Mantilla cathedral veil

OUR DIY FAIRYTALE CHATEAU WEDDING IN SOUTH WEST FRANCE – The Ceremony

Following on from my previous post on our wedding…

I wore a custom-made strapless lace and silk tulle wedding gown while the groom and his groomsmen wore classic tuxedos. My bridesmaids wore blush pink, the flower girls were in white and the page boys dressed in typical French attire of braces and bow tie.

We held a religious blessing in the chateau courtyard with beautiful readings, hymns and prayers.

I walked down the aisle to Andrea Bocelli and we used Henry Mancini’s Moon River for the background music during the signing of the register. The ceremony was more than I ever hoped for. Very personal. Very us.

Page Boy Bridesmaids Chateau Wedding Attire Ideas

Our page boys in braces, shorts and bow ties. The flower girls in floral hair garlands and pretty white dresses. Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

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ASOS Blush Pink Satin Bridesmaid Dresses with Hair Garlands. Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

Page Boys Here Comes The Bride Sign Chateau Wedding Shabby Chic

Page Boys with the Here Comes The Bride Sign. Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

chateau wedding france photos photography ideas inspiration

Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

Chateau Wedding in France Wedding Ceremony Ideas Floral Altar

Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

Signing of wedding certificate vintage lace table cloth

Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

Outdoor Chateau Wedding Ceremony Ideas Inspiration

Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

Custom-made Wedding Dress in the style of Inbal Dror and a Mantilla Cathedral Veil

I fell head over heels in love with a very expensive Inbal Dror wedding dress, priced way above my budget. In typical fairytale fashion and as fate would have it, after searching Google for a dressmaker anywhere in England that could make a similar dress, I found one. And she happens to live in the street behind my house!

My fairy godmother dressmaker is Rae from Ashley Sims. When I walked into Rae’s house she had a few dresses for me to try on so I could see her work and decide if I wanted one made.

There, elegantly hanging on a mannequin, was a dress in the exact style of the Inbal Dror dress that I fell in love with. Fate.

I tried the dress on and knew instantly it was the style that I loved. It was a fitted fishtail design with beautiful detailing, amazing workmanship and soft lace – I felt like a princess with the long train.

However, I didn’t want an exact replica of the dress so I worked with Rae to bring all my ideas to life.

Wedding Dress Replica in the style of Inbal Dror Dresses similar to Inbal Dror Galia Lahav

Inbal Dror Wedding Dress

I loved the shape of this Inbal Dror dress but I didn’t like the transparent backless design and I felt the front looked a little too much like lingerie (not ideal when we were having a religious ceremony). I also wanted a fuller and thicker train and the dress to be made from French chantilly lace, silk and tulle.

I took ideas and inspiration from Yaki Ravid, Galia Lahav and Inbal Dror to create my perfect wedding dress and here it is:

Wedding Dress inspired by and in style of Inbal Dror Chantilly Lace Cathedral Train

Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

Wedding Stress Tulle Chantilly Lace Layers

Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

The dress has a very long cathedral train in layers of tulle and lace. The shape is similar to the Inbal Dror dress only the train is fuller with an additional lace layer. While the lace design on the front is the same, it has a more structured bodice.

Wedding dress in the style of Inbal Dror Chantilly Mantilla Cathedral Veil Bridal

Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

Wedding Dress Chateau South of France in the style of Inbal Dror Lace Parasol Prop Wedding Photos Tuxedo Groom

Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

Rae listened patiently, answered all of my questions and made my dreams a reality. If you are looking for an affordable but exceptionally well-made dress in the style of Inbal Dror, Berta Bridal or Galia Lahav, do contact Rae. She is based in Royston and her details can be found at www.ashleysims.co.uk. Rae also made my stunning backless reception wedding dress which was in the style of Berta Bridal (I’ll blog about this later).

Inbal Dror inspired wedding dress replica

Inbal Dror inspired wedding dress UK mantilla cathedral length wedding veil chantilly lace trim edging

Rae also made me a mantilla cathedral length wedding veil with the same chantilly lace trim as my wedding dress. My husband was speechless and absolutely loved the veil. To ensure the veil stayed in place all day, I had a corn row sewn in and the veil clip slotted into that.

Jimmy Choo Wedding Shoes Champagne Gold Glitter Lace

Image by Alexis Frespuech http://www.alexis-photos.fr

I always had a dream to walk down the aisle in Jimmy Choo’s. I coveted these shoes for a very long time so it was absolutely wonderful to actually wear them on my wedding day. They are the Champagne Glitter Fabric Peep Toe Jimmy Choo sandals that come in a beautiful lace design; sparkling, pretty and actually quite practical. They are comfortable to wear with the ankle strap but I am not sure I will be able to wear them again as the fabric took a few knocks throughout the day!

For accessories I wore my staple pearl earrings with a matching pearl bracelet.

My ‘something old and blue’ was a blue heart from my Grandad’s shirt sewn in on the inside of my wedding dress. This is a lovely way to remember someone you love who has passed away. It made my dress even more special.