3 Tips for a 2-piece Wedding Dress

If you know me at all, you know I love a change up when it comes to a wedding dress. The day is long and has many different elements to it. You want a classic elegant look for the ceremony, you want to boogie the night away or go full Hollywood glam for the evening party.

The best way to get what you want is to work with separates for your wedding, mixing tops and skirts, clip on trains, jackets and cape styles. Put simply, you can mix and match your wedding outfit to create the dream dress for throughout your day 

Here are my top three tips when you are working with separates for your wedding 

Tip 1

How do you want to feel? Bear with me here, I know it sounds a little crazy but how would you like to feel at your first reveal, how do you want to feel at the cocktail reception and what about that night? Do you want to be more relaxed, to be able to sit or dance comfortably and chat with your guests?

This may sound very simple, but it can really help you to decide what you would like built into your outfit. Maybe that looks like a clip-on train to give a regal effect during the ceremony. Then underneath is a simple more red-carpet style skirt for a more glamourous evening look. 

Tip 2

I am big into balance when it comes to planning out your wedding dress. And it is no different for wedding separates- in fact it can be easier to play with proportions when you can mix and match your look. For example, you want a beautiful full skirt with a high low hem and side pockets then your top needs to be fitted to balance the proportions. You want big dramatic sleeves? Then pair this with a more fitted skirt. 

Skirt, cami and jacket combination at Sarah Foy Couture. Photo By Butterfly Wedding Photography

Skirt, cami and jacket combination at Sarah Foy Couture. Photo By Butterfly Wedding Photography

Tip 3

Assess your look 365dgrees around – I know, another mad notion but on your day, people will be looking at you from every angle. Make sure everything works well together all the way around your outfit. The side silhouette often gets missed, a small armhole detail can really help here or a hint of lace at the side seam. Ask yourself, do all the elements of the pieces blend and sit well together? Like a jigsaw all the pieces need to fit together even when you move, sit and dance through your day. 

 Separates is a fun exciting option for your wedding plus you have the added bonus of reworking some elements for your dress for day two or anniversary dinner.  So have fun and dream up the perfect combination for your perfect day and of course have fun!

 Looking for more two-piece ideas for your wedding? I have a board dedicated to it over on my Pinterest

A big thank you for our brides that so kindly shared their wedding day pictures with us today. The separates queen’s!

Our Bridal Muse Julieann

Their smile says it all. After months of uncertainty and crossing of fingers it is so lovely to see this wedding going ahead. I love how it’s the little added details that make this dress a show stopper – the bow detail on the strap, the petal detailed veil and of course you know I love a change up so Julieann’s request for an over skirt was music to my ears.

What is your best memory of your wedding day? 

For us both it was ‘The First Reveal’. Seeing each other for the first time in our wedding attire, to chatting about our mornings (mine mostly around hair/makeup and champagne. My husbands about how he won the game of golf he played with his dad and brother) was just so special. It made for an incredible time, just so precious just he and I, to really soak up the day we had been planning together for so long.

All our photos are of us laughing, the happiness of the day just beaming through. If any brides are considering a First Reveal/First Look I would say go for it. It made us both so relaxed, after the first reveal Stephen went off to greet guests at the cocktail hour and I went back to the bridal suite to do any final touches and to remove my outer skirt for the ceremony that was happening in the orangery, we were both so relaxed and really excited for the day. 

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What is your advice to a bride to be?

Planning a wedding can be so stressful (especially in a pandemic). There are lots of details to finalise, lots of voices with good intentions. But I think my one piece of advice to brides planning their special day would be to trust your suppliers. Lots of research goes into researching/ shortlisting and choosing all your key suppliers. My mantra on it was, I have chosen these suppliers because I love their work and they are the experts in their field so I explained what I wanted/ vibes/ details (including mood boards in most cases) and then just had to trust that on the day they would deliver and they did. These suppliers live and breath weddings and know the best angles/ lights/ colours/ details. So sit back and relax and enjoy your day 

What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made? 

Before Sarah and I started working together on my bridal vision I had done lots of shopping around in many bridal boutiques around the country and there were lots of different elements that I loved but none that I couldn’t leave the shop without. So when Sarah and I starting working together I had lots of images/ vibes/ visions that to me looked like a big mess but within our first meeting Sarah had identified themes within my mood board that I hadn’t been able to decipher myself (again back to trusting the experts). So my original fear was that all my jumbled images and thoughts wouldn’t end up being what I imagined/ wanted but within my first meeting with Sarah I felt confident we would end up with a dress that was even beyond my wildest dreams

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What part of the process of having your dress made was most fun for you? 

I really enjoyed the whole experience of getting my dress made. But I think my favourite part was playing around with ideas and fabrics. Throughout the process Sarah and I discussed all the different elements from the main dress elements; fabrics/ colours/ belt sizes and material/ bow shapes, sizes and material. And then the extras so Sarah created for me the most beautiful petal over-skirt and petal veil. Together we discussed the petal shapes/ positioning/ how they worked together or apart/ how they worked with the main dress. It made the whole experience less daunting because we had choices on all elements and seeing how Sarah brought it all together was so much fun and I looked forward to every appointment to see the process made from the last appointment and to discuss next steps. 

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What a wedding to be able to share. If pandemic weddings look like these beautiful, joyful days then I can live with that. A big thank you to Julieann for sharing her day with us and for trusting me to create her dream dress. 

 If you have any questions about getting your dream dress created by me , drop me a line at info@sarahfoycouture.com

Julieannes Dream team

Weddings By Kara Photographers 

BandG Wedding Videographers

MRS Make Up

Lou Merryweather Hair 

Flowers- Frog Prince 

Venue Tankardstown House

Our Bridal Muse

Fancy a little escape into a pre-covid wedding - me too! Things are a little heavy at the moment for brides so let’s find the joy in the little things and dream of when we will all dance at a party again.

I am delighted to finally share this beautiful bride Grainne and her fantastic wedding day

Photographys by Jenny McCarthy

Photographys by Jenny McCarthy

What is your best memory of your wedding day?

The best memory was the whole entire day! I loved every minute of it and didn’t stop smiling from ear to ear all day. It was so much fun to have all of our family and friends together under one roof, mixing and mingling and enjoying each other’s company, it was exactly how I had hoped our wedding would be.

What is your advice to a bride to be?

My advice would be to try and do it all step by step and enjoy all of the little steps along the way. I really miss it all and would love to do it all over again…I never thought I’d say that!

What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made? 

My biggest worry was that I couldn’t see how the finished product would turn out. I’m not a naturally creative person so I often tried to picture the dress in my head and found it difficult. But I trusted Sarah’s craft and creativeness and I’m so glad I did as I was absolutely delighted with the end result. It was also so comfortable which was  an important factor for me. I didn’t need any help to go to the loo and was able to dance all night long

What part of the process of having your dress made was most fun for you? 

It was a lot of fun from start to finish. I loved seeing the progress as the dress started to come together. I loved how much time I got to spend with my mam and bridesmaids. It was so nice to meet up for the various dress fittings in Clontarf and make an afternoon out of it going for lunch/coffee. 

And I really loved how informal and relaxed the whole process was. I always felt so comfortable with Sarah which is the opposite way I felt whenever I walked into bridal boutiques prior to discovering Sarah! 

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Grainnes Dream Team

Photographer - Jenny McCarthy

Videographer – The Garage project

Hair - Aisling Hamill

Make-up – Ailbhe Lynch

Flowers – Caroline Slevin (@cacaslev)

Venue – Bellingham Castle

Cake – Emelie Matthews (@e_cakes)

Stationary – Zara McGonigle @The Little Wedding Studio)

A big thank you to Grainne for share this day with us - simple stunning.

Creating dresses is my passion, if you have ideas floating around for your dress drop me a line info@sarahfoycouture.com and I can make that dream come to life.

Sarah




 




Shimmering Beauty

Yippeee! I am back seeing brides this week. I can’t wait to see, chat and fit dresses again. I am so lucky to design unique dresses for my brides. I love how every dress is different and that every bride gets to have a dress that is tailor made for their style, shape and personality. Todays bridal muse Ciara was meant to wear a fully beaded sea green dress and when I see these photos I couldn’t imagine her in anything else. Thank you Ciara for the fun chats and for sharing your day with us .

Whats your best memory of the big day?

We hired the band tropical storm for the drinks reception and start of the meal. They are a 3 piece Filipino band and go around to different people and take requests of songs. One table requested Sweet Caroline and the room exploded. Everyone up on their feet dancing, swinging napkins, holding hands, and this was all before dinner. I turned to Richie and said ‘all of these people are here for us’ and we just had a look around, laughed and got back to singing! It was such a brilliant moment and set the tone for the evening of partying!! 

What advice would you give brides planning their wedding?

Where to start! As a make up artist who has been involved in hundreds of weddings, and I’ve also been a bridesmaid five times, I think I know weddings quite well!! Be organised so that you can just enjoy the last few days of lead up without having to run around and get things you could have done weeks ago! Then for the morning of the wedding make things as easy as possible so you can enjoy it. Have people around you that you really want there and have a bit of craic and no stress. Then once you get to the venue enjoy every minute. If something goes wrong laugh it off, there is nothing you can do about it. Enjoy the day, it only happens once and goes by so quickly!

What was the biggest worry about getting your dress made?

I suppose being a curvy girl I just wanted to have a dress that fit me and ‘would do’ I kind of never thought that I could actually feel really amazing in it. But I did. I felt amazing, it was special! It was also so ‘me’. I never once felt pressured to wear a white dress or a veil. I love them on other brides, but it’s not for me. Sarah was brilliant at giving me what I didn’t know I wanted!! 

What part of wedding dress process was most fun? 

Apart from seeing Sarah and having the craic? Hmm, maybe knowing that my dress was not going to be traditional and every time I saw it I loved it more. I kept thinking of peoples reactions to a green fully jewelled wedding dress and it would make me laugh! I never do anything traditional! I also loved what Sarah did with my mams dress, getting a dress my mam had previously loved and completely reinventing it to a new dress. My mam was so happy with her dress.

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It was such a pleasure to design and make this dress for Ciara and what a spectacular day she had. Check out her amazing suppliers.

Ciara’s Dream Team

Photographer; Julie Cummins

Videographer: Keith Malone

Hairdresser: Megan Murphy Hair

Ciara’s rings and earrings: Chupi

Flowers and room decor: Frog Prince

Mother of bride and flower girl hair pieces: Rosemary Keating Design

Spring Wedding

My mission today - bring a little sunshine into your lives. This time last year I was hand stitching the final little flowers and petals to this beautiful dress. So forget about self isolation and postponed plans for 5 mins and take in this stunning wedding, full of love and happiness. Start dreaming again about how your day may look.

All images by the talented Christina Brosnan

Living in the states and planning a wedding in Ireland is no easy task and Kate put her trust in her mammy Maggie and I to pull of this dress -I think we did well.

What is your best memory of your wedding day?

My best memory from my wedding was walking down the aisle, it was so great seeing all my friends and family who had traveled near and fair for the first time. I felt like I floated down the aisle with all their well wishes and love. Seeing Barry for the first time and having my Father Mike hand me off to him was an emotional and happy experience that I will never forget.

What is your advice to a bride to be?

Savor every minute of your wedding, enjoy the planning process....the late nights after work deliberating over details such as stationary and flowers. You will be so happy with the time and attention to detail you invested into planning. But most importantly on the day remember it is about you and your future husband and the people you surround yourself with. Enjoy the moment!


What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made?

My biggest worry was that the dress wasn't going to turn out as I expected. To be honest having a dress made from half way across the world , in which I would only be able to have a few fittings, sounds like madness. However the minute I met Sarah and explained my vision to her I knew I was in great hands. Sarah has such a calming influence and knows her craft so well, her confidence and calming nature was infectious which made the whole process so enjoyable.

What part of the process of having your dress made was most fun for you?

I really enjoyed every fitting as it was amazing to see the dress come together. My Mother came to each fitting and it was a great bonding experience, I think we cried with joy every time Sarah brought the dress closer to perfection. The quality of fabrics and embellishments Sarah used were like nothing you would see at some of the bridal boutiques so we really enjoyed choosing those together also!


Kate’s Dream Team

Christina Brosnan - Photographer https://www.instagram.com/christinabrosnan/

Emma Walking Edit House - Videographer https://www.instagram.com/edithousedublin/

Joanne Kelly - Hair stylist https://www.instagram.com/joannekellyhair/

Kate Rose Crean - Make Up Artist https://www.instagram.com/katerosecrean/

Apple Berry Press - Wedding Stationary https://www.instagram.com/appleberrypress/

Paula K Flowers - Wedding Flowers https://www.instagram.com/paula0casey/

McDowell's Jewellers - Wedding Jewelry https://www.instagram.com/mcdowellsjewellers/

The Cake Cuppery / Catherine Lawlor -  https://www.instagram.com/thecakecuppery/

Laduree - https://www.instagram.com/ladureeireland/

 

Thank you Kate for sharing your day with us and trusting me and you mom with this beautiful dress. I can’t believe your anniversary is around the corner .

Stay safe everyone and keep dreaming

Sarah






 

Our Bridal Muse - Anne Marie

What a January , meeting new brides has been so invigorating. To explain - Sarah Foy brides are amazing, they love to be unique, march to their own beat and truly a dream to work with. This little lady Ann- Marie is no exception. From day one she had a vision of how she wanted to look and trusted that vision to me

What is your best memory of your wedding day?

My best memory of the day for me was straight after dinner we had drummers play they really put everyone into gear for the dance floor.

What is your advice to a bride to be?

Your going to have so many opinions. I would say write your dream day down at the beginning and when you feel yourself going of track to refer back to it.

What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made?

My biggest worry was that I wouldn’t find the right person to do it. But after finding Sarah from the very first meeting she put me at ease and I knew she was the one.

What part of the process of having your dress made was most fun for you?

Every time I went for a fitting I didn’t want to take off the dress. It was so amazing watching it come to life piece by piece my very own dress that no one has tried on before or even set eyes on - It was one of a kind.

Thank you Ann-Marie for sharing your truly unique day

The Dream Team

Our photographer was Susan Jefferies www.sjphotography.ie

Our Videographer was Adrian Carton www.amcfilms.ie

Our hair was Mia Kane 086 888 4894

Make up was Lesley Nugent 083 863 4761

Our Venue was Rock Farm Slane http://rockfarmslane.ie.


Our Bridal Muse - Amy

Creating embellishments is my favorite part of making a brides dress. Developing a unique design for our brides every single time. Amy wanted a bodice detailed with 3D flowers pearls and crystals - Your wish was my command.

What is your best memory of your wedding day?

There are so many, its hard to pick one. I actually loved having our pics taken. It was a little time to ourselves after a very emotional and nerve racking morning. Our photographer was great, we had lots of giggles, the chance to talk about the day so far and spend a bit of time together, I finally felt totally relaxed.

What is your advice to a bride to be?

Just really try to chill and be in the moment. Easier said than done I know. Everyone says how quickly the day goes by but you just can’t comprehend how true that is, blink and its gone.

What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made?

I didn’t have a worry, Sarah made me feel totally at ease. I had gone and bought a dress previously and realized it was not ‘the one’. After a chat with Sarah I felt confident selling it and leaving my ideas for my dream dress with her

What part of the process of having your dress made was most fun for you?

 I loved the regular fittings and seeing it come together… really felt a part of the dress being made and it kept up the excitement.

The Dream Team

Our suppliers were all amazing. We got married at Coolbawn Quay in Tipperary and the staff there went so out of their way to ensure everything run smoothly and everyone was having a great time. They also did their very best to calm me down and take any extra tasks off my hands, cannot recommend them enough. The food was also out of this world and people are still talking about the lamb 3 months later.

Our photographer Derek - Memento photography had us giggling and feeling relaxed all day. He was also really quick so we didn’t miss much of the reception and had plenty of time with our loved ones. When we received the photographs it brought back the whole day, he caught so many natural moments and that is exactly what we were looking for.

Hair by Joanne, Nenagh. Joanne was so great on the morning of the wedding. Kept everyone calm and managed to please four very different bridesmaids.

Make up  Jane Greely

Videographer  Blat Garcia, Edithouse

Flowers Elizabeth Rose, Nenagh

Band Poplife really did make our day… we had to of them play the ceremony and reception drinks and then the full band on the night. Absolutely loved them and all of our guests commented how great they were.

I loved our fittings too Amy, designing for you was a dream.


Our Bridal Muse - Fiona

How do you have it all? How can you have a romantic dress and a slinky evening wear style ? How can you incorporate the lovely details you have pinned on your secret Pinterest board ? Todays bridal muse Fiona was exactly like you. She had a dream of what she wanted to wear on her wedding day and I helped her to bring those ideas to life.

What is your best memory of your wedding day?

Myself and my husband walking around the streets of Sorrento (Italy) town with our photographers. By that stage we were more comfortable having our photos taken and most of my nerves had subsided after the ceremony. It was lovely having some time together and having so many passers by congratulate us and compliment me on my dress. I had removed my overskirt for this part of the day so it was easy to walk around in the main slimmer fitting dress and I didn't get overheated at all.

What is your advice for a bride to be?

This is by no means unique advice as I myself had heard it so many times before my actual wedding but it is "enjoy ever second as its over so fast". Also, don't care what anyone thinks, its your day, as you've invested so much time, money and energy planning it, you want to enjoy every moment and have no regrets, for instance if your nervous remind yourself this is what you wanted and enjoy all the attention as you only get one day! Also, enjoy all the lead up to the wedding as much as possible while it lasts, as everyone is so interested and happy for you and your hubby to be!

What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made?

That what I wanted overall wouldn't work, as I would have liked various aspects of different dresses that I had previously tried on but no one dress had it all! Sarah knew exactly what I had in mind when I showed her some photos from my Pinterest board. I had confidence that Sarah would advise on what would work and not work all throughout the design process and at each fitting I might have had a new idea to run by her, and I always worried that I was asking for too much or being too fussy, but Sarah was open to all my ideas along the way and would always say that we can try this and see if it works and if not we can remove that part.

What part of having your dress made was the most fun for you?

Having my own input into my dress was the most exciting as I ended up with exactly what I wanted and was able to merge different styles and end up with something modern, romantic, with vintage aspects and overall unique. I also enjoyed attending the fittings every couple of months with my mam and/or mother in law to be. We would make an afternoon of it and go for lunch somewhere nearby afterwards or a walk on Bull Island. It was exciting being able to share this with them and talk about the progress that had been made with the dress after each appointment.

The Dream Team

Location Sorrento in Italy

Hair and makeup Joanna Falanga www.makeupartistsorrento.com

Photographer Enzo Campitelli

Wedding planner Sorrento Sunland - They were extremely organised and provided visibility from the start on prices unlike a lot of other wedding planners that I had contacted. Sorrento Wedding Planner (@sorrentosunland) • Instagram photos and videos

Dream location and dream wedding thank you so much Fiona for sharing your day with us. It was such a pleasure to work with you and bring your vision alive

Have you got a dress in mind that you want to create for your wedding? This is what I love to do so drop me an email now info@sarahfoycouture.com

Our Bridal Muse - Claire

This dress has it all - stunning lace , high low hem, separates and a matching lace floral crown. I love that my job is to make a brides vision come through and Claire trusted me with that task. Isn’t she stunning.

What is your best memory of your wedding day?

We got married in No. 5 South Leinster Street at the National Gallery. It was a small wedding with just family and close friends, 28 guests in total. So my best memory is walking into that room with my dad, towards Dermot, surrounded by all the people I love most in the world. The emotion of it all just hit me like a tonne of bricks! It was lovely and I’ll never forget it.

 

What is your advice to a bride to be?

My advice is to make the day as personal to you and your partner as you can. Don’t feel pressure to do things because you are “supposed to” or someone tells you that you “have to”. The only things you really “have to” do are the legal bits! We had a humanist ceremony and our celebrant, Eithne Dempsey, was amazing. Instead of readings during the ceremony, we had each of our dads sing a song which was really special. We included our mammy’s in a sand ceremony. We were lucky to have extremely talented friends to take part, one performing beautiful acoustic guitar and one to take amazing photos. It all felt truly personal to us.

Also, don’t sweat the small stuff! It’s a happy day and everybody is there to celebrate with you. It doesn’t matter if things don’t go exactly to plan, just go with the flow! We had a small reception at the Gallery with some nibbles and drinks before a dinner reservation in Eden Bar and Grill. However the nibbles ran out about an hour before the reservation so we just headed across the road to Lincoln’s Inn and had a drink in there. It was really relaxed and great fun with strangers coming up to congratulate us and offer best wishes.

 

What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made?

My biggest worry was that people would think my dress was odd! I had a few definite ideas about what I wanted – separates, one high-low skirt and two tops, one for the ceremony day and one for the party on the following day. Whether or not they would work together I had no idea. But I could not have been in safer hands with Sarah. Sarah took my disjointed ideas and made them whole, she created a look better than I could have imagined and I couldn’t have been happier with the end result.

What part of the process was most fun for you?

Having your dress made means you are there for every part of it. Getting the sketches at the very beginning, picking the fabrics and lace, and seeing it all come together through each fitting. It was all fun and exciting. And because you are there for each step, you can see earlier on if something works or not. I bought a flower crown to wear on the day and brought it with me to a fitting. As soon as I had it on with the dress, we knew it wasn’t right. Luckily for me, Sarah was able to create a beautiful flower crown that worked perfectly.

 

How relaxed and comfortable does Claire look? One big tip for finding the dress, be sure to be comfortable - you need to wear the dress not the dress wear you.




Bridal Muse

Snow days are finally coming to an end here at HQ. But I had to share our first bridal muse of 2018. A blush and gold dress paired with a herringbone wool cape, beautifully captured at this Canadian wedding - snow included. Creating this dress was fun and exciting, our bride Naomi a pleasure to work with has shared her tips for the big day and having her dress made.

What is your best memory of your wedding day? 

It’s a cliché but the wedding day really is a blur to me, a happy blur, but it goes by so quickly! I really loved our ceremony, it really stands out to me as something really meaningful, it was very tailored to us as a couple and resulted in a lot of laughs from everyone and also lots of tears (but the good kind). My all-time favourite moment of the day though was during the wedding party photos; we had a winter wedding and my shoes were definitely not well suited for the snow! It was so cold on the day but we all had so many laughs outside and just kind of goofed around (complete with a really ill thought out snowball fight, luckily no one’s outfit was ruined) and my new husband had to help me as I slipped and slid all over the snow which resulted in a lot of laughs for us. It was so lovely for us to have a moment of silliness and fun between ourselves, but also with our very closest friends, it was really special.

What is your advice to a bride to be? 

I planned a wedding long distance (living in Ireland and the wedding was in Canada), while working full time, and doing my masters part time- it was a lot, but it is doable! It all worked out because I tried my best to organise my time really well- I scheduled time for planning and doing wedding things whenever I could and that really helped balance everything.

I would also advise to really think about who you ask to be in your bridal party-I kept it to a small group, which is not for everyone of course, but this meant I really had my best girls on the job. I was a fairly laid back bride (or at least I hope I was!) but I needed help sometimes and my bridesmaids were always ready to help out with anything they could, came up with ideas and solutions and were really supportive and involved, that really made the whole process so stress free and even fun.

The last thing I would advise is really remember that this day is about you as a couple, if you want something a bit more non-traditional or different (like I did with my dress, or we did with our ceremony) and people aren’t receptive or happy about your choices, try not to take it to heart. On the day you’ll be happier you went with something that is truly you and the people who didn’t like the ideas you had will completely come around.

What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made?

Before starting the process I wasn’t sure how everything would work out because I wanted something unique, but also something that looked bridal. I was worried that wouldn’t be possible, and that I’d end up with something too far one way or the other which would make me look either too much like someone I’m not, or just way wacky and out there and not like a bride at all. Also, as a “plus size” bride, I really struggled initially to find anything I liked on me in the shops, I was worried the same would be for any dress I got made and that the look which I had in my head would look horrible on me. Happily none of these fears turned out to be true, having an expert there to guide the process and tease out the concepts in my head was an amazing process and the result was fantastic!

What part of the process of having your dress made was most fun for you?

To be honest, I loved every bit of it! Getting the first sketches was so exciting-even though we went a bit different from the initial ideas it was so amazing to see exactly what I had in my head set out on paper. Choosing the fabrics was also amazing because I wanted a dress which was a bit on the non-traditional side and finding this lovely blush colour and the subtle gold lace to go with it was just so amazing, it was exactly what I wanted- still very bridal, but something different as well! Seeing it all come together bit by bit was just so exciting, by the time we were getting near the end I absolutely couldn’t wait to wear it. I got so many compliments on the day, from everyone there and even from friends of friends whom I didn’t even know but who saw photos on Facebook and Instagram! I really loved having something unique which reflected me as a person but which was also really stunning!

A big thank you Naomi for sharing her tips and her wedding day with us. I don’t believe any bride could regret putting their own personality and style into their wedding. It is vital to do what makes you and your partner happy, everything and everyone else comes second - a great way to start married life.

 

Naomi's Dream Team

Photography: Gillian Foster Photography - http://www.gillianfoster.ca/

Hair and Makeup: Bridal Beauty, Niagara-on-the-Lake - http://www.mobilebridalbeauty.com/

Shoes: Irregular Choice - https://www.irregularchoice.com/eu/

Venue: Prince of Wales Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario, Canada - http://www.vintage-hotels.com/princeofwales/

Bridal Muse

Today I am sharing a very special Bridal Muse. My beautiful sister Karen, who a year ago married her soul mate. 

All of the pictures today are from the amazing Moat Hill Photography

There is no doubt that designing a dress for a bride is a big responsibility. So when your sister asks you to create her gown, you know you have to design something very special. When I design for my brides I believe that a dress should reflect their personality and style. Lucky for me I have known Karen for quiet some time! So today she is sharing her experiences and advice for your wedding day.

What is your best memory of your wedding day? 

I loved the entire day, I would do it again tomorrow and not change a thing about the day. Having travelled home to Ireland for our wedding I really enjoyed the wedding morning with my family and bridesmaids. I went for an early refreshing beach walk first thing with my sister and baby niece before the preparation began. It was so lovely and unforgettable.

My best memory is probably the ceremony, myself and Brian couldn’t stop smiling and giggling with each other. We had done a rehearsal the afternoon before to banish nerves which meant we got to enjoy the readings and music that we had personally chosen. It was our parish, our town where we both grew up and our people. It was just lovely pledging our love to each other surrounded by our favorite people from home and abroad on our turf.

What is your advice to a bride to be? 

Don’t let the planning take over your life in the run up, take time to have fun and don’t lose sight of why you are getting married and that it is about your future together and not the actual wedding day! We really wanted our day to reflect us as a couple but we also had a cut off point and decided if it’s not done by this date ….. it’s not important and not getting done. I would advise others to do the same as this meant we really enjoyed the days leading up to the wedding with the people we loved.

The biggest piece of advice I can give and that was given to me was to make time for you and your new hubby. The way we planned the day meant that we went for photographs (just the two of us) before we travelled to the venue for the official family ones. This gave us two hours together directly after we said “I Do” and it was amazing. We had so many laughs and moments of silliness before celebrating the night away with everyone else. On reflection, it helped that we loved our photographers and official driver (my favorite brother in law) which meant we just had the banter and soaked it all up.

Last piece of advice is to make sure you gel with the suppliers you book and that they get you and what you want. It’s so important, I’m sure it would have a massive impact on your day as you spend a lot of time with your photographers, your hair stylist and make up artist etc– trust your instinct on this.

What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made?

That I’d give my sister a nervous breakdown because I’m so indecisive, married with the fact that I don’t live in the same country as her.  Despite having grown up literally surrounded by Sarah Foy wedding dresses, I never really thought about what my own would look like. Luckily Sarah was paying attention over the years and had a better idea. She travelled over to me (any excuse for a get together) to try on assorted styles in the UK and we designed it from there. I was very lucky as I had 100% faith in her.

What part of the process of having your dress made was most fun for you?

Probably, when we sourced the most amazing pink guipure lace. We had a vision of this almost impossible fabric, something very subtly but delicate and to be honest we didn’t think we would find it…Sarah rose to the challenge and sourced the most amazing fabric exceeding my expectations and we both fell in love with it. From there she took all the elements of different dresses I loved and made them work together. I ABSOLUTLEY loved it and still do! I felt so comfortable, happy and special in the dress that my sister had designed and handmade just for me, it’s an indescribable feeling. At the end of the evening it suddenly dawned on me that I’d have to take it off and never wear it again, it was such a devastating moment but luckily I had another fabulous Sarah Foy dress for the following day….I am one lucky sister.

Thank you Karen for sharing your memories of the day. It was certainly a day I will always remember. It is an honour to be your sister and personal designer!

The Dream Team

Photographer - www.mhphoto.ie

Venue - www.rathsallagh.com

Hair - www.michelleohalloran.com

Make up - Helen Henry 0876167607

Dress - www.sarahfoycouture.com

 

 

 

Bridal Muse Julie

When I began last year to plan 2017's blog I really wanted to do something a little different.  I reached out to my 2016 brides to ask them what they took away from their wedding day? What could they advice our readers? And from this evolved Bridal Muse , where a collection of brides tell us how they created their wedding day.

Fast forward to January and I am introducing you to our first Bridal Muse Julie. You need only glance at her stunning wedding pictures to see what a beautiful, amazing day she had, beaming from head to toe. Julie has very kindly shared her memories and knowledge here today. So grab a cuppa and let her day inspire you. 

What is your best memory of your wedding day? 

It is hard to pick a favourite part but the ceremony was incredibly special. The vows, music & poetry coming to life was amazing and each one was very personal to us.

Is there a moment that stands out for you? 

A moment that stands out is walking up the aisle and seeing Tim a little emotional when he saw me in my dress for the first time. You imagine how those moments might feel but when they are happening, in front of all of your nearest and dearest, it is something you can't really put into words. It is probably all of those cliches people talk about - and I'm trying not to be too cliched!

What is your advice to a bride to be? 

My advice is to go with your gut. Everyone's experience is so different - just go with what feels is the right decision for the two of you. Your family & friends might have very different ideas/expectations of what they think is the right venue/dress/band/flowers/guests budget. Whether you go for a full traditional affair or something really intimate, just try to remember it is about the two of you making that commitment to each other.

Our wedding was the day before St. Patrick's day so that really helped shape the day in terms of little touches and decisions we made about colours/invites/entertainment etc. We also had the experience of attending dozens of previous weddings so we had a very clear idea of what what we had in mind for ours. The support we had from our families and friends was unbelievable - I will be forever grateful to some of them for the help they gave in whatever big/small way they were able to.

What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made?

Again, through previous experience (my sister had her dress made with Sarah) I had a good idea about the process involved. That being said though, it is slightly daunting not knowing what it will look like as a finished product! Sarah made me feel at ease from our first meeting and goes through all the questions you might have about getting it made and what you have in mind. It was very much a collaboration of what I had in my head and what she was able to do with her magic needle and thread!

What part of the process of having your dress made was most fun for you?

I did do my research and had tried on a few dresses and looked up a good few designers by the time I contacted Sarah. I just couldn't find what I was looking for; that didn't cost a ridiculous amount of money and that I felt really comfortable in. They were my my main priorities for the dress - I put all of the ideas of the dream dress I had in my head and sent Sarah pictures and worked with her on what colours, fabrics etc. that suited the look I had in mind. Looking through samples can be a bit overwhelming but I was very much guided by her for this part and went with her professional opinion on what she thought would work best for some of those decisions. It was a really fun, creative process that I can genuinely say, was a pleasure from start to finish.

Thank you to the beautiful Julie for taking time to be our Bridal Muse and sharing your day with us.

www.markgriffinphoto.com

www.deborahleonardmakeup.com

Lorraine Edwards Hair 0834491687

 

www.bellinghamestate.ie

www.bellinghamcastle.ie

I would love to hear what you think of our new series and what tips you may want to share. Comment below, I always want to hear more.

  

My job is to bring dresses to life. Julie, like a lot of my brides have a clear idea of what they want for their wedding dress. We just help to fill in the gaps and create something unique for them. You are welcome to email me if you need a dress brought to life.