spent almost all night on the dancefloor. “We did most of the getting ready at Tribu Salon near where we live in east London. Glen, who owns the salon, has been my trusted hairdresser for the past four years and opened up early so the bridal party could get ready there. When I arrived, our fabulous make-up artist was finishing my mum as my mother-in-law, Jeanine, had her hair pinned up. We nipped back to my flat to finish my make-up, have a cheeky glass of fizz and get dressed. It was such a whirlwind with everyone arriving, but I remember feeling great when I had my gown and veil on, with full hair and makeup. We had a few minutes before leaving for the venue and took some photos outside with our greyhound, Dolly, who was very confused by everything but loved all the extra attention she got.” Dave wore a charcoal grey two-piece suit with a dusty sage, silvery floral tie and a sage pocket square. He likes simplicity regarding suits, and he looked very sharp! His groomsmen all wore the same to match. Claire let the bridesmaids decide what dresses to wear because she wanted them to feel great on the day too. They opted for pillar-box red gowns, which they both looked stunning in. The bride found a navy-blue suit with a blue and red floral tie for her bridesman and a silk pocket to match the bridesmaids’ dresses. Dave’s niece was the world’s most adorable flowergirl in a cream and sage green dress with a sash bow. The couple’s greyhound, Dolly, joined the pair for a few photos after the ceremony and wore a white floral collar. TIME TO CELEBRATE The post-wedding breakfast music was really important to the couple. So, they had a live band called Festival Heart who they’d seen perform at a friends’ wedding. Claire comments, “At that wedding, we really thought they were the best wedding band we had seen. When we fixed our date and it was an easy decision and we booked them as soon as they said they’re available! Why spend ages searching for something different when you already know a great band already? As it turns out, they were incredible again and had the whole floor moving. They played Fleetwood Mac Everywhere for the first dance. They had a dual male/female singer, both with amazing voices, which gives them quite a unique energy. As any good wedding band should, their set list covered all the bases to keep everyone happy, while making sure all the songs were bangers.” Later in the evening Jimmy Hickmott of Festival Wedding DJs play for around two hours. Since the couple are ravers at heart, they had the supplier play a set of ‘90s and ‘00s classics to keep everyone on the floor. They got to pick a long list of our favourite songs, and everyone was dancing until midnight to Ibiza classics. Claire says, “My mum requesting and dancing to Praise You by Fat Boy Slim was a brilliant memory I will take from the day. Jimmy closed with Belfast by Orbital, which was the song I came down the aisle to and it was nice to go full circle.” MEMORABLE MOMENTS The couple both had that nervous excitement on the days leading up to the wedding. Dave is generally very relaxed and not overly emotional, but when he first saw Claire appear at the end of the aisle, he suddenly felt this big wave of emotion he hadn’t expected. The bride says, “The most surprising thing for both of us was that the ceremony was our favourite part of the day. Previously, we thought it was a formality we had to get through before enjoying the party. But we had an incredible registrar − shout out to Andy Seaman from Hackney Council − who immediately put us at ease and set the tone for the day. Andy gave me the best advice: to walk down the aisle slowly and take it all in because it’s a moment you won’t get again. I was pretty apprehensive about walking down the aisle. I was worried about being the centre of attention and the possibility of tripping in front of all my nearest and dearest. But as it turned out, it was the most wonderful moment as I saw everyone I love, and Dave looking at me at the end of the aisle beaming. My lovely dad stopped me from walking too quickly and was holding onto me so I would never fall. “We had some memorable speeches. My dad and the best men REAL WEDDINGS 29
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