We’re very excited to share our very first real bride wearing a gown from our in-house label, Helen Pollington Bride. Hayley and her husband Michael were married at a private ceremony in Barbados, followed by a surprise party in the Surrey Hills under the guise of a birthday party to celebrate Hayley’s 30th and Michael’s 40th!
The Dress
Hayley’s dress was designed by our in-house designer, Helen Pollington. Teaming the simple ‘Emilia’ ballerina style dress with ‘Cristie’ lace top overlay, this gown was a cool, contemporary choice, perfect for both of Hayley’s fun and relaxed celebrations.
Hayley says;
“Everything about shopping for a dress in miss Bush was just lovely. I’ve grown up just down the road from Ripley and have always loved looking in the window. When the boutique moved into the church I just knew it would be an amazing place to find ‘the’ dress. Corinne put me at ease and listened to me ramble on more than 1 occasion!!”
Hayley accessorised her look with iconic Valentino rock stud shoes in nude; total perfection!
About the Day
So that they could really enjoy the experience and make the time all about celebrating their relationship, Hayley and Michael decided to keep their engagement secret. A small handful of family members were sworn to secrecy and joined them for a private, intimate ceremony in Barbados.
“We were not however going to miss out on the celebrations so we planned a party under the cover of it being our 70th birthday (my 30th, Rothers 40th). 90 guests turned up in July to our ‘birthday’ and we surprised them with a reveal video. After which we jumped out in our wedding outfits!”
“The best part of my wedding day was realising that we had achieved the most perfect day for us. It’s actually a lot harder than I had imagined to have ‘your’ day and not create a day based around what 90 people you know would like! But we stuck to our guns and loved every minute.”
“My second favourite part of my wedding day was knowing that I was going to get a chance to wear my dress again!”
Final Words
Some final words of wisdom from our bride Hayley;
“Your wedding is about you as a couple not the people you invite. Big traditional weddings are amazing if that’s what you want but there’s no rule book to say you need to be ‘traditional’ (whatever that means!). We didn’t go out of our way to be different. We thought long and hard about our day and we did it our way. Doing what suited us even though we had some objections along the way, was the best decision and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
“My advice about dress shopping – choose a dress that feels like an extension of your personality. If you feel happy and comfortable in it, then it will show in your pictures!”
Suppliers
Photographer (UK Party): Sarah Legge Photography
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Thank you so much to Hayley for sharing both of your beautiful days with us – you totally rocked your gorgeous dress!
You can see more images from Hayley & Michael’s surprise wedding reception over on Sarah Legge’s blog – click here.
Leah x
Digital Media Manager at Miss Bush
Miss Bush is Surrey’s leading designer bridal shop
