Tell us a little about yourselves!
The bride is an American in London and the groom a native Londoner of Greek Cypriot descent.
We met coming out of the darkest days of the London pandemic lockdown in the spring of 2021. Once we decided to commit to each other, we held hands and hit the ground running towards the rest of our lives.
Ross proposed in Cyprus; we bought and started a big renovation on a Victorian house (previously used as a nunnery!); we travelled across four continents to visit family and friends – all while navigating career paths and integrating American and Greek cultures into our lives. But when you have the right partner, the sky is the limit.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
One could say the stars aligned. What that looked like was this:
We had a big Greek orthodox wedding planned in Cyprus in May. But with only a few months to go, we learned that our May 2024 Greek Orthodox ceremony in Cyprus could not be legally recognised abroad (the “I do” in English we planned to incorporate in the ceremony just wasn’t possible in the end). When planning a wedding in a different tradition, culture and place than where you grew up, it can be easy to feel lost in the hoopla, even with all the love and support in the world. I certainly did at times. So when we needed to add a civil ceremony to start our marriage, we saw an opportunity. The town hall route was the classic route.
Here we could intimately exchange rings and vows in the classic American traditions that are not included in the Greek church. This would enable us to celebrate the best of both worlds. And by having our wedding prior to our May festivities we had a moment of quiet just for ourselves.
The details felt destined. It just so happened that on our third anniversary, the Old Marylebone Town Hall was still open for a noontime ceremony. It just so happened that our favourite Italian restaurant group, Big Mamma, opened a restaurant just around the corner on Marylebone High Street. It just so happened that the restaurant, Carlotta, was “wedding chapel” themed – they even served wedding cake as dessert. (The fact that it just so happened to be a sunny day was a bonus)
How many guests did you have?
Today was really just for us. Our wedding party consisted of only six: the bride and groom, two very close friends to serve as witnesses, and their spouses. We all enjoyed champagne and pasta afterwards.
What was your budget?
We scaled our budget to the style of the day: small and sweet, still with a few treats. Our room at Kettner’s was already a gorgeous backdrop. Flower arrangements were already present at the town hall. I carried a small bouquet of roses, ranunculus and eucalyptus sent by my parents. Our witnesses played Elvis Presley on the Paddington Room Bluetooth speaker and recorded our vows on an iPhone. Our lunch was a booking for six at Carlotta at standard menu prices. Lastly, we indulged in a fabulous photographer to document our day. All of this gave us an affair to remember!
Tell us about your outfits.
I first purchased my dress for my Greek Orthodox baptism (if you’ve seen the iconic film my Big Fat Greek Wedding, you’ll know exactly what to expect), but once we tried it on at home, Ross and I both realised it was just too short for that occasion. Undeterred, I kept the dress for anything future bridal related event that could come up, and lo and behold, we booked our civil ceremony two months later with the perfect dress already hanging in the closet.
The Clio Peppiatt high-neck dress originally had beautiful appliqués that dangled freely, but sometimes a bit awkwardly wherever the dress skimmed a curve. So during a trip to the States, my mother individually hand sewed each beaded piece completely to the dress. She also embroidered a “something blue” flower onto the lining of one side of the dress and a lace flower from her “old’ wedding dress onto the other side. My mother-in-law gifted me the most beautiful “new” pearl hair barrettes to use in lieu of a veil. I also wore under my dress a “borrowed” locket that my grandmother had given my mother and a necklace my godmother gave me for my above-mentioned baptism.
My husband’s tuxedo was made to measure by Alex Bradley at Casely-Hayford in Marylebone. Alex’s incredible attention to detail ensured an absolutely perfect fit, and he went well beyond the standard three visits to get it just right (we’re talking a final fit to take in a millimetre). Ross chose to have an extra thick two-inch silk waistband instead of a cummerbund which created a clean line and kept him cool! Ross’s mum gifted him a pair of Mother of Pearl cufflinks.
On the day of our civil ceremony, we only had about 10 minutes left to tie Ross’s bow tie before leaving our hotel. I was out of practice and it was really only at this moment, we realised that this day really and truly was about just us! The very kind receptionist at Kettner’s searched to see if anyone in the hotel could help, but in the meantime Ross and I did what we do best together – conquer challenges. Of course we googled “how to” instructions and Ross held up the phone while I followed a step by step guide and got the job done – delighted, even, with the result.
After lunch, we headed back to Kettner’s and I changed into a portrait neckline black dress from Solace London that felt very “John Singer Sargent’s Portrait of Madam X”. As we stepped out in Soho as husband and wife, Ross stayed in his tuxedo as he jumped on his Triumph motorcycle. I’m biased but I do think James Bond would approve. Finally we both slipped into our jackets and onto the bike, taking our married life out for its first real spin.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We wanted this day to be fun and fancy free. And because we whipped up a plan for the day on our own, we let the day unfold without much structure in order to actually be able to enjoy it. We just hopped in a cab to the town hall, called our parents from the taxi, met our friends on the step outside, got married, walked together to our lunch where we chatted and laughed over champagne and pasta. After dipping back to Kettner’s for a costume change, we dashed about soho for some photos before heading back to our room and collapsed into bathrobes and bed, ordering room service for dinner. We repeated the words “my huuuusband” and “my wife” a lot.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
Well, given our above concern about legalising our marriage, saying the words “I do” was pretty important (as this consent is technically what makes the marriage legal). But saying “I do” for us was far more than just the legality. In the Greek orthodox ceremony, the bride and groom remain silent for the entire service. Having the opportunity to speak to each other, exchange our vows and place rings on each other’s hand in the tradition that I grew up with was the most significant. We were able to celebrate both upbringings from the start of our marriage.
Any tips for couples getting married?
You can never celebrate love too much. It’s the most wonderful thing in the world. So throw all the parties, take in all the traditions, eat all the cake. Heck, you can even get married twice. Twice is just as nice.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Rachel Carr of Carr & Senteno really held our hands throughout the day. We meant it when we said we didn’t really have much of a plan other than the ceremony and lunch times. But Rachel knew what she was doing and guided us to make sure we had fun while capturing our excitement and elation.
John Macpherson & Cassandra Lusi, who did hair and makeup, were our best cheerleaders in the morning. John made up a fabulous little hairpiece to add volume to my otherwise straight fine hair and when we realised the colour was just off, he had me bent over the bathtub to colour correct my auburn hair on the day. The bathtub looked like a crime scene (for only a moment before being washed down the drain), but set us up for lots of laughs that kept us calm. Cassandra made sure both Ross and I had full breakfasts, speed-dialling room service just like the Italian grandmother I never knew I needed. Both of them stayed until we got the bow-tie to perfection.
Alex Bradley of Casely-Hayford is a tall man with a commanding presence. Yet he didn’t let a single, small millimetre go unattended on my husband’s tuxedo. It meant that even when my husband casually hopped on his Triumph motorcycle after lunch, still in his tux for our photos, not a single stitch stirred.
Photographer: Carr & Senteno @carrandsenteno | Flora: Wild at Heart @wildathearthq | Ceremony Location: Old Marylebone Town Hall @adaytorememberlondon | Reception Location: Carlotta
@bigmamma.uk | MUA: Cassandra Lusi @cassandralusi_mua | Hair: John Macpherson @johnmacphersonhair | Hotel: Kettner’s @kettners.soho | Dresses: Clio Peppiatt @cliopeppiatt & Solace London @solacelondon | Suit: Casely-Hayford @caselyhayfordlondon | Headwear: Jennifer Behr @jenniferbehr | Engagement & Wedding Rings: 42 Abbeville | Shoes: Jimmy Choo b@jimmychoo & Crockett & Jones @crockettandjones_official | Clutch: Cult Gaia @cultgaia | Ring Box: The Mrs. Box @the_mrs_box | Cufflinks: Aspinal @baboocheuk @aspinaloflondon
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