My Edwardian Wedding Dress

Notoriously fussy when it comes to clothes, I imagined the search for my wedding dress was going to be difficult and long, and I was a little apprehensive, as were my mum and my sister! When I booked my first dress appointments I knew what I didn’t want, but I was yet to see anything (in magazines or online) that I could see myself in on my wedding day.

My first appointment was at Jane Bourvis’s Atelier, and that’s where my wedding dress story ends, short but oh so sweet! As soon as I walked in, I knew we’d found something very special.

Jane is an extremely talented Artist, and a really lovely lady, and her atelier is not your average dress shop. It is a treasure trove of beautiful delicate pieces: hanging Edwardian lace, Victorian wax flower head pieces, antique ballerina tutus, it is amazing.

After lingering over one very beautiful piece of oyster Edwardian lace that was not quite a dress yet, Jane pinned the lace to my shape and I fell in love with it. I hadn’t planned on wearing a veil, but when Jane showed me one of her delicate lace veils, the details and intricacy won me over. Over the next few months I went back to see Jane and she made a number of adjustments and additions, until it was perfect.

I ended up with a wedding dress that I couldn’t even have dreamed of. My wedding dress was utterly unique, it had it’s own story, the dress looked different when you looked at it from a distance, and then when you saw it close up you were able to see all the detail of the intricate patterns in the antique lace.

Jane Bourvis’s Atelier is located just off Portobello Road. Jane designs amazing bespoke bridal dresses, made to measure, and each piece is completely unique. Jane sources an incredible selection of vintage lace, embellishments and accessories, I can’t recommend her enough.

Image credits:

Images 1-3: Antiques and Boutiques

Images 4-14: The wonderful Mark Tattersall