Wedding | Alice & Will

Tell us a little about yourselves! 

We met back in 2015 through my one of my best friends, who Will went to uni with. It was a slow burn at the start as we were friends for a good while before things eventually shifted gear romantically. We’ve been together for six years now and live on the tiny island of Jersey, in the English Channel—Will works in finance and my background is in graphic design. 

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

For a brief moment, we liked the idea of hosting the wedding somewhere in Europe but the mental logistics of planning a destination wedding quickly put us off the idea and we landed on hosting it in London instead. Most of our friends and family are based in the UK, and London was (and always will be) home for us.

The ICA was the first place that sprang to mind when we thought about venues for the reception, and the only one we visited! It has always been a favourite spot of ours—I invited Will to birthday drinks there just as things were beginning to take a romantic turn and we have since enjoyed many an after-work cocktail. We spent many of our early dates in that corner of London, so it felt right to anchor the day in an area which was rich with memories.

How many guests did you have? 

We had 68 of our closest friends and family join us on the day—it was wonderfully cosy, enough people to fill the dance floor but intimate enough to talk to everyone throughout the day.

Tell us about your outfits.

Alice – When it came to my dress, I had a clear vision and asked my friend Lucy, Racket London, to bring the dream to life as I knew working with her would be a very special process. She puts so much care into making the whole experience meaningful and memorable. The level of craft and attention to detail that went in to making both my dress and veil was incredible; from the first session where we drafted the initial sketches, through each iteration of the toiles. It was clear at the first fitting she had captured my vision fully, and I knew I was in the safest of hands. The final dress was beyond anything I could have dreamed of, and I didn’t want to take it off!

Will found a beautiful off the rail tux and paired it with a Hackett shirt, which I gave as a pre-wedding gift.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

We wanted to the day to feel intimate and elegant, without getting lost in the frenzy of the city. We held our ceremony at St James Piccadilly, which is a ten minute walk from the ICA—this meant there was a lovely pace to how the day unravelled as we could walk with everyone from the service to the drinks reception at Waterloo Gardens East, which is situated directly across the road from the ICA.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

The whole day was woven together with meaningful touches that made it feel so personal and memorable. My mum is an incredible ceramicist, and with the help of my dad, made 70 paper-porcelain tea light holders. These were dotted along the tables for our reception meal and later wrapped up as gifts for everyone to take home as favours at the end of the night.

We also had a selection of Diptyque candles dotted around the space—I love that those scents now encapsulate the day and are layered within our memory.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Less is more—focus on the feeling you want to create and build the day around that. 

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Everyone who contributed to the day made it so special for us. 

The team at Bistrotheque were incredible, so patient and kind—the way they set up the space was exactly how we envisioned everything. The food and drinks were also sublime; the whole process of working with them was seamless.

Our lovely friend Sally Pendleton did the flowers, which were so simple and elegant. A huge thanks to her for delivering beyond the brief.

I had a wonderful experience with Florencia (Brides By Florence), who did hair and make-up for me and my bridal party. She created a look that made me feel beautiful, but totally myself.

Raissa and Simon brought such a calm energy to the day and completely understood our brief and how we wanted the day to be captured. We’re beyond thrilled with how the photos have turned out—they capture our memories perfectly. Endless thanks to Raissa and Simon.

Photographer: Raissa and Simon @raissa_simon_fotografie | Flora: Sally Pendleton @sallysflowerfield | Ceremony Location: St James Piccadilly @stjpiccadilly | Reception Location: ICA @icalondon | HMUA: Brides By Florence @bridesbyflorence_ | Catering & Beverages: Bistrotheque @bistrotheque | Entertainment: DJ Ben Newman | Dress & Veil: Racket London @racketlondon | Engagement & Wedding Rings: Jessie Thomas @jessiethomasjewellery | Shoes: Jimmy Choo (Alice) & Loake (Will)