Photographer : @wearethechamberlins (thechamberlins.co)

Rachael Came to see us back in February 2020! Back before COVID - 19 and all of the mayhem that followed, so these beautiful pictures are a long time coming!

In her appointment, she loved our Nistor Top and Thomas Skirt but she went away and saw a sleeve design she liked and wanted to incorporate into her chosen outfit. Once the lockdown was lifted, she came back to us and we discussed design. 

Her wedding had changed to be outside so wanted something to reflect this. After some design and fabric tweaking, we added an amazing Organza sleeve to her chosen outfit and it really bought it together! This is a perfect example of how we can change our outfits to suit your wants and needs for your wedding day. 

“The top and skirt made me feel so myself, comfortable but special - and really suited our relaxed island-wedding in August. Thank you for helping me find the perfect outfit and for creating such beautiful sleeves! The sleeves and skirt got lots of love and compliments. I loved swishing around throughout the day.”

How amazing are these photos?! We are obsessed with her bouquet and the groom's suit and how it perfectly matches the surroundings of the day. She got married in the beautiful St Peter Port In Guernsey. What a stunning backdrop.

Following her special day, we sent Rachael some questions about her wedding as we loved seeing her photos (as always!)

When and where did you get married? What drew you to that location?

After the pandemic changed our plans several times over, with some venues closing, we decided to have our wedding in the places we loved most: the beach, our garden and RED - an amazing restaurant in St Peter Port, Guernsey. We got legally married the day before in our local registry office. It was perfect and exactly as we hoped it would be - with amazing weather!

What was your inspiration to go dress-less? Was it something you had thought about before you started looking?

I had thought for a long time that if I ever got married, a traditional long and embellished wedding dress wouldn’t be for me - it just never felt like my style as I’m a pretty casual person. I wanted something that felt like an elevated version of me and originally thought I would go with a jumpsuit. I was looking for fun, modern takes on wedding traditions in all areas of our day, and a less traditional outfit felt like a key part of doing the day our way.

How did you hear about House of Ollichon? And what made you decide on the outfit you chose?

I was having a look online for wedding jumpsuits when we got engaged in 2019, just seeing what was out there, and came across the House of Ollichon website. I loved that everything could be bespoke, that the studio was independent, women-owned and the approach of being a special version of your usual self. I booked an appointment straight away!

I had planned to go for a jumpsuit, but Hannah encouraged me to try on a range of pieces. The Thomas skirt and X top were not something I had planned to try on when I had been browsing online, but when I came out wearing them we had a wonderful ‘wow’ moment. It was perfect. Thanks to Hannah I found the perfect outfit, which I would never have thought to pick out myself.

In 2021/2022 when I could finally travel for fittings Sofia and I decided to add some sleeves to my top, which I think made it extra special.

Do you think you will wear your outfit again?

I hope to! I think I can definitely wear the skirt again and mix up the top to make it more casual and less bridal. I have contemplated dyeing the top but don’t want to ruin it!

Were there any particular highlights of your wedding day?

Having friends and family together for the first time post-pandemic and to our new home for the first time was so special - many of them had never been to Guernsey before! We loved our private garden vow exchange at the start of the day, had a delicious meal, went to the beach and spent the evening with loved ones in the garden which my mum had planted especially for us. Every part was a highlight!

What advice would you give to any newly engaged couples planning their wedding?

Take your time to decide what feels meaningful and important to you. Don’t feel pressured to stick to a tradition or particular style just to keep others happy. And make sure to keep it fun and keep talking about what you’re excited about throughout the planning process - it can get a little stressful making so many decisions. And make sure you have great food - that really was a highlight for our guests!

How was your overall experience with us and would you recommend us to a friend?

Yes without a doubt! Sofia and Hannah were both so friendly, knowledgeable and gave great advice. I felt very at ease and am so glad their expert eyes helped me find a beautiful outfit I never would have picked out alone!

Photographer : @wearethechamberlins (thechamberlins.co)

A HUGE thank you to Rachael for sharing her wedding day with us, we are so glad she chose us to make her beautiful bespoke outfit.

If you are a bride reading this thinking about creating a bespoke outfit which isn’t on our standard sample rail, we are here to help. Feel free to send us an email to bonjour@houseofollichon.co.uk with any ideas, some dates and some inspo images. You can also book an appointment to see us via our booking system on our website or through our ‘book now’ button on instagram. We can’t wait to hear from you!

For our next blog post, we will be showing you something SUPER exciting, so stay tuned!