The Minimalist Wedding Dress That Turned Out To Be ‘The One’
All photos by Melissa Megan Photography
We can’t stress enough how wonderful the feeling is when our brides’ glorious wedding day imagery lands in our inbox. And, when Darcy’s enchanting pictures arrived, we couldn’t wait to share them with you. Not only did Darcy look utterly sensational in her divine Elynor gown by Willowby (the gown that turned out to be her dream minimalist wedding dress) but here at Bridal Indulgence we made sure her daughter’s dress was equally as special...
Having met a decade ago in a pub in Brighton, Darcy’s partner Ross proposed on New Year’s Eve enveloped in the incredible surroundings of Danesfield House, Marlow, a luxury hotel and wedding venue situated in 65 acres of beautiful gardens - and, what would eventually become the location and venue for their own authentic celebration. Elegant and timeless, it was here that bride Darcy took to the aisle in her striking, minimalist wedding dress, Elynor by Willowby. And, luckily for you, we’ve managed to catch up with the gorgeous 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
Whether it’s via word of mouth, Instagram or because we’re a stockist of a designer you adore, we love knowing how you found us at Bridal Indulgence. For Darcy, it was all down to one dress. “I loved a Watters dress online (not the dress I chose) and wanted to try it on,” she explains. “As bridal indulgence was about an hour drive we made a day of it and had a lovely lunch at Penn Croft Winery after the appointment.”
Darcy arrived at her relaxing two hour Bridal Indulgence appointment with three close guests in tow. We always encourage a small number of guests when trying to find the illusive ‘the one’, and Darcy’s experience mirrored this advice. “Having just a select few made shopping so much less stressful. A big crowd of opinions would have been a fun day out but probably unproductive!”
“Spending the day with my friends and mum. We had such a good time!”
The Dress
In terms of the style of the dress, Darcy had a gut instinct but still kept an open mind. “I knew I wanted simple and elegant and not a ball gown but I still wanted to try on a range of dresses just in case. I loved trying on the full range of dresses but I knew a more minimal dress was always going to be ‘the one’.” This is something we always encourage with our brides - you never quite know when a silhouette or style might sweep you off your feet!
And, when it comes to knowing it’s ‘the one’, there’s definitely signs. Darcy’s sign was her Mum’s reaction, followed by a few days of contemplation. “I felt amazing in the dress and didn’t want to take it off but I didn’t commit instantly, I looked at photos from Bridal Indulgence over the next few days and made a decision about a week later!” Darcy also confided in us that “in the months leading up to the wedding I actually fell more in love with the dress. Looking at how others had styled the same dress on Instagram was super useful in deciding my own accessories.”
“The fit was incredible and I loved the buttons down the back. Also, it was cold bright white rather than warmer ivory which I think suited my skin tone much better (a very pale lady). Honestly I loved everything about it.” - Darcy on her beautiful minimalist wedding dress, Elynor by Willowby
We loved the simple accessories Darcy chose to compliment her minimalist wedding dress too. “I kept things fairly simple,” she explains. “My veil was made by Linda and I wore it until after the wedding breakfast, it was super comfortable. I wore a bracelet Ross had gifted to me and a very simple blue necklace and earrings from my family for a birthday years ago. Shoes were a bargain from Debenhams and I added a big white bow on each which I loved.” Darcy’s sister also added a beautiful bespoke touch to a pair of Vans trainers with a stunning embroidered design of their wedding flowers “to make sure I could stay on the dance floor all evening” explains Darcy. “I changed into them around 10pm.”
Her Daughter’s Dress
At Bridal Indulgence, we’re extremely invested in our brides’ vision for their special day and love to come up with creative ways and suggestions to help bring their bridal vision to life. And, for Darcy, we had a very special idea in mind for her daughter. “Kerri also had the amazing idea of making a dress for my daughter out of additional fabric from my dress” she explains. “Linda did an incredible job of making my daughter the sweetest little dress and I will treasure it forever.”
The Wedding
When it came to choosing a wedding venue, there was a very obvious option. “This was a no-brainer,” says Darcy, “as Danesfield was the hotel we got engaged at. We looked around at other places but nowhere else compared. Honestly, the staff were faultless, they made planning a wedding so easy and fun and the hotel is just stunning.” And, just as they’d had before for the engagement, Danesfield brought many more magical moments to the table for the wedding day. “I didn’t really get nervous but I was more emotional than I expected to be. In my head I would be cool, calm and collected when in reality I was just trying not to cry. Our daughter walked down the aisle with our bridesmaids and she was waiting with Ross at the end of the aisle. It was definitely a magical moment.”
““It was the perfect celebration with our nearest and dearest. It was at the end of July and after weeks of rain we had a whole day of sunshine! It was exactly as we had imagined, elegant and relaxed and then a really great party.” ”
The most memorable moment? “All of it! I’m desperately trying not to forget any of it. Standout moments included the speeches, which were all heartfelt and funny. The dance floor in the evening was packed and the band were incredible. And, overall just being surrounded by our loved ones all day made us feel so lucky.”
Advice for Brides-to-be
Your advice for other brides starting (or in the midst of) their wedding planning? “Just do whatever is authentic to you and your partner. It’s your day.”
The Wedding Team
Photographer: Melissa Megan Photography (“She was incredible.” - Darcy)
Hotel: Danesfield House
Flowers: Foxglove Studios
Makeup & Hair: Nicola Hood
Band: Breakthrough Party Band
Fallen in love with Darcy’s heart-stirring minimalist wedding dress by Willowby? Discover Elynor and even more minimalist wedding dresses at Bridal Indulgence.
Get in touch today or take a scroll across our Instagram for even more bridal inspiration.
Kerri & the Bridal Indulgence Team x