Ever since we set the date for our wedding (January 14th 2012 in case you’ve been living under a rock since last July) I’ve been more or less certain about one key aspect of the day.
The weather will be shit.
It could snow. It could hail. Torrential rain is highly likely and the sky will probably remain an attractive shade of grey until the sun goes down at around, oooo… 2pm.
But I am at peace with this. The sad truth is that, if you’re getting hitched in dear old Blighty (and I do love it so), then even if you’re big day is booked for high summer, there is a 90% chance the weather will let you down in some way.
So, I may say a few bridal prayers in the weeks running up to the big day in an attempt to ward off any weather that might prevent guests from attending/ruin my hair, but for the most part my attitude is simply to be prepared for whatever mother nature can (literally) throw at us.
It was with this in mind that I turned my attention to the issue of wedding day warmth. I have to admit that I am almost certainly the biggest wimp around when it comes to being cold. I hate it. I’m that awkward person who stays in the car when the rest of the family have decided it’s warm enough for a picnic (it’s not), I’m the weirdo that keeps her coat on in the pub and I can usually be found wandering round my house in a thick jumper well into June.
I reckon I just feel the cold more than most. Wise and insightful people tell me this is because there isn’t any meat on my bones.
The worst part is that if I do get cold, I get seriously grumpy, and that is definitely not the look I’m going for on my wedding day.
Therefore, it is clear I need something to keep warm. The usual winter wedding fare does little for me. Obviously I mean no offense to any brides who wore such items on their wedding day but I’ve yet to find a marabou shrug that makes me swoon and I find fake fur areal turn-off. I’ve seen the odd vintage fur cape on wedding blogs that have made me go weak at the knees but I would personally never wear real fur, vintage or otherwise (not least for fear of upsetting some of my very, very militant vegan friends who will be in attendance).
I’ve toyed with the idea of knitted shrugs, wraps, pashminas… my Mum even offered to knit me a cardi! After much deliberation I realised what I really wanted, what I’d feel most comfortable in, would be a coat, a glamorous, warm coat.
But googling ‘wedding coats’ turns up some incredibly uninspiring (read: hideous) results. I began to wonder if, perhaps, what I have in mind doesn’t even exist?
Then, via my favourite wedding blog Love My Dress, I discovered Joanne Flemming Design.
Now, here is a lady who knows how to make a fabulous coat. Joanne’s 1920s style opera coat from her latest collection The Beautiful and the Damned made me realise I could have the glamorous vintage inspired wedding coat of my dreams. I hastily arranged an appointment at her studio in Brighton and I’m already bubbling with excitement at the prospect of meeting with her in May.
It’s hard to describe exactly what I have in mind. I mean, I love Ginger Rogers coat from this scene in Roberta, but I appreciate it may be a touch OTT for little old me…
To think these beautiful specimens were intended for day-to-day wear! They’re perfect… slightly nipped in at the waist, flattering and chic.
What was the weather like on your wedding day? Did/are you wearing anything over your wedding dress to keep warm?
Loveaudrey xxx
What a beautiful design! So very elegant. Our wedding isn’t til April 5th next year, but I was concerned about being chilly (am also a cold person- always getting white fingers etc.) When I started collecting images of my ‘dream’ dress, long sleeves cropped up an awful lot. I didn’t anticipate finding such a dress, especially not from modern bridal shops, and thought I’d have to go down the shrug/cape route as well. Luckily (and I still have to pinch myself!) I found my dream dress in the house of a most wonderful collector of vintage wedding gowns in Bristol (http://www.bridalstyling.co.uk/)- complete with long lace sleeves that fit even my gangly arms! I’m still expecting to have to slip some sort of thermal layer underneath, but at least any goosebumps will be covered!
Wow Lel your dress sounds gorgeous, what a find! I love dresses with sleeves, I thought I’d end up with one (that would have been the sensible choice, no?!) but I fell in love with the capp sleeves on mine! Purely decorative, nothing practical about them! I’m sure the wedding adrenalin will go some way in keeping you warm anyway!
You must be excited with just under a year to go!
xxx
SO excited! Even more excited when I found your blog (via comments on Love My Dress) and realised there was another bride-to-be who was also juggling postgraduate study! Glad I stopped lurking and posted a comment 🙂
Several friends have assured me that the adrenalin works a bit like the Ready Brek glow, but I think you are wise to go with a coat and what a wonderful chance to get something original made. Joanne Fleming Design would have been my number one choice to create my dream dress, if I hadn’t stumbled across it already.
Best wishes Lx
Oh wow! What are you studying? I submit my dissertation in sept so I will have a few mad study-free months in which to get stuff sorted. Hoping I recover from the physical signs of stress by the time the wedding comes round too, I look so tired at the mo!
Jo’s designs are so beautiful aren’t they?
Are you on twitter? I’m Loveaudrey83, it would be lovely to tweet with someone who’s getting married around the same time as me, although my mum has warned me that I’m not allowed to tweet my way down the aisle!! 🙂
xXx
I love your ideas, and the coats in the picture are beautiful, such a gorgeous silhouette! I was getting married in September, so it wasn’t that cold, I was just wearing my godmother’s pashmina which she kindly gifted me afterwards. x
Rocaille has said what I was going to say, a beautiful silhouette. I think you can most definitely pull this off, I can’t wait 🙂 xxx
OMG I have just GASPED at you meeting Joanne Flemming, and then GASPED again when I saw those Day Coat sketches. I cannot WAIT to meet you and chat wedding-day attire with you.