For fashion PR Davina Wedderburn-Thompson, the thought of wedding dress shopping and having someone do her hair and make-up filled her with dread. So when planning her wedding, she vowed to do one thing: “To do me!” That meant listening to her gut; sticking to her guns; and not getting caught up in any kind of wedding hype. She did just that with her custom Kate Halfpenny bridal look and Marques Almeida after-party ensemble. Davina’s mantra of not taking on other people’s opinions is inspiring for any bride-to-be. “Do you and you can’t go wrong,” she tells us.
Davina’s Bridal Style
Did you find it easy, or difficult to decide what to wear for your wedding?
I found it quite easy to decide what I was going to wear for my wedding as I decided to just “do me”. Despite this, my wedding look was totally different to what I initially thought I would wear as I ended up changing my dress just a few months before my big day! Initially, I was thinking of a Valentino-esque dress – simple and elegant in ivory silk with a high-neck and long sleeves. And I ended up wearing a floral cape with an ivory silk slip dress which was very different to that!
You had your wedding dress made. Was this something you’d always wanted to do?
I’m not girly girl and the thought of going to bridal boutiques to try on dresses filled me with dread, even more so being a curvy bride. When we first got engaged, a client and friend of mine (who knew my style really well) offered to make my dress so I took her up on her offer. Although she didn’t actually end up making my dress, she set me on the custom route.
So, who actually ended up creating your wedding look for you?
The wonderful Kate Halfpenny was a recommendation by my friend who was originally going to make my dress. As it turned out, we were a match made in heaven! I loved every moment with her.
Shop Kate Halfpenny
What inspired you to incorporate your very fabulous cape?
One thing that I kept with me throughout planning each element of my wedding was to always “do me”. I wanted a look that felt very me – no comprises. The cape was something I came across in the Halfpenny boutique by accident. I thought I’d just try it on for “the lolz” but the minute I put it on, I knew it was the perfect look for my special day. What made it even more amazing was that at that point, this piece had never been worn by another bride. So that’s how I ended up totally changing my look – luckily, it wasn’t too late!
Did you always intend on having a second bridal look? Talk us through how you ended up wearing Marques Almeida…
I hadn’t always planned to wear a second look as what I chose was suitable to wear all night. However, at work, I was creating a deck for my lovely client Marques Almeida and whilst sourcing imagery I became obsessed with the feather looks from a previous collection. To cut a long story short, the skirt was sold out globally! However, the wonderful team checked with production and believe or not, there was enough fabric to make one last skirt. Let’s face it, it was meant to be! In terms of styling it up, I wanted to wear it in very much the same way I would day to day – hence the ARKET tee embroidered with Mrs Thompson and the statement earrings (a Davina signature) by Simone Rocha.
Where did you get your shoes? Did they stay on all night?
I wore green Manolo Blahnik Hangisi heels and they absolutely did not stay on all night! Underneath my long feather skirt were a pair of Nike Vapour Max’s.
Shop Davina’s bridal accessories
Describe your engagement ring and wedding band to us and the story behind them.
My husband designed my engagement ring and I love it. It’s a simple emerald cut diamond with diamond hallow and diamond band. The guys who made it also made our wedding bands, which we designed together. My wedding band is unusual (I think) in terms of thickness and colour combination – it’s a thick rose gold band with 16 grey diamonds (16 as this represents the number of years we have been together the year we got married).
What jewelry did you wear on your wedding day?
I pretty much wore the same jewelry I always wear (two of my mum’s gold bangles and a Tiffany Bracelet that I bought with my first pay check when I was sixteen) as well as, new diamond studs and gold and pearl Chloe earrings for the ceremony. The Chloe earrings were swapped for a pair of red beaded iconic Simone Rocha earrings when I changed.
How did you find your flower girl looks?
Finding the flower girls dresses turned out to be one of the most time-consuming things we did but it all worked out in the end. The three of them all wore a different style dresses from Next or Matalan and my paige boy wore navy trousers with braces, a white tux shirt with a navy bow tie and Vans.
What bouquet did you have and why?
I left my bouquet, as with all my flowers up to my wonderful florist Paula from Fox & Thorn. She took our vision to a whole other level and totally exceeded our expectations.
Did you help your husband decide on what he would wear? What was he suited and booted in?
I did indeed, he looked stunning! He wore a Navy and Black (one of my favorite colour combinations) modern tux from Hardy & Aimes with bespoke shoes by Crockett & Jones.
Describe your wedding make-up and hair to us? Who did these for you?
My very good friend Claire Nash did my hair and make-up – both of which were very simple and very me. I don’t wear make-up so the thought of having to do so for my wedding did fill me with dread but Claire knows me so well and did an excellent job! I really can’t thank her enough. My hair was in a simple but scruffy bun with my classic center parting. Make-up was barely there with a focus on radiant skin.
Did you do any skin prep/ hair prep in the lead up to your wedding?
There was no hair prep but I am very good at getting my hair trimmed and treated monthly. I did get a series of facials in the lead up to the wedding and stuck to a daily easy skin regime.
With hindsight, if you were to give yourself a piece of advice when creating your wedding look, what would it be?
To be honest, I took my own advice! Don’t get caught up in the hype of planning a wedding – including not taking on board other people’s opinions.
Looking back, what’s your one piece of advice for brides starting to create their bridal looks?
Do you – you can’t go wrong.
Have you been on honeymoon? Or are you going?
We went on a mini moon directly after the wedding but have our proper honeymoon in December over Christmas exploring Mexico!
Davina’s Style
Working in the fashion industry, did you feel a lot of pressure around creating your wedding wardrobe?
Honestly… I didn’t really think about it so I guess it’s a no. I know my style and just followed my gut.
How do you think channels like Instagram and Pinterest have changed/ are changing the bridal industry?
I think that they are really useful in terms of pulling a look together, whether that’s for a venue, bridal look, sourcing inspiration etc. but at the same time, can be quite overwhelming. adding unnecessary and additional pressure for some brides.
Do you have a favorite bridal site/ Instagram?
It has to be White Dossier – it offers a dynamic mix of content; real brides, emerging and established designers, classic and fashion forward pieces. If we ever renew our vows, I have found my next wedding dress on their Instagram!
Have you had a recent bridal crush?
My friend Georgina Hawkins nee Hodge – she looked absolutely stunning as did everything else!
Davina’s Wedding
Date
26th May 2018
Wedding Location
White Dove Barns, Beccles, Suffolk
Number of Guests
160
Stationery
Mount Street Printers
Flowers & Decor
Fox & Thorn (and us!)
Food
White Dove Barns
DJ
Mr Whyte, Intryst Hire
String Quartet
Sole Bay Strings
The most memorable moment from your wedding
Our first dance and the groom’s speech (as he opened his speech by saying everyone should be grateful for being there, very him!)
One thing you wish you’d known before planning your wedding
How bloody amazing it was going to be!