Your London Wedding - July/August 2020 (Issue 72)

52 Our ceremony was held in the church that Joe grew up attending; it was a no-brainer for us. We wanted a quintessential British pub reception, so we picked a venue that was easily accessible for our overseas guests and the locals. We opted for a burgundy and lilac palette, and we wanted to incorporate eucalyptus. I spent part of my childhood in Australia so this was important to me, and I also wanted to be able to reuse the bouquets as centrepieces. Joe’s mum made our cake using eggs from her own chickens; it was wonderful to have such a personal touch. I handmade the cake topper to look like male and female cardinals; the state bird for my home state of Virginia. When Joe visited me in the U.S., he was shocked by how bright red the bird was – it’s been an inside joke between us ever since. We thought about all the things that didn’t suit us from traditional weddings. Having a table plan seemed so formal and not us, so we made sure we had enough tables and chairs so the Americans and Brits could all mingle without feeling confined to their table. We wanted to enjoy the best of both worlds for our food, so we dined on a mixture of classic British and American dishes. “ “