07 December 2025

My 5 Bridal Looks: Rach Denton

From the hen to the ceremony, the reception to the honeymoon, a modern bridal wardrobe can involve many looks. For Rachel Denton and her now-husband Sam, exchanging vows overlooking the bay of Portofino called for pieces that felt as considered as the setting itself. Here, she talks us through how it all came together…

Photography: Jack Henry

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Look 1:

Portofino Welcome Dinner

We wanted to kick off the celebrations with a fun evening in Portofino square. Sam and I got ready together at Splendido, a Belmond hotel, before walking down to greet our guests. I knew I wanted to wear something romantic and flowing – nothing too stiff or trendy. The dress I landed on was this white backless Jacquemus number from the ‘La Croisière’ collection.

I’d been looking for a dress for the evening (I even explored the custom route) but nothing felt quite right. The shape and material of this dress felt very different to my main wedding dress and afterparty look – both of which I already had by the time I came across it in the London Jacquemus store. I paired it with some white Paris Texas Lidia mules – there was something so chic but impactful about the shape – and for accessories, I chose the Lauren clutch from Bottega Veneta. It’s so classic and I also used it as ‘my something blue’.

For jewellery, silver worked nicely with the brighter white and baby blue colours. I also leaned into chunkier statement pieces to contrast against the feminine silhouette. Méga Jewellery does the best bangles, so I wore two on the same wrist. A necklace felt like overkill and I wanted the deep V neck to do all the talking, so I went with Bottega Veneta’s iconic teardrop earrings.

Make-Up & Hair: Ausra Ruksene
Photographer: Jack Henry

Look 2:

Portofino Ceremony

Splendido was the perfect venue for our wedding – it’s incredibly romantic. Our ceremony took place in the secret garden and then we had drinks on the champagne terrace overlooking the pool. Guests were led down into the restaurant for a four-course meal before everyone hit the dancefloor for a night of partying and espresso martinis.

Like most brides, I tried on so many dresses and also explored the custom route. I went in with a very clear vision and after my first few bridal appointments, I decided to do the rest alone. It’s so easy for your decisions to be influenced by other people and I wanted to stay true to what felt right for me. I was just about to start creating a custom gown with another designer when I visited the Vivienne Westwood store in London and immediately knew the Nova Camille dress was for me. I loved the fabric and the cinched waist. I teamed it with a Markarian lace-trimmed veil.

The Rhodora shoes by Manolo Blahnik for Danielle Frankel couldn’t have been more me. I saw them online and purchased them straight away. I kept the other accessories pretty simple and wore pearl drop earrings from Completedworks. For hair, I opted for a low, chic bun.

Make-Up & Hair: Ausra Ruksene
Photographer: Jack Henry

Look 3:

Portofino After Party

I didn’t always intend to have another look for our wedding day. I loved my main dress but when I returned to Vivienne Westwood for my measurements, I tried on some of their mini-dresses and ended up loving the Mini Bagatelle. I paired it with Magda Butrym heels and Completedworks earrings. I changed into it after dinner, just before we cut our wedding cake and the party really got started.

Make-Up & Hair: Ausra Ruksene
Photographer: Jack Henry

Look 4:

The Day After

The day after our wedding was so much fun. We started with Aperol spritzes on our private terrace at Bagni Fiore beach club, then hosted a rosé-fuelled lunch at Langosteria. Afterwards, we jumped in the sea, swam and ate ice cream. Around 5pm, the DJ started up and we danced all night.

For this look, I knew I wanted something that felt quite elevated and chic – I slowly sourced everything over three months before the wedding. I knew I wanted a big hat to really lean into the theme of the day – which was an ode to La Dolce Vita. I also saw a photo of Christy Turlington wearing a bit hat in a Vogue shoot from 1992 and found a similar one at Gigi Burris. I added some bold jewellery – gold chunky bangles and earrings – from Ben Amun and wore some very comfortable Manolo Blahnik sandals. My skirt and sheer top came from New Arrivals and my bikini was by Marr Perpetua. I also wore a Fendi bag and Prada sunglasses.

Look 5:

London Civil Ceremony

We held our civil ceremony after our Italian wedding. Lots of people do the legal bit beforehand but we really wanted to exchange our vows in Italy for the first time. It was also lovely to have it to look forward to after the wedding and have an excuse to get everyone together again. We stayed at Claridge’s and spent the morning having breakfast together and getting ready. We then took some pictures before heading to Chelsea Old Town hall in a black cab. Our ceremony was very intimate – just the two of us plus close family and friends. We then headed back to Claridge’s for champagne and martinis. In the evening, we hosted a dinner at Daphne’s in the private dining room for 32 guests. We partied into the early morning, before Sam and I went back to eat wedding cake in our room.

I was initially going to wear a skirt suit with a cinched waist jacket but it was quite a hot day, so I decided to wear this dress from Fabiana Filippi which I found in Harrods. I loved the high neckline and it felt perfect for Claridge’s. I paired it with Jimmy Choo slingbacks, Completedworks earrings, a Dorsey bracelet (a gift from my best friends) and my Cartier watch. For the Daphne’s dinner, I re-wore my afterparty dress from Vivienne Westwood – I just knew she needed another outing!

Make-Up & Hair: Ausra Ruksene
Photographer: Rebecca Searle

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