December marked a very special occasion for us here, as it was the month we saw our first celebrity bride walk down the aisle in 'head to toe' Perfect Bridal.
Back in May 2023, former ITV's 'Dancing on Ice' winner Alex Murphy commissioned our dress designer Kay Heeley from Angel Couture to make her a bespoke wedding gown. The brief for such a dress was to be romantic, with a princess vibe but with comfort at the forefront of the design.
The start of a beautiful partnership...
Kay and Alex go way back to 2017 when Kay was first introduced by a mutual friend, and they became not only great friends, but Alex became a model for Kay's other dress brand Angel Couture. So, when Alex got engaged the Christmas of 2022, she jumped at the chance for Kay to design and make her wedding gown for her nuptials the following year. Kay drove down to Alex's Herefordshire home with a car full of gowns including our stunning dress collection that Kay designed exclusively for us. Alex tried on all the styles Kay offered to her, and took her advice of trying things that she didn't think she wanted. 90% of brides think they know what they want, but almost always choose the opposite once they see different styles and shapes on. Let's face it, it's not every day we try on wedding gowns, so it's quite a different shopping experience than buying everyday clothing items.
Alex had quite a clear vision of what she liked and like most brides had a Pinterest board, with all her ideas. As Alex is a professional ice skater, and wearing hundreds of stunning costumes day after day on the ice rink, she had exceptional vision on the ideas Kay suggested to make her gown 'The One!' One picture Alex showed Kay in particular was a bride and groom sat eating a slice of pizza. The bride wore high top trainers, a biker jacket and a huge tulle gown. This was the vibe of her day, and after Kay asked to see the venue, she knew exactly what she would design for Alex.
A dress is born...
Kay hand draws all of her own designs, as some of you may already know, who follow our socials. So, a design was drawn up and presented to Alex a few weeks after the initial dress try on. Alex had asked Kay to style the whole look, so even though the dress was to be made by Kay at her Angel Couture Studios, she wanted Alex to be accessorised in our beautiful Perfect Bridal collection. Knowing Alex always wanted comfort, we were launching our brand-new Cameron High tops and Kay knew it would be an amazing opportunity to give these trainers their first showing… and where better than on a celebrity and featured in 'Hello' Magazine.
Alex travelled to her fittings at Angel Couture HQ in Yorkshire, and when she was shown the dress design for the first time, she was over the moon and didn't want to change anything! Alex's mum Lynda had travelled all the way from Boston to meet Kay and see her daughter embark on the journey of having the most important dress of her life made. Alex was measured from head to toe (36 measurements to be exact) ranging from neck, to bust, shoulder to waist, sleeve length and every other measurement you can possibly think of. They then discussed all the possible accessories that would complement the dress, and to create the overall look that Alex envisioned.
From drawing to toile...
Alex had 5 fittings in total, 2 of which were made in calico cotton, which is used so it can be adjusted and tweaked, drawn on and cut up to create the final patterns which like everything is Kay's studio, are done by hand. Even though Alex is a professional skater, she admitted she had never been able to afford to have skating dresses made when she was little as they were too expensive. So, having her wedding gown made, was all the more poignant. Once the toile stages were completed and the final adjustments were made, the working patterns became the 'best patterns' and the dress was ready to be cut out of the final fabrics. Over 50 meters of tulle, satin and Chantilly lace, as well as 100 lace motifs that would be the finishing touch to this magical and spectacular gown.
The final reveal…
After a couple more fittings down in Herefordshire, Alex made the final drive to Yorkshire to see her gown finally finished. Kay had placed the dress on a mannequin in her showroom complete with detachable train, our veil, gloves and the Cameron Trainers. There were tears of joy!
When Alex tried the dress on, it was too big on the waist. As most brides tend to do, Alex had lost weight due to nerves and excitement, so Kay had to then make final adjustments to the bodice making the final hours spent on the dress just under 180.
The big day is finally here...
Alex and her fiancé, the famous You Tube star Paul Klein, tied the knot in the spectacular Ashridge House in Herefordshire. The star-studded guest list included Olympic royalty Torvill and Dean, as well as reality TV stars from Dancing on Ice, Celebrity Road Trip, and Love Island. Famous singers performed for the couple throughout the day, and our very own designer Kay got to mingle with the stars. Alex asked Kay to help her get ready, and after driving the precious cargo that was the dress an all the accessories, Kay's nerves were through the roof when finally zipping Alex into her gown just 30 minutes before the ceremony started. This was the first time Alex had tried the dress after those last-minute alterations, so needless to say, Kay didn't get much sleep the night before, as there is only so much you can do with an emergency hand-sewing kit!
As everyone took their seats for the 2pm ceremony, Alex had a private and emotional moment with her father John, as well as the American tradition of 'First look' where Paul saw her in her gown for the first time. Afterwards Paul came up to Kay and said he was so relieved the first look was with nobody present, as he would not have managed to hold it together if he had seen her walking down the grand staircase at the actual ceremony.
As Alex walked down the stairs coming into view of her guests, Kay said she felt a wave of emotion wash over her. So many hours spent on getting a dress so perfect, but also seeing Alex, who looked absolutely breath-taking, brought tears to Kay's and may guests eyes. But those tears turned to laughter as they discovered her lace trainers poking out from the thigh high leg split in her gown. The words 'That's so Alex' was said by so many that knew her well.
Well 'Hello'...
Sophie Eleanor Photography for Hello magazine
The wedding from start to finish was a magical winter wonderland and a fairy tale from start to finish for two people that found so much happiness with each other, Alex and Paul. The pages of the UK's leading magazine was the cherry on top of the wedding cake, and we were just thrilled to be a part of this momentous and spectacular day! We here at Perfect Bridal wish Alex and Paul the very best for their future together, and Kay and Alex's bond is stronger than ever as together they are launching the gown that Kay designed, for our very own dress collection. We are so excited to see what they have planned over the coming months and we will of course be keeping you all updated with a 'Get the look' blog as soon as we know more!
