Yes it’s the height of summer, but I know many of you will be busy preparing and planning your own winter weddings, so of course we still love to share out of season wedding ideas to help you along your way. Today we are over the moon to be sharing Laura and Chris’ glorious wedding celebrations held on the 8th December 2017. They chose to hold their whole day at the stunning Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green, London. Their city chic day was super modern, with minimal décor and relaxed vibes throughout. Gorgeous!
One of the elements I loved the most was hearing how the bridesmaids were left to chose their own frocks and coincidently they all chose silver and grey dresses that looked so fabulous together! Teamed with fur stoles and bountiful blooms they tied together perfectly. Talking of outfits, Laura’s Sarah Seven dress was sensational, it’s low back and simple silhouette looked so stunning on her. Meanwhile Chris went for a blue check suit and burgundy accessories for a dapper look.
Be sure to keep an eye out for brilliant music choices, stunning florals and a statement cake. Wow. On hand to capture all of the lovely moments was Victoria Somerset-How Photography, whose amazing images we are so grateful to be sharing.
THE VISION
A relaxed city wedding.
THE PLANNING PROCESS
Once we found the venue, the planning process was pretty smooth. We’re lucky enough to have lots of talented friends and family members who helped to make the day look amazing and run smoothly.
GROOM’S ATTIRE
Three-piece suit, tie and pocket square from Reiss. Shoes from Churches.
THE DRESS & ACCESSORIES
The Sarah Seven Orleans gown, with leopard print Gianvito Rossi Sandals.
FINDING THE DRESS
I found it quite hard to find something that I was comfortable in, but that also matched our budget. I actually found my dream dress somewhere else, but when I tried on this dress, I felt comfortable and like myself, and knew I’d be happy to wear it on the day.
THE VENUE
We initially struggled to find a venue that would fit out number of guests, but that would also suit the relaxed atmosphere we were after.
The Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green suited us perfectly. Tia, our wedding co-ordinator from the venue was brilliant and made the planning process pretty stress free.
THE READINGS & MUSIC
My sister chose to read Ithaka by C. P. Cavafy, and we asked Chris’ dad to read Sonnet 116.
Music is important to us, so it’s probably the things we spent most time deciding on. I walked down the aisle to Secrets by the Dallas String Quartet, and we left to Friday I’m in Love by the Cure.
The hotel has a grand piano, so we hired a jazz pianist and bassist to play during the drinks reception.
Our DJ was the incredible Wedding Smashers. The dancefloor was packed all night, and you can’t go wrong when you last song is Craig David’s Fill Me In.
BEAUTIFUL BRIDESMAIDS
I wanted the bridesmaids to feel comfortable so asked them to chose something they would like to wear. We didn’t have a colour scheme, so I asked them to pick whatever they would feel happiest in. By coincidence, they all picked grey and silver dresses, which looked lovely together.
For the photos they all wore fur wraps to keep them warm!
YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER
I used to work with Victoria, and as soon as we got engaged I knew I wanted her to be our photographer. Her style is very natural and relaxed, with nothing too staged or posed. We’re both a bit awkward in front of the camera, but Victoria made us feel totally at ease, and lots of our guests commented on how great she was during the day.
We’re really thrilled with the final shots, and think she captured the spirit of the day perfectly.
THE DETAILS & DÉCOR
We didn’t need many additional touches, as the venue (and flowers!) looked so great.
I designed modern acrylic place settings using hand drawn calligraphy, and carried this through the table plan. We named each table after a favourite spot in New York, where we got engaged.
THE CAKE
One of our closest friends is a fantastic baker and cake designer, and she created an absolute work of art for us. We agreed on the flavours; three tiers of chocolate, her famous salted caramel, and lemon but left the design up to her.
She drew inspiration from the Art Deco style of the venue and the end result was fantastic. It tasted just as good as it looked too.
THE FLOWERS
Chris’ sisters is a professional florist and did our flowers on the day. We discussed a rough brief with her; lots of foliage, and some dark burgundy flowers but we left the rest up to her.
She created the most incredible arrangements that totally changed the look and feel of the venue and far better than we could have ever imagined ourselves. She also brought in candles to decorate the drinks reception and dining rooms, which created a lovely romantic atmosphere.
THE HONEYMOON
We had an incredible trip to Sri Lanka for our honeymoon.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
Chris getting my name wrong in the ceremony had everyone in stitches! (not a full-on Ross & Rachel moment I might add, he just accidentally said my middle name first).
ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES
Try and have a moment just the two of you straight after the ceremony. Our wedding co-ordinator whisked us to one side with a glass of fizz while our guests got ready for a group photo. It meant we had a chance to take in the ceremony and have a breather before greeting all our guests.
And don’t worry about the small stuff. Little details are nice, but not worth stressing over. As long as everyone (including yourselves) are well fed and well watered, it will be a great day.
Credit Where Credit Is Due
Photography
Victoria Somerset-How Photography
Venue
Town Hall Hotel
Cake
Charli Scouller
Dress
Blackburn Bridal
What a romantic day.
Laura and Chris thank you both so much for sharing your celebrations here with us today xo Lou