The Dress With Abbie Roden Sandbach

Abbie Roden Sandbach married Will Sandbach in Oxfordshire on October 23, 2021. Abbie and Will met through mutual friends in NYC in 2017 at an old West Village institution – The Rusty Knot. Abbie, originally from Lexington, Kentucky, along with Will, run their wine brand – amie, RODEN, a social media and content agency, and VIND, the wine tourism platform.

THE JOURNEY:

I was sure about a lot of things when it came to our wedding planning, but the dress was not one of them! I knew that I wanted something whimsical, but I had no idea which shape would suit me best. I went to 4 places in total, and actually ended up getting one of the first dresses that I tried on at the first place that I went to. As soon as I tried this dress on, I just felt good in it. I felt like the A Line shape was so flattering on me, and I loved the deep V. One thing that I wanted to add though was sleeves. I worked with my seamstress to create custom silk sleeves; they were removable, so I could take them off when I got on the dance floor. I absolutely loved the sleeves, and I’m so glad that I added them to the dress for the ceremony, cocktail hour and dinner.

THE VISION:

I had two screenshots of dresses that I’d seen on Pinterest, and that was it. The dress that I ended up going with did mimic those dresses in a way, so I think my vision must have been pretty clear. Once you start trying on different styles and shapes, you start to realise what looks best on your body.

THE DECISION:

I loved it! I didn’t put too much pressure on it. I just knew that I wanted something that I felt really great in, and my dress did that for me. I didn’t want to continue searching and searching, because I wanted to have the decision finalised. After 4 appointments, I chose the dress.

STYLING THE SUPPORT NETWORK / THE STYLE SUPPORT?:

I’m American, so my mom and best friends all live in the USA. For my first appointment, I went on my own – that is actually where I ended up getting my dress from, so I guess I didn’t need opinions from any friends! My sister did end up coming to London for work, so we went to 3 appointments together which was really fun. We had brunch first and then went and tried on dresses together, and we did find a runner up. But at the end of the day, I still liked the one that I had tried on at the beginning of the dress shopping journey.

THE EVENING LOOK:

I didn’t change dresses – I wanted to spend as much time in my wedding gown as possible! I did, however, remove the sleeves for the dance floor. I also had my white cowboy boots waiting for me at the table, so I changed into those for dancing. My client, Cefinn, kindly gifted me a gorgeous faux fur coat as a wedding gift, and that was also waiting on my chair for me at our reception; it was perfect for the cold October evening, and once the party had finished, I was so happy that I had it.

THE ACCESSORIES:

I knew that I wanted a veil, but I wanted it to be as simple as possible. My seamstress made me a long, soft, silk veil. For jewellery: I wore my sister’s tennis bracelet, my mom gifted me a gorgeous ring which I wore on the day, and I wore my grandmother’s earrings. Shoes – Zara block heels – easy and comfortable and no one saw them anyways!!

THE SECOND DAY OUTFIT:

In true American style, we did a rehearsal dinner (drinks at Will’s parent’s house, and then dinner and more drinks at the pub!). I chose a gorgeous velvet gown from Lisou, and I am truly obsessed with it. It’s a burgundy colour, and I’ve since reworn it to a black tie winter wedding in NYC; I wanted something that could be reworn, and also something that I felt super lush in. I don’t buy expensive dresses often, but that was one that I was willing to splurge on.

ADVICE FOR BRIDES:

Start trying on and keep an open mind! Bring in inspo photos of dresses that you’ve seen photos of and like.

FAVOURITE PHOTO

I LOVE this photo of Will and me, captured by Ben Wigglesworth. I think it looks like a painting, and I can’t believe it’s a photograph. I can’t wait to have it blown up and hung in our home one day. I think the dress looks very floaty and whimsical, which is what we wanted our entire wedding day to feel like.