Sara’s Wedding Dress Journey

I was so pleased when my bride, Sara, offered to do a blog for my website. From the fist time I met Sara and her mum I knew she would be a very special Ivory Room bride. We managed to create a bespoke look for her dress and I think you’ll agree it suited her perfectly and meant she felt amazing as she walked down the aisle towards Jason. Here is her story –

My Wedding Dress Journey

I was a bit clueless when I started my wedding dress search, I had some ideas about the things I didn’t want but not many about what I did.

I knew I wanted sleeves but that was about it.

I visited a few shops before we entered the haven which is the Ivory Room Woodhall Spa and was disappointed by the process. The dresses had all been badly fitting and the shop assistants had waxed lyrical that I had looked a delight even when I knew I reassembled an 80’s Neighbours wedding extra!!!

And then I met Victoria…

From the moment my Mum and I, frazzled and a  bit sick of lace chat, entered the beautiful store we realised we were somewhere different, somewhere special.

We felt able to relax, talk freely, honestly critique the dresses and give feedback and thoughts which Victoria responded to and found solutions for.

She cajoled me to try a few things, just on the edge of my comfort zone, and it was her expert knowledge in doing this which led me to found my perfect dress.

It was something I never would have chosen but Victoria was able to show me how a few additions would build a dress which would incorporate the elements of the dresses I had already tried and loved.And bringing in her fellow magic worker Bernie (also known as a seamstress) I built my own dress by making a few, excellent value additions to an existing design.

The journey to create my wonderful dress was one of my favourite parts of the wedding experience.

I loved going to The Ivory Room, the entire experience was fantastic.  Victoria even gave my bridesmaids a tutorial on how to help me into the gown, and how to shape my train for ultimate impact.

I know everyone always says lovely things to a bride on her day but even the caterers told me it was the most beautiful dress they had seen.

I felt incredible but despite having the most wonderful and elaborate dress I was able to fully enjoy every element of my day.

If you want somewhere with a beautiful selection, honest advice and a little creative thinking then I could not recommend the Ivory Rooms more highly.

Thank you Victoria and Bernie for making my day, and the journey to the day so beautiful (and a lot of fun) xx

Photoshoot at Washingborough Hall

love coming together with fellow small businesses to share ideas and learn about what trends are really popular at the moment. The best way to do this is to have a photo shoot where everyone brings their own unique talents and the results are really exciting.

I have a recently taken on a new Bridesmaid supplier, the fabulous Sorella Vita. I wanted to showcase these stunning dresses and show how well the adult, junior and flower girl styles work so well together and cover all ages of bridesmaid. I contacted Vicki at Vicki Head Photography and we chatted about the best way to do this. The obvious choice for a venue was Washingborough Hall as it is superbly decorated and welcoming venue that has great backdrops both indoors and outdoors (just in case the weather was kind to us on a January day!). We then got Shirley from S&A Floral Design and Emily from Emily Johnson Hair and Make up on board, Shirley suggested a sweeping bouquet with lots of foliage and herbs for an on trend look and Emily kept the make up subtle with a beautiful up doo for the bride.

So I had models for the bridesmaids in mind, huge thanks to Fran, Imogen and Jessica, but Vicki suggested running a competition to find a recently engaged couple to be the bride and groom for the shoot. We ran the competition on Facebook and were overwhelmed with the response and how many fantastic couples there are out there. We narrowed it down and then finally picked Liz and Dave who just fitted the bill perfectly. Now we had a groom to dress as well we spoke to Andrew from Andrew J Musson Ltd ‘The Lincolnshire Tailor’ and he provided two very dapper suits for Dave to wear. My favourite was the navy suit with the tweed waistcoat, it just adds that extra texture.

The shoot was great fun and we even managed to squeeze a few prom dress shots in at the end for which Emily gave Fran a much stronger look with smoky eyes and darker lipstick finished off with an elegant up doo.

Here are a few of the results of everyones hard work, dresses are all from The Ivory Room.

Dresses – The Ivory Room, Photography – Vicki Head Photography, Location – Washingborough Hall, Suits – Andrew J Musson Ltd, Hair & Make up – Emily Johnson, Flowers – S&A Floral Design.

Jewels of Rutland

My husband and I recently had a short break near Rutland Water and I soon realised what a little wedding gem it was. As we were biking around the reservoir I was constantly having to stop to take pictures of the stunning venues and beautiful churches. Now, I have a few brides getting married in these parts and it’s no surprise as Rutland is just a short journey down the A1 from Lincolnshire, it has lush undulating hills and the wonderful backdrop of Rutland Water which is any wedding photographers dream.

The first little jewel we came across was the extremely picturesque Normanton Church. The church can be used for civil ceremonies and although it is right on the lake side, well almost in the lake, it has a dedicated car park just a short walk away and an ice cream van nearby, during the summer months, which could keep your guests happy whilst you have a few pictures!

Just adjacent to Normanton Church is the Normanton Park Hotel. Offering stunning views of the reservoir and as a venue for both civil ceremonies and wedding receptions it is a great package. They offer a dedicated wedding coordinator and plenty of accommodation for your guests.

As we continued around the reservoir the next venue I spotted was the most amazing marquee set up close to the shore. It was the teepee style marquee which I think look just superb and give a real individual look to any wedding. The best bit about a marquee is being able to make it your own and to hold your reception exactly where you want it to be, with the landowner’s permission of course! There are many great suppliers in Lincolnshire/Rutland for these.

Once we had biked up the steep hill to get us onto the peninsular of the reservoir we were rewarded with a view of Hambleton Hall. If you are wanting a small wedding in opulent surroundings then this is the venue for you. With maximum capacity for 60 guests this country house hotel offers gourmet food with wine to match and yet again stunning views of the reservoir.

So nearing the end of our day out, legs getting a little tired by this point, the final venue we came across was Barnsdale Hall and Country Club. Now I have to admit that I know this venue well and have many happy childhood memories here but it really does offer the most stunning location. The Country Club offers many different packages but my favourite is the Edith Weston Suite which holds up to 200 guests and keeps your whole day private and secluded.

For a day out on the bikes I think Rutland Water proved its worth when it comes to offering a great variety of venues and such stunning scenery for any wedding. Include it in your search when you are planning where to have yours x

Romance by the Coast pt 2

So you have seen how the first part of our shoot by the coast went and the beautiful scenic shots that Mel took with blue skies and white sands, well the second part was a little bit different! Mel, from Mel Brown Weddings, had some crazy ideas for the more urban part of the shoot, here is her blog on how the second half of the day went………

Well one of the things in my life that always entertains me, is that deep down, I’m a rocker and a bit of a metal head at heart, my favourite colour is black and if I could sleep in a coffin rather than a bed, I would! I love dark and brooding images full of deep hidden political, social and emotional meanings, mix a skull, a few crows and a hex or two and I’m as happy as Larry!

… but then, everything I shoot, is light and bright and full of unicorn giggles it makes me super happy, like I’m doing a little jig all over the rainbow.  Many a mead filled evening has given way to me pondering on how I come across in my work and if it’s a true representation of my inner being…

I then realise that that was probably one glass too many and head to bed.

The second part of our Local to Louth shoot, let that side shine out a little more, and I would love to know what you think of the end result.

We hopped over to Skegness, I really love a typical English seaside resort, the tea cup rides, the ferris wheels, the slot machines, the ice cream vans that sell hot chocolate. The really bright colours mixed with the cacophony of sounds and the people who love to be there but look as if they wish they were somewhere else. To me it’s got a charm that you can’t find anywhere else.

Making full use of the amazing arrangements that Fran had brought with her and my rather over-loved leather jacket, we took a little bridal sass to the streets of Skegness.

With a morning getting to know each other on the beach and capturing lots of shots, we knew that now we could just have some fun. We were a little more limited as we needed to be careful of the dress, so it had a new set of dimensions that we needed to work with and to, as a group. One of the biggest ones, and the least talked about (until Mel enters the room) is that fact that we will bump into other people and they will likely assume that they are a real bride and groom. So we plan out a back story to pre-empt and embrace the un-intended, kind and very generous, disruption to the work flow.

So here were our couple, ‘newly married’, local to the area divulging an array of stories to anyone who engaged them with conversation. Talk about cat among the pigeons. The more elaborate and detailed Michael’s stories became, the more interesting Paige’s reactions were!

I hereby formally apologise to all and every wonderfully loving, kind person that congratulated our couple on the day! We are grateful for all your help on our shoot and hope you will forgive us for leading you astray.

We pushed boundaries, spoke to strangers and ended up loving Skegness, the people there and a ‘shoot wrap’ full of lots and lots of hugs.

Again, a huge thank you to everyone who took part, as it would not have been the same without you. You all made it extra special and full of laughter, because of who you are and your honest love for all things wedding.

Go Dream Team!

Wedding Dress Fittings Advice

So you have found your perfect dress and can’t wait until it finally arrives, then what?? Your bridal boutique should have a seamstress that they work closely with and can recommend. At The Ivory Room we have two to make sure there is always someone available for you, but don’t feel this is your only option as you are more than welcome to source your own. 

Generally the fittings will take place in the bridal boutique to make life easier and more relaxed for you. Here are a few tips and nuggets of information for you before you start your wedding dress fittings.

Before

It is best to wait until around two months before your wedding day to start any fittings as your shape can alter within those last few months, either intentionally or not! This will give you plenty of time for two fittings for any major changes and then a last minute check two weeks before the wedding day. 

So that the seamstress can get the best fit possible for you it is best that you get your wedding lingerie sorted before your first fitting. If you are wearing a bra then this is essential and also if you have decided to wear shapewear then please bring this too as it can make a huge difference to the fit of the dress. 

Just as important is bringing your wedding shoes with you so that the hem length can be set perfectly. 

Bring any accessories that you have already chosen like your veil, jewellry, coloured sashes etc. This way you can get the full wedding day look and see it all come together, it will also help your seamstress envisage the look you are after. 

Possibly this will be the first time you will have been able to try on your own wedding dress so bring someone with you to share the occasion, fittings can take a while so its nice to have the company too. 

During

The design of the dress can make a big difference to the ease of alteration, the more intricately the dress is decorated with lace and beading then the harder it will be to alter. The style also has an impact here as fitted dresses are again harder to alter than a ballgown style. 

It is really important that you practice doing everything that you will be doing on the day so dance around the boutique, sit down on a chair, fling your arms around and make sure it feels comfortable!

Do not be afraid to point out any thread snags, marks or other imperfections to your seamstress, everyone wants you to look and feel amazing on your wedding day so the small details are important.

After

It is very rare for any alteration costs to be included in the price of your dress so please check with the retailer but expect to have to pay extra for any alterations you might need. It is best to get a quote for what needs doing so that you know how much to budget before any work is carried out. 

Make sure you get the date of the next fitting in the diary so you know what timescales you are working to. 

It wont be long until you are wearing your dress on your wedding day so enjoy every moment of the build up!