I have been meaning to blog these pictures for such a long time but this was a case of sitting down properly to write the tale of Vicky and Mike and the wedding dress that was made just in time!
I first met Vicky at the Bristol Vintage wedding fair. I was in my full swing of saying yes, yes, yes we make wonderful dresses, wearing my elephant dress and feeling sooo nervous inside like I always do. Vicky said that she would like a dress and I booked her in for an appointment at the studio. She said the wedding was in May and I was "yes that's all great".
Vicky arrived at the studio on the 7th April a little nervous and she bought with her, for the first time EVER her husband to be Mike. It was so wonderful that Vicky could involve Mike in her dress, it made me a little nervous myself having a Man in the studio ( men can be weird around dresses when they don't want to wear them ).
Mike was not weird and the couple sat on my sofa and explained that the wedding was in less than a month and would it really be possible to make a dress in this time? My head was a little WTF me and my big mouth saying I could do this when I am so busy?
But, "YES" it would be fine. From the start I wanted to make the dress for Vicky and was more than happy to work a little harder to do this in time. So we started discussing the dress design, fabrics etc.
The couple had been through a really hard time personally hence why there was a delay in organising the dress, it had been the last thing on their minds. It was emotional first appointment with a few tears and so much loveliness with Mike saying to Vicky " I'll be blown away seeing you in this dress". Vicky understandably shed a few tears and how I didn't bawl my eyes out at the love between these two I don't know!
So the dress was set, I had the challenge of being super focused and making the dress in two weeks and all was sorted. Or so I thought .......... I ordered the silk the day of the appointment and to my horror the supplier emailed me a few days later to say that they only had one metre left and they weren't getting any more. I needed four metres to make the dress!
I emailed Vicky saying how sorry I was and that we would need to use a different print.
The next morning Mike text me saying PLEASE CALL ME. I was terrified thinking he would actually come down the phone and strangle me, but thankfully no. Instead he had rang round suppliers and gave me a really clear list of samples to order for Vicky's dress and who to speak to. I did as I was told and ordered the samples so they would arrive with Vicky the next day for her to choose from.
Meanwhile ......... Mike frantically cycled around Bristol to every supplier in his book (he used to be a curtain maker so knew his stuff!) and found the exact print of the Lily dress in a little shop in Bedminster. Where I used to buy fabrics at Uni and the last place I would have looked!
He reserved the silk for me and I speedily drove up to Bristol to collect it. Yes people there are diamonds of men out there and Vicky has one very sparkly 100 carat man in Mike! He saved the dress!
Vicky collected her dress two weeks later, trying it on at the studio and looking beautiful. On the 5th May they were married in Bristol. Vicky looks soooooooooooooooooooooo stunning and the vintage faux fur jacket is perfect for the dress along with her classic black Prada shoes.
So all was well in the end. The dress was made, the couple were utterly gorgeous and for me at a super stressful time, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect couple to work for.
Congratulations to my very favourite couple who made my job so rewarding and thank you also for the holiday treats which went down very well! x
P.S the photography is by a very talented Flora Symons who is just 15. Me thinks she will go far in photography!