Dress: Devin by Rime Arodaky
Where: The White House and Sussex Barn in Norfolk
Studio: Clifton
Tell us a little about yourself
I’m Zophia, 32 based in West Berkshire. Interior Designer and Singer/Songwriter.
How did you meet your Groom?
We met on Tinder! We both swiped right and that was it. He was my one and only Tinder date.
How did you come across The Mews?
I found the designer before I found the Mews. I was searching for styles of wedding dresses I liked and I came across an image of a dress from Rime Arodaky on Pinterest. After falling in love with her designs, I came across the Mews as the UK supplier. I went nowhere else!
What styles were you channelling whilst dress shopping?
I really wanted something timeless that had a ‘wow’ feel. A dress that could excentuate my figure in the right places and highlight my height. Style wise, elegant boho was my initial thoughts and search criteria. I really wanted an effortless design that was special.
Tell us about finding your perfect Wedding dress
My dress was one of the first things I secured for the wedding after the venue. It is so important and helped to dictate the theme and overall feel but also it needed to be appropriate for the venue.
My Mum and I were the only people who saw the dress and knew what I would be wearing and this was a lovely element shared for just us two. The experience itself was lovely. A private appointment with champagne and nothing was too much trouble. The ladies were simply lovely and I couldn’t have enjoyed my experience more.
Where did your wedding day take place?
Our wedding was at The White House and Sussex Barn in Norfolk. It was a beautiful combination of rustic and chic.
Were there any themes or inspiration behind your day?
The barn, where the ceremony took place, was essentially a blank canvas that could be transformed in to whatever style we wanted which really appealed to me as an interior designer. It was rough around the edges, but had an amazing vaulted ceiling with exposed brick and a fully retractable window where the ceremony was taking place.
Where we were staying (100 yards from the barn) was previously a derelict building which the owners undertook a beautiful renovation project to convert it back to a stunning Georgian building. The juxta-position of the two was perfect. Our theme was inspired by Alice and Wonderland.
I wanted to create a sense of a secret garden within the barn and play with height and scale. We hired full size trees from ‘the Romantic Garden’ in Norfolk, which we wrapped in hessian bags and decorated with LED lights for a magical effect in the evening. They really created drama.
We also invested in beautiful flowers (Bridgets Flowers, Norfolk), and plants which were a mixture of sizes and had s sense of wildness about them.
As a fun addition to the confetti, we also hired a bubble machine, which I initially thought could be silly, but I loved it!
What did he wear?
He wore a Midnight Blue 3-piece suit rented from Slaters. We made it personal and unique by having a bespoke waistcoat in Ian’s family tartan made for Ian, his Brother and Dad.
What was your favourite detail of the day?
To have all our loved ones and friends with us was so special. After all the stress over the past year from postponing to being worried if we could or should go ahead, to stand at the alter and see everyone there with us was something we both won’t forget. I also got up really early with my mum to go walk on Holkham Beach where we sprinkled my Nana’s ashes. I
t was the highest tide we had seen in years and I had a little cry thinking of my Nana, as she loved Ian and would have loved to have been there.
What advice would you give to a bride about finding the perfect dress?
Do your research! The appointments are wonderful but take time and they fly by. If you know the designers being represented and have seen a few styles you like then you can immediately highlight these designs and dresses to try to clarify which style direction you would like to go fairly quickly.
@DottiePhotography
Words of wedded wisdom?
Enjoy every minute of your day. After all the planning and the run up it goes by in a blink of an eye! Make time for a moment for just the two of you and take it all in!
Also make sure you make time for photos for just the two of you! You get all dressed up is such stunning attire, it’s worth making sure you capture those moments for the two of you as well as the group shots!
