Phillipa Lepley bride Emily

Phillipa Lepley bride Emily wore a timeless ivory duchess satin gown with draped off-the-shoulder straps and bow to wed in an enchanting Christmas wedding in the Cotswolds.

Emily’s wedding began with a candlelit ceremony at dusk in Cirencester, followed by a champagne reception and ceilidh at her childhood school. 

“The Christmas magic was palpable. Roaring fires, festive garlands, Christmas harmonies echoing merrily from the gallery of the great hall sung by our extraordinary choir. The ceilidh band had everyone twirling, flinging and joyously ricocheting off one another. To top it all, we awoke to a winter wonderland, a thick snowfall blanketing the Cotswolds.”  

Phillipa Lepley bride Emily.

A classic and timeless wedding look, Emily’s dress was crafted out of rich Italian duchess satin – fitting for the time of year to reflect the Christmas tree lights and candles in its warm ivory tone.

The satin was wrapped around the body, whispered onto a signature Phillipa Lepley internal corset as if it were effortless. 

Inspired by the glamour of the Gilded Age, Emily wished to recreate a similar essence in a couture gown for her wedding day. Phillipa’s artisan team worked from Emily’s period reference images to construct a bespoke bust shape in her corset, adding defined draping in satin on the neckline to echo her inspiration.

Each line was refined on Emily during fittings at The Conservatory in Chelsea before the design was hand-crafted on the stand in the Phillipa Lepley Atelier.

Draped duchess satin straps sat off-the-shoulder in a sweeping neckline that highlighted the collar bones and feminine features, finishing with an asymmetric bridal bow on the left-hand side. The custom corset drew the waist in, while a stunning full skirt with soft petticoats and a long train completed the gown.

‘For me, the beauty of this dress lies in her shape, perfected and sculpted by Phillipa’s legendary corsetry. The delicate sweep and drape off the shoulder that softly and elegantly adorns the décolletage, the finishing flourish of the charming bow.’

Phillipa Lepley bride Emily

Emily’s couture gown effortlessly embodied the magical charm of a Christmas wedding – the sumptuous satin played on the wintery ambience of her wedding, while the bow was perfect for the time of year festivities. 

‘The dress has an old Hollywood glamour, alongside a timeless resonance. It was transportive; having always daydreamed of period dramas, there was something wonderfully reminiscent of the Victoriana about this dress. As at home waltzing to Strauss in a Viennese ballroom, as it was sweeping down the aisle of a medieval English church.’ – Phillipa Lepley bride Emily, on her couture wedding dress.

Phillipa Lepley is recognised globally as a leading British wedding dress and eveningwear designer, renowned for bespoke couture dresses of the utmost luxury. Her wedding dress shop in London, Chelsea, has over 50 dresses, all of which have been made in England from start to finish at her atelier.