Suzanne Rawle in Maggie Sottero Presca Marie

Maggie Sottero and Miss Bush may seem like an incongruous match on the surface. Maggie's advertising images would lead you to believe they do a mean line in meringue and little else.

 Miss Bush buying has always reflected our customers eclectic taste and style - located closed to London our brides are savvy shoppers and early adopters of new shapes and trends. They do however demand value for money along with their dress. Maggie therefore has always offered both - even if they do hide that fact under some glamour model styling on line.

Suzanne was one of  my first brides to buy Presca Marie. It has Miss Bush stamped all over it. It has  impeccable corded lace over Maggie Sottero's signature corset structure. The amazing train features a double band of extraordinarily beautiful deep lace edging. The skirt panels feature point d'esprit tulle ( that's the 'fashion' term for spotty!) giving the dress a light and vintage feel. The shape of dress could be described as A line - although in reality the shape is way more refined.

Chalk meet Cheese

On the left the Rosa Clara dress Adamo that we used to stock that provided the inspiration for Suzanne's lace top to cover her shoulders for church. On the right is Maggie Sottero Presca with it's matching veil. As Maggie Sottero won't sell lace separately Suzanne ordered the dress with the veil and Janet, the Miss Bush production manager, harvested the lace and cut a pattern especially for Suzanne. The Maggie Sottero Presca Marie, below,  has a flower belt as opposed to the beaded belt above! As neither belts are brilliant with the dress (I have a particular distrust of diamante teamed with lace) the Miss Bush advice is to get the Presca Marie as it costs less and you can use the flower in your hair!

Maggie Sottero Presca Marie

Many thanks to Suzanne for sharing these photos shot by her brother-in-law Matt.

Suzanne's neat hairdo uses the flowers from the Presca Marie belt. Hair is by Sharon Roberts 

I love working with other brilliant wedding professionals and I was so pleased that Suzanne chose Sharon to do her hair. Sharon is like a mini wedding planner and runs a very smooth wedding morning. Unflappable to the last- she even accommodated Suzanne's Mother's last minute request for tendrils for her daughter's hair style and tweaked the style to perfection.

I know the hanging up dress shot  probably only resonates with the Suzanne herself but the light through the lace shows the detail beautifully.

I know Suzanne looks rather pensive here - but I think it's my favourite shot

I know I am like a cracked record - but look at the uncreased. perfect corset structure. Maggie magic...

Perfect bustling and fit ensures all manner of twirling can be undertaken with ease!!

Thank you to the new Mr and Mrs Mark Dymott for sharing these lovely photos xxx

Photography by Matt Alexander http://www.mattjalexander.com/

Laura Sheehan in Jenny Packham's Elizabeth

Some dresses are epoch defining. Some dresses have star quality. Some dresses have the power to make brides travel.

Jenny Packham's Elizabeth is such a dress. Only just discontinued, this dress was one of the first 'grecian' and 'floaty' styles to change brides' perception of the silhouette of a wedding gown. Referencing the past but not costume, deceptively simple and uber flattering to the neat of bust, Elizabeth inspired many homage dresses from lesser labels. As with all design classics this is bound to happen, but if you invest the original you have a beautiful heirloom collector's item destined to be future vintage.
Laura's story of dress discovery has her travelling trans-Atlantic for British icon-


"I was in your store last August with my mother and the aunt of the groom looking for a bridal gown.  I am from the California, but my husband is English and so I was staying in Haslemere for the summer.  I had spent some time looking for gowns in the US, but wasn't able to find ANYTHING like what your shop had to offer.  I fell in love with a Jenny Packham gown and made the trip back over the pond in December to do my final fitting."

A final thank you from Laura...

"My husband and I were married on April 6th in San Diego, CA on a beautiful sunny day. I received so many compliments on my dress and head piece- everyone commented they had never seen anything like it. Thank you SO much for all of your help.

I've attached some pictures, as promised. Enjoy!

Thank you again,"

Laura Burrin (previously Sheehan)


(Footnote to Juliet McKee - I have asked for the photographer's name!!!! )

Candy in Ugo Zaldi

I actually begged Candy for her wedding photos. Not dignified I know. Candy is beautiful - rocking her Herve Leger inspired Ugo Zaldi dress and nude Louboutins to absolute perfection. The dress was the perfect choice for an intimate wedding at Guildford Registry Office followed by lunch at Olivo and a first night at Brown's Hotel in Mayfair. All of this loveliness, topped off with hair by Miss Bush favourite Sharon Roberts, was not the burning reason I had to use Candy as a poster girl.

I wanted to make the women that we dress who don't conform to the outdated notion of what a  'typical' bride is more visible.I want to remove the anxiety women feel coming into a wedding dress shop and feeling that they may be an impostor, that in some way 'they' are not what 'we' expect.

In our more serious moments in the shop we discuss and allay these fears. In general we're way, way more shallow and frock obsessed. I mocked up a side bun for Candy as the dress needed an up do and we debated shoes until 'we' decided that the only choice was a pair of nude patent shoes to play down the sexy angle just enough for day time. The wedding may have been Candy's first Louboutin moment  but definitely not the last...

I would love to thank Candy and John - the new Mr and Mrs Davies - for sharing their photos. My thanks particularly to Candy for breaking one little archaic tradition of never mentioning a woman's age. OK I won't. Let's just say she would have been in the same class as Madonna...

 

Credits

Guildford Registry Office http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/
Olivo in Guildford http://www.olivo.co.uk/
Photographer ....Ashley Prytherch www.ashphotos.co.uk
Hair by Sharon Roberts http://wonderfulweddinghair.co.uk/
Flowers Carrie Macey at Topiary Tree http://www.topiary-tree.co.uk/
First Night at Browns Hotel in Mayfair http://www.brownshotel.com/
Car from Martin De Little  http://martindelittle.com/traction%20%201.htm

Miss Bush Sale

After the sale starts tomorrow I promise faithfully that the blog will go back to featuring Miss Bush brides, upcoming events and poorly spelt rants!

Jesus Peiro style 2030 in silk chiffon £2200 reduced to £995

In the meantime not only are there immense dress bargains but also fabulous shoe reductions. Great for the bride but also great for bridesmaids - a shoe dying service is available for girls lusting for perfect matchy matchyness...

All Belle silk bridal shoe stock will be reduced to clear - with silly £10 starting prices...

For those of you with small bridesmaids I will also have a tiny collection of Nicki Macfarlane dresses to sell - for the royal 'ah' factor grab a bargainous cute dress at half price

Mirabelle from £220 reduced to £100

The sale will be on for the next three weeks and ought to be in your diary....