Kim has been a friend and colleague of The Bridal Gallery in Coventry for many years, has modelled for them at Wedding Fayre’s, Collection Launches and featured in Caryn Franklin’s Boutique Experience at the National Wedding Show. We were interested to find out how she felt about choosing her wedding dress having worn so many over the years: “Nigel and I have been together for 24 years now but had never got around to getting married. Unfortunately, my Dads dementia had started to decline and Nigel knew how important it was for him to be able to walk me down the aisle so he asked for my parent’s permission to pop the question.
We were about to go on holiday to Cyprus so he suggested that we look at venues whilst we were there with a view to getting married the following year. There were so many fabulous venues to choose from but our job was made much easier as our wedding planer, Cat from Weddings Made Easy in Paphos, helped to arrange everything so our experience was completely stress free. Having worked with and known Sarah and the team at The Bridal Gallery for so long I didn’t consider going to any other boutiques as I knew that there was a fantastic selection of dresses and also that the service would be second to none.
Despite having worn so many dresses over the years I still felt nervous about trying to find my dress as so many people said that I would know when it was the right one (whereas at a show I whip them on and off that quickly that I don’t get to look in the mirror, other than to check that my tiara is still straight, or appreciate the high quality of workmanship and detail that each one has). I had always dreamed of a fairy tale ball gown but I knew from seeing brides to be, at the National Wedding Show, try something that is completely different from their initial thoughts and falling in love with it, that I needed to keep an open mind. I’d booked an appointment and arrived with quite an entourage but despite my nerves Sarah and Liz immediately put me at ease. Sarah immediately pulled out “Isabelle”, a tulle skirted ball gown style with a very detailed sparkly bodice, and I felt like a princess when tried it on. I did try on some other dresses in different styles but I kept comparing them to Isabelle and just knew that she was the one for me. I love sparkle and bling so it was exactly what I had envisaged and Sarah suggested adding more sparkle with an extra layer of sparkle to the skirt, a matching cathedral length veil and tiara to complete the look.
The Bridal Gallery also hosts a great selection of bridesmaids, flower girl dresses and accessories so I didn’t feel the need to go to any other shops. Having known Sarah and Liz for so long made the experience even more special. We utilised the in-house alteration service to ensure that all the dresses fitted perfectly and our dresses were carefully packed by Liz to ensure that they arrived crease free to Cyprus.
I had spoken to Cat, our wedding planner, frequently prior to our arrival and she really had thought of everything to ensure that our day was perfect. We were lucky enough to have 47 friends and family travel over to see us say “I do” including one of my bridesmaids, Claire, we met whilst both working with Sarah, who is a professional beauty therapist and she kindly did all the bridal parties hair and make up on the day.
My parents had arranged a surprise horse and carriage that, as horses are a big part of our lives in the UK, made the day extra special but my resounding memories are Dads face when he first saw me in my dress and Nigel’s smile when we said our vows.
I am very close to my two brothers, Jason and Dean and they did a speech on behalf of Dad. Very special memories that I will cherish forever.
We had decided to host a party at home too and had chosen Nailcote Hall for this. We had full and exclusive use of the Lant Suite with it’s stunning staircase and glass ceiling. If guests wanted a quiet moment away from the disco they could utilise the balcony area so it was perfect for everyone’s needs. As Nigel has his own business we were keen to support other independent or small businesses and all the local suppliers came with very high recommendations. We had a fabulous evening, with more friends and family attending, that has given us so many happy memories.
Credits: Wedding Dress – The Bridal Gallery, Coventry
Wedding Planner – Paphos Weddings Made Easy
Photography – Cyprus – Paul Jones Wedding Photographer
Venue – UK – Nailcote Hall
Hair and Beauty – Cyprus and UK – Salon Dolls
Photography – UK – Dean Wainwright Photograph