The Long-Sleeved Wedding Dress That Swept Her Off Her Feet

For Bridal Indulgence bride, Meg, there was one non-negotiable detail when it came to her dream wedding dress: long sleeves. Other than that, she was wonderfully open- minded when it came to discovering ‘the one’. And, the long-sleeved wedding dress she did fall in love with? Clara by Watters - utterly sublime...

Having met her partner Leigh back in 2019 on Hinge, “I was in the middle of watching Brooklyn 99 and had a prompt about two of the characters, which he replied to”, it was just three years later that he proposed, completely sweeping Meg off her feet. “We got engaged at home, just after midnight on New Year's Day on our third anniversary. I didn’t think it would be happening soon; me and my friend had been joking all night he only had hours to do it. So, when it actually happened I was really caught off guard and said “are you joking?!” which is now repeated regularly in our household.” And, what followed this wonderfully romantic proposal? A truly glorious, family-filled celebration at the bride’s family home in Surrey. Discover the finer details 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 Dress Experience


As with every bride that steps through our doors at Bridal Indulgence, we’re always intrigued to find out how you came across our Surrey bridal boutique. For bride Meg, it was word of mouth (and my very supportive husband) that led her to our beautifully curated bridal studio. “It was a recommendation from Kerri’s husband, who is my mum’s (Kerry) tennis coach!” explained Meg. “Once my mum told me about Bridal Indulgence, I had a quick look through the Instagram page and spotted one I liked, and sent it to my friend.”

Luckily, although Meg had spotted a long-sleeved wedding dress she liked, she still came to the boutique with an open mind - something we always encourage our brides to do. “I knew I would want something with sleeves,” noted Meg. “Probably silk and maybe some form of backless element. But I knew I was open to trying on different styles.” Arriving with Mum, Kerry and Maid of Honour, Beth in tow, they were met by Bridal Indulgence’s lovely stylist Dee. “Dee was amazing, she started off by getting us to browse and each of us picked out three to try on, which was so great as they both picked dresses I might not have thought to try”, says Meg. “Dee was so helpful with each dress I tried on, knowing I’d want some coverage on my arms she kept suggesting little tweaks we could do, or adjustments to make sleeves etc.” And, the moment she found ‘the one’? “When I walked out in the dress I’d spied on Instagram, my mum welled up, so really, I knew then. But as I am chronically indecisive, I tried back on another dress and then the dress, but made the decision the day after, once I’d slept on it,” laughs Meg.

The Dress

Meg’s heart was stolen by the Clara wedding dress by Watters. Crafted from a truly elegant Vellan Charmeuse and with a statement-making V-back in tow, it was the long- sleeved wedding dress Meg had been waiting for. And, those all-important sleeves? Well, even though the Clara gown does land bearing a pair of long-sleeves, Meg and stylist Dee had a custom adjustment in mind. “We actually totally changed them from the original dress”, explains Meg. “I’d tried on a different dress which had these sleeves and I felt the original style wasn’t quite for me, so the ever so talented Linda helped me change them!”

And, the accessories? Bride Meg kept them simple and elegant. “I wanted the dress to be the main attraction, especially the back, so I wore some pearl drop earrings and a really lovely simple necklace from Mejuri. I still wear it all the time and it’s lovely to have something that reminds me of my wedding,” notes Meg. “For shoes, I needed a block heel because of the venue, I chose a low block heel from Charles & Keith. The veil was one that Dee had shown me at the shop and it was the perfect match.”

The Wedding

The search for the perfect wedding venue was a swift one for bride Meg. “We got married at my parents house, they have a lovely garden in Tilford, Surrey and it’s been my family home since I was 15. My brother and his wife got married there in 2018 and we always knew it would be there,” she explains. “Since we couldn’t legally get married there, we had our friend do our ceremony on the Saturday, and the following Tuesday we got legally married at Guildford Registry office, had lunch with our parents and siblings who attended and then were dropped at the airport for honeymoon, which was such a lovely way to do it.” Now, how wonderful does that sound? Lunch then the honeymoon? We’re in!

The wedding day itself was a relaxed affair, with friends and family members pitching in and managing everything from catering to more official roles! “We just wanted everyone to have the best time and it be a relaxed day. So, we hired marquees, we asked a friend to be our Celebrant. We used a family friend to do the canapés and wedding breakfast (which was family style sharing dishes) and her son ran the bar. We had canned cocktails, a pizza truck and a silent disco in the evening, and then about a week before, my dad booked us fireworks, which were amazing!” But, even though it was a laid-back celebration, Meg (wearing her beautiful long-sleeved wedding dress) still felt a few nerves taking to the aisle. “I was so nervous, I just kept thinking how everyone was about to stare at me,” she remarks. “Our photographer asked if all our phones were on Airplane mode, obviously me and my bridesmaids didn’t have phones on us but my dad went “oh yeah” and whipped his out to turn off, so that made us all laugh. As soon as I heard them play “She” by Elvis Costello I knew it was my cue!”

“I really loved the moment just after me and Leigh walked back down the aisle and we stood around the corner by ourselves, it was really lovely - it’s one of my favourite photos we have from the day.” - Bride, Meg on her most memorable moment from the day itself

Advice for Brides-to-be

As with all of our brides, we love to ask them what advice they would give to other brides- to-be currently looking to find their dream wedding dress. For Meg, it was all about being open-minded. “Go in with an open mind, you might have seen something online but make sure you try different styles on,” she says. “Also, I heard from a podcast that once you

have your dress, you shouldn’t keep looking at photos of yourself in it, as you’ll start to critique it and honestly I think both myself and my Maid of Honour, Beth would agree. Get a friend or someone else to have the photos on their phone, otherwise you’ll just look and see things you don’t like, especially during fittings when your hair and makeup isn’t done how it’ll be on the day.” Alongside the above, in the journey to finding her dream long- sleeved wedding dress, Meg also discovered another key bit of advice: “Also, wear seamless nude pants!” she suggests. And, we’d definitely offer up the same advice for when it comes to trying on wedding dresses! By doing so, it’s much easier to envision how a gown will look on the day, rather than being distracted by dark underwear underneath.

The Wedding Team

Photographer: Lilly Wilson Photography

Flowers: Blossom & Wild
Brownies: Cake or Death

Fallen in love with Meg’s heart-stirring long-sleeved wedding dress by Watters? Discover Clara and even more long-sleeved wedding dresses at Bridal Indulgence.

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

Kerri & the Bridal Indulgence Team x