Elena & Jack's Romance in the City

Written in the Stars

We chose the Lanesborough Hotel because of its beautiful rooms, hospitable atmosphere, and excellent location in Knightsbridge. We selected the Lanesborough for our reception before we secured the church for our ceremony, and it must have been written in the stars as the only church that could accommodate us was a six-minute walk from the hotel! We looked at other reception venues in similar hotels, but none were as beautiful or as intimate. It was important for us to marry in a hotel as around half of our guests were coming over from America for the wedding, and we wanted them to have the ease of staying somewhere close. We had about 90 guests, which turned out to be the perfect Goldilocks number. We kept the guest list small to maintain an intimate feeling and leave us time to interact and spend time with each of our guests, especially as so many of them were flying over for the occasion. We also wanted plenty of space for a large dance floor so we could dance the night away!

An Elegant Celebration

We set our hearts on a black-tie wedding as Jack loves to get dressed up, and it was so fun on the day to see everyone in their party clothes. So many people mentioned how happy they were to get an excuse to get dressed up. I wanted to use autumnal colours, so we incorporated a berry red colour into our save-the-dates and invitations. We matched my shoes with my bridesmaids’ dresses and the man of honour’s bow tie and pocket square. It was fun to incorporate it and bring in some texture with the velvet, which matched nicely with the chill of our November day!

"The One"

Sorting out my outfit for the day was a bit of a saga, but I could not have been happier with how it turned out. I initially tried on a dress that I liked, but I didn’t get that ‘wow’ feeling wearing it. I ended up buying the dress, and as soon as I got home, I realised I had made a huge mistake. A month or so later, I was out on a walk and went past Caroline Castigliano’s Atelier. In the window, I saw my dream dress. Against all odds, the amazing team at the Atelier worked their magic, and two days before I left for home, I received a call that I could come in quickly to try on the dress. As soon as I put the dress on, I had that mythical ‘Wow’ feeling, and I knew it was the one. It was a lesson for me with all the wedding choices we made - always listen to that gut feeling. I wore Harriet Wilde shoes - beautiful berry velvet heels. I’ve followed Harriet Wilde on Instagram for a while, and I knew I wanted a fun colour shoe to add some excitement to my outfit. As my something borrowed, I wore the earrings my mother wore on her wedding day: beautiful pearl drops.

Unforgettable Moments

The day was very emotional, but I loved every minute of it! It was wonderful to see Jack standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for me and reading our vows, and hearing the beautiful readings done by my brother and sister-in-law. What is wonderful about your wedding is that there is a moment when you look around the room and realise that everyone you know and love is there, and they are all celebrating you and your love. Jack and I wrote and exchanged letters the morning of the wedding instead of doing a first look - we often write little notes and letters to each other, so this felt like a very natural and fun way to mark the day. The morning became very emotional when I read his aloud to the group. His words meant so much, and I treasure that letter.

PLANNER ANN NICHOLAS WEDDINGS  PHOTOGRAPHER CAMILLA J HARDS  VIDEO CONFETTI & SILK FLOWERS IVY AMELIA FLORALS @IVYAMELIAFLORALS VENUE THE LANESBOROUGH HOTEL  CHURCH ST. PAUL’S, KNIGHTSBRIDGE SHOES HARRIET WILDE  HAIR & MAKEUP STORME MAKE-UP AND HAIR CAKE LINDSAY PEMBERTON  DRESS CAROLINE CASTIGLIANO VEIL PLUMPED SERPENT CT CAR ENGLISH WEDDING CARS BAND  THE GATSBY BAND STATIONERY MOUNT STREET PRINTERS RINGS QUEENSMITH