Gone are the days of just one wedding dress; many modern brides are instead shopping for an entire bridal wardrobe - whether that's Ellie Goulding's four dresses in one day, or a simple switch to a more minimal reception gown a la the Duchess of Sussex. For Victoria Magrath, who got married in Provence last weekend, her bridal wardrobe also extended to the wedding pre-parties the day before, and a post-wedding brunch the morning after. Here, she talks us through her five bridal looks:
Look one: The pre-wedding tux
I’m a lady who loves a tailored suit, whether I’m going for a work meeting or walking a red carpet; I feel amazing in anything fitted and structured. So, throwing a three-day wedding meant that I could opt for a tuxedo for one of my five bridal looks. For our pre-wedding party, I asked all guests to come along in black and white attire (even the pianist, who I must say was unbelievable - @ItsJamesBradshaw for anyone looking for a wedding pianist!) I wore a fitted Pronovias tuxedo with a satin stripe down each leg, a strong, structured blazer and an embellished, floral camisole tucked into the trousers.
I completed the look with David Morris Daisy droplet earrings and a double daisy diamond ring to continue the floral theme, and went for extra sparkles with Aquazzura Pearl heels in silver. Larry King created a cool, extra long ponytail look, and I wore a full face of Armani Beauty make-up by Nikki Wolff of NikkiMakeup. A lot of people said this was their favourite look of all five, so I'm so thrilled I can wear this suit time and time again now.
Look two: The pool party attire
The second day of the wedding started with a pool party in beautiful French sunshine. 70 people all sat around a pool drinking grapefruit gin and tonics, with lunch being served in classic Fortnum and Mason picnic baskets. I wore a bridal swimsuit from Amaio Swim made in Italian Euro jersey and French illusion mesh with silver beading and cut-out details. I covered my bottom half in white linen Zimmermann shorts until I got into the pool, but one of my favourite features of the outfit was the Lotte Willis London Hairband with a white, floral appliqué. Larry King created a '60s vintage bikini hairstyle that suited the swimsuit perfectly, particularly when paired with a youthful, childlike blushed look created with Armani Beauty.
Look three: The ceremony gown
I feel like the luckiest woman in the world that I wore a Phillipa Lepley Couture bridal dress to walk down the aisle. It was made in the most luxurious silk crepe, fitted tightly to my top half by a corset and thin silk straps. The low back buttoned down for an elegant finish, while a satin band twisted over the top of the silk to add a classic bridal feature to the bust. The dress was cut perfectly to my height when wearing my Jimmy Choo ivory Lucy heels, with a train flowing from the back and added volume from the tulle layers beneath. To finish, I wore a hand-embroidered silk lace veil, with lavender, roses and floral details growing around the sides and two bees meeting in the middle of the veil - a representation of our Manchester roots.
For my jewellery, I wore the David Morris Miss Daisy flower earrings for some sweet but elegant sparkle. And, on my hands, the Miss Daisy double finger ring and Miss Daisy flower bangle for something classic but not too overpowering.
Alex wore a tailored royal blue Ted Baker suit, with burgundy tie, blush pocket square and deep brown, burgundy brogues. All of the groomsmen and my dad looked so handsome, with lavender and spray roses in their button holes from All forLove London florists. For our wedding scents? Christian Dior Parfums Rose Gyspy for me, and Spice Blend for Alex.
Look four: The reception dress
As the clock struck almost midnight, it was time to change into my second wedding dress of the day. My good friend Kyle Galvin untied my corset from the first dress and got me straight into my second Phillipa Lepley gown, a ballerina length, volumised tulle skirt splattered in crystals, with a sweetheart neckline bodice encrusted in pearls, diamonds and crystals. On the back were the letters V and A beautifully laid out in crystals on each back panel of the embellished bodice. It was one of those princess moments I’ll never forget. On my feet, I wore the Christian Louboutin diamante-adorned Degrastrass heels for some extra sparkle. In my ears, I wore the most elaborate Le Jardin cluster earrings from David Morris in white gold with nearly 16cts of diamonds. I’ve never felt more incredible in my whole life.
Look five: The Sunday brunch dress
Tired but still with the biggest smile on my face, I got into my final wedding dress of the weekend: the Orwell Dress by Suzanne Neville, which had a fitted, midi-sleeve body flowing into an asymmetric skirt with beautiful 3D-floral appliqué. The dress originally flowed into a train at the back from a mini skirt at the front, but I asked Suzanne to take it up to ankle length to make it easier for me to strut around the Sunday brunch. After a number of fittings, I was so pleased with the outcome - and it’s an added bonus that I can probably wear this again for other events. Paired with Sophia Webster Chiara Butterfly Heels, the dress was a beautiful way to finish the weekend of celebrations.
The finer details
The table setting
My wedding planners, The Lobster Collective, could not have made my wedding any more perfect for me. They took my vision and ran with it and I was just in love with every little detail. My banqueting table for 71 people was laid along the full length of the entrance to Chateau du Bijou - the stunning chateau in Provence which served as my wedding venue. The team built a white wooden pergola on top of the tables before All for Love London draped it in willow, white and lilac gypsophila, lavender and white roses and mini spray roses so that the flowers were draping beautifully over the guests for the evening. Small tea lights hung from the structure and, beneath, a grey linen 24-metre tablecloth spanned the whole length of the table.
We rented beautiful french wooden chairs with white cushions and tied grey linen ribbons to the backs with the guests' names inked on top by a calligrapher. The table was adorned with Maison Christian Dior Candles in the beautiful vanilla scent of Feve Delicieuse alongside hurricane jars and pillar candles, silver-edged charger plates and champagne flutes. There were Armani lipsticks as favours - personalised with our initials, V&A, and the date of the wedding - in shade 500, my personal favourite. Little wooden name tags were tied around the wine glass stems by Little Orchard Creations, as an additional little keepsakes for all guests. Finally, we added pink linen napkins with a VA logo embroidered in white thread with a sprig of lavender placed on top.
The ceremony
But it was the floral archway for the ceremony, with a pathway of gypsophila, lavender and white roses that truly took my breath away. The silver chairs were lined up side by side with guests holding pretty pink parasols and wooden fans. My brother, also an Alex, held the ceremony for us and, in his true style, entertained us with crowd participation singing the lyrics to Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer. Alex and I recited the lyrics to In these Arms as our vows. It could not have been a more hilarious and heartfelt ceremony.
The cake
We had our cake-cutting moment on the balcony of the chateau with all guests watching from the lawn in front. I felt like the Queen. A spotlight lit up the chateau as we walked out to cheers from below, with a delicious Croquembouche cake waiting ready for us to take a profiterole each. My Phillipa Lepley dress sparkling in the light was such a magical moment. The balcony was adorned with All for Love London flowers which appeared to drape down the building and onto the pergola below. The weather was perfect for the duration apart from a few moments of rain, but I honestly wouldn’t have changed it. As we ate, all guests held onto the pretty pink parasols as Dior Candles lit up their faces and it looked truly magical. And as we started to dance, the rain clouds opened once again while everyone jumped around and danced in the rain drops and the moonlight. It was beyond perfect.
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