These lovebirds met as London university students at an indie night club called Propaganda in Angel, Islington. On their first date after meeting, they went to a bar called The Book Club in Shoreditch. Chris was immediately charmed by Katie’s individual style despite her being almost an hour late to the date. Here, they realised they had a shared sense of humour and loads in common with the same values for the future. They were also surprised to find out that they lived just round the corner from each other. Chris proposed to Katie on her 28th birthday with a beautiful gold and yellow diamond ring he had designed with the team at Alex Monroe. The proposal was on the clifftop in Cornwall, recreating a memorable walk a few years prior. It was a surprise, but Katie was getting increasingly suspicious halfway through. Chris arranged for both set of parents to meet at their favourite pub in Zennor, The Tinners Arms to celebrate. SETTING THE SCENE The couple wanted to celebrate and highlight the ten years of their relationship living and growing together in London. It was important they married in the city where they’d met, which has been the backdrop to their life and relationship for such a long time – the city will always be very special to them. The pair found St Pancras Old Church during a walk across London for their ceremony. Katie comments, “It’s a hidden gem in an area we thought we knew so well. We loved how it was an oasis of calm and tradition, like a country village church, in such a bustling part of the city. It has an understated beauty born from centuries of history and tradition, which we wanted to be a part of. We attended the church for 18 months before making our vows there.” In contrast to the tradition of St Pancras Old Church, the pair wanted to showcase their love of the city in all its brutal beauty. The Barbican Conservatory is special to both families, having attended events there throughout the years, including Katie’s graduation and evenings of music. The setting was perfect because it brings together an iconic London icon with stunning and unexpected greenery in contrast. Not to mention it’s hands-down one of the most beautiful venues in the whole of London! The lovebirds decided on a banquet-style layout to maximise the use of the central space downstairs in the middle of the Conservatory surrounded by plants. The colour scheme was earthy tones in keeping with the setting, with the styling beautifully executed by Martha at Anemone Style Weddings. The tablescape reflected the Barbican and the couple’s love of nature. Martha did an unbelievable job pulling together their dream layout of ambient lighting, lush greenery and tonal tableware. She also organised for wooden chairs and tables to be brought in, enhancing the earthy look and feel the pair was going for. She organised extra lamp lighting, furnishings and linens to decorate all seating in keeping with the colour scheme and foliage. Martha created all the stationary for the day, including the effective wooden fern leave place names, which doubled up as favours for guests to take home. The pair created a personalised map of London, annotated with locations around the city that had meaning to them and their relationship. With its natural beauty, the Conservatory was a perfect choice for the couple who decided to forgo traditional floral decorations. Instead, they opted for a lush display of foliage and tropical plants, reflecting their love for nature. The only flowers in sight were Katie’s dried flower bouquet and the buttonholes from Cornwall’s Hazel & Twine, a subtle nod to their engagement in Zennor and shared love for Cornwall. The beautiful cake was designed and created by Kake Bakery, a local baker in Walthamstow, where Katie grew up. They had tiramisu and brown butter flavours for the delicious tiers! In terms of design, the pair kept it simple and focused on the theme using foliage of ferns and other green plants. One of the best parts is the team added a little model of the lovebirds’ dog, Arthur, and made it look like he’d taken a bite. In keeping with the London wedding theme, the newlyweds organised a red bus to transport guests from the ceremony to the reception venue. Complete with bottles of fizz for everyone to toast with and get excited for the reception to come – this was a massive hit with guests! The bride arrived and departed the church in a vintage white wedding taxi. Searcys at The Barbican provided catering. One request the pair made was for Anglo-Indian food (samosas, paneer pakoras, chicken curry, lamb kebabs and more) in the evening to reflect their mixed heritage upbringing. 38
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=