A daughter’s wedding day is a momentous + meaningful occasion for any mother of the bride, but famed wedding dress designer Rita Vinieris had a unique perspective on such a milestone when Alyx + Simon—her daughter and now-son-in-law—tied the knot in the UK because bride Alyx walked down the aisle in one of her mom’s breathtaking bridal creations.
All together Alyx wore three different Rita Vinieris gowns throughout the celebration—all of them beyond stunning. We are so touched by this mother-daughter moment and the way that Rita’s work and Alyx’s bridal journey intersected.
The wedding took place at Hazel Gap, a striking red brick barn venue in Nottinghamshire, and the vibe was immaculate. “We wanted the wedding to be chic and modern,” say Alyx + Simon. “Neither of us are big fans of colours, so we chose a minimalist colour palette of black, white, and neutrals as our wedding colours.”
Together with the elevated rustic vibes of the venue, greenery-filled floral creations, and of course Rita’s gorgeous gowns, the minimalist color world made for a modern + romantic event that was a lesson in luxury, style, and effortless sophistication.
Beautiful photos from Rebecca Rees tell the story of this magnificent day in the East Midlands!
How elegant are these b+w minimal wedding invitations? They were done by one of the bridesmaids, Loreina Chew. Love the font combination.
A Mother-Daughter Moment
Titan of the bridal design world Rita Vinieris—who recently launched her 2025 collection and is headed into her 30th year of operation—was of course on hand to help Alyx get dressed + ready.
“Alyx’s ceremony dress was hand painted floral tulle corset ball gown in shades of ivory with hints of pale green and pale pink,” says Rita of the stunning customized Raelynn gown that the bride began the day in.
What was it like for a renowned bridal designer to work with her own daughter? “It was surreal!” says Rita. “The most important thing for me was to ensure that Alyx made her own decision on her wedding dress… in this case dresses…. without any outside influences from anyone when she was trying on dresses. It was truly a beautiful thing to see my own daughter fall in love with not one but a few of my designs.”
Alyx’s bridal accessory game was strong, opting for a pair of delicate white bow wedding earrings.
Bows are having their moment, and we are all about it! Find bow details on our list of wedding trends we’re currently loving!
Alyx’s gorgeous curls were styled by Leigh Keates, and Emma White Turle created her romantic, dewey makeup look.
Alyx’s stunning floral edge wedding veil? Another one-of-a-kind Rita Vinieris creation.
Loving the hand painted floral details of Alyx’s veil as well as the inclusion of Alyx + Simon’s initials and wedding date.
Personalized wedding accessories are another one of our fave wedding trends to watch!
“Alyx’s personal style was the most important aspect to stay true to on her wedding day,” says Rita of Alyx + Simon’s “modern chic ethereal in a minimalist way” aesthetic.
We are absolutely in love with Rita’s beyond-chic black one-shoulder mother of the bride dresses!!
Sneak a peek at Alyx’s peep toe pointed white wedding heels by Alexander McQueen!
The Ceremony
Love the fluttering black ribbon details on Alyx + Simon’s b+w minimalist wedding welcome sign.
Bride Alyx prefers lush greenery and leafy foliage to typical blooming wedding florals, so the day was filled with wild greenery accented with some whimsical b+w wildflower-inspired arrangements.
Alyx + Simon walked down the aisle to a custom piano processional created by social media-famous wedding song composer and musician from the band The Faim, Stephen Beerkens. The tune was a combination of 4 songs: “Blood Sport” by Sleep Token, “Drown” by Bring Me The Horizon, “Deep End” by I Prevail, and “Can You Feel My Heart” by Bring Me The Horizon.
Our Advice
Plan your wedding for you and your fiancé, don’t try to plan it with the mindset of making others happy. At the end of the day, it’ll be your core memories and your special day with your husband/wife. If you get an off feeling about anything, like a vendor, take that as a sign. I had an off feeling about a vendor I spoke with and decided not to go with them and I think this was very much the right thing to do because the vendor I chose was the nicest person to work with and made our vision come to life.
How elegant do Alyx’s bridesmaids look in these black bridesmaid dresses?!
Mismatched bridesmaid silhouettes like Alyx’s crew are wearing are such a great way to keep a cohesive color world but let your besties’ personal style shine through.
“I didn’t actually know what kind of dress I wanted before I went dress shopping,” says Alyx. “I chose several dresses that I thought were me to try on, and in the end I chose dresses I didn’t ever think I’d like, but I loved all 3 of my dresses so much!”
“Working with my mum was really easy,” she continues. “She let me choose whatever dresses I wanted and never pushed me into anything I didn’t want. She had told everyone when I was trying on dresses to not make any comments until after I had taken a moment with the dress and had made the first comment.”
The Reception
Before heading into the reception, Alyx changed from her full-skirt painted floral ceremony dress into a customized version of the Chloe gown for a lace corset fit and flare reception dress look.
Explore our collection of the most beautiful mermaid wedding gowns if you’re totally smitten with Alyx’s second bridal silhouette like we are.
Different versions of the black + white wedding day aesthetic are favorites among contemporary couples. If you’re headed to a b+w wedding and want to dress for the monochromatic vibe, check out our helpful guides: Can you wear white to a wedding? and Can you wear black to a wedding?
Let’s hear it for this bold + dramatic black wedding dress! 🖤 Alyx made her final outfit change into this show stopping custom black Celine gown (which featured a removable skirt and hidden mini dress perfect for dancing) just in time to slice into this delicious three their naked iced drip wedding cake from Green Kitchen Cakes.
The day’s music came courtesy of Jackstar Weddings.
Our Favorite Memory
Our final song, We Are The Champions by Queen, when everyone joined in a large circle around the dance floor with Alyx & Simon in the middle.
Congratulations to Alyx + Simon as well as to proud MOB Rita Vinieris! This effortlessly sophisticated celebration was a pure modern elegance with one breathtaking bridal look after another. GWS wishes all of you the very best!
photographer: Rebecca Rees | venue: Hazel Gap Barn | wedding dresses: Rita Vinieris | veil: Rita Vinieris | shoes: Alexander McQueen | hair: Leigh Keates | makeup: Emma White Turle | officiant: Nottinghamshire Registrars | Groomsmen Attire: Moss Bros | videographer: Rob Dunlop | partial planning & styling: AR weddings | Engagement Ring: Aurelius Jewelry | Wedding Bands: Excel Jewellery Nottingham | Flowers: Millefleur | Cake: Green Kitchen Cakes | Music: Jackstar Weddings | Favors: personalized cookies by Green Kitchen Cakes
