Carla + Pierre

How did you meet?

We went to high school together but never spoke to one another, then a chance encounter outside a nightclub when we were 19 changed all that!

When did you know they were the one?

I think I knew he was the one, when as a surprise for our first anniversary he had set up a tent and brought a beautiful picnic to a spot by the river where we had had our first date… despite it being in the most torrential rain.

Or, when he met me off a train at a remote and deserted countryside platform holding a placard he had made of my name!

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner?

Steadfastly loyal, being incredibly gorgeous, constantly making me laugh.

Who proposed and how?

He hired a tiny boat that he manned, and took me to the blue caves in Zakynthos where he proposed as the boat bobbed about in the sea – one of our most special places on our favourite Greek island.

Where did you fall in love with your dress and why?

I just felt myself in it, whereas with other dresses I had felt like I was dressed up as someone else. It was just that aha moment of knowing ‘this is the one’. I had always wanted quite a clean elegant dress, but had also always idolised Kate Moss’ Galliano lace wedding dress ever since I was a teenager. Something about the shape of the dress felt similar to hers, but in a much simpler modern aesthetic, which was perfect.

What was the best moment for you at your wedding?

The most special moment for me was saying our own vows out in the Joshua Tree desert as the sun was setting with no distractions other than looking into each other’s eyes. The gravity and emotion of that moment in that huge open space was so magical, and then drinking champagne whilst watching the incredible sunset was really special.

What were your favourite details?

I had inherited a very special ring from my older sister who tragically had died when I was young. For our wedding bands I had the diamonds from that set into mine, and the platinum was used to make my husbands ring. My best friend’s Dad who is a jeweler had also made the wedding rings for us. My husband is half French and so we inscribed them with ‘Toujours’. It just made it feel like our loved ones, and my Sister, was so a part of our union in this symbolic way, and that it had imbued the rings with so much love and meaning. When our officiant had taken the rings before the ceremony he had asked me if there was something special about them – I told him about their story and he replied “I could feel there was something special, that is why I had to ask” – and made me burst into tears. Truly special.

What advice would you tell other brides?

I would say you should just do what feels right for you and your partner when it comes to planning your wedding. I had originally felt so much pressure to do a traditional wedding with all of the trimmings and we came to realise that that just didn’t feel right for both of us and had been more about keeping others happy, or keeping up appearances, which was creating so much stress for us. At the end of the day it should be about you and your partner, so follow your heart and intuition about what truly feels right for you both, whether that is eloping in the desert or having a huge party with everyone – as long as it is how you truly want to do it it makes all the difference, especially as it is likely to be the most amount of money you will ever spend on any event!
I would also say not to expect everything to be exactly perfect, or put pressure on yourself for everything to be so – it doesn’t really exist, and in striving for it on reflection I think you can sometimes run the risk of missing the fun of being in the moment and just enjoying it.