Inspiration
Homemade Wedding Dress for a Tropical Wedding at Syon Park by Darina Stoda
Photography by
Darina Stoda Photography
Photography by
Darina Stoda Photography
You are in for a treat today, lovelies, with this seriously stylish wedding that boasts a stunning homemade wedding dress, as well as to-die-for natural décor including cactus plants and palm trees. Every single element of Chelsey & Ryan's celebration is jaw dropping: from the venue to the styling to the sweet bar (send a peanut butter brownie my way, please!). We are actually drooling. And we bet groom Ryan was too when he saw Chelsey in that dress, made by her mum (who also made the bridesmaids dresses too; talk about talented), which is both perfectly demure and hot-to-trot all in one.
Inspiration Behind & Styling
We never had a specific theme in mind, but knew we wanted to complement the style of both the house and the conservatory at Syon Park. With the venue already offering so much, we didn’t want the styling or décor to be too fussy, so opted for a clean, contemporary look with our personal touch. We both loved the idea of having a neon sign to add some fun, but it took us a long time to decide what to have written, knowing it was something we would re-use in our home afterwards. We ended up going with a lyric from our first dance which we love! We spent a long time considering the table settings and the signage, and Merrie & Bright created some beautiful laser cut signs which complemented the conservatory beautifully.
Homemade Wedding Dress
There aren’t many brides lucky enough to have a gown that’s truly bespoke, and there are fewer still who are able to say that they wore a homemade wedding dress designed by their mum. But Chelsey is one of the lucky ones. With a finesse for fashion running in the family – Chelsey’s mum used to have a wedding dress business and Chelsey herself works in fashion design – our blushing bride ended up with the most stunning one-of-a-kind dress, that was of course completely different to the vision she initially had in mind! I am in love with the keyhole back and tremendous train, something Chelsey resisted right up until the final fitting when she conceded that her mum’s insistence on keeping it in was completely correct. Even when you are grown up and getting married, it seems that mum really does know best!
Advice
Make sure your priority is the two of you and what you want. People will always give their opinions, but at the end of the day you can’t please everyone and your guests are there to celebrate you. If you’re both having the time of your life then that’s the most important thing! Secondly, make sure you choose suppliers who you have a good relationship with. They are going to be playing a big part in one of the most important days of your life. The whole process would have been a lot harder if our suppliers weren’t so accommodating, friendly and responsive (even when I was messaging them ten times a day… every day…).
Sourcing the right suppliers is so important as the people you work with to bring your vision to life really can make or break your day. Fortunately, we have taken the risk out of your research with our supplier directory, The List, a handpicked collection of the very best vendors in the wedding business. Chelsey & Ryan found their photographer, Darina Stoda, this way and could not have been happier with her work (or her general demeanor, Darina happy to help with non-photography jobs including figuring out how to put the corsages on when no one else could!). This is the mark of a true professional and something we look for in all List members. The best in the business are waiting to hear from you.
Written by Victoria Honan
Featured suppliers
Venue:
Syon Park
| Flowers:
The Flower Arranger
| Cake:
Jen's Cakery
| Make Up:
Leanna Gabriel
| Catering:
Create Food
| Lighting:
Yes Events
| Crockery:
Classic Crockery
| Entertainment:
Entertainment Nation
| Band:
Brother From Another
| Laser Cut Signs:
Merrie & Bright
| Videographer:
Fond Media
| Gift List:
The Wedding Shop
