Are you wearing a wedding veil? If so, what kind have you gone for? I’ve always loved the simple but incredibly chic birdcage veil look – and for any of you looking to save a few pennies on your wedding, a birdcage veil is in fact incredibly easy to make! **makes note to self to work on a tutorial
Russ and Clara got married on 17th May at Devonshire Terrace in London. I love Clara’s effortlessly elegant style and that chic veil – which she made herself. The couple wanted a fun and relaxed wedding and chose to decorate their day with things they both love.
“My sister was on the look out for amazing wedding ideas as much as we were and when she showed us a picture of illuminated letters from Vowed & Amazed we knew we had to include them. We decided to opt for a large C&R which were a fantastic backdrop and added a special element to the dance floor.”
Photography Copyright (c) 2014, Ellie Gillard
“Russ & I met in a bar in Southampton – this might seem fairly ordinary, but it was quite a feat considering I was living in London & Russ was living in Norwich at the time! We had a long distance relationship for a year before Russ moved to London.
Russ proposed 18 months prior to our wedding when we were on holiday in Egypt. He took me totally by surprise when he got down on one knee in the Red Sea while we were snorkelling – so romantic & unpredictable, which for me was perfect.”
“When we went to view the venue we fell in love with it immediately. We were in the middle of the bustling city yet the space felt almost secluded, like a hidden gem. We thought the buildings that make up Devonshire square were wonderfully elegant and the glass roof which covers the courtyard (where our ceremony took place) gave an enchanting sense of being outside – this was the icing on the cake for me as my dream was to get married outside.
We were delighted with the sophisticated chic interior of Devonshire Terrace and the fact that the space was flexible & could be divided into areas was just perfect for our requirements.”
“We met our photographer Ellie Gillard at The Most Curious Wedding Fair in Brick Lane. We were instantly attracted to Ellie’s artist style – we knew we didn’t want an album full of formal posed images. We met up with Ellie at few weeks later at our venue & got on so well we knew she was perfect.
Ellie has documented our day beautifully capturing every aspect to tell our amazing story and I can’t recommend her enough.”
“My shoes were Vivienne Westwood Melissa shoes. Russ spotted them when we were in Brighton before we’d even booked the venue, & I knew they would be perfect for an injection of fun to my outfit.”
“I made the birdcage veil myself from a piece of French netting I purchased online. My hair clip was a vintage brooch I brought at Camden Passage market. I also wore a pair of earrings that were a present from my Godmother & came from Swarovski.”
“My dress was from the Pronovias 2014 collection & I brought it from Brides of Southampton – Having visited a number of bridal shops I found the team at Brides the nicest & most attentive.
I felt amazing in my dress, I loved the unusual neckline of the jacket and the way the dress flowed. It just felt right & I could see myself standing next to Russ taking our vows.”
“Our ceremony reading was ‘I love you Because’, which we selected on because of the sentiment of the words.”
‘I love you because you’re my future, my present & part of my past
My world has been turning so quickly and time just keeps moving so fast
I love you because you have something no ordinary person can give
a warmth that I’ll cling to forever – hold on to so long as I live
I love you because your devotion is tender and wonderfully rare
Could anyone ever imagine the magic moments we share?
I love you because you are truthful your eyes hold the key to my heart
Tell me you share my commitment and say we shall not be apart
I love you because you are wonderful you give me all that i need
A hug when i seek reassurance a smile if we have disagreed
I love you because……I just love you, for too many reasons to say
and I’ll always be right here beside you a breath and a heart beat away.’
“I decided a few months before the wedding that I would like to do the flowers myself. I booked a class at The Covent Garden Academy of Flowers for me and my Mum and we learnt how to make a hand tied wedding bouquet, which gave us confidence that I wasn’t totally crazy! Russ took me to New Covent Garden Flower Market on the Thursday at 4am and we had fun selecting our blooms.
I knew I wanted Peony’s in my bouquet and Hydrangeas for the table decorations purely because they’re my favourite flowers and I think they’re beautiful, but I kept an open mind for the rest & we just selected what we felt would go nicely. I’m so proud of what we achieved!”
“We decided to go for a cheese cake rather than a traditional cake. We both love cheese & thought it would be fun to have something quirky. It was a complete hit & it was nice for everyone to enjoy as part of the evening snack. We bought the cheese through The Cheese Shed who specialise in wedding cheese cakes.”
“We had a fun Casino at the beginning of the evening followed by the band Alison & The Earthquakes who truly rocked & made our wedding extra special.”
Words of Wedded Wisdom…
“Enjoy every moment including the planning & build up. Make selections together, surround yourselves with things you love, & don’t feel like you have to conform, your wedding day should sum up who you are as a couple. I am so proud of the day we created.”
City elegance done beautifully. Thank you so much Russ and Clara for letting me share your wedding with our readers, and very many thanks to photographer Ellie Gillard too.
Love Annabel
Photographer – Ellie Gillard
Venue + Catering – Devonshire Terrace
Wedding Dress – Pronovias via Brides of Southampton
Veil/Headpiece – made by the bride
Brides’ shoes – Vivienne Westwood Melissa shoes
Groom – Austin Reed shoes via Ted Baker + Omega watch movement cufflinks via Steampunk Vintage Design
Bridesmaids – Rebecca Stone dresses (no website) + Next shoes
Flowers – The bride
Entertainment – Casino + Alison & The Earthquakes
Rings – Hatton Garden
Cheese Cake – The Cheese Shed
Hair + Make-up – Beauty Collective
Giant illuminated letters – Vowed & Amazed
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