This Fashion PR Bride’s Beaded Wedding Dress Had Shades Of Bob Mackie
Normally, turning up to a party in the same outfit as somebody else is a serious faux pas. But for fashion PR Virginia Norris and David Clarke, it ended up being the kismet moment that led to them falling for each other. “We met at a themed fancy dress event, when we both arrived in the same outfit amongst a room of hundreds,” explains Virginia. “We were the only people in the same costume.” By the end of the evening, they had arranged to meet again.
David proposed during a holiday in Bruton, surprising Virginia by getting down on one knee mid-way through a rainy but picturesque walk. “He pretended to kneel and get some water for the dogs from a bag, I turned away to keep walking and he called me back to ask if I would marry him,” she says. “It was a complete surprise, I also had a dog poo bag in my hand, which I dropped fairly swiftly whilst walking round in a circle saying, ‘Are you kidding?’” The couple worked together with jeweller Hattie Rickards on a ring, incorporating a family heirloom passed down to Virginia from her great aunt, a dancer who also ran a pub in Leadenhall Market.
Despite organising events for a living, the planning process was hard for Virginia, who lost her father during that time. “The wedding planning ground largely to a halt as grief took my time from me, and I sleepwalked through much of November, the parallels of the two events left me numb,” she remembers. After initially thinking they would get married in London, they eventually settled on a friend’s bucolic farmstead in Suffolk: Restaries. “It’s straight out of a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale,” says Virginia. “Filled with huge trees and endless roses and flowers, a place to escape away from the world.”
Once Virginia had asked her friend Stuart, from Spring One More, to design the invitations, everything really started to take shape. “He incorporated deep russet red and palest nude stripes, this formed the colour palette,” she says. “We then built out the day around the different spaces at Restaries: the meal at the giant stone table in an Italianate courtyard, and the ceremony under a horse chestnut tree.” She also asked her friend Vanessa, from VH Creates, to help with direction and planning, as well as local wedding planner Jenny Loyd, who orchestrated everything on the ground. Florist Nik Southern, from Grace and Thorn, did the flowers. “She used red, white and palest cream,” says Virginia.
For her dress, Virginia tracked down a Liz Martinez beaded gown she had come across online, eventually trying it on at Browns Bride. “I would describe it as a Galadriel/Veronica Lake/Bob Mackie-inspired dress,” she says. “It just felt very, very special. I was caught a little off guard by the beading as I wanted something less elaborate, but when it caught the light it made it look like liquid.” For her shoes, she worked with her close friend, stylist Kay Barron, who sent her endless options before Virginia finally settled on a pale grey lace-up vintage pair from Alaïa. With such a detailed dress, she opted for minimal jewellery. “A very simple gold wedding band that we had bought at a local jewellers, and then some tiny gold hoops with pearls, a gift from Marisa Hordern, founder of Missoma.”
Kay took David shopping for his suit, a day he later referred to as “completing Bond Street”. He eventually settled on a Dolce & Gabbana suit with matching bow tie, with an Alexander McQueen shirt with harness detailing and Church’s Amberley Chelsea boots and A.P.C. Nico sunglasses. “The goal of the outfit was old school Hollywood with a modern edge, and I’ve never looked or felt better,” he shares.
Virginia turned to her friend, aesthetic doctor Wassim Taktouk, for a series of facials and treatments at his London clinic in the lead up to the wedding. On the day, her make-up was an elevated version of what she does everyday, with a flicked eye and pink lips, care of Celia Evans. “Initially we had looked at my hair being back in a bun, however having it down lent itself to the slight ’70s vibe of the dress,” says the bride.
Virginia’s brother walked her down the aisle to “Sweet Virginia” by the Rolling Stones, in tribute to their father, while her goddaughter Eva acted as chief flower girl alongside her nieces and nephews. The writer Alison Taylor acted as officiant, and had the congregation in stitches. “During the ceremony I felt an avalanche of love around us, of joy and happiness,” remembers Virginia. “I glanced down at Winnie our dog, who was doing her customary ‘sniper crawl’ across the grass, desperately trying to get my attention.”
The unusually hot weather meant a change of plan for the post-wedding canapés, which were served by waiters on trays instead of melting on the table. “I had sourced a tiered stone fountain to be filled with bottles of champagne and ice,” says Virginia. “It was almost too hot to stand still so our photographers Moeez and Vikram did an amazing job catching us as we moved around the courtyard.”
A feast of salmon en papillote, spatchcock chicken and Eton mess was served in a sailcloth marquee in the top field, where guests wandered past alpacas, sheep and goats. Afterwards, the singer Eden Lole got the party started on the dancefloor, with margaritas, espresso martinis and late night burgers fuelling the dancing. Virginia was having so much fun that she didn’t have time to change into her second look, a JW Anderson bubble dress. “We ended with our friend the Spin Doctor playing much loved garage tunes late into the night.”
“I would live it again in a heartbeat,” she says now. “The photos capture the day perfectly – the chaos and love and heat.”
Mooez Ali1/41Up until about an hour before the ceremony I was in pyjamas with my shadows Winnie and Milla, checking everything was in place and telling people that I was the bride. No, really!
Mooez Ali2/41The dress in all its glory, and the Alaïa “10 minutes to get into” shoes. I got ready on the top floor of the main farmhouse, where you could watch guests arrive and everything being set up – a great place to spy.
Mooez Ali3/41Hair and make-up. Final touches. All my worries vanished about not really knowing what I wanted for make-up in the hands of Celia, who is brilliant. I was so happy with it. Hair down to make it feel relaxed. This is where the Veronica Lake reference came in, those soft waves of hair.
Mooez Ali4/41A moment for the shoes please, found on ReSee Paris and a perfect fit. The laces held me in place and upright all day – I was worried about tripping over or sinking in to the grass, none of which happened. I had to peel them off at about 2am.
Mooez Ali5/41My nieces, flower girls Bethany, Lidia and Lavinia, all in La Coqueta dresses and hairbands. They loved the day, and Lidia took it very seriously that she was in charge of my veil.
Vikram Valluri6/41My goddaughter and chief flower girl Eva, holding my bouquet of sweetpeas and scented garden roses and wearing Reformation. We had gone shopping together with her mother, my close friend Emma, and the moment she put it on we were wowed by it.
Mooez Ali7/41A moment of calm before everything began, like pressing pause for a moment. Kay and Celia had just attached my veil, and I was frozen in place waiting for any last minute alterations before we made our way to the hallway to wait for the ceremony to begin.
Vikram Valluri8/41David got ready with his groomsmen at the Cider Store, one of the beautifully converted barns on site. Roz, his mother, came in to work her magic a few minutes before the ceremony began. Here she is helping David with his bow tie.
Vikram Valluri9/41David’s Dolce & Gabbana suit and Church’s boots waiting to be worn. He spent hours searching for it with my best friend, Kay.
Mooez Ali10/41Guests ready and waiting. The backdrop of the 16th-century house and the huge trees creating a natural theatre around the lawn proved the perfect setting for the ceremony. It was a fairytale location.
Mooez Ali11/41David with his groomsmen waiting at the top of the aisle, holding on to the dogs’ leads patiently.
Mooez Ali12/41Walking down the aisle with my brother to “Sweet Virginia” by The Rolling Stones, the song I was named for. Overcome with emotion, I had to look down and hold back tears whilst at the same time wanting to grin like a maniac at seeing everyone I loved all at once. My brother always laughs when he gets nervous!
Mooez Ali13/41We got married under a huge horse chestnut tree, the boughs draped with cheesecloth. Alison Taylor, my close friend, officiated. A self-named “hot priest”, she had guests laughing from the start. If you look closely you can see Winnie our dog looking up at me furiously, so upset that I wasn’t paying her any attention at this point.
Vikram Valluri14/41Walking back down the aisle to Oasis’s “She’s Electric”, pure contentment mixed with adrenaline coursing through us. It felt like we were in slow motion but it was gone in seconds.
Mooez Ali15/41Straight over for our first drink post-ceremony, delighted, heady and happy.
Vikram Valluri16/41First big kiss and probably the only proper wedding portrait of the two of us before we went headlong into a day of pure love amongst our friends and family. We had decided not to have any photos beforehand so we could surprise each other. It meant no formal portraits, and I love this about all our images from the day.
Mooez Ali17/41One more, with Murano Champagne glasses topped up!
Mooez Ali18/41Everyone needed a post-ceremony drink.
Mooez Ali19/41I walked straight into a group of friends and we got this brilliant photo of us all in the moment. Left to right: James Sheppard, Jane Shepherdson, Kate Levy, Sammy Marshall-Hayward and Ashleigh Hesp.
Mooez Ali20/41The best place for Champagne: a fountain filled with ice. We wanted to add an Italianate feel to the courtyard with the red and white striped furniture and, of course, a fountain with a stone pineapple atop it!
Mooez Ali21/41This photo sums up the day so well. I’m posing for the photo, my mother is completely distracted by something in front of us, David passes by attending to something else.
Mooez Ali22/41The light was beautiful on the day, honeyed and warm. My dress and veil are backlit here, with David in the background getting a much-needed top up.
Mooez Ali23/41Kay Barron, Lady of the Wardrobes, who did the most fantastic job of ensuring we both looked immaculate on the day, with Giancarlo Bonati.
Mooez Ali24/41Guests left to right: Jason Bloor, Ben Matthews, Alistair McCallum, Richard Sloane and Alex Williams.
Mooez Ali25/41Guests Lucy Owen and Katherine Ormerod.
Mooez Ali26/41David and I trying to coordinate family in the heat of the afternoon sun for a group photo (which we did manage to get in the end). Out of shot is my niece Lidi, holding my veil aloft.
Mooez Ali27/41Realising we had to get ready to head up to the marquee, me picking up my dress to try and run.
Mooez Ali28/41Beautifully-dressed guests making their way to the marquee, past alpacas and sheep.
Mooez Ali29/41Amy Penny and Kay Barron.
Mooez Ali30/41A moment of calm as we walked alone together for the first time that day up to the marquee.
Vikram Valluri31/41The marquee in the top field. We’d been onsite months before and mapped out the paths, so that Thom (our host and owner of Restaries), could mow routes through the long grass.
Mooez Ali32/41Grinning from ear to ear as we walked up to the marquee to make our entrance. The walk up through the trees and into the field amongst the wildflowers and grass was beautiful.
Mooez Ali33/41The speeches were all very funny. Pictured here is Chris Wilsher, best man, keeping everyone entertained. Left to right: Laura Weir, Mark Sawyer, Karen Dacre, Kay Barron, Giancarlo Bonati, Victoria Young.
Mooez Ali34/41A moment for Gemma Bon-Scherdel and Thom Scherdel, our incredible hosts and owners of Restaries. What they have built is truly magical, and they couldn’t have done more to bring a dream to life for us.
Mooez Ali35/41We dressed the tables with flowers and mixed red candles in the giant candelabra to really bring it to life. All the place names were lovingly ironed onto ribbon by David himself. Our only problem was the marquee was so warm that the candles started to lean, and the glue holding the ribbons in place melted in the heat.
Vikram Valluri36/41Stuart Daly created all of our bespoke stationery, logos and touchpoints, including these coasters. Artist Joseph Tate created a bespoke illustration for us of our two dogs sipping on cocktails, which we used on T-shirts for the bar staff.
Mooez Ali37/41After-dinner cocktails in the lounge area. Left to right: Stuart Daly, founder of Spring Once More, Kate Malkin, founder of There Beside, and Nik Southern, founder of Grace and Thorn.
Mooez Ali38/41Eden Lole played a set with her band that had everyone on the dancefloor, David and I were up on the stage with her at one point, singing along.
Mooez Ali39/41Wedding gossip stays on the dancefloor!
Mooez Ali40/41Burgers under silver cloches, wrapped in personalised greaseproof paper, kept guests going, along with bowls of chips.
Mooez Ali41/41David’s niece Bethany getting a bird’s eye view: arguably the best place to be on the dancefloor.
