently?
The only thing I wish is that I got to speak to everybody! The day sort of feels like a dream and it just whizzed by. I kept thinking “I’ll go and speak to them in a bit” but just didn’t get round to it with a few people!
In terms of venues, food and logistics though, I am so happy we did what we did. Having three venues was certainly a lot harder than having one, but it was so worth it!
Where did you go for a rest – honeymoom?
Florida! We had 2 nights in Fort Lauderdale, 4 nights in Orlando (Universal Studios!), 3 nights in Key West, 4 nights in Duck Key and 1 night in Miami! It was great to see so many places and have a mix of action-packed and relaxing.
Looking back at your day, how would you describe it?
Just so joyful! We had smiles on our faces all day and have heard from so many guests what a great time they had. It was so nice to see all our friends and family in one place and we were so grateful they could all come. My 87 year old Nanny even travelled from Canada, on her own, to be there!
Any advice for brides-to-be?
I’m sure it sounds cliche, but try to enjoy the day. No matter what happens, you are there to marry your best friend and that’s the most important thing. All your guests want you to have a good time so enjoy everything you’ve planned!
Anything you would like to add?
Thank you to Cicily Bridal for all their wonderful help! It wouldn’t have been the same without them.
