Dream to Dress by Christine Murrell

As those of you who follow us quite closely will know, we love to share our brides with you; a few images from the big day to give you a glimpse into their wedding and to show you all the different ways in which you can make your wedding and your dress completely you.

We are particularly proud to share Chris and Mike’s wedding with you today. Not only because we LOVE how everything came together and the time we spent getting to know them as a couple, but also because Christine has very kindly agreed to talk a bit about why she chose us to create her wedding dress and how she found the whole process.

We know choosing your wedding dress is a big decision made all the bigger for choosing something that doesn’t yet exist… so here is Christine’s experience…

So…..I said yes, venue booked, photographer lined up, cake tasted but what to wear?

As I am a mature bride perhaps the dress /jacket combo was the safe way to go but as a good friend pointed out I was the Bride not a guest!! This was an occasion for something a bit more than the usual, to indulge, to wear something different, special.

The internet provided a never ending source of ideas if I was 30 years younger and many pounds lighter so I needed to see what was out there for a woman such as myself.

A useful and fun filled trip to a bridal shop to try on dresses gave me an idea of what would suit me best in terms of style, the assistants were most helpful, the dresses lovely and it was a worthwhile process. I was getting closer to my dream but the traditional white/cream/ivory are definitely not my colours. The issue is that I have pale skin and grey hair I needed something different , I needed colour.

So how do you find a coloured wedding dress? Easy you may think but difficult to lay your hands on one. It became obvious that traditional bridal wear ranges do not do colour, bridesmaid dresses yes, bridal gowns no. It was one of the assistants at the bridal shop who told me the only way I was to fulfil my dream was to have something made .It was she who suggested Legend and so my story of “dream to dress” begins.

First stop a visit to their website which showed me they were willing to produce a different type of dress but all their clients still looked like brides. On this basis I made an appointment to discuss my ideas further and find out more about timescale, costs and if our ideas were compatible.

I admit I was apprehensive on my first visit but Rachel and Charlotte put me very much at ease and were willing to answer all my questions. It also gave me an opportunity at the shop to see their work up close and I was pleasantly surprised that this route would not break the budget I had set. I came away much happier .A couple of days thinking it over and discussions with my partner convinced me that they would be an ideal choice to make my dress for the big day.

The dress does not appear overnight adopting this route, it is not like buying off the peg but it evolves over a period of time in my case 9 months. So planning in advance is a must if you are considering this process.

My first appointment was about what sort of look I was hoping to achieve, to help with this process I had brought some books/photos so Rachel had a better idea of what I was talking about!! By using these ideas and Rachel’s suggestions we were able to sketch out a basic design. Measurements were also taken at this point. We also considered the colour issue and fabric type options to enhance the design. It was decided that the basic dress was to be made in satin with silk organza skirt overlay and sleeved lace top. Many colour combinations were suggested at this stage but no decisions had to be made before my next appointment. This took the pressure off me so to speak and gave me time to consider what colour option would suit me best.

At appointment number 2 a toile of the dress had been made in calico. This literally is a shell, nothing attractive, but it gave me confidence we were on the right track and for Rachel to make adjustments as necessary.

Between these two appointments I had progressed with the colour issue. What had helped tremendously was visiting a fabric supplier that stocked the fabrics that Legend would be using. I was able to purchase larger samples of various satin/chiffon/lace combos .It is amazing how different colours look against your skin and in different lights. This gave me confidence to make a final choice and I was able to let Rachel know at this meeting. The fabric could now be ordered and the dress could progress.

One more decision I felt was required to complete the design, colour and fabric choice. I wanted a pop of really strong colour. Here Legend came up trumps with a silk sample which ultimately gave me the look I required and proved to bring the whole wedding vision together.

By my next visit the dress had moved on apace. I could see how the fabric/colour choices worked together which was great but I was also able to refine the design to achieve the look I was looking for. This is the real advantage of bespoke design that the dress can evolve.

At the following visit the dress was almost complete and final decisions made. In my case, due to previous design changes the excess fabric at the back of the dress looked so good that we decided to leave it so it formed a slight train and the pop of colour sash was developed into a feature at the back of the dress. All was possible with Legend to create my unique dress.

There are further advantages to bespoke design in that the girls can provide complementary accessories. These included a headdress that looked so good in my grey hair, utilizing the fabrics used in dress especially the pop of colour silk. They also provided a bag to match the dress so I had a place to put my glasses, beautiful but practical, a bridesmaid dress (simpler version of my gown for our 7 year old granddaughter) and not forgetting ties for the groom etc.

Nothing was too much trouble and the wonderful result of their creative efforts dare I say can be seen in my wedding photos.

The final visit was quite an emotional one….the complete dress.

Looking in the mirror I saw that Rachel and Charlotte had taken my ideas and turned them into reality. A dress that I was comfortable in, that fitted perfectly and most important made me feel and look like a bride. No mean feat. The compliments I received on my wedding day provide testimony to this.

As I said earlier the “dream to dress” does not happen overnight but I truly enjoyed the process. Rachel and Charlotte provided a calm professional approach to produce a dress that is so important and dare I say did not prove to be any more expensive than the ready made dresses that I had tried on 9 months earlier.

The Legend experience offers you with so many opportunities to provide you with a dress that is truly individual to you. If you are looking for something outside the conventional bridal route then Legend is for you. I wish them all the success.

A HUGE thank you to Christine, firstly for choosing us to create her wedding dress, but also for taking the time to share her experience with you!

Christine and Mike also chose the following suppliers to bring their wedding to life:

• Photographer – Lottie Designs (all images in this post are by Lottie)

• Venue – The Inn at Whitewell

• Makeup – Kerry Baker

• Flowers – The Flower Shop, Clitheroe

• Cake – Cakes by Vanilla