Phillipa Lepley bride Caroline

For her quintessential English country wedding at Beaverbrook, Caroline wore a couture off-the-shoulder gown in heavy-weight Italian duchess satin.

Phillipa Lepley bride Caroline grew up passing the Chelsea atelier on her way to school. “Aside from photos of my mother’s wedding dress, the gowns in the shop windows were the first wedding dresses I ever saw. As an adult, I was drawn to the timeless elegance and exquisite craftsmanship of Phillipa’s designs.” – Caroline

Crafted entirely from duchess satin, Caroline’s minimalist design required the most skilled hands to work the fabric so it appeared untouched and effortless. The off-the-shoulder neckline flowed into softly draped, tied straps that wrapped into the front and back bodice, forming a clean, sculptural line. The bias-cut bodice rested over a custom Phillipa Lepley corset, defining the waist and creating the signature feminine silhouette for which Phillipa’s designs are renowned.

Her bespoke ‘Petit Meadow’ veil added a delicate layer of colour and texture — a two-tier silk tulle design hand-embroidered with one hundred and sixty-six wildflowers in soft pastels of lavender, cornflower, ivory, and sage, echoing the floral details of her English countryside setting. Each bloom, from cow parsley and tiarella to verbena and rosemary, was personally selected by Caroline and carefully hand-stitched with fine threadwork and French knots.

“The veil added a subtle pop of colour and complemented the setting beautifully.” — Phillipa Lepley bride Caroline

Photography by Benjamin Wheeler

Planning and design by Eloquence Events

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.