Non-traditional approach
In June my husband and I will be celebrating 10 years of married life.
To mark a decade of adventures, we first imagined a vineyard party in Italy with a mini ceremony. Then, as COVID-19 continued to make its way around the world, we decided to migrate our plans back to the UK and researched a coastal weekend in a spacious beach house. However, with so much uncertainty it looks like we will be doing something intimate at home and hopefully, we can have our nearest and dearest with us on the day.
Altering our plans for our anniversary does not seem like a big deal when I think of my friends and other couples who had to cancel weddings, lose deposits and still be left unsure on when they can finally say “I do”.
A decade on, this time has also made me imagine what our wedding would be like if we were to do it all over again. Our guest list will remain small, but perhaps we would hire out a villa for a week so we can have a long celebration.
With that in mind, it’s time to turn to the dress. Our wedding was a very humble affair as we want to have an intimate registry and then follow it up with a big party a year later. So we got changed at home, got in a minican and headed to Wandsworth Council. In front of a small group of family and friends, we signed a piece of paper as “All You Need is Love” by The Beatles played out of the speakers and then went for lunch at the fabulous local restaurant Chez Bruce. After that, we partied at our house, watched “The Sorcerers Apprentice” and ordered a Chinese takeaway. It was magical.
I didn’t choose my dress but left it completely up to my mum. Her favourite brand is Dolce & Gabbana so as soon as we set the date, she went to the boutique ordered a knee-length lace dress with the elbow-length sleeves and a square neckline. She matched it with some lace white shoes, let me borrow her jewellery while I tuned to Jenny Packham for a headpiece. The dress was simply special and I kept it as my second dress for the following year when we threw a big party for 100 guests. I wore Vera Wang as the “main” dress.
There are elements of the Dolce dress that I loved. The lace sleeves were lightweight and delicate, the silhouette was fitted by not restricting while the square neckline was extremely flattering. It’s a type of bridal dress that you’ll know you’d wear again (which I did ton a fancy banquet in Dubai pictured above) so that is what my edit is all about. A wedding dress you could wear again or can get altered for another occasion.
Whether your wedding plans are on hold or you feel somehow let down that you didn’t have your special day, don’t worry. Despite a year of planning our big day, is the small affair at the registry office that I look back on fondly. Why? Because “love is all you need.”