Lizzy & Finn | A Personalised Wedding Dress for Lizzy’s Elegant Gunby Hall Wedding

elizabethkatebridal

Sep 10

8 min read

Some wedding dresses feel special because they're the perfect dress. Others become even more meaningful because they evolve with the bride wearing them. For Lizzy, finding her wedding dress was very much the latter.

Lizzy in her personalised wedding dress at her Gunby Hall wedding in Lincolnshire

At a glance

Bride & Groom: Lizzy & Finn
Wedding date: 11th June 2026
Ceremony: Gunby Hall, Lincolnshire
Reception: Scrivelsby Walled Garden
Boutique: Elizabeth Kate Bridal
Dress: Rebecca Ingram "Kailani," customised
Style: Personalised, elegant with a relaxed reception feel

After an experience at another bridal shop that felt too pushy, Lizzy discovered Elizabeth Kate Bridal through her sister-in-law. What followed was a completely different kind of bridal experience, one where she could take her time, explore her ideas and ultimately customise her dress until it felt completely personal to her.

Lizzy and Finn's wedding brought together Lizzy's love of elegance and timeless style with Finn's preference for something more relaxed and laid-back. And the result sounds wonderfully, unmistakably them.

How We Met

We actually met in a nightclub while we were both at university! Very cliché, but after that first meeting we went on one date and were pretty much inseparable from then on. We'll have been together for 15 years this January, which feels quite surreal!

The Proposal | New York

New York was already one of Lizzy's favourite cities, so it became an especially meaningful setting for Finn's proposal.

We were in New York, one of my favourite cities in the world. After visiting five times myself, I'd finally managed to convince Finn to come with me! We had the most gorgeous day doing all the festive things and riding bikes around Central Park, before heading to Little Island, the floating park near the High Line. Finn had started acting really strange and had gone very quiet, so naturally I just assumed he was getting hangry… little did I know he was actually preparing to ask me to be his wife! It was such a special moment, in a city I already loved so much.

Our Wedding Day | Gunby Hall & Scrivelsby Walled Garden

Lizzy and Finn chose two venues that gave them exactly the contrast they were looking for.

We got married on the 11th June 2026 at Gunby Hall in Lincolnshire!

An Elegant Yet Relaxed Wedding

For me, I'd always imagined something elegant and timeless, whereas Finn wanted the day to feel much more relaxed and laid-back. Gunby Hall was perfect for the vision I had, and it's also a really special place to both of us, which made it feel even more fitting. We then held our reception at Scrivelsby Walled Garden, which has a completely different, much more relaxed atmosphere - so it suited Finn perfectly! Together, the two venues gave us the best of both worlds and made the day feel very 'us'. We also found both venues to be far more affordable than many of the other options we'd looked at, without feeling like we had to compromise. The teams at both were absolutely incredible and made the whole experience so special.

The Best Part of the Day

Sometimes there isn't one single moment that stands above everything else.

It sounds so cliché, but I genuinely loved every single second of it. Every cost, every stressful moment and every decision we had to make was completely worth it. I honestly wouldn't change a thing!

Finding My Wedding Dress

Lizzy's first experience of wedding dress shopping wasn't quite what she had hoped for, which made discovering Elizabeth Kate Bridal all the more important.

Originally, I went to a bridal shop I'd seen go viral on Instagram, but when I got there, I found the whole experience quite pushy, which really wasn't for me. Luckily, my sister-in-law lives near Elizabeth Kate Bridal and suggested I try there instead…and I am SO pleased she did! From the moment I went in, it felt like a completely different experience.

A Dress That Felt Completely Personal

Rather than looking for something she had seen everywhere before, Lizzy wanted a dress that felt different, and she knew from the beginning that she wanted to make changes.

My dress was just perfect! I knew I wanted something that felt a little different and not like something I'd seen lots of other brides wearing. I can't remember the exact name of the dress, but from the beginning I knew I wanted to customise and tweak the original design so that it felt completely personal to me and really reflected my own style. I couldn't have been happier with how it turned out!

Dress Spotlight: Rebecca Ingram "Kailani"

Lizzy's dress started life as the Kailani gown from Rebecca Ingram, before being customised at Elizabeth Kate Bridal to reflect her own style. Changes included a bespoke neckline and bust shaping, detachable draped sleeves fastened with tiny buttons, and a custom-made neck scarf for extra statement detail, transforming the original design into something completely unique to Lizzy.

When I Knew My Dress Was Really Mine

Lizzy didn't have the instant, emotional reaction she had expected when she first found her dress. Instead, the feeling grew throughout her fittings.

"I didn't have that immediate rush of tears and emotion when I first found my dress like I'd expected, and at the time I actually felt a little bad about that."

But the more I've spoken to other brides, the more I've realised that's actually quite normal! For me, the excitement grew each time I went back for a fitting. As more alterations were made and I could see my vision coming to life, I just felt more and more incredible in it. I think it was actually the final fitting, when everything was completely finished, that it really hit me. I remember feeling quite emotional on the way home knowing that the next time I put it on would be my wedding day.

Lizzy and Finn's elegant Gunby Hall wedding in Lincolnshire

Making My Dress My Own

This is one of the loveliest parts of Lizzy's story, because her finished dress wasn't simply something she bought. It became something she helped create.

Probably a bit of a nightmare for them, as there was quite a lot I wanted to change! I was very specific about the neckline and the shape I wanted across my bust, and we also added sleeves with a particular drape I had in mind. Kim then had the brilliant idea of attaching them with tiny buttons, so I could remove them later in the evening if I wanted to. We also added a custom neck scarf, which was just incredible and really gave the whole dress that statement feel I was looking for. All of those little details made it feel completely unique and so personal to me.

Lizzy's Advice for Brides Dress Shopping

Go with someone you really trust and who you know will give you their genuine opinion. I also chose not to wear any makeup to my try-on, which I'm actually really glad I did. I wanted to know that I loved how I felt in the dress without any of the other fuss - no hair, makeup or anything else to influence how I felt in it.

What Lizzy Says About Elizabeth Kate Bridal

I never felt pressured into making a decision, and they gave me the space to work out exactly what felt right for me.

I would say just book the appointment! Both Kim and Holly are so lovely and incredibly knowledgeable about the dresses, but they also really listen to what you want and how you want to feel. Especially as someone who wanted to make quite a few changes to my dress, I felt completely confident putting my ideas in their hands. They understood my vision and helped bring it to life in a way that still felt beautifully considered. The whole experience felt really personal from start to finish, and I couldn't recommend them enough.

Lizzy's Wedding Planning Advice

Don't get too caught up in trying to make everyone else happy. It's probably such a typical answer, but the moment I stopped worrying about what everyone else might want or expect and focused on what Finn and I wanted, the whole process became so much more enjoyable. I'd also say really think about your non-negotiables and prioritise your budget around those. Spend more on the things that genuinely matter to you and don't feel like you have to include something just because it's traditionally part of a wedding. If you don't care about wedding favours, for example, don't spend money on them! Put that budget towards something you'll actually notice, enjoy or remember.

Lizzy & Finn's Wedding Suppliers

We were so lucky with the people we chose, and everyone played such a huge part in making the day what it was, Lizzy would recommend every one of them.

Dress: @elizabethkatebridal
Photographer: @brookeartestudio
Videographer: @cjl.films
Ceremony venue: @ntgunbyhall
Reception venue: @scrivelsbywalledgarden
Florists: @limewoodflowers, @harriet_olivia_floristry, @theflowergatherer
Catering: @thebohocateringco

A Wedding Day That Felt Like Them

From a festive day in New York to a personalised wedding dress and two very different Lincolnshire wedding venues, Lizzy and Finn's story is a lovely reminder that your wedding doesn't have to follow someone else's idea of what it should look like.

It can be elegant and relaxed. Traditional and personal. And your dress can change along the way until it feels completely, unmistakably yours.

Most importantly, as Lizzy says, the moment she stopped worrying about what everyone else might want and focused on what she and Finn wanted, the whole process became more enjoyable.

And looking back?

"I honestly wouldn't change a thing!"

Ready to start your own dress search?

Book your appointment at Elizabeth Kate Bridal and let's find (or create) the dress that feels completely, unmistakably you.

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Wedding Dress FAQs

When should I start looking for my wedding dress?

Most brides benefit from starting their wedding dress search around 12–18 months before their wedding, giving plenty of time for choosing a dress, ordering, alterations and any personalisation.

How long is a wedding dress appointment?

At Elizabeth Kate Bridal, your first bridal appointment is approx 2 hours, designed to give you plenty of time to explore different styles, try dresses on and work out what feels right for you.

How many people should I bring wedding dress shopping?

We recommend keeping your group relatively small to 2 - 3 of your closest supporters. Too many opinions can make it harder to hear your own instinct, particularly when you're trying to work out how you feel in a dress.

Can I customise my wedding dress?

Yes! Depending on the dress and designer, there may be opportunities to personalise elements such as sleeves, necklines, straps or accessories. Lizzy's dress is a lovely example of how thoughtful changes can turn an existing design into something that feels completely individual.

Do I need to know what style of wedding dress I want before my appointment?

Not at all. You don't need to arrive knowing your neckline, silhouette or exact style. Your appointment is an opportunity to try different things and discover what makes you feel amazing.