How was your experience in looking for a wedding dress? Did look at lots of different designs/ places?
I felt overwhelmed looking for dresses, I wanted something boho and unique and originally booked in to go and look at a shop in Leeds that stocked vintage style dresses. Before even visiting the shop I stumbled across Luna Bride on Instagram I think, went to visit and chose a dress straight away! I did find Pinterest very helpful in inspiring me, though the dress I finally chose was like nothing I had seen before.
What attracted you to come to Luna Bride?
Very simplistic styles, unique and boho in style. Untraditional styles (like my two piece). Local designer. Lovely advertising - very appealing to me and marketed well for a more boho bride.
Which dress did you go for and how was the process from choosing to receiving your final dress?
I ended up creating my own dress that was a combination of Lolita and Beach. The process was very simple and straightforward and Keely was helpful and supportive throughout. I felt relaxed with the dress part of my wedding!
How did you choose your wedding venue, photographer e.t.c.?
Choosing the wedding venue took AGES. I initially looked local to Leeds but struggled as I hated 'traditional' hotel weddings with awful patterned carpets. I had already planned for bright mismatched colours in pastels and neon pastels, and this would have clashed a lot with the bad hotel carpets. Myself and my now husband visited loads of venues to get a feel for them. We found Hitched was a very useful website for filtering through venues. We started making venue trips a day out which was nice. We looked at everything from hotels to barns, to fields to eventually a tipi. I had my heart set on a Wes Anderson theme for the wedding so a tipi fitted in perfectly with this. I am a photographer in my spare time and teach a creative subject, so both the wedding stationary and wedding photography were hugely important to me. I met with a photographer from my friend's wedding and had planned to book him, but only days later another friend showed me their friends work and I fell in love. I ended up booking Jo & Jody for photography and videography. They really captured the wedding atmospheres without taking too many staged photographs - good for me as I do not like this 'old fashioned' and 'traditional' style of photography! I wanted something much more whimsical. I made all of the wedding stationary myself, from invites, save the dates, name tags, menus, you name it! With the help of my husband I also made other decorations as well. We didn't buy much pre-made! For hair, makeup etc we tried to source local suppliers as the venue was a good distance from our house. I did this through a wedding fare at the venue and also through their suggestions on their website of recommended suppliers.
Do you have any top tips for other bride to be's on leading up to their wedding?
Keep organised, I had lots of to do lists. Keep in contact with suppliers and the venue. Go and visit the venue before the big day to remember bits about it and to help you with any last minute planning. Be prepared for last minute cancellations - I had loads from my husbands side drop out last minute and two of mine on the day! This can cause chaos with the seating plans. Make use of Pinterest, it is the best place for inspiration and ideas. I also downloaded the Bridebook app which has a built in checklist - very helpful for planning on the go.
What was the reaction to the dress?
Everyone loved my dress!! Because it was so unique and untraditional. I also do not wear very feminine floaty clothes so I think it was a big change for everyone at the wedding! My mum really wasn't sure at first as I think she expected me in a traditional dress but I think she realised on the day why I had chosen it!
