Harriet-Rose
Dress Bespoke Charlotte
Photographer: Sara Lincoln
Stockist: The Dress
Venue: Aswarby Rectory
Hair: Kim Stokes
Headband: Native Mix
Florist: Honour Farm Flowers
We were blown away by these photos of Harriet and Jonny’s beautiful wedding at Aswarby Rectory. Harriet’s dress started out as the Charlotte; an impeccably cut gown with abundant opportunity for personalisation. Harriet worked with Emily from The Dress adding puff sleeves to create a silhouette truly bespoke to her before finishing the look with a duchesse satin headband by Native Mix.
Sara Lincoln
What was the inspiration behind your wedding?
Originally, we’d always thought we wanted a wedding in somewhere like a forest or somewhere in the wild as we love the outdoors and long walks out in the countryside but when Jonny found Aswarby Rectory there didn’t seem to be anywhere other than there for our special day. We’d recently finished a big renovation on our house and so to hear that the venue was a renovated rectory, and a venue that was truly unique and only did a select number of weddings a year, it provided the inspiration for it to feel like a big intimate party in a beautifully decorated space. The colour palette of burnt orange and greens was still in keeping with the earth tones of the outdoors, whilst also nodding to elements of our home that we’d recently built together. (The song we walked down the aisle to was rather appropriately Cinematic Orchestra – To Build a Home.)
Tell us a little bit about your wedding look…
There were always 2 things I knew I wanted, puff sleeves and a big headband. The rest was open. I made some mood boards when I started my search and magically, the dress I ended up with was exactly what I had in my head from day one and all made possible through a bespoke gown.
How did you find the process of creating your bespoke gown?
Such an exciting and special memory. I went to a few dress shops with my mum, and it was only always the two of us having a special day together. We then booked in at The Dress in Teddington and I tried on a few different dresses. I absolutely loved the Sassi Holford Charlotte dress as it had a square neckline, and Emily in the shop helped me imagine it with sleeves with offcuts of material pinned to me, and I was sold. I wanted something really simple and nipped in at the waist and then when I found out it had pockets, I knew it was the one. There was certainly a moment where I screamed with excitement I when I saw myself in the full-length mirror.
What was your favourite moment from your wedding?
It’s difficult to pick just one! The whole day was a total dream come true apart from one small sadness – both my brothers tested positive for Covid the night before our wedding, so weren’t able to join us inside the venue. As I walked down the aisle, I turned to my left and saw them both at the window in their masks cheering us both on – that was so special to have them with us, albeit at a distance. I will always remember the first thing my husband said to me when we held hands in front of our close friends and family was “of course it has puffy sleeves” – a man who clearly knows me very well despite knowing nothing about my bespoke gown process.
