I was absolutely delighted to be commissioned with the design of Lara Pulver’s wedding dress recently. The beautiful petite British actress married in London.
Lara came to me with an open brief. We tried on various dresses from the collection to see what kind of dress suited her the best. We decided on something really simple, sophisticated and elegant but with a touch of necessary theatre to make the dress a ‘wow’ piece. We chose to cut a demure high neckline column dress with empire detail to lengthen the body, and opted for a slight raised sleeve to give a good frame and to accentuate her tiny waistline. The dress was made to measure and cut precisely around Lara’s very petite but beautifully curvy frame. When cutting something so simple, the execution of fit, cut and make do have to be incredibly accurate. Lara’s stance is that of a dancer, she has incredible poise and posture, and I knew a perfect dress would be modelled so beautifully.
I wanted to create Lara a combination between a red-carpet Hollywood gown and a wedding dress.
By carefully cutting away the back, I placed the seams to wind around the body to create the most flattering lines and a carefully considered piece from all angles. I created a knot detail in the small of the back with fluid seams running from the knot and the construction seams to create a small elegant train.
The dress was tailored in a beautiful matt chalky white weighty crepe from a premium mill in Italy. The dress was backed and lined in layers of bias cut silk satin to ensure a clean finish.
The complementing touch to the dress was a cathedral length veil in silk tulle. We worked with the talented British milliner Emily Baxendale. Emily created a stunning veil which was worn at the back of the head. She mounted draped silk tulle onto the 1950’s influenced shaped headband which she covered in a fine Chantilly lace. The headband had a unique shaping detail and added height and a distance between the back of the body and the veil. The piece itself was completely charming and a piece one could treasure for years to come.
The veil added the finishing touch. It completed the look. We ensured the length of the train finished past the length of the dress to give the ultimate creation, and the most stunning silhouette from side and back. ( Angles which are so important in a wedding) The dress was also made more appropriate for the church with the train covering the backless element. When the veil was taken off , it revealed the perfect party dress, completed of course by stunning Jimmy Choos. Head to heel wedding perfection.
Thank you so much Lara and Raza for allowing me to share the images of your wedding. The beautiful photographs were taken by photographer Simon Carr.
Thank you also to the amazing stylist Arabella Boyce who provided the initial meeting, the stylists seal of approval and also supported with direction and confidence along the short but very sweet and wonderful journey.
THE SUZANNAH BLOG 