Waking up on a weekend my first thought is always a sigh of relief and a smile that my bride got the weather she was hoping for! Thankfully that happens more now I live in Sydney than designing in London! As a wedding dress designer I can’t help but become entwined in the organising and all the effort that goes into a bride’s wedding day. It is a strange relationship to be such a significant part of the last few days of ‘Miss’ and then our brides disappear into married ‘Mrs’ life.
When my cousin flew around the world with her new fiancee, stopping off in Sydney for a visit, it was like having my sister back! We were always close growing up with our Mums being identical twins. You can imagine the excitement when she revealed her engagement ring after a proposal at the top of Everest!
After the squealing subsided, she declared I was to be her bridesmaid and asked with anticipation if I would design her gown! A few cocktails, a living room covered in threads and many swatches of silks scattering the floor we had it – the perfect wedding gown!
Roseanne chose a raw silk for her dress which we gathered into modern box pleats around the waist, falling into a full skirt and long luxurious train. It was important to keep the gown light so she could dance all night and enjoy the night with her 200 guests! With this in mind the dress was designed not to need petticoats or heavy hoops, but just fall and flow where it needed to be. We kept the gown clean and simple with a scooped ‘Audrey Hepburn’ neckline, dipped back and and the most sparkly French belt you have ever seen! The corset was light and sculpted her waist in all the right areas.
The biggest obstacle was distance – the gown was created in Sydney while the Bride lived in Ireland! Once precise measurements were taken over a Skype call, the rest was smooth sailing. The gown arrived in Ireland with time to spare, hanging patiently in the Wardrobe for 11th October.
The morning of the wedding was a flurry of hair, make up, lipstick (hidden in the pockets of her wedding gown!) and laughs. The most relaxed bride of all time, she even had time to drop cards on the table of guests with upcoming birthdays!
Roseanne still gushes about her gown and says they wouldn’t change a thing about the wedding day! She loved the whole experience from the planning stages to the wedding day they are memories of the best day of her life. Congratulations the new Mr and Mrs Freeman!
Ms Gingham says: A beautiful wedding! We loved the images as soon as we saw them! Not to mention a divine wedding gown too Moira!
Moira of Moira Hughes Couture: “You can ask a woman of any age or nationality what her wedding dress looked like and 50 years later she will be able to tell you every detail. That’s why I love bridal, the whole experience. It is so special to be involved in making a woman feel more incredible than she ever thought possible.”
What a wonderful wedding dress designer Moira Hughes is
So talented and professional and also a lady
I can not recommend Moira Hughes highly enough. She is so talented at what she does! Beautiful written piece too, thanks Moira!