The Dropped Waist Wedding Dress That Fit The Brief

For bride Ire, her vision of a dropped waist wedding dress paired with a delicate lace mantilla veil led her to Bridal Indulgence. She found her dream gown, the Cordell by Watters, featuring a bespoke bodice that perfectly captured her style and fit her beautifully.

Discover the finer details of Ire and Matt’s wedding story as we catch up with the beautiful bride herself to discover everything from her favourite part of the wedding dress shopping experience at our Farnham bridal boutique to the advice she’d give to brides going through the same process.

The couple’s story

“It still amazes me how one swipe could completely change the course of my life”, exclaims Ire, after explaining how she met her husband Matthew on Bumble over seven years ago. “What started as a casual conversation turned into a friendship, which just kept growing stronger, and here we are now, married!” After sensing a proposal was potentially on the cards - “my dad “accidentally” let it slip that Matt wanted to ask him a question”, says Ire - Matt popped the question in a wonderfully unexpected manner at home.

“After eight long months, we went away for our anniversary, and I was convinced it would happen on that trip. But it didn’t!” explains Ire. “At that point, I stopped waiting and trusted it would happen when the time was right. When we got home, I settled into the front room while Matt made me a cup of tea. We then put on our anniversary song, and we started dancing together. Suddenly, in the middle of the living room, Matt went down on one knee. It was intimate, unexpected, and so perfectly us.”

The Dress Experience

With a definite brief and a certain dropped waist wedding dress in mind, Ire swiftly came across Bridal Indulgence after searching for local boutiques that stocked her dream dropped waist wedding dress (Cordell by Watters). “From the moment I stepped in, I knew I was in safe hands”, she notes. “I knew exactly what I wanted. I envisioned a dropped-waist dress that would pair beautifully with a Spanish-style veil. That image stuck with me throughout, and it helped narrow down my search.”

Ire arrived alone for her very first appointment at our coveted Hampshire bridal boutique. “I found it overwhelming having too many opinions, and I wanted to be sure I was choosing a dress for me and not for anyone else”, she reveals. “This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime decisions, and I wanted it to feel authentically mine. Once I had made my choice, I brought my mum along to see it. My advice to any bride-to-be is this: your loved ones mean well, but always listen to your gut.”

The Dress

When it comes to finding ‘the one’, we like to remind brides that it’s okay if the moment itself doesn’t involve tears (like it does in the movies). As Ire so eloquently explain, you can simply feel like yourself. “As cliché as it sounds, you just know”, explains Ire. “When I put it on, I felt special, but I also felt like myself – and that’s the best feeling”, she adds. “I loved its simplicity, the elegance of the dropped waist, and the way it highlighted my figure without being overwhelming. I didn’t just feel like a bride, I felt like me.” And, it was the actual trying on of this beautifully constructed, Jewel Satin, dropped waist wedding dress in Diamond White by Watters (amongst others) that made everything feel real for Ire. “Up until then, wedding planning felt like a list of tasks and logistics, but trying on dresses was a beautiful reminder of why we were doing it all. It was a safe, joyful moment in the whirlwind of planning,” she states.

And, the accessories? “I wore a pair of mismatched freshwater pearl clip-on earrings from COS that tied in perfectly with my lace mantilla veil, adding a timeless touch”, she notes. “To give the look a modern twist, I paired it with gold Prada platform heels, a little splash of personality and fun!” Which we absolutely loved, FYI.

The Wedding

Choosing the correct venue was hugely important to the couple. “I’m Nigerian, and Matt is English, so it was important to us to choose a venue that could embrace and celebrate both cultures”, she explains. “We were lucky enough to find the perfect combination right on our doorstep. We married at our local church, St Peter’s Caversham, and held our reception at Tipis at Mapledurham – a stunning estate in Reading that gave us the perfect mix of tradition and personality.”

And, the day itself? “Our wedding day was everything we dreamed of and more – not because it was perfect, but it felt like us”, notes Ire. The pressure for your wedding day to be perfect is definitely something we feel brides often experience. And, as Ire so beautifully picks up on, it’s a pressure that really isn’t helpful (especially with the already stressful juggle of wedding admin and life).

“Ironically, one of our biggest fears came true – it rained! After a week of sunshine, our big day arrived with showers, but it didn’t matter. It’s easier to say this now, and Matt kept reminding me that it’s like one of our favourite movies, “About Time”, says Ire. “Our reception was filled with joy – laughter, games, heartfelt speeches, and dancing under the tipis. Even the rain couldn’t dampen the atmosphere. We truly danced the night away, surrounded by love.”

Advice for Brides-to-be

As with all of our gorgeous Bridal Indulgence brides, we had to ask Ire for her own words of wisdom post-wedding. Especially for when it comes to searching for the gown of your dreams (be it a dropped waist wedding dress like Ire’s or something completely different).

For bride Ire, it was definitely about going with your gut and making your own decision. “Trust your instincts”, she advises. “Don’t get lost in other people’s opinions or what you think you should wear. Pick the dress that makes you feel confident, comfortable, and most importantly – like you. When you look back at your photos years from now, you’ll be so grateful you stayed true to yourself.”

And, what wonderful, wise words to end on. A huge thank you to Ire and Matt for letting us share their incredible wedding day.

Photographer: @dejilawalphotography

Fallen in love with Ire’s stunning dropped waist wedding dress with bespoke bodice by Watters? Discover Cordell and even more dropped and basque waist dresses at Bridal Indulgence and book your bridal appointment today.

Get in touch today or take a scroll across the Bridal Indulgence Instagram for even more bridal inspiration.

Kerri & the Bridal Indulgence Team x