Real Bride: Love Knows No Distance

Ray of sunshine, Emily, married in Australia where she lives with her now husband, Alex. Emily wore the striking Gaia dress that fitted the couple’s vineyard location perfectly with its whimsical foliage lace ties. Just like her love for Alex, it was an instant match and her dress started its journey from Rime Arodaky’s atelier in Paris, travelled to Bristol for fittings and then on to its final destination, Adelaide. Well worth the journey for love in our opinion!

Tell us a little about yourself

My name is Emily, and I am a Doctor living in Adelaide, Australia with my husband Alex and our cat Ziggy. Alex works as a psychologist, and he is originally from Adelaide. I grew up in Dorset and over the years we have lived together both in Bristol and Australia.

How did you meet your Groom?

I moved to Australia for work back in 2013 and a mutual friend took me along to his old scholars football BBQ where I got introduced to Alex – there was an immediate spark!

Lucky for us both, Alex took a chance on us and moved back to Bristol with me after we had only been dating for a few months. We had a wonderful two years living in Clifton before deciding to move back to Australia in 2016.

What’s your engagement story?

Alex popped the question whilst we were halfway up a tiny little ski lift in Cervinia, Italy. It was snowing heavily, and we were the only crazy people out on the slopes. Luckily, he was using a ‘stand in’ ring as he had been carrying it around in his ski jacket pocket!

Alex also got down on one knee and made another proposal that night in front of a beautiful Christmas tree in the snow (because he knew I still wanted a one knee proposal!)

How did you come across The Mews?

I have always loved Rime Arodaky dresses but never thought I’d get the opportunity to have my own because we live in Australia and we got engaged just before the international travel restrictions. Luckily the borders opened and after two years of not seeing my family, I got on the first flight to the UK and visited The Mews in Clifton with my Mum. I couldn’t have been happier with how incredible the team at The Mews were, they made the whole process so special.

What styles were you channeling whilst dress shopping?

I knew I wanted something simple and elegant but with a little ‘extra’. I was definitely channeling my inner Audrey Hepburn.

Tell us about finding your perfect Wedding dress

I tried on so many dresses in Australia, but none were quite right. When I finally made it back to the UK and visited The Mews with my Mum it all changed! As soon as I tried on the Gaia gown it just felt perfect, Mum cried instantly so I took that as a good sign! Then we had the difficult process of getting the dress back to Australia…

Where did your wedding day take place?

We got married at a beautiful winery called Coriole in McLaren Vale, South Australia. We absolutely love Coriole and have visited many times over the years so it felt like a special spot to us. Good food and wine were high on our list when it came to the wedding planning and Coriole definitely ticks both those boxes. The vineyard grounds are stunning and we were able to have the ceremony and the dancefloor outside, lucky to have good weather!

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

We were set on simple elegance. Our colour scheme was black and white as there is a lot of colour in the gardens at the vineyard and we wanted to let that natural beauty shine.

What did your groom wear?

A classic shawl lapel black tuxedo by Hugo Boss. He also wore my Dad’s Rolex Submariner for the day which was really sentimental.

What was your favourite detail of the day?

Gosh that is so hard to pick! The speeches absolutely blew me away, we kept it simple with the best man, father of the bride and groom and they all spoke perfectly. The after-dinner cocktail bar was an absolute hit too and kept the dance floor pumping!

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

Don’t settle! I am so glad I waited to visit The Mews with my Mum and that I didn’t settle for anything less than stunning.  

Words of wedded wisdom?

When it comes to the wedding week, things will go wrong… take a deep breath and just go with the flow. On the wedding day, get up nice and early so you don’t feel rushed and just enjoy every minute! After three years of waiting and three wedding attempts due to covid, I was so excited on the day I didn’t even have a chance to feel nervous and I had the most magical day…I wish I could do it all again!