This Beautiful Bride Wore a Custom AYM Dress to Her Intimate Eastbourne Wedding

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"We met during the pandemic, when the world was turned upside down. As restrictions started to lift, we went for long walks and got to know each other the old-fashioned way. Walking side by side in the countryside. No drinks or restaurants, just us and the muddy footpaths in front of us. Our first meal together was a picnic on a park bench with homemade supplies.

When Mike first told me he loved me, we were at a vineyard in Alfriston, so it was the perfect place for our proposal. He proposed to me in a secret corner of the vineyard, amongst the vines and with the Cuckmere valley surrounding us. We practically skipped our way around the vineyard after getting engaged, and then sat together eating bread & drinking wine in the September sunshine."

"I got ready with my mum, my sister and my dog Nala. My sister wrote me a handwritten letter for my wedding morning, so I sat with her as she read it to me. It was a special moment I’ll cherish forever. I did my own makeup, and I had my hair done by Katya Valentina in a half-up, half-down style. I wanted my hair down as my dress was a bandeau, but I knew we were going to be by the coast, and it was sure to be breezy! So having it half up allowed me to know it would be practical too. Mike got ready in the room next door with his mum, and there was a lot of laughter back and forth as we tried to avoid bumping into each other in the corridor before our first look."

"When we first got engaged, we found out that one of my best friends had got engaged on the exact same day! (What are the chances!) So, we made a dream become even more dreamy; we caught a train to Paris and went wedding dress shopping. *Screaming in girlhood* It felt like a scene from a movie - walking into the bridal boutiques in Paris, the rails of exquisite dresses just urging us to try them on, with the sounds of the sewing machines whirring away in the rooms next door. I found the most stunning Calais lace fingerless gloves. They were my first wedding wardrobe purchase. The delicate lace with scalloped edges on both sides was so intricate and delicate. They instantly elevated any of the dresses I tried on, so I knew I had to have them. I built my wedding day outfit around these. "

"I designed my wedding dress with AYM. I drew out many designs and shapes, but kept circling back to the shape that finally became my dress. I knew I wanted something timeless, elegant and subtly sculptural. I opted for a bandeau that would allow my shoulders to be bare, something I think is extremely chic. We created a corseted bodice with boning in the sides to hold the shape together. I wanted to feel comfortable but also have a shape that was a little bit sexy too, so I created a gathered section over the tummy, so that we could tighten the fabric around the waist and allow it to flow over the tummy area – creating a silhouette that feels flattering and still empowering. It’s always a challenge to create a fit around the hips that isn’t tight around the lower tummy but has a shapely fit around the bum. With a lot of back and forth with Gabby, we created a shape that fit beautifully, allowing for comfort in case of bloating and a shape around the back that felt feminine and sculpted. I opted for no slit in the dress as I didn’t want it to blow open; I wanted to be able to focus on enjoying the moment without worrying about holding my dress (and my dignity) together."

"For the shoes, I brought in something blue and went for a pair of Jimmy Choos in a soft powder blue. (the Elsy 70). I also wore our styling scarf, draped softly over my shoulders for an added layer of easy elegance."

"The bouquet was designed by Zara of Zara Flora. I wanted cascading lilies wrapped with pearls, so it felt like jewellery - a delicate finishing touch that tied the whole look together."

"The wedding band and engagement ring were from G Collins. When I met Mike, he was helping his cousin work on the G Collins workshop, so it felt like a full circle moment when he designed my engagement ring with them. He created a stunning emerald cut Sapphire, with step cut trapezoid diamonds on either side. Our wedding bands are simple bands, also from G Collins."

"Mike's outfit was an earthy brown suit from P Johnson. Shoes were from Russel and Bromley. P Johnson has a casual suit option. Mike wanted something that felt relaxed and to bring a bit of his personality into his outfit. Especially as we were planning to walk around the countryside after our ceremony. Inspired by the earthy palette of the landscape we were going to explore on our wedding day."

"We rented a house in the countryside for a week and stayed there with our mums & sisters. The house had never been used for a wedding before, but the hosts were incredibly accommodating when we reached out to them and asked if they would be happy for us to host a small ring ceremony. The house is a traditional Kent Oast house, featuring a round Oast section that lends it considerable character. As our legal wedding was so intimate - with just our mums & us, we didn't host any welcome events. But we all had a cosy dinner at the cottage the night before, and we had a pamper night. Mike included! "

"We had our invitations created by Lindsay at TPel Paper & Press. The invitations featured woodland scenery inspired by our home - we’re renovating stables in the English countryside that are surrounded by ancient woodlands, so we wanted to bring our home into our invitations. We had two woodpeckers on the front, and silver birch leaves decorating the archway motif with draped branches. We wanted our guests to be able to interact with our invitations, so we created layers that could be opened like little chapters in a book, revealing different details of the day."

"We got married in Eastbourne Town Hall. It’s a stunning building. Very grand and has this gorgeous staircase lit by a stained-glass window. We chose the Mayor’s parlour, as it was only four of us! We got married with our mums as our witnesses. It was incredibly intimate."

"Following our legal ceremony, we went to the beach. It was stormy, with the waves being whipped up into big frothy splashes of white, and we had to take our shoes off to manage on the cobbled beach. (My Jimmy Choo's didn’t like the cobbles very much!) I absolutely loved walking along the cobbled British beach as newlyweds; people must have thought we were totally bonkers."

"We spent the rest of the day driving around in a vintage car, with a picnic and enjoying the landscape around the South Downs. We walked down to the Seven Sisters, and Benjamin took the most magical photographs of us in the stormy weather."

"We got absolutely drenched by the rain, so we drove back to the house we were staying at and did what any sensible couple would do and pushed a little rowboat out into the pond. We paddled through the rain, just the two of us floating there on the reflection of the trees."

"We wanted to embrace the elements of the Sussex countryside, from spending time by the sea and enjoying the rolling hills of the South Downs, to being outside as much as possible."

"The wild ruggedness of the Seven Sisters cliffs especially resonated with us. Inspired by these surroundings, I loved the idea of bringing sculptural elements into the dress. The earthy tones that Mike picked for his suit complemented the palette perfectly"

"When we returned from Seven Sisters, I changed into the Gaia Dress. It felt like the perfect transition piece: effortless, romantic and made for movement. I wanted something that felt lighter and freer, a dress I could truly live in. The Gaia Dress offered the perfect balance of elegance and ease, so I could enjoy every moment in complete comfort."

Bride: @aliemackintosh
Groom: @mikejb22
Photography: @benjaminwheeler
Venue: @uniquehomestays
Hair: @katya.valentinahair
Dress: @aym.studio
Shoes: @jimmychoo
Flowers: @zarafloraflowers
Catering: Pip & Seed
Stationary: Tpel Paper & Press