Bride In Sequinned Jumpsuit With Flower Crown For Marquee Wedding

This colourful, summery, joy filled wedding is guaranteed to put a smile on your face on this cold December day. Bride Nikki wears a sequinned jumpsuit for the evening do, complete with braided top knots and a huge flower crown. The rest of the wedding followed suit, with wildflowers everywhere, colourful details and a large dose of fun sprinkled over just about everything. Casey Avenue was lucky enough to capture the day, from the bridal prep in the gorgeous house, to the dogs enjoying the sunshine and food, from the guests getting down, to the bride and groom's amazing glamping tent...all here for you to pore over...

Bride In Sequinned Jumpsuit With Flower Crown For Marquee Wedding

Nikki & Toby: With such beautiful surroundings it was a very easy choice to hold our day at Toby’s family home and made the day feel even more personal and unique. I wore a dress from Nine by Savannah Miller at the sale at Debenhams! I couldn’t get over the guilt of spending thousands on a dress only for it to sit in my wardrobe forever so this simple boho number fitted the bill perfectly for me. I knew that ‘the dress’ wouldn’t make or break my day so stuck to my guns...even though temptation was everywhere! I also wore Swedish Hasbeens ‘Mirja’ sandals in gold...gold clogs?! YES please! Perfect for a summer garden wedding. I knew I’d be dancing until the early hours so needed shoes that I’d manage to keep on!     My evening outfit was a sequinned jumpsuit in ‘blaze’ from Rosa Bloom. I’ve wanted a Rosa Bloom outfit for years so this seemed like the perfect excuse! One of my favourite moments was getting changed into this with all my best girls just before our fireworks display.  

The Ceremony

My twin sister walked me down the aisle, it was always going to be Sami that was really ‘giving me away’. Although not conventional my Dad was totally supportive about the idea which meant a lot to me. When Sami married her wife 5 years ago they were in Canada and told most of the family that morning via text so to say she’s not into the ‘traditional’ wedding is an understatement. I really wanted Sami to be part of the day but wanted her to do as her...no dresses, no matching outfits, none of the ‘stuffy’ bits that she’d feel uncomfortable with. She wore:    I was also accompanied by my oldest friend’s daughter who I’ve known since she was born. She wore a Monsoon dress. Her flower crown matched mine but she decided she didn’t want to carry her flowers – I was ok with that, some things just don’t go to plan. 

The Flowers

Bouquet, flower crown and button holes from Wendy Lewis, a local florist who has known the family for years.  The idea was to stick the a relaxed wildflower vibe but to use strong colours...I didn’t want any pastels in sight.   The posies & arrangements that decorated the marquee & tables were all grown in Toby’s Mum’s garden (thanks to John the gardener) and were a group effort to arrange - it was all hands-on deck the day before to create well over 100 posies, vases & centre pieces. It was actually well needed time out from the rush and chaos of everything else that was going on the day before (although I don’t think I’ll be giving up the day job anytime soon!). We also had a semi-naked cake decorated with edible flowers...so beautiful we totally forgot to put the cake topper on which I’d ordered bespoke months before! One tier Victoria sponge, the other carrot cake. Made by Anna at the Kennet House Cake Company who did a wonderful job hitting the brief - the cake was totally delicious. 

Humanist Wedding Ceremony

We married the Tuesday before the wedding at Chelsea old town hall with just 6 of us in attendance following by brunch at The Ivy. The ceremony on the day was a humanist ceremony led by Toby’s uncle Peter. We wrote the ceremony ourselves, It was so personal and felt really special. Here’s a snippet of the words I said to Toby... "You make me feel braver and more confident than anyone I’ve ever met. Every day, without question, you support me to be the best version of me I can be. Your kindness and generosity inspire me to be a better person and I feel like there’s nothing I can’t achieve with you by my side." We played 2 instrumental versions of the Radiohead song ‘No Surprises’ as our entrance/exit music...picking these songs was one of the hardest decisions to make. I thought that some might think it wasn’t suitable but in the end we stuck with what meant something to us, and I’m so glad we did. 

The Photography

As soon as I saw Hannah’s work I knew she was going to be perfect – fun, relaxed and colorful. Her photographs just scream JOY at you. She really captured the feeling of the day but more than that she is just a freaking awesome person! So many people assumed that she was a friend of mine from school and it really did feel like I’d known her for ages... It’s a real skill to make 2 people who hate being photographed feel so relaxed. Hannah was calm, fun, totally un-intrusive and happy to go with the flow.

The Rings

My 1st job out of art school was as a jeweller so the rings were also going to be one of the most important details to me. I’d made my own engagement ring but really wanted to take the opportunity to have something commissioned. Toby hand builds steel framed bicycles so despite a distinct lack of enthusiasm for jewellery I knew that when it came to the design and craftsmanship he’d enjoy the process too. When it came to picking a designer there was only one option for me, I’ve been a huge fan of James Newman’s work for years – I can’t say I’ve ever seen a piece made by him that I didn’t like. He creates the most amazing textures and finishes. When we spoke he came up with a very cool concept for Toby’s ring that would incorporate a technique Toby uses to build bikes so Toby was sold! My ring is textured yellow gold with brilliant cut diamonds set against black ruthenium.

The Wedding Night

We’ve just moved into our first home in Hertfordshire so are saving a honeymoon for next year...for now we just want to relax on the sofa! We did however have our very own ‘honeymoon suite’ scout tent which was an amazing wedding gift from Toby’s sister Hattie...I’m sure the idea of camping on your wedding night is some people’s nightmare but it was just perfect for us. It looked so stunning decorated with flowers, candles & beautiful rugs. I have no idea how they got the bed in there or who thought of putting a gorgeously perfumed reed diffuser in a tent but it was very much appreciated! We’re taking some time before Christmas to plan a honeymoon travelling around South East Asia early next year.

Advice

It’s ok to do what you want to do. Don’t give in to other people’s expectations. Try not to get so caught up in the silly details (that no-one will remember anyway!) that you forget to enjoy the journey. It’s ok not to be perfect.  One of my favourite moments was my adorable dog Penny - she was running free all day and it was just the sweetest thing walking up the aisle seeing that she had chosen to sit just behind her dad and wait for me. It was just so awesome to have so many good people who’d never met in one place.