How Model Clara Paget Realized Her Dream Wedding Dress From a Napkin Sketch

Eleven years ago, concert promoter Oscar Tuttiett randomly answered a friend’s lost phone when it rang. Clara Paget was on the line. After hitting it off on the call, the two models met and started dating soon after. Oscar eventually proposed in Koh Lanta, Thailand, and largely because of various delays caused by the pandemic, he and Clara were engaged for two and half years before they ultimately got married on July 17th.

“I remember having a planning meeting two days before lockdown, and the reality and the gravity of the situation was really setting in,” Clara says. “It was still so up in the air until the very last minute.”

The couple ultimately worked with Liz Linkleter Events to plan the event, while Catherine Coombes and Aesme Studio sourced and created the stunning floral arrangements.

For her dress, Clara looked to her best friend and bridesmaid Jana Haveman—who is one-half of the brand De La Vali—for help. “I drew the dress on a napkin at a restaurant,” Clara says. “Jana hadn’t done bridal before, so we thought let’s find someone who specializes in bridalwear and who complements the style I had my heart set on.”

Savannah Miller Bridal kept popping up whenever the two searched for ideas on Pinterest or Google. “I vaguely knew Savannah, and we have lots of mutual friends,” Clara says. “So I took that as a sign and reached out.” Funnily enough, their first meeting was at the Charlotte Street Hotel restaurant called Oscar. “It felt serendipitous from the get-go,” Savannah says. 

“Savannah was so lovely, totally got it, and the three of us got on so well bouncing ideas off of each other and in cahoots the whole time,” Clara says. The mood board included “wild ’80s wonders and interesting sleeve shapes,” but the design ultimately skewed delicate. The waist seam was angled in a “V” shape to accentuate the waist, and the skirt fell into a full mermaid train. “Clara was really clear about the fact that she wanted to look very feminine, pretty, and sculpted—but effortlessly,” Savannah says. She added details like fabric buttons, a delicate lace trim, and a beautiful long veil to elevate it all. 

Savannah also sweetly surprised Clara with her “something blue” in the form of the words “blessed be” embroidered into the inside of the dress. “The whole bespoke process with Savannah Miller Bridal helped me realize my dream [dress],” Clara says. “I feel so blessed that it was everything I had envisioned from that sketch on the napkin!” Clara completed the look with a DeBeers choker, earrings, and a simple bracelet.

Beauty-wise, the bride turned to royal makeup artist Mary Greenwell (famous for doing Princess Diana’s makeup) and Neil Moodie for hair. “I’ve worked with them both loads over the years, and they are not only two of the kindest, funniest, and most charming in the industry, but also the very best at what they do,” Clara says. “I wanted to keep the look very natural and light, just the best version of myself—nothing over the top. As they know me with and without hair and makeup, I trusted them wholeheartedly to achieve what I was after.”

The bridesmaids wore De La Vali champagne-colored maxis that were based on a short, iconic DLV dress called the “Frisco.” Clara gifted them all personalized necklaces by Rachel Jackson with their birthstones and their names. 

LoveShackFancy created the white flower girl dresses. Fabric in the same champagne color as the bridesmaids dresses was tied around their baskets and served as a way to link everyone together without being overly matchy-matchy. 

On the day of the wedding, the English weather was warm when guests gathered at Anglesey for the ceremony. Everyone had been tested for COVID beforehand, and the ceremony could go on as Clara and Oscar had imagined it. 

After the ceremony Clara changed into a second custom dress designed by close friends Annie Doble of the vintage and sustainable treasure chest shop, Annie’s Ibiza, and Clio Peppiatt. “Clio and Annie designs my bridal handbag too,” Clara says. “It  was actually meant for the party dress, but it was so stunning I wore it with my main dress too. It’s a round wristlet bag with white beading. Oscar and I dancing is embroidered on the front with the wedding date beneath us.”  

For her final look of the night, Clara put on a De La Vali bespoke piece—a white pajama suit with dramatic kimono sleeves. The next day, she bid friends and family goodbye in a flamenco-inspired LoveShackFancy dress that she accented with AirMax 90 sneakers customized with Swarovski crystals saying “C&O” and the couple’s wedding date on the back; a festive, fitting look for her first day as a newlywed.