I don’t even know what to say about this wedding, except that I love it. I loved it the moment I first laid eyes on the stunning shoes and the vintage gown. I love every single bright and happy color. I love the red, double decker – so indicative of the city in which the soiree took place. But most of all I loved the joy. The overwhelming joy spilling out of every image from Catherine Mead, and especially in the bride’s contagious smile. So when you’re ready to add a whole lot more joy to your day, click here for the full gallery!
Click here to see the full image gallery!
My dad was actually getting married on Saturday the 25th September 2010. I was my dad’s florist and best man so had quite a busy few days. On the morning on the 23rd I had to go to the flower market at 3am in the morning to get all the flowers for the wedding arrangements. I then had to go to work! James had said he wanted to take me for dinner so we could spend and evening together before things became very hectic with dad’s wedding. I didn’t know where we were going and thought we were just having a low key dinner so was very pleased that I had bothered to washed my hair when we arrived at the Waldorf hotel on the Aldwych. I did comment that the venue was vey posh for a Thursday night but it wasn’t unlike James to take me to places such as this. We had a cocktail in the bar and then a lovely dinner. During dinner James surprised me with a trip to Galway in Ireland. We were to leave the day after dad’s wedding. I was over the moon with the trip so much so that I didn’t stop talking for the rest of the dinner! In the end James had to interrupt and ask me to stop talking and to close my eyes. He put the ring in my hand and asked me to open them. I couldn’t believe it. I just burst into tears. I didn’t even say yes I was so shocked! In the end he had to ask again “will you be my wife?” Of course I said yes. That hardest things was not telling anyone until after dad’s wedding as we didn’t want to over shadow someone else’s day.
Delfina is a very contempory venue in a very quirky part of town. It is a restaurant but with a large white room which can almost be treated like a blank canvas. James and I wanted somewhere we could make our own and really show off who we are as a couple. Delfina is an events space so the team there have great experience in putting on all sorts of events so are a great help and inspiration. There was a great black and white checker board dance floor which I loved and you could do all sorts with the lighting there which really made the room. There was also a really cool outside space, which is sometimes hard to find in the heart of London. Also I am from London and we both live in London so we really wanted our wedding to be in London.
My theme was sort of 1950’s London meets Italy. My dad’s side of the family are Italian hence the Italian church and the Italian theme. A mix on vintage and Italy. A white wedding but with an informal air. We just wanted people to have fun but to really come away thinking how ‘Jen and James’ that day was. My dress was an original 1950’s vintage dress. I bought it from a specialist vintage dress supplier called Elizabeth Avey. My mum and I spent a day out trying on dresses in three different dress shops – all vintage as I knew that is what I wanted. Elizabeth was the last dress shop we went to. I had found a dress in each of the previous two shops, which I loved and thought, might be the one. My appointment at Elizabeth’s was at 6pm so I was quite tired by this time. Trying on even more dresses began to confuse me. However, when I put on my dress and came out to show my mum, mum said there was a renewed energy about me and I came out prancing around like a show horse. I didn’t want to take it off. I just knew I had found the one! It was fun and girly. I didn’t want anything too serious! A mix of tulle and Chantilly lace. It was perfect! I didn’t really have a colour scheme apart from a LOTS of colour. My florist described the colour scheme as a riot of Technicolor! Like when films were first in colour and the sky was so blue compared to a girls overly red lips.
I made my table plan, menus, place cards and table name cards. My table plan was actually an old garden gate, which I painted white. I then tied three tiers of string through the gate. On the string I attached A5 recycled paper with real rose petals in it with the list of guest names per table. I attached small paper roses to the gate which where also used in the favours. In front of the gate I had two old tea crate that had been planted up by the florist. One crate said Jennie & James Est 3.9.11 and the second one said please take your seats. The menus, James and I printed on the same paper. We decorated the menus with the same paper roses but we also made small bunting designs out of string and all different paper and decorated the menus with this. I bought vintage looking typewriter stamps and stamped out each of the place names with these stamps. I also stamped a massage on old luggage tags and put one of these in every guests place again with vintage paper roses decorating the tags. Our table name signs were photos of James and I holding up signs with the table names on. This linked back to our invites.
The whole day was the best day of my life! Particular favorite moments included my dad actually giving me away. I couldn’t stop shaking but he was as nervous as me! First seeing James at the alter. He says my bottom lip was trembling but he was pleased I kept it together otherwise he said he would have broken down. James’ mum and brother welcomed me formally into the family by giving me a signet ring with the family crest on during the best mans speech. That was very moving. James telling me I looked beautiful when he first saw me! And finishing the night in a Salsa club with James, my dad, brother and Stepdad and a few friends. There was a old couple in the club who were regulars. The man took hold of me and the women took James and the whole club made space for us on the dance floor and they taught has a dance. They then told us their secret to a long lasting marriage, which was never forget to laugh.
Photography: Catherine Mead / Flowers: Cave London / Ceremony Location: St. Peter’s Italian Church / Reception Location: Delfina Restaurant / Invitations: Made by the couple / Shoes: Cerise Wedge by Aruna Seth / Dress: Original vintage 1950’s wedding dress bought from Elizabeth Avey / Headdress: Vintage Headdresses / Groom’s suit: Gresham Blake / Favours: Balloon Mad / Band: Andalus