Phillipa Lepley bride Harriet

With vows of ‘I do’ in an 11th-century church and a reception at the family’s country estate, Harriet married in a beautiful summer countryside wedding wearing a timeless, couture Phillipa Lepley gown and veil. Guided by Phillipa’s design consultants in the Shop on Fulham Road, Harriet tried on several styles from the Phillipa Lepley couture collection. It was the ‘wildcard’, suggested by the team, that she instantly fell in love with – an exquisite, corseted off-the-shoulder silk zibeline gown with a wide collar. Sharing a love for flowers and gardening with Phillipa, Harriet was drawn to our beautiful hand-embroidered wildflower meadow veil to pair with her dress, which reminded her of her country home and wedding venue in Oxfordshire.

Flowers of Erigeron, Cornflower, Rosemary, Verbena, and Lavender in pale hues of pink, lilac, yellow and blue injected soft colour into her bridal look, giving a young, modern feel. Harriet chose to add more flowers to the design, scattering them up the back of the veil, to give the illusion of an embroidered train through the fine silk tulle. The placement of each motif was carefully considered by the Atelier team to look organic and natural – effortlessly reflecting the ethereal, whimsical nature of her summer wedding in the English country.  Concealed loops were incorporated into the veil so that it could be bustled up for Harriet to wear all day

Each Phillipa Lepley couture veil is a work of art – designed in-house at the Atelier, crafted from the finest silk tulle woven on 200-year-old looms in France, and hand-embroidered by Phillipa’s talented team of ‘petit mains’.

Harriet’s dress was crafted from the most beautiful, crisp silk zibeline fabric that allows for the formation of structured and clean lines. Her bespoke Phillipa Lepley corset was moulded to create a long, lean line in the body, while the skirt tapered at the hip into a full shape with lots of movement of undulating fabric. A bespoke, wide, off-the-shoulder collar was crafted to Harriet’s exact proportions to ‘hug’ around the body. Phillipa adores a ‘rolled’ collar in her designs – a soft shape that wraps around the shoulders in a circular frame on the bride. During couture fittings at the Phillipa Lepley Conservatory, the design was refined to Harriet’s requirements – special boning was added to Harriet’s straps to ensure structure for dancing.

Harriet was married in her local 11th-century village church in an intimate ceremony underneath the gaze of spectacular stained glass windows. ‘We luckily managed to squeeze all of our guests inside, with some lining the aisle right up to the alter. It was very snug, but perfect!’, says Harriet. 

After the ceremony, the couple headed to a reception held at the family’s country estate in a horse-drawn carriage. Harriet and her guests celebrated into the night with a delicious dinner, dancing and fireworks.

Harriet’s couture bridal look perfectly complimented the setting of her special summer wedding – a timeless Phillipa Lepley silhouette paired with a colourful floral veil that beautifully echoed her countryside surroundings.

Photography: Daniel Knight Harris