The Dress With Chrissy Ciravegna

Chrissy Ciravegna and Archie Reynolds held their wedding in Rome at Villa Aurelia on the 15^th June, 2024. Villa Aurelia is located in Trastevere, a quiet neighbourhood looking over the city. The venue is fully outdoors, covered in amazing gardens, water features and nature; a great location for a formal yet intimate al fresco wedding. We take a look inside Chrissy’s incredible bespoke dress journey with Emma Victoria Payne. Here is The Wedding Editions exclusive first look…

The Journey

I struggled at the start of my wedding dress journey, visiting over 10 different bridal shops in London, including Susan Nevilla, Browns Brides, Pronovias, and Halfpenny London looking for that ‘wow, this is the dress’ moment, but it never came. I have always had a clear vision of what I was looking for, but was left frustrated as I couldn’t find it.

I was then recommended Emma Victoria Payne in Chelsea by a few friends, so I booked an appointment. I knew from the first visit this is where I was going to find my dress; she put me at complete ease. Every question, worry, idea, and creative vision I had, she would say yes absolutely, anything is possible! This was a breath of fresh air, and I felt very confident in my choice.

Choosing to make a bespoke dress without seeing it can be risky, but I appreciate how flexible Emma was. We worked until the week before the wedding on last-minute fixes and alterations, which I know is not always possible with other dressmakers.

The Vision

I knew I wanted a simple, elegant dress. I also knew I wanted it to be timeless ,so I could look back at my wedding photos in 50 years and still love my dress. After trying a few dresses with Emma, I realised I wanted satin— I have quite tan skin, and I love the way the material looks when contrasting with darker skin tones.

The Decision

As a bride, there is a heightened pressure to look your best on your wedding day. The dress is a major factor, so it was a stressful process! My mother was my saviour: a perfect balance of a ‘hype woman’ but also honest, so I trusted everything she said. Wedding dress shopping together was a real bonding experience, so I would recommend future brides to always go with people you fully trust and love.

Style Support

I didn’t show anyone my dresses besides my mum. I wanted it to be a surprise!

The Evening Look

I always knew I would change into an evening dress; I didn’t want to be dragging around or holding up the back of my dress on the dance floor, and didn’t want my guests to be worried about coming about dancing together and spilling a drink or ruining my dress!

I worked with Emma again for my second dress, which was easy to create as we already had the tulle from my first dress. I went for a halter neck satin crepe gown, with a bespoke hand-beaded skirt to catch the eye and shimmer in the evening light.

The Accessories

I kept it simple with jewellery and shoes, I wore small diamond drop hoops from Daphine and my wedding rings, and I got my shoes from Office for just £30! Who needs expensive shoes when you don’t see them?

My veil was another bespoke piece from Emma, who hand-sewed scalloped French lace around the edges of my single layered veil.

The Second Day Outfit

My welcome dinner outfit was harder to find. I ordered and returned about 6 dresses before finding the one from SAFIYAA: a number called the ‘Bridal Azrael Gown’, I wanted a different neckline from my two wedding day dresses, so a strapless white option was perfect. Again, I wanted to keep it simple and timeless, so I opted for a simple yet chic pop of fun with a pearl mini bag.