A Romantic Lace House of Flora Wedding Dress for The Old Kent Barn
For Bridal Indulgence bride Emily, finding her dream wedding dress began long before she was engaged. Having already fallen in love with the romantic Emmanuelle gown by House of Flora, she couldn’t wait to finally experience wearing it for herself.
Emily married James at The Old Kent Barn, surrounded by the people they love most. From the rain beginning just as she walked down the aisle to a joyful first dance, their wedding was filled with happiness, laughter and beautifully personal moments.
Wearing the exquisite House of Flora Emmanuelle gown, Emily looked every inch the princess she had dreamed of becoming since she was five years old.
The Proposal
Emily and James first met online while James was serving in the military. With James away on exercise, they spent weeks getting to know one another through video calls before finally meeting in person. Their first date took place on 6th June 2020, followed by a second date just four days later. It was then that James asked Emily to be his girlfriend.
A few years later, the couple travelled to Florida together. James had suggested an early morning walk along the beach to watch the sunrise, but Emily had other ideas and decided she would rather enjoy a lie-in. Undeterred, James took her for a walk along the beach later that day and asked her to marry him.
After Emily said yes, they danced together on the sand to Let’s Get Married by The Proclaimers - a wonderfully fitting and completely unforgettable start to their engagement.
Falling in love with House of Flora
Emily’s search for her dream wedding dress led her to Bridal Indulgence through her love of British bridal designer House of Flora.
“I have always loved lace and always felt that my dream wedding dress would involve lace. I fell in love with Emmanuelle long before I got engaged and was eager to try it on, but I was determined to remain open-minded before going dress shopping.”
Created from the most beautiful lace, Emmanuelle combines a romantic sweetheart neckline with delicate long sleeves and a sheer back. It is a gown filled with intricate details, while still feeling elegant and effortlessly feminine.
Although Emily already had one particular dress in her heart, she approached her appointment ready to explore different possibilities and discover how each gown made her feel.
A special bridal appointment with her mum and bridesmaids
Emily came to her first bridal appointment accompanied by her mum, Josephine, her maid of honour, Lauren, and her bridesmaids, Nyah and Emma.
“My favourite part about dress shopping was seeing how emotional and excited my mum was to see me in the dresses,” Emily says. “She lives in Scotland and I don’t see her very often, so having those emotional moments with her while trying on wedding dresses for the first time was very special.”
Those reactions from the people closest to us can become such a memorable part of finding a wedding dress. For Emily, the experience was about far more than choosing a gown. It was an opportunity to create a precious memory with her mum and bridal party that they could all share.
Saying yes to the House of Flora Emmanuelle gown
Emily tried to keep an open mind throughout her dress search, but Emmanuelle stayed with her.
“No matter how hard I tried to be open-minded after dress shopping, when I looked back over all the dresses I had tried on, I couldn’t get how I felt in Emmanuelle out of my head.”
She even found a clever way to ask James for his opinion without letting him see any of the wedding dresses.
“I showed James photographs of my smiles while trying on the dresses, but I cropped the dresses out of the pictures. I asked him which one looked like the dress in which I felt most like myself and he also chose my smile in Emmanuelle.”
That was all the confirmation Emily needed.
“What I loved most about my dress was the lace detailing, the way the sleeves worked with the sweetheart neckline and the sheer back,” she explains. “I also loved that it made me feel like a princess, as if I were five years old again, dreaming about my wedding dress.”
Styling Emily’s romantic lace wedding dress
Emily completed her bridal look with a beautiful cathedral-length veil finished with a delicate lace trim by Franc Bridal which is available at Bridal Indulgence. The lace edging complemented the intricate details of her House of Flora gown without taking away from its distinctive design.
She also wore the Swarovski Mesmera mixed-cut necklace and Avalia Coco ivory satin block heels.
There was one final, sentimental addition hidden inside Emily’s shoe: a sixpence given to her by her aunt. This sweet nod to the traditional wedding rhyme added an especially personal touch to her bridal look.
Together, the accessories allowed the romantic lace of the Emmanuelle gown to remain at the heart of the outfit while adding details that felt entirely personal to Emily.
A nature-inspired wedding at The Old Kent Barn
Emily had fallen in love with The Old Kent Barn around two years before she and James became engaged.
At the time, the couple were in a long-distance relationship, with Emily living in Edinburgh and James based near Wattisham with the army. After discovering the venue through a video on social media, Emily immediately felt it could be the perfect place for their future wedding.
“I knew it was my dream venue,” she says.
When Emily and James visited together, they both fell in love with the barns, the atmosphere and the venue’s wisteria tunnel.
“The barns were just beautiful, and it created the perfect atmosphere for the nature-influenced wedding we wanted.”
The romantic surroundings also complemented Emily’s House of Flora gown beautifully, with its organic lace details sitting naturally against the venue’s gardens and greenery.
As the ceremony approached, Emily felt excited rather than nervous.
“Everyone kept asking me why I was so calm,” she remembers. “I told them, ‘What do I have to be nervous about? I can’t wait to see my best friend and become his wife.’”
Just as she was preparing to walk down the aisle, it began to rain. Rather than letting it change the mood, Emily and James embraced the moment.
“All I can remember before walking down the aisle was how excited I was to see James,” Emily says.
“I remember seeing his smile when he turned around. My cheeks hurt from smiling, and I started to giggle through my happy tears.”
With family travelling from Scotland and her mum and bridesmaids by her side, the day felt especially meaningful.
A wedding day filled with happiness
Emily describes their wedding as the most perfect and happiest day of her life.
The couple went into the day knowing that not every tiny detail would necessarily go exactly to plan, but that it would still be perfect because they were getting married. “We felt so much love and had so much love for everyone who celebrated with us,” Emily says.
She also credits the team at The Old Kent Barn with helping to make the day so special. “They showed so much excitement for us and brought such an incredible feeling to the day. They took amazing care of us and were absolutely incredible at running everything.”
When asked to choose their most memorable moment, Emily and James both gave the same answer: their first dance.
“We love dancing together, and it was the perfect moment.”
From dancing together on a Florida beach immediately after becoming engaged to sharing their first dance as husband and wife, it was a beautifully fitting moment for their story.
Emily’s advice for brides
Emily’s advice for other brides is simple: keep an open mind and focus on how each dress makes you feel.
“Remember what your dream dress looks like, both now and in the past, but keep an open mind,” she says. “Try on any dress, no matter how it looks on the hanger or on the model. You never truly know how you will feel until you put it on and the most important thing is how you feel in the dress.”
For Emily, that feeling ultimately led her back to Emmanuelle.
Discover House of Flora at Bridal Indulgence
A huge thank you to Emily and James for sharing their beautiful wedding story with us. It was such a pleasure helping Emily find her dream House of Flora wedding dress, and we are honoured to have played a small part in such a joyful and love-filled celebration.
If you have fallen in love with Emily’s House of Flora gown, book your bridal appointment at Bridal Indulgence and explore our curated collection of House of Flora wedding dresses at our countryside bridal boutique near Farnham.
You can also take a scroll through the Bridal Indulgence Instagram for more real-bride inspiration, wedding dress ideas and beautiful moments from the boutique.
Kerri & the Bridal Indulgence Team x
Supplier Love
Venue: The Old Kent Barn
Photographer: Matt Trott Photography
Hair: Megan Morrish at Blow Drys Kent Bridal
Makeup: Avrill Jarrett Makeup
Bridal Shoes: Avalia
Bridal Jewellery: Swarovski