FRIDA KAHLO INSPIRED BRIDAL LOOK

How did we meet and got engaged?

Jason and I met in 2013 at the Virgin Active gym in Wimbledon. We got engaged in the kitchen on the day we moved into our new house in London in February 2018 and got married in Poznan, Poland in June 2019. 

The dress and the look

I wanted my wedding dress to feel like ‘me’, and to be very comfortable, so that I could eat, dance and hug my family and friends. I have been following a few Instagram accounts of bridal shops and was attracted to dresses that had a vintage and boho look to them. In November 2018 I booked appointments with 2 bridal shops in London that offered that style of dress, but was left feeling disappointed after my first visit to a shop in Hackney, mainly due to the fact I could not take any photos of the dresses I was trying on and because I felt pressured into buying something then and there. Indie Bride London was the second bridal shop I went to and the experience could not have been more different. I went with my friend Elie and tried on 6 dresses and loved them all. This never happens so I knew I stumbled upon a special place. Miina was very relaxed and patient and encouraged us to take photos – which we did. Over the next few days I looked at the pictures and decided on the Gaia dress. The dress was stunning – all lace, with a V neck and ¾ sleeves that flare out. It was also super comfortable. I felt beautiful in it, I felt like myself. In the lead up to the big day I had a few meetings with Miina to take measurements and decide on any other accessories (I also got a beautiful belt from Indie Bride London) - the whole process was smooth and relaxed.  

Florals

After deciding on the dress I started thinking about the rest of my outfit. I knew I wanted it to be floral and elegant. I wanted something special. I created a few mood boards for the look and the flowers using photos found on Instagram and Pinterest. Agata, the photographer I found (more on this genius lady below) recommended her business partner - a florist called Magda from Pracownia Zieleni. I had a Skype call with her and she immediately understood what I was after. We agreed on my bouquet and flower crown, as well as the rest of the flowers for the day. 

Accessories

I finished the look with the following accessories: shoes from Coast, necklace from Swarovski and earrings from Apart. Our wedding rings were from Beaverbrooks. On the day, I walked to get my hair done at Labirynt Fryzur in Poznan and I then did my own makeup using my all time favourite beauty products.  

The groom’s outfit

Jason left arranging his outfit until the very last minute (typical boy). He went with the personal tailoring service at Reiss off Oxford Street in London and was very happy with his 3 piece suit, in a mixture of grey and blue tones. He got his whole outfit from Reiss: suit, blue shirt, brown tie, blue pocket square, brown socks and brown leather shoes. 

Venue

As we wanted to get married in my hometown (meaning our guests would have to fly to Poland for the wedding) we wanted the venue itself to be very convenient and easy to get to. We visited 3 places and went with the one we arranged to see first - the very historic and incredibly beautiful Bazar Poznanski. As the place is located in the very centre of the Old Town it meant our 80 guests could walk back to their hotels and airbnbs at the end of the night. Everything took place there - our wedding ceremony followed by the wedding party. We loved it. 

Decor, food and cake

We didn’t have a theme as such for the décor - we just wanted it to be classy and comfortable. The venue provided food (welcome canapés, a starter, a soup, a main and a dessert, followed by hot, cold and cake buffets), all drinks and alcohol, our wedding cake (3 tiers of hazelnut, coffee and strawberry goodness), flowers for the guest and buffet tables, stationary (seating plans and menus) and table decorations - the details of which we carefully decided on together with the venue staff months in advance. Together with Magda from Pracownia Zieleni, we decided on flowers for the civil ceremony and our personal flowers (my wedding bouquet and flower crown, my witness’s bouquet and boutonnières for the boys). We also designed and printed our order of the day. 

Entertainment

For entertainment, we had a jazz band called Gentle Jazz Trio (who played during the civil ceremony and dinner) and a DJ (who played for the rest of the night). It worked really well. We also had a photo booth from Takafota which proved to be a lot of fun for the guests. 

Photography

This was one of the most difficult parts of planning a wedding, I am not going to lie. I spent weeks looking for the ‘perfect’ photographer. Memories are what is left of the big day in the years to follow, but memories can be helped with skilful photography. When I stumbled upon Agata Grzadzielska Instagram I knew she was ‘the one’. I love the natural, romantic and simple style of her photography - we have been getting so many compliments about our pictures. She was also the kindest and most organised and efficient photographer ever - she is AMAZING. 

For our mini-moon we went to our all time favourite city - New York. We had actually considered getting married there at some point so thought we should take our wedding clothes with us and take some photos there as well. Our American photographer, Hannah Jan Photo, was a recommendation from a friend. She was so lovely and so good at taking stunning photos of us in our all time favourite spots in NYC: FlatIron, Washington Square Park, Soho. We have been very lucky with our wedding photography. 

What was the most special moment on your wedding day apart from saying "yes" to your husband?

There have been so many special moments during the day. I loved walking down the aisle (or down the stunning staircase) with my dad, I loved seeing our families and friends from all different stages of our lives and all different countries under one roof, I loved getting ready with Jason in our hotel room, I loved our first dance (“Can’t help falling in love” by Elvis Presley - routine for which we prepared and practiced months in advance), I loved it all. It really was the most perfect day. 

What advice would you give to brides still planning their wedding?

When it comes to buying a dress - go with something you feel comfortable in and with a bridal shop that makes you feel relaxed and excited (I highly recommend Indie Bride London!). Plan, plan, plan - nothing beats preparation. And don’t forget to enjoy the day - you are surrounded by people who love you and wish you well, how wonderful is that?

- Olga -