The Floral Wedding Dress That Sealed The Deal
For bride Daisy, it was the enchanting texture and dreamy appliqué of her floral wedding dress, Halia by Watters that stole her heart from the very moment she put it on at Bridal Indulgence.
Photos by biancasardi.photography
As with all of our gorgeous brides, one of the very first questions we often ask is how they and their partner met. For Daisy, it all started 11 years ago. “Harvey and I met at the Brickmakers Pub in Windlesham”, she explains. “I had just that day come home from a year abroad in New Zealand living and working with my best friend. I had no idea what coming home had in store for me or what I really wanted to do with my life once I was home. It was a Friday evening and the pub was really busy. After several drinks I needed some fresh air, so I took myself outside and there was Harvey. He offered me a knee to sit on and the rest as they say is history!”, she laughs.
And, the engagement? Well, it took place on the beach with their dog and a picnic, amongst the sand dunes in Wittering. “On our first evening down there, we decided to take a walk down to the sand dunes with a picnic and a bottle of wine. After about 45 minutes Harvey was acting a little strange, pacing around. I thought he was getting annoyed with the dog as he kept barking! He then asked me to get up and dance as we had a little speaker playing some music, to his horror, a Dizzy Rascal song was playing as he got down on one knee to pop the question”, laughs Daisy. “I ran around in a circle in excitement as I really was not expecting it to happen at that time. He was still on his knee, asking ‘well is it a yes?!’ when I finally returned to compose myself! He had stashed a secret bottle of bubbles, which we cracked open and called all our family and friends. The following day, all our family and some friends came down for a BBQ and drinks. It was perfect.”
What then followed was Daisy’s quest to find ‘the one’ in dress form, which happily led her to our Farnham bridal boutique. Read on to discover more about Daisy’s wedding dress journey, including how she fell in love with her dream floral wedding dress, Halia by Watters, her favourite part of the wedding dress shopping experience at our Farnham bridal boutique and the advice she’d give to brides going through the same process.
The Dress Experience
For bride Daisy, she had a very open mind when it came to the wedding dress journey and the type of gown she was after. “I had always thought about my wedding day but never my wedding dress as I could never picture myself in one!”, explains Daisy. Luckily for Daisy, she’s friends with a wedding expert in the form of Bridal Indulgence’s Dee. “I have known the lovely Dee, who works at Bridal Indulgence, for a few years now. When we got engaged she told me to come and try lots of dresses on at the shop as I truly did not know where to start. I looked the shop up online straight away and saw so many beautiful dresses - it gave me butterflies. I was so excited. Luckily, it is only a 30-minute drive from my house, so it all worked out well.”
With her Mum Jo and Auntie Julie in tow for her first appointment, Daisy learnt a lot about the dress possibilities available at Bridal Indulgence. “Dee and Kerri were so helpful and I could try on any style and dress I desired in my appointment, explaining certain styles and options and alteration options as we went through, which helps you picture it all come together”, notes Daisy. “I found that all really helpful. I went to two other stores and didn’t get the same feeling that they gave me. Not like a number getting rushed through the process!” And, seeing yourself in a wedding dress for the first time? “Seeing yourself finally in a wedding dress is both surreal and exciting! The selection at Bridal Indulgence is really special”, she explains.
“Seeing yourself finally in a wedding dress is both surreal and exciting! The selection at Bridal Indulgence is really special.”
The Dress
For Daisy, it wasn’t just about how the dress made her feel, it was that Halia by Watters was comfortable too. “My dress was the second dress I tried on. I absolutely loved the flower appliqué and the champagne coloured under layer. I automatically knew it was the one because of how it made me feel. The boning on the bodice cinched me in so well and made me feel amazing. Like most of us, I usually have a lot of hang ups and am quite self critical, but this dress made me feel really good. It was also really comfortable!”, she explains.
And the cherry on top of the cake? “The flower appliqué”, states Daisy. “It was so uniquely hand-sewn and a real mix of ethereal and sexy, with the boned bodice. As our wedding was in Ibiza, it felt perfect to match the venue and vibe of the island. It also had some tiny crystals sewn on, as if a handful had been thrown at it, which glistened in the sun without it looking too much.”
Plus, as we say to all of our brides, if something isn’t exactly right with your wedding dress - there’s often a way to amend or alter this (especially with the magic seamstresses can wield!). For Daisy, her concern lay with the structured underskirt of her Watters wedding dress. Would it be too warm for her Ibiza wedding? “Dee suggested I could have it cut out at alterations, which was so helpful! The lovely Edie cut the underskirt out and added in poppers so I had the option on the day.”
We loved Daisy’s approach to her curated selection of bridal accessories too. A close friend who runs her own jewellery side business crafted the ultimate pair of bespoke pearl earrings for Daisy to wear down the aisle. “We handpicked the baroque pearls together and she used 9 carat gold wire and finishings to assemble them. I put my trust in her for the final style and she exceeded all of my expectations. They were absolutely stunning and I believe finished the look perfectly! Have a look at her pieces and give her a follow @sallybakerjewellery”.
With the shoes Daisy opted for elegance: “my shoes were from Dune, and were quite simple, open toe with a low stiletto heel. They were a nude colour to complement the champagne layer in the dress as opposed to being bright white. They worked really well.”
The Wedding
For Daisy and Harvey, there was always only going to be one wedding venue they wanted. “We have been visiting Ibiza for a while now, since my husband’s parents stumbled across our venue 10 years ago on their first holiday to Ibiza, and made good friends with the owner, Alexandre. It is a beautiful finca in the Sant Josep district of Ibiza, with 12 unique rooms, fitted out with beautiful Balinese furniture and accents. Over the last few years we visited with friends and family and all agreed it was special.” Having never hosted a formal wedding at Can XuXu, the pair were hopeful that they’d agree. “We were so thrilled when they said yes!”, says Daisy.
And, the day itself? “Where do I even begin?”, laughs Daisy. “Everyone in the lead up tells you it’s the best day of your life but you never appreciate that until you’re right there in the thick of it, looking around at all your friends and family in one place”, she explains. Kickstarting her special day with face masks and tea in bed, Daisy and her bridal party spent the day (the ceremony was at 4pm) prepping, happy and relaxed. “I felt really emotional after receiving a gorgeous ‘Letters to the Bride’ book made by my Mum, and a beautiful card from Harvey, but a few glasses of bubbles later and tunes chosen by the bridesmaids, and I was nothing but excited.” Drenched in the Ibiza sun, the day was filled with wonderful moments, including some spectacular food. “We had family style sharing dishes as our wedding meal and had always wanted this style, for it to be informal and delicious, it was non-negotiable for us!”, says Daisy. “We then cut our ‘cake’, which was a giant Millefoigle covered in berries, which we iced and cut together before it was served out.”
For the couple it was a truly unforgettable day. “Harvey and I laid in bed reminiscing about the day until the early hours, it all felt so surreal, like one big amazing dream. I still can’t get over how magical it was and don’t think I ever will!”
Advice for Brides-to-be
Daisy’s advice for brides searching for their dream gown? Be that a floral wedding dress or something completely different? “Choose a dress that makes you feel amazing”, she says. “You don’t want to feel self-conscious on the biggest day of your life, so choose a dress that makes sense to you and no one else. When you do find it, and get that feeling, tell yourself you look beautiful and soak it all in. Most of all, enjoy every appointment, because you don’t get it back!”
Wise words to end on! A huge thank you to Daisy and Harvey for letting us share their beautiful wedding day.
Had your heart stolen by Daisy’s romantic floral wedding dress? Discover Halia by Watters and even more glorious, showstopping wedding dresses at Bridal Indulgence.
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Kerri & the Bridal Indulgence Team x
Photography: @biancasardi.photography