Louise and Dewar first met in their local bar 11 years ago. “Our first date was to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I knew he was a keeper,” says Louise. “We had been together 10 years when we got engaged in March this year, on my 30th birthday.”

“He took me to a favourite restaurant with our children, where he had reserved the top level. He also got Mya from the TV programme Selling Sunset to do a video for me saying, ‘I hope you say yes to the proposal!’ It was a dream moment!”

Shopping for the dress

Louise visited WED2B’s Chelmsford store to find her dream dress. “My sister bought her wedding dress from WED2B in 2017 and I knew I’d be getting mine from there too,” says Louise. “We went in the evening and had a lovely, quiet, personal experience with the amazing Ella.”

“I chose Oakley, but I then added tulle sleeves! I loved the train detail and just the way it felt. It was so special without being over the top. Everyone has been obsessing over the dress!”

(For similar styles try Scout, Nico or Kylo. Plus, if you’d like to add straps or sleeves to your WED2B dress, check out our detachable straps and cute lace jackets. Our instore bridal experts can also recommend local alterations specialists who can help you with changing the length and fit of your dress or add details, such as a chic bow or pretty tulle sleeves.) 

A romantic orchard wedding

Louise and Dewar chose Creeksea Place in Burnham as their wedding venue. “I found it by complete accident but when I saw it I cried,” says Louise. “I knew it was the place for us. We were married outside in the orchard and had an amazing reception in their stunning lake lawn marquee.”

The big day

The wedding was on 12th August 2022. “I got ready with my maids, flowers girls and mum in the bridal cottage in the grounds of the venue, which was absolutely stunning. The weather was 27℃ and sunny. It was so beautiful.”

“My amazing dad walked me down the aisle to the instrumental version of ‘Halo’ by Beyoncé. The most special moment for me was the exchanging of our rings. It felt amazing to finally be a McKinlay.”

Confetti, burgers and speeches

“After the orchard wedding ceremony we had a confetti toss, then speeches on the lake lawn,” says Louise. “We didn’t have a formal wedding breakfast, just a burger van and a very laid-back vibe. Our first dance was to ‘God Only Knows’ by the Beach Boys.”

Let’s party!

“Our wedding was very relaxed and was all about good party vibes,” says Louise. “The groom and his groomsmen wore kilts, as my husband is half Scottish, so that was amazing.”

“The colour scheme was white and sage green. Our wedding cake was sage green with a satin bow and it was completely fake! We then served cupcakes in the evening. Later, our great DJ Jamie really  brought the party.”

The best moment…

“The most memorable moment for me was walking down the aisle and seeing my sons in their little outfits,” says Louise. “And our first walk as the McKinlays, back up the aisle to ‘You’ve Got the Love’ by Florence and the Machine.”

My top tips…

“It’s only as stressful as you make it, so relax and enjoy the experience because it goes so quickly,” says Louise. “If anything goes wrong on the day, nobody will know except you. So, it’s not worth worrying about!”

Louise’s Dream Team

Photographer: Joseph Kinerman

Venue: Creeksea Place Manor House

Wedding dresses: WED2B

Cake: Coco Flamingo Cakes

Flowers: Blooming Daisys

Makeup: Cbbeautex 

Hair: Hair By Gem

DJ: Crums

If you would like us to feature your big day, like this orchard wedding, then please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. Or click here for more details about WED2B’s bridal shops