Holkham Hall Wedding – REAL BRIDE Helen

Caroline Arthur | Posted on March 21, 2022 |

My stunning REAL BRIDE Helen, and Eric were married in September after postponing their wedding due to covid.

When Helen and I first met to talk about her ideas for her bespoke wedding dress, she said she had to go to many formal dinners and events as part of her job, so had a good idea about what she did and didn’t want for her wedding dress.

“ Working with Caroline to create my fabulous wedding dress was an absolute joy. She is is an incredibly talented and creative designer and dress maker but also just completely lovely! In a few short moments in her studio (which was an oasis of happiness during lockdown!) she magically translated all the ideas in my head into a beautiful drawing and then made it come to life. Nothing was too much trouble and she is endlessly patient and will ‘tweak’ until you are totally content (which you will be!!). Also a total font of wedding knowledge and top tips. Many thanks Caroline, I love my dress beyond words, it is everything I wanted and so much more”

She also tried on many wedding dresses, and realised that to get what she wanted, she would need to get it made.

Love this first reaction photo of father of the bride xxx

The colour scheme of light icy blue of the arctic, which she and Eric had chosen for their wedding, guided our choice of fabric, which was the palest off-white zibeline.

We incorporated a little sparkle by adding a crystal and rhinestone belt, which emphasised Helen’s small waist, with the rest of the dress detail being in the careful tailoring, bodice pleating, and the dramatic length of the train.

It was such a pleasure to make Helen’s dress. Although the fittings were spread out due to the various lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, this meant we were able to work at a leisurely pace, and it was worth the wait.

Bride and groom are enthusiastic wildlife photographers, which is how they met, I discovered when we got to chatting at my bridal studio in Surrey, back in 2019!

The couple love Africa and big cats, not to mention penguins, which featured on both the cake and the exquisite veil, made by Rebecca Stead of Rebecca Anne Designs.

Helen and Eric had a wonderful day at Holkham Hall, and the bride looked breath-taking in her elegant gown, which fitted her like a glove and accentuated her hourglass shape, just as she wanted.