Karen & Richard

Is there anything more inviting than a cosy pub on a cold, dark Winter's evening?! Personally I don't think so! And Karen and Richard clearly agree as they held their Winter Wedding reception in The Peasant Clerkenwell and filled with sparkly lights and candles it just looks so welcoming. This is a wedding filled with glitz too, Eliza Jane Howell really is the go-to designer for gowns that just ooze Vintage inspired glamour, and Karen's gown is no exception - the 'Eliza' has our eyes twinkling! We're also big fans of the sage green Virgos Lounge Bridesmaids dresses, also with a rather lovely dose of embellishment! Karen's make up artist Laura Anne is one of our recommended suppliers, and she gave Karen a genius tip for wedding day make up, you'll have to read on to find out what it was. But that shouldn't be difficult as I LOVED reading Karen's write up, it made me laugh out loud and I totally want to go and get cronuts and coffee with her now...

Karen the Bride: Fun fact: I was actually going to Cocomaya to get a cronut but, as a self-confessed magpie, spotted Eliza Jane Howell across the way. I fell for the first dress I tried on - the Eliza. With a budget in mind, the boutique gave me a list of stockists including MiliMili in Colchester. Lauren Wade and Kayleigh the seamstress are miracle workers. Three months before the wedding, they got me my very own Eliza with time to spare before the wedding.  Laura Anne, who did my hair and make up, is such a delight. Not only did she gave Richard and I dance lessons, my make-up and hair consultation was such a fabulous “girls night in”. On the day, Laura Anne and her pal Charlotte made us look camera ready!  I wore my grandmother’s earrings and our rings were from Blue Nile. My shoes were from LK Bennet. 

The Flowers

Violets & Velvet – I recall saying “candles in terracotta pots with vegetation on some sort everywhere” – that was my vague brief and Sam made it happen...within budget! The Church and our venue looked very atmospheric.   

The Venue

Our ceremony was at St Etheldreda’s in Farringdon – coming from the Philippines and being raised Catholic, a Catholic ceremony was important to me. Not to alienate Richard’s Methodist roots, Father Tom helped us create an order of service that would keep both families happy. The Choir of St Etheldreda’s led by Stuart and the organist were absolutely perfect.  Highlights: · Imagine: 4pm ceremony. One of the oldest Catholic Churches in the country. Candlelight. The choir singing “Treulich geführt from Lohengrin” by Richard Wagner. Walking down the aisle to the boy you met on the first Friday of Fresher’s Week. LOVED IT! · My Lolo (grandfather in Filipino) read one of my favourite Filipino poems, Puso, Ano Ka? (Heart, what are you?) by Jose Corazon de Jesus. Having something read out in my native tongue meant a lot to me – I cried like a baby during the rehearsal and the ceremony. Our page boy, Rocco was in hand to give me a tissue or two! (NB: a tip from Laura Anne, which became my mantra, “Dab the tears way; do NOT wipe.” Otherwise, you’ll also rub the make-up off!)     Our reception was held at The Peasant. The food was incredible. The service was great. Nick and his team were brilliant. Our cake was made by Katie at Pomp de Franc - yummy and all natural ingredients.  

The Entertainment

DJ Lee (no website 07974581970/07930155106) was recommended by The Peasant and was fantastic! He kept the music going and even helped my dad out with his surprise and very emotional Father of the Bride speech.     We also had a photobooth from Look Look. Not a very traditional wedding favour but Richard and his team helped us create and customise the print and threw in some extra characters for the dressing up box!

The Wedding Party

My two sisters, Richard's sister and my good friend from school all wore the popular Raina dress from Virgos Lounge, and the shawls were bought from a girls' trip to Marrakesh.   The boys wore suits hired from 
Lipman & Sons at High Holborn. 
Fast and extremely helpful and accommodating, taking measurements after closing time and providing a quick turnaround for pick up. The Dads and Lolo wore Red bow ties from Mrs Bowtie.  

The Stationery

Stationery wasn't really a priority for us so we sent E-invites using Appy Couple. And had our Order of Services on speedy printing from Nevex.  

The Transport 

A bus took the bridal party to the Church. Afterwards, one took our dinner guests directly to The Peasant while another route master dropped off our evening guests who attended the ceremony to Clerkenwell Green area for nibbles and drinks before the evening reception at The Peasant. We reserved our guests an area at The Crown Tavern. We rode along with our evening guests taking our photographer, Matt, along with us. Most of our evening guests travelled far to share our day with us so we wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.   

The Photography

Matt Penberthy aka the Ninja. He made shooting in low light so easy – thank you!  

Advice

· Finance – list out your priorities as a couple. This helped us stick to our budget. For us, a wedding in London was more convenient for us and the majority of our guests. However, London tends to be relatively more expensive than the regions so do your research and work with your suppliers to reach a suitable price. If you don’t ask; you will never know! To keep within our budget, we chose November because it is considered off season for weddings.  · Teamwork – we delegated tasks to each other and kept each other sane. We planned our wedding together. · Light – 4pm ceremony in November. Our solution: candles (inside the venues) and sparkles (outside).