Real Bride

#EnzoaniRealBride: Helen & Will

Modern Chic From the UK to the French Countryside

On the 20th of September, 2014, Helen and Will came together in an official celebration of their beautiful romance, with an impossibly gorgeous wedding at the stunning Chateau La Durantie in Lanouaille, France. The chateau's historic and splendid rooms and gardens served as the perfect backdrop for Helen and Will's nuptials, allowing family and friends to partake in an exquisite and one-of-a-kind celebration. The Enzoani team spoke to Helen about her special day, how she chose her Blue by Enzoani Dillon wedding dress...and how she fell in love with Will!

How did you choose your gown or realize it was "The One?"

Helen: "My mum and I drove for hours over numerous weekends trying to look for the ONE, the dress I was told that would just stand out from the crowd and make me feel amazing. However, after six weekends and around forty dresses later, I began to despair at the thought I would never find it. Then one uncharacteristically sunny winter’s morning in Oxfordshire, my mother and I got in the car and headed over to Bicester to a beautiful bridal shop called Butterfly Boutique. I started the--by now--well-honed process of picking out the dresses, and one by one saying, ‘’No, it’s just not the one.’’ Then came the last dress...'Would this be it, would I fall in love?' As I stepped into the beautiful ivory gown, it felt different, the lace was exquisite, delicate in its design, elegant and simple, yet it made a statement, the train was the perfect length. I felt amazing. I had found the ONE, the Dillon dress."

Tell us about your love story!

Helen: "Will and I first met at college in 1997, through mutual friends. I’d love to say our story started there and it was love at first sight, however it certainly was not; to say we had a mutual dislike would be a fair assessment! So the meeting was short-lived! Fast track to 2010 and thirteen years later, Will and I bump into each other at a local bar. The conversation centred on one of the mutual friends from all those years back, and as we discussed how he was doing, we both found that we had more than one mutual interest. Over the next few months, the occasional meetings became more frequent, and then came to a crescendo on the eve of my 30th birthday. Will and I spent most of the evening together, sipping champagne while talking about our hopes and dreams of the future. The evening of my birthday, Will made his move; he said, “You talk too much” and moved in for a kiss - that kiss was the start of something truly wonderful. On the 18th September, three years after our reunion, Will took me to Barcelona where on the top of the Montserrat Mountain, on a glorious summer’s day, in the front of St. Joan Chapel, Will got down on one knee and proposed."

What was your favourite wedding day memory?

Helen: "Looking back at our special day, it is so hard to describe which parts of the day were the most memorable. From the moment I awoke in Chateau Durantie’s beautiful bridal suite, it felt like a dream. The day was so spectacular, the venue so beautiful, the ceremony and the festivities so perfect, I would not have changed a single thing. That being said, there are a few special moments that stand out for me. The emotional moment I put the dress on, with my hair perfectly styled and my makeup glowing, I walked out to see my mum, dad and bridesmaids, I felt truly amazing. I was greeted with huge smiles and happy tears followed by big hugs of joy."

Helen continues, "I was ready for the momentous walk down through the chateau gardens that formed the aisle. I will remember this moment for the rest of my life, a beautifully sunny September’s day, in the most amazing chateau in France. The lavender boarders filled the aisle and the air with their beautiful fragrance. The sound of Pachelbel Canon D played by the string quartet leading me in. The moment I had dreamt about for months was finally here. I stopped for a few seconds just before I reached where my husband-to-be stood, and took in the moment, it was all just beautifully perfect, with the most handsome man in the world waiting to marry me. The final memory I want to share is the moment Will and I took a walk, away from the celebrations, to sit on the grand steps of the chateau looking out over the gardens, where only hours earlier we had made our promises. Within this beautifully busy day, we managed to find a perfect, tranquil moment together. We sat, held hands and regaled over the day, the beauty, the emotion, the love that filled our hearts and the hearts of every one of our guests. We felt and continue to feel truly blessed to have had the most amazing day of our lives."