Real Bride: A Little Party Never Killed Nobody

Wonderful bride Caroline wore Alcazar to marry her handsome hubby James. With a lowered back for more drama and the most incredible bespoke veil with extra lace ordered from Margaux Tardits, Caroline was sure to stand out this year for style and individuality. The couple had a bright and fun theme as pinks, reds and gold adorned their venue along with a personalised banner and tassels hanging from the ceiling. This set the scene for the grooviest dance floor of all time and their guests truly embraced the celebration in singing and dancing all night long.

Tell us a little about yourself

I’m a wildlife documentary filmmaker and my other half, James, runs his own marketing agency and creates websites for companies called 8th Dial. We met on a dating app called Hinge!

What’s your engagement story?

We got engaged in January 2022 in Barbados, my parents’ adopted home. It’s a really special place to us, some of our favourite friends live there and we have spent a lot of time out there. It was the last night of a month-long stay over Christmas and New Year, and we went to one of our favourite restaurants on the island – Champers. We’d had dinner there, looking over the ocean, the year before when the St Vincent volcano erupted, and the skies turned black. We always planned to return on the last night of our trip this year and James surprised me by getting down on one knee with a ring.

How did you come across The Mews?

My best friend’s sister got her dress from the Mews in Notting Hill, so I’d heard good things. And I’d walked past the shop window in Clifton and always thought the dresses looked dreamy.

What styles were you channelling whilst dress shopping?

I wanted something boho-style, relaxed and wearable.

Tell us about finding your perfect wedding dress.

My dress was one of the first ones I tried, I then went really off-piste and tried on everything from sparkly princess dresses to very structured taffeta gowns. But no reaction compared to how my mum and bridesmaids reacted to Alcazar. My mum cried almost every time I tried it on!

Where did your wedding day take place?

Elmore Court, Gloucestershire. A beautiful country house in the Cotswolds and the first venue we visited.

Tell us about your aesthetic for the day – were there any themes or inspiration behind this?

We wanted a fun, playful and colourful aesthetic. We didn’t want a cliched autumnal theme and wanted it to reflect us – we’re both quite loud, extroverted personalities so we knew we didn’t want muted colours or a neutral palette, which seemed to be a big trend. We still wanted warmth and nod to the season, which we brought through with the base colour of copper in the bridesmaid dresses and usher’s ties – but then we went wild with the flowers and table linen.

What did your groom wear?

James wore a velvet, navy Reiss jacket and dress shirt with a bow tie and changed into a neon paisley velvet jacket for the evening, which my Maid of Honour sourced from Boden, where she worked at the time.

What was your favourite detail of the day?

We loved the gospel choir who performed during our wedding ceremony – they brought the house down. We also loved the Alice Gabb bespoke banner and flowers by Amber Persia, which really set the tone of the day.

What advice would you give to a bride about finding the perfect dress?

Take your time, don’t feel pressured to make a decision immediately and remember you’ll always see other dresses you ‘could’ have chosen after you’ve made your decision. Social media can make you doubt yourself and your decision. I got a bit obsessed with continuing to research dresses long after I’d bought mine, which I shouldn’t have done! Despite some doubts in the lead up, I LOVED my dress on the day and don’t know where those doubts ever came from!

Words of wedded wisdom?

The day will be incredible no matter what suppliers, outfit or venue you choose. It’s ultimately only about celebrating your love and commitment to each other, but it’s easier to get stressed in the run-up in your pursuit of the ‘perfect day’. Oh, and definitely book the week before the wedding off work!

Are you planning a honeymoon, if so where are you off to?

We went to Oman for some scuba diving, off-roading and desert camping.

With so many incredible photos to choose from, we have carefully selected our favourites that radiate the pure joy and and the spirit of the day. With that in mind, we have put together a gallery of the party below for you to enjoy and we hope you feel as much excitement from them as we do! Caroline changed into a statement party dress and James donned a velvet, paisley jacket to rock the night away in. Wonderfully captured by photographer Harry Michael.