Gorgeous Susanna | A Halfpenny London Bride

REAL WEDDING

15 Nov

An elegant wedding dress with dramatic pleats and a statement veil for a wedding in Cambridge.

“I knew as soon as I put on the Dahlia dress that it was the one. My mum and I both started crying, and it took one additional appointment to make it official! It just felt like me. ”

— Susanna

Susanna and new husband Paul tied the knot last September in Cambridge, drawing inspiration from literature, the arts, and nature for their wedding theme. “The Pre-Raphaelite movement was a key reference point for the wedding, as was Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale and the beauty of the British countryside,” Susanna said. “I grew up in rural North Yorkshire so wanted to feel as if the September hedgerows had literally been gathered up and strewn amongst the historic colleges of St Catharine’s and Corpus Christi.”

Before visiting us in Woburn Walk, Susanna found the concept of dress shopping a little overwhelming. She found that not each boutique felt as inclusive and intimate as she had hoped, and she hadn’t found a boutique where the environment and atmosphere aligned with her vision for her wedding. We are so glad that we could turn this experience around!

“I visited the flagship Halfpenny London store with my mum and instantly felt a connection. Every appointment felt so intimate and personal. With their huge velvet curtains and flattering lighting, the dressing rooms themselves were so different to any I’d been in before, and it all just helped me feel more relaxed and psychologically safe for an experience I’d been really apprehensive for. Meghan, the stylist I was paired with, was also just fabulous. She took the time to really understand what kind of wedding my partner and I wanted to have, and creatively pushed me as well.”

Working in wildlife conservation, Susanna felt drawn to bridalwear designers who design with a conscience. “I was also really impressed by the sustainability credentials of Halfpenny London, which felt very aligned with my work.”

“[The Dandelion veil] really captured the essence of who I was and the atmosphere that we were trying to create. One of my friends told me that when they saw me walking down the aisle in that veil, they said ‘that is the most Susie thing I’ve ever seen’.”

— Susanna

Susanna had previously come across our Dahlia dress, which turned out to be the one. “I knew I had to try that dress on for myself, and immediately fell in love. I knew as soon as I put on the Dahlia dress that it was the one. My mum and I both started crying, and it took one additional appointment to make it official! It just felt like me.”

We suggested pairing the Dahlia dress with the Dandelion veil, with its oversized silk organza floral appliqués cascading down the veil’s dramatic length. “I’d have never had the confidence to pick up the Dandelion veil, but it was the perfect pairing for my dress, and really captured the essence of who I was and the atmosphere that we were trying to create. One of my friends told me that when they saw me walking down the aisle in that veil, they said ‘that is the most Susie thing I’ve ever seen’.”

What a gorgeous wedding. I’m so happy to hear that Susanna had such a wonderful experience at our Woburn Walk boutique! She looks utterly beautiful. I wish her and her new husband Paul all the love they could wish for!

Love,

Kate & the Halfpennys xxx