A crisp winters wedding in the idyllic setting of Babington House…

Michelle and Richard met at work five years ago and as Michelle fondly comments “Needless to say, we no longer work together!” As a keen fashionista Michelle was over the moon when Richard surprised her with quite possibly one of the most thoughtful proposals we have heard…

“On our 4th anniversary, I thought we were going out for dinner, but the cab was going in a different direction. We turned up at the house, and inside was champagne and an array of clothes from the A/W collection for me to try on (all very Pretty Woman). Whilst I am trying on all of these clothes, some music was being played that no one could possibly like apart from me (including simply red)..it dawned on me that he had put the playlist together. All of this was still an anniversary treat as far as I was concerned! The assistants left the room to let me decide which clothes I wanted (seriously), and I started to justify why I needed a particular Stella McCartney handbag. Rich opened said handbag, fished out a ring, got down on one knee, and popped the question! I burst into tears, swore at the size of the diamond (sorry mum), and said yes. I left with a fiance, and a brand new wardrobe. Seriously, Richard Gere would have been proud.”

“The final dress was by Mira Zwillinger. I was really nervous about finding a dress, basically because I didn’t know what I wanted, I didn’t know what would suit me, and I didn’t want to make the order, and then get dress envy if I found something else. Anyway, whilst looking for a dress for my best fried for her wedding, I stumbled across a dress I adored, and made a mental note to look it up if I ever got engaged. As soon as Richard popped the question, I knew I had to go and try it on immediately. When I got to Browns, my mum picked out the very same dress (of her own accord), and I knew then it was the one. I tried on others, just to be sure, but nothing else compared in terms of delicacy, colouring and fit. It was also quite balletic which I loved”

“We wanted to have favours that didn’t get left behind, but again, suited the theme. Richard’s favourite chocolates are Rose & Violet creams, so I made little packages for the ladies, and bottles of Guiness for the gents. We then used these as our place names! Favours and place names sorted in one! Finally, for the people that stayed at Babington, I left a gift box in every one’s room. It had some pick and mix sweets, a bottle of Kennedy Whisky, and, as I had asked people on the invite what song would get them on to the dance floor, a CD with all of the songs people requested on it”

“The colour was key for my bridesmaids-it had to be a very specific green from the Kennedy Weathered Tartan (which was the starting point for my colour scheme). I wanted the style to be timeless, and have some element that reflected my dress-so they all had a tapered waist with a bow echoing the waistband of my dress”

“Getting the mix of our cultures just right was a challenge . We really wanted the day to reflect both of us. We struggled for a long time to find a rabbi who would marry us (I am catholic). I also struggled for a long time to convince my Dad that he would be no type of Scotsman if he didn’t wear a kilt…we won on both fronts. Advice would be if you have a mix of cultures, embrace both-it was fantastic. We had haggis, we had Hannukah style doughnuts, we had the Horah and the Ceilidh. Also, people do love the little details, and when you look back at the photos, or watch your video, you think “oh, I am so pleased we did that”

“Aside from the favours, I had tartan table runners which I made. I had ribbons tying the menu and the napkin for everyone’s place, the ribbons in the same green as the bridesmaids. The printing of the menus was beautiful, and done by Emily & Jo. We did this in the same theme (cream and gold) as our wedding invites, the order of service, and we even used it for our seating plan. I loved the classic look of it. I even framed one of our invites and put it next to our guest book. I had a huge sweetie table (that was a must from me), which I had hours of fun sourcing, and making, and even had sweet bags which matched the cream and gold of the menu.  We had also had beautiful candles everywhere, including hanging from the windows in the room we had our reception in provided by our florist. They really made the whole room sparkle”

All images © Amy Murrell 2013

“From the moment I walked into Browns Bride, until the day before my wedding, I was able to contact them/ask questions. Now that’s service”

Photographer: Especially Amy

Videographer: Gorgeous Film

Venue: Babington House

Wedding Dress: Mira Zwillinger at Browns Bride

Veil: Peter Langner at Browns Bride

If you are a Browns Bride or have photographed one then please get in touch by emailing kate.johnson@brownsfashion.com for a chance to be featured on our blog. Or if you would like to book an appointment to have a consultation at Browns Bride then please ring 020 7514 0056 and we will be happy to welcome you into our wonderful store on Hinde Street, London.

The Browns Bride Team x