When my now husband Alex and I got engaged in 2020 on a very windy cliff top looking over Port Isaac (ironically during storm Alex in the October of that year) I very quickly got straight to finding my dress. I found that I struggled to find a dress which felt like me and wanted something that was classic and easy to wear. After much searching I ended up buying part of it and designing the rest with a local seamstress so I could choose the exact materials and design I wanted, with the added benefit of being able to create it in a way that I could wear at least part of it again.
This, combined with days spent with brides when photographing their wedding days and noticing how uncomfortable some of the dresses seemed on them, sparked an idea for a new and innovative line of bridal wear. Dresses that were timeless, ethereal, easy to wear and made in the UK Comfort is so important and trust me you will enjoy your day so much more with less layers and feeling simply elegant. Now if someone could just design a comfy pair of heels that can last day and night!
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Opting to use high quality and luxury fabrics is a choice I made from the start. These dresses are made to stand the test of time and need to feel beautiful to wear. They are designed to be understated making you feel elegant, and are a joy to wear.
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Each piece has been designed so it can be worn again separately. The dresses are understated and timeless so minimal adaptions are needed to make the dresses wearable for a range of occasions and the separates can be restyled into completely different outfits so you can continue to enjoy them rather than stash them away.
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Laces are sourced from a family business in Nottingham where they have been made since 1760 on traditional leaver machines. The French lace has been sourced from Northern France where the timeless Chantilly lace is produced and some of the silks used have been hand dyed in the Cotswolds.
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We never overproduce as everything is made bespoke to keep waste to an absolute minimum.
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All our gowns and separates are made in Devon, and made by a highly trained, skilled and experienced local seamstress. This keeps our carbon footprint small and helps to support local talent. I also work with a number of local jewellery and accessory makers from Devon and Cornwall which can sometimes be available to be tried on during appointments or spark some inspiration of how you can accessorise your bridal outfit.
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This is my husband Alex and I on our wedding day in 2021 whom I met when we lived in Warwickshire. The second photo is of our daughter, one of my favourite photos I have taken of her (which actually provided me with a bit of inspiration for the first shoot for Katie Woods Bridal) We all now live in Devon and are so lucky to have Dartmoor on our doorstep. I couldn't think of a nicer place to raise our family and run a business.
I have had a love affair with bridal dresses, fabrics and clothing from the get go, designing dream wedding dresses and spending school lunchtimes engrossed in fashion history books in the library. My career lead me down the photography route and after gaining a degree in editorial and advertising photography I have gone on to style and shoot a range of commercial clients, as well as becoming an established wedding and family photographer. It is this experience in the wedding industry alongside my own dress finding journey that had inspired me to create a brand that makes the dresses I want to wear, are sustainable, support local makers and are made from the very best materials.
