Inside: A Lively Wedding At Fulham Palace

The Story

Our sleek London wedding started when we met in Sheffield in 2014 after Nathan graduated and I had moved back home after uni, and 3 months later we’d already said our “I love yous” and moved in together in London (something we now look back on as incredibly quick, but when you know, you know). After 9 years, 6 flats and one dog later, Nathan proposed on a winter evening in Lisbon overlooking the city, and managed to do it with the perfect pear shaped canary diamond ring he’d designed himself. All of our parents and close friends had already known well in advance, but they’d been particularly good at keeping the secret from me.

Venue

We’re a city couple at heart, and we got married at the beautiful St Mary’s Church Bourne St just behind Sloane Square station. There wasn’t a second choice in our minds as Nathan’s grandfather had been a Father with close ties to the church for years, and as previous family members were married there too, it felt like a burgeoning family tradition. In keeping with the West London theme, the reception was at Fulham Palace, and it ticked every box in having both inside and outside spaces, brilliant scenery, and the kind of architecture and history that could stand up to the impressive backdrop of the 19th century church.

Fashion

As a fashion editor, the first thing I considered before anything else is what I would wear. I didn’t have the usual journey of some brides who struggle to find “the one, I’d seen Halfpenny London’s Dahlia dress on Instagram and immediately knew, and despite my bridesmaids trying their best to talk me into trying others I fell for it instantly. Shoes were also a no-brainer, and knowing I didn’t want a killer heel that wouldn’t last the day, I said “I do in Choo” and chose Jimmy Choo’s Bing mule in the sensible 65mm height. Nathan and his groomsmen wore three piece puppytooth suits in coordinating colours with sage green ties (which ended up being a thematic colour throughout the wedding, and matched everything from our save the dates to the eucalyptus in our bouquets). They also chose suede desert boots instead of traditional “smart shoes” to keep things casual, and they ended up being the perfect choice for a summer afternoon.

Jewellery

I usually wear a lot of rings and necklaces but to make the dress and accessories the star of the show, I stripped back my usual stacks and wore a beautiful pair of white gold diamond cluster studs with a drop pearl from Jessie Thomas whose shop is a stone’s throw from the church. In the evening I changed into a rental dress that I could really dance in and swapped the studs for Loveness Lee’s dramatic pearl and recycled silver Aris drop earrings and carried a Simone Rocha pearl egg bag to match.

We lost my auntie to cancer a couple of years ago, and my way of keeping her with me during the ceremony was to have her sapphire ring (my something borrowed and blue) pinned on the inside of my dress pocket.

Bridal Party

I wanted to make sure my bridesmaids wore dresses that made them feel their best, so I gave them the brief of black satin and they chose different styles from each other, but still felt cohesive. To tie in the theme my flower girl wore a white dress with a black satin sash, and the page boy wore a mini version of the groomsmen’s suit.

I’d already given my bridesmaid’s name pendants from Lily and Roo as a thank you for saying yes! But the evening before I also gave them personalised pouches from Katie Loxton, Joma Jewellery charms, and topaz bracelets from V by Laura Vann.

Transportation

While our guests were in white and green London buses, Nathan chose a cherry red 1962 Cadillac Eldorado to get us from the church to the reception. We wanted a retro feel with nods to True Romance and Romeo + Juliet, and the car was the ideal choice. After taking Nathan to the ceremony, it was transformed on our exit from the church, with the top down and white ribbons attached. There was nothing quite like driving through Fulham with the top down on such a sunny afternoon!

Tablescape

Fulham Palace made everything easy by having their own suppliers of tableware etc to chose from, and we chose plenty of colour to brighten up the white marquee where we had the dinner and speeches. We opted for blue glassware and tiled plates which felt bright and summery next to the incredible bud vases and flower chandelier from Gemma at Femme Petale.

Food & Drink

We kept things light and summery with canapes, a tomato tart and chicken and gnocchi for the main meal. And despite the edible garden dessert (Bovingdon’s catering outdid themselves!), we made sure to keep room for the piece de resistance, a baby blue vanilla and passion fruit cake from Lily Vanilli. It was covered in white piping and glacier cherries, chintzy in the best possible way.

Entertainment

First (unexpected) dance – Can’t Help Falling in Love, Elvis

We didn’t tell anyone that we’d organised a mariachi band to surprise the guests after dinner. We all piled out of the marquee and into the palace grounds for an outdoor performance and the reaction made the secret keeping worthwhile.

We’d said we wouldn’t do a first dance, but as soon as they unexpectedly played “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis (the same song I walked down the aisle to), we ended up having an impromptu first dance there and then.

Beauty Regime & Wellness

I kept my routine fairly low maintenance and other than going to the hairdresser two days before and to FaceGym for a quick facial the afternoon before, I didn’t do too much prep and left it all in the hands of our wonderful makeup artist Amalie Russell from Bobbi Brown. A good makeup artist can create the glow of a facial anyway!

Honeymoon

We decided to hold off on the honeymoon until next year, and instead we’re minimooning in Devon over summer, and leaving the big trip for 2024. At least that gives us plenty of time to decide between Mexico, the Dominican Republic or the Caribbean. There are worse problems to have…