Lucy & Dom

Tell me you haven't taken a second glance at bride Lucy and thought she resembles Kate Middleton. Even her composure is Kate-esque, and doesn't she look a vision in her JLM Couture Ti Adora gown. The three quarter sleeves, beaded belt and lace underlay skirt is so elegant and suits her down to the ground. The rest of the celebrations are just as timeless and traditional, starting with a Catholic ceremony at Sacred Heart church in Wimbledon, conducted by the same priest who married groom Dom's parents. Que a short journey to the reception in a white Figaro vintage car for an adorable après-ski themed reception at Cuddington Golf Club, with alpine evergreen lining the beams and little wooden skis in the flower arrangements. Plus how can I forget the floral initials framing the couple on the top table, such a gorgeous idea. Matt Penberthy Photography was definitely the best person to capture this glorious wedding, taking the couple off for some truly breathtaking golden hour portraits, as well as all those delicious details for you to pore over and pin.

Dress

Lucy The Bride: I went to half a dozen wedding dress shops and found it to be a really positive experience but I didn’t really know what I was looking for. It’s a cliché but when I tried my dress on in Azure Bridal Gallery I just didn’t want to leave the shop without it! I found the proportions, fabric and style of the Ti Adora dress really flattering and comfortable and could just picture standing next to my fiancé in it. I had a top made from silk to help me cover up in church and keep warm. I had this made at a local tailors and my mum sewed the vintage beading embellishment on the front about an hour before we left the house on the day of the wedding!

Groomsmen Fashion

Dom found his suits online on Moss Bros and bought six without having seen them in person at all! Luckily, they all fit and all the guys looked really smart. We didn’t want a very formal wedding so the slight fleck and lighter fabric helped to keep things relaxed.

Bridesmaid

My bridesmaid El wore a skirt from ASOS and top from Coast and we had matching heels. The flower girls stole the show in their little furry jackets from Monsoon.

Ceremony

We got married in our parish church of Sacred Heart in Wimbledon. The priest who married Dom’s parents also married us, which was very special. My friends from school read prayers and Dom’s siblings read the bible readings. I was so proud of them all. Catholic ceremonies are quite long, so we’d organised for a Piaggio coffee van to be outside at the end of Mass and everyone enjoyed getting a fresh cup of coffee. Everyone loved our white Figaro we’d hired from Kiss Rides too.

Venue

Our reception was at Cuddington Golf Club in Banstead, where my Grandad has been a member for over forty years. The staff were incredibly helpful and the food was amazing. The venue worked brilliantly for us and we all ended up dancing around the fountain overlooking the night lights of London. My aunty Deborah made our cake. It was incredible! Everyone commented on how yummy it was and it reflected our ski theme perfectly.

Theme

Our first holiday together was in the French Alps, we got engaged skiing and went skiing for our honeymoon too. I didn’t want to go over the top with a theme but we did wire little skis and sledges into the centre pieces, which family and friends helped to make the day before. We covered up some shutters over the bar with ski maps and our tables were named after ski resorts we’ve been to. We also had a stamp made by the English Stamp Company featuring our initials either side of crossed skis and used this as a recurring motif on stationery.

Photographer

Matt Penberthy, our photographer, was such a brilliant choice. We met Matt for a coffee about a month before the wedding to discuss our plans for the day and he was full of enthusiasm and really open to suggestions and ideas. We decided to go with him because of his amazing outdoor photography and were lucky with the beautiful Spring day we got married on, making the most of Matt’s superb skills. He really put us at ease and having our photos taken by him felt like just hanging out with a really talented friend.

Entertainment

We hired a fantastic band, Brute Choir, to entertain us in the evening, recommended by my aunty and uncle. They even learned a few Irish songs, especially for our wedding. One of the best moments of the day was dancing with Dom in the middle of a massive circle our guests had made as the band played their last song.

Advice

Play to your strengths! Dom is a fantastically organised person and his oversight and planning ensured the whole day ran like clockwork. He took on all sorts of my ideas and made them happen. I enlisted the help of hugely supportive friends and family members to make decorations, flower arrangements, place cards and props. Our wedding day was certainly a team effort.