The couple: Leah and Christopher Henry

Wedding date: May 12, 2012

In some ways, Leah appeared just like any other bride-to-be at her initial consultation with Nardos Imam. She was beyond excited to marry the love of her life, and she knew exactly what she wanted for her wedding day. But that’s where the similarities between Leah and other Nardos Imam clients ended, namely because this special bride had only 10 days to pull together the wedding of her dreams.

When Chris accepted an opportunity in London offered by his medical school, the couple had two options: to marry 10 months later and plan a wedding from abroad, or accelerate their engagement and say “I do” before waving goodbye.

Once they decided on the latter, “I thought I would just buy a simple white dress off the rack,” Leah recalled.

When she didn’t find anything quite right, Leah came to Nardos Imam with hopes of altering a friend’s white evening gown in time for her Big Day. Nardos, however, fell in love with Leah’s story. And although custom gowns usually take months to create, she offered to do what other designers might have deemed impossible: to create a custom wedding gown in just one week’s time.

“To get the lace within 10 days, that was the biggest challenge,” Nardos said. “We had to overnight it from France.”

The gorgeous Alençon lace was worth the extra postage, as the overlay added a touch of formality to the bodice of Leah’s flowy, silk chiffon gown—ideal for her morning wedding in the flower-filled Garden Room of the Crescent Hotel. A sheer one-shoulder strap and the last-minute addition of a belt made from light gray silk perfectly completed Leah’s look.

“It fit like a glove,” Leah said. “I told Nardos my vision and she brought it to life one thousand percent.”

Because of the couple’s time constraint, an intimate group of only 14 friends and family members were present to share in their special day. One year later, however, the couple held a large reception, which gave Leah the chance to step into her dream-come-true dress for a second time.

“Everyone thought we were crazy for getting married in 10 days,” Leah said, “but Nardos never made me feel like it couldn’t be done or I couldn’t have exactly what I wanted.”

Although Leah may have planned her wedding in 10 days, her custom-designed gown was given as much attention to detail as a dress created in 10 months—and there’s no doubt that Nardos Imam’s speediest bride will enjoy a lifetime of love.

 

Bio: A Dallas-based writer and artist, Karley Kiker has interned for US Weekly and D Magazine, worked as an au pair in Southern France, and attended parties as a society columnist for People Newspapers. Leah and Chris’ speedy love story is featured in her forthcoming bridal guide, Hitched in a Hurry: The ultimate how-to for a speedy “I do,” releasing March 2014. To learn more, visit www.hitchedinahurrybook.com.

Photography: John Cain Photography, www.johncainphotography.com