I wanted to transform myself halfway through the day
Katie Lee, 25, a marketing manager, lives with husband Josh Hearne, 30, a financial director, in London. the couple married in October 2018.
it was Dad who encouraged me to wear two wedding dresses, rather than one. He and Mum came shopping with me soon after i got engaged in May 2017. i’d always envisaged wearing a gown with a full skirt, but none of the dresses i tried was quite right — so the shop staff suggested i try a separate skirt and top. i didn’t know that was even an option.
i found the perfect skirt straight away. From a spanish brand called Pronovias, it was made in a lovely thick silk that hung perfectly. it looked beautiful with a delicate lace top (right). there was one big problem, though: the skirt was unbelievably heavy. if i wanted to dance all night, i’d be too restricted.
But Dad was adamant. ‘that’s the one!’ he said. and so we embraced idea of two outfits — one for the ceremony and one for dancing.
i spotted a flowing satin skirt with a long lace train, but couldn’t find a top i liked. the staff then came up with another great idea — they could cut off some of the train and use the material to make a top. i chose a halterneck shape for the top (above), inspired by Meghan Markle’s reception dress. simple, yet classy.
On the day, i loved having two looks. i wore my dream big skirt for our Jewish ceremony and the photos, then nipped upstairs at the start of the reception to change for dinner and dancing. Josh hadn’t seen either outfit beforehand, so he had the surprise element twice.
My dresses are really versatile so they’ll have a life afterwards. i can wear either of the two tops with other outfits, and i’m planning to dye the reception skirt for another event.