Wedding | Isabella & Kean

5 hours ago

4 min read

Tell us a little about yourselves!

My husband Kean and I both work in the art world. We live in London with our puppy Clyde.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

Kean was quite keen to get married in London, something I hadn’t imagined for us at first. I don’t know why, we are such Londoners, both being born and raised here. The church we got married in is the church I grew up going to, my grandparents and parents got married there. I was baptised there, did nativity plays there when I was a kid, my primary school was attached to it. It was very kind of Kean to embraced this sentimental element the place holds for me and my family. I am a lapsed Catholic, but St James Spanish Place is very special to me. Our impromptu street party outside the church was a real highlight.

How many guests did you have?

145 for the meal, 200 for the party. Our venue couldn’t accommodate a larger amount for the meal, but I looooved having an injection of new energy for the party. People have been drinking for a while by that point so new friends arriving really keeps the vibe alive.

What was your budget?

A lot less than most weddings we go to. I think we prioritised well. We made sure the food and alcohol was top quality, and gave out free cigs. That’s all guests care about. That and the music. I didn’t have a planner, so no one tried to convince me to spend money on any personalised trinkets, the absence of which was not noticed by anyone.

Tell us about your outfits.

I found my dress online, I think initially on Cult Mia. It was not made for my body type so needed a lot of work. I love a Grecian bride look and it had a dramatic one shoulder cape thing which was cute. This was a year ago, pre-Odyssey film, I am seeing more Grecian looks now which is nice. The veil was made by me and my mum. I initially wanted a hooded veil but it wouldn’t have made sense with the dress. So we went for a Juliet cap (or as my husband said, Jellyfish look). Juliet caps are now having a moment, so I can feel smug that I was ahead of the curve.

I didn’t want to miss out on a corset moment, so got one made from this fab girl I found on Etsy, and got the skirt from Rouvell (on Etsy also) which wasn’t ruching quite the way I wanted so I safety pinned it quite heavily to have the desired effect. The accessories were all borrowed or cheap. The wedding outfits/accessories in total came to about £2000.

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

We forgot to give notice so had to beg the council to let us go ahead with the marriage! The most important aspect was getting that sorted. It was the best day ever, but there were a couple things I would change if I could do it again, but mainly I wish I had not stressed about the guestlist/numbers so much, and just invited everyone I knew, old friends I have lost touch with, new friendships that were just beginning etc. The day is about love and I would loved to have stretched it further.

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

Kean’s Irish heritage- we had a fiddler there! His brief was below deck on the Titanic energy!

I also really wanted to DJ, I wanted to listen to music I liked, and dance on a platform for maximum attention. I also wanted all the DJs to be our mates, so it felt more like a party than a manicured event, I think we also wanted it to feel fun and relaxed, the feedback I have had infers we achieved that which is good!

Everything felt very personal, Kean’s family friend drove us in his lovely Bentley, my mum and I made the confetti from drying petals. There were shells I have collected from my travels on everyone’s place settings. Our amazing florist was my old friends sister. My mother made the cake. Our caterer is someone I used to waitress for, and having waitressed for a few catering companies in my youth, I knew he was by far the best. The venue was in walking distance from Kean’s childhood home, overlooking Hyde Park which played a big part in both of our childhoods. It was very us, and very personal.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Do not think you need to have a certain kind of wedding because of what the people around you are doing. Do your own thing, and prioritise your guests having a great time. If everyone is having a great time it will be a day to remember. Oh and as the bride- don’t be late!

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

Octavia Flowers and The Gatherers are just amazing. The Columbia is so easy going and it’s a family run hotel!

Jessica Gwyneth’s photos speak for themselves!