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Wedding Expert Interview: Rivendell Bridal

At the Wedding Organizer, we love to hear about alternative weddings. When we came across a particular theme: Elvish weddings, we just had to investigate.

We asked Emma to interview Emily Rossiter, owner of Rivendell Bridal in Somerset. Emily is one of the most respected designer dressmakers of Elvish styled wedding gowns, and so we were keen to hear her expert opinion on the subject.

So who are the elvish brides?

"Some of the brides who commission my dresses have very firm, preconceived ideas about having an elvish style wedding dress," Emily began. "They are usually planning a wedding in the woods or in a castle, and want a wedding dress that will reflect the feel of those locations."

When I asked her whether a lot of her bridal clients had been inspired by the Lord of the Rings films, she said, "Some of them have, and have seen the dresses and thought, wow! I want a dress like that and then found me. But lots of the brides who have commissioned my dresses haven't seen the films. Dresses with a medieval styling have been popular for a long time, and Elvish dresses tend to appeal to people that like the medieval style. And elves were around in popular culture way before the films came out and I expect will be for a long time after."

What kind of weddings do they have?

So what kinds of weddings do her clients have? "Most of them have civil ceremonies, and it is the search for a dress that suits a grand castle or other chosen location that brings them to me," Emily explained. "I have also made dresses for brides that have had hand fasting ceremonies, but only a small number of my bridal clients have had church weddings. But you know, there have been brides who have commissioned a dress from me before knowing or planning a theme for their wedding, and as a result of falling in love with one of the designs, have gone on to fit the wedding around it, which is great!"

The Elvish wedding gown style

I asked Emily how she would describe the Elvish gown style. "The Elvish style is similar to medieval dress styles but lighter, both in colour and the types of fabrics used. The embroidery is more delicate and I feel that the styling really lends itself to wedding dresses. Something that I feel is important about the gowns I make is that they are wedding gowns, not fancy dress. The designs are influenced by Elvish styling, but they are not costume, and they are made with as much attention to detail and technical construction as a more traditional wedding gown."

I asked her about the difference between her gowns and costume. "Costume can be a lot less structured, and tends not to have boning, or be fitted exactly to the bride. My dresses are custom made, with the construction techniques of a modern wedding gown, with just the design influenced by the Elvish style. Most importantly I want the dresses to look and feel like a wedding dress."

Emily's success story

I asked her about how she came to be an Elvish wedding gown designer. "I didn't set out to be a maker of Elvish wedding gowns per se," she explains. "I just knew what I liked and the idea of a wedding dress which was Elvish in feel appealed to me, and therefore, I thought, must appeal to many other women. I design all of the dresses I make and have been lucky enough to find a good niche in the wedding gown market."

Do Elvish wedding gowns suit all body shapes?

Anyone who has seen the Lord of the Rings films will remember that all of the elvish women are tall, thin and beautiful. Does that mean that Elvish wedding gowns only suit willowy brides? "Certain designs do suit a willowy figure, it's true," Emily said. "But every design can be adapted to suit a particular figure, and I always advise the brides on what I think will suit them best. I know my styles well and which of them suit different shaped and sized figures. Lots of brides have bits that they want to keep covered, not everybody is comfortable in a strapless gown and for those people again the Elvish styles are very appealing. I have one design which looks particularly flattering on larger brides which is comprised of a light under-dress beneath a dark over-coat with a deep v-neck."

When asked if some designs are more popular than others, she says "Yes, definitely. At the moment I am getting the most orders for the Titania and Celtic Star dresses. I find it interesting as they are two very different styles, yet just as popular as each other."

Thanks to Emily Rossiter for the interview. You can find out more at her website: www.rivendellbridal.com