Ali & Verity The Brides: We wanted to wear dresses that were Mexican-esque and not weddingy. That was the start. Ali had a small Bridezilla moment when she saw Verity in her dress and wanted to try it for herself, but thankfully the moment soon passed when her eyes set upon the incredibly beautiful shawl her mother had left her. It had been a long time since she had seen it and forgotten its incredible, intricate beauty.
Venue
We picked
The Proud Archivist because it’s minutes from our home and we love going there. We wanted our friends and family, especially those travelling from overseas, to know our neighbourhood. It has great covered outdoor areas which are a must in London because you never know what will happen weather-wise. And the canal side location is wonderful.
Colour & Décor
We wanted to create a Mexican vibe in East London without being too cliché. The mariachis and Mexican ‘papel picado’ were the true Mexican touches. Oh, and the surprise piñata a friend painstakingly made too! But we tried to keep it modern and a simple.
The dress code was ‘Mexican-British on the Haggerston Riviera.’ We didn’t really know what that meant but we wanted it to be colourful and fun. It worked out! We’d had the official marriage the day before but we didn’t want Saturday to just be party, so we had our close, and confident friend Nathan perform a ceremony for our friends. We wrote funny vows and signed a book of love his partner had made.
Frida our terrier had a GoPro attached to her and this is the only wedding video we took.
Our friends made the day amazing. They not only helped decorate in the morning and make the wedding cake, they also spent hours writing their speeches (and it showed,) added touches such a wedding piñata filled with tattoos, asked everyone to leave a thumbprint that was then framed, made the guest book and even
DJ’ed at the end of the evening. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends and family for help, all the love they’ll put into their given “task” just makes the day even more special, unique and memorable.
Florist
Jenny at
Iris and Blue advised us to use cacti and succulents to get some of Mexico in. The orange in Verity’s dress became the accent colour for the flowers on the tables. Jenny also created single statement flowers in the bouquets like protea and air plants with colours that complimented Ali’s mom’s shawl and for Verity, the orange in her dress.
Entertainment
We had
Mariachis playing when the guests first arrived together with Tequila based cocktails. It set a great tone and warmed everybody up. As we arrived at the party, the Mariachis played Beyonce “All the Single Ladies” which was hilarious to arrive to.
Photographer
Anna Pumer did an amazing job of capturing it all. We had spent so much time planning it and the day went by at warp speed. Anna moved even faster though and captured all the moments so naturally and with a great eye. She is The Photo Ninja and the guests loved her!