We got married in August of 2021 at the beautiful Hestercombe after 12 years together. We first met on Halloween of 2009 at a night club in Torquay. I was a Greek goddess and Andy was a Zombie. We have been together ever since. He proposed on the beaches of Cornwall, we were walking along the rocks, when he turned around on one knee and said “look what I found” whilst holding a gorgeous ring. Initially I laughed as, I’d been waiting a very long time for this, and then I said yes!
I picked Icelyn (style 18311) by Ronald Joyce wedding dress, from Prudence Gowns in Exeter. I knew that Icelyn was the dress for me after seeing it online. It was love at first sight; I hadn’t tried it on and didn’t care about the price, I just knew it was going to be my wedding dress. The beaded bodice was stunning, and I loved the elegant back detail.
The dress itself was simple but beautiful, in tulle and soft satin with an understated puddle train which glided behind me as I walked. It has a plunging V-neck and delicate illusion neckline, embroidered bodice and plain skirt. I paired it with a single tier fingertip veil with a beaded edge too. It perfectly fit the sophisticated style I wanted. I had tried on other styles, but nothing compared to the breath-taking necklace back which made me look and feel like a fairy-tale, it was like nothing I had ever seen before, a real statement!
The day itself was like a dream. We wanted to rustic, simple wedding in-keeping with Hestercombe. As I walked down the aisle, seeing everyone’s faces light up when they saw me made me feel like I was on cloud 9. The ceremony was lovely. My mother wrote and read a poem for us, which will stay with us forever.
The dinner ran a little later than it should have, but we’d put it back a bit as we were having so much fun. We were still doing the speeches when the evening guests arrived which wasn’t part of the plan! But we were having so much fun that no one really noticed.
The band exceed my expectations, never having an empty dance floor. I think everyone was dancing their heart out, including me. We really did love every second of our wedding.
If I had to give any advice to future brides, it’s that waiting is worth it. We could have had are wedding in the pandemic, but we wanted to wait until we could enjoy everything, and through all the stress and tears it was worth it.
Specail thanks to our photgrapher Anthony Lyons, Special Day Wedding Photos.
If you loved Amanda’s dress, be sure to check out similar styles Valerie, Wallis, Iris, Irene and Imola.
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