Inspiration

I can't think of two themes richer in colours or flavours than those which inspire this wedding: autumn and Mexico. The striking shades of Sophie & Steve's autumnal colour scheme - mustards, rust and berries - are vibrant and vivacious, and work so well on all levels: from the mismatched bridesmaids dresses to the bouquets and doughnut wall. Mexican catering, plus margaritas, must have kept guests extremely happy, and a note on the cake - a three-tiered vegan chocolate cherry and almond number - made by local bakery Luminary, a social enterprise that provides training, community and employment opportunities for socially and economically disadvantaged women. Now that truly has a RMW stamp of approval.

Inspiration Behind The Styling

Our wedding theme was an amalgamation of our favourite aesthetics. We both love the autumn and crunching through rust-coloured leaves, so it was important to use those colours. I’m also very drawn to celestial art and Mexicana prints, and we both fell in love with Mexico when we lived there, so we definitely wanted to include that in our day. My maid of honour, Rachel, suggested using the artwork from the classic Mexican game ‘Lotería’ for our wedding invites and created our stationery based on this (as well as 100 matchstick boxes filled with chocolate matchsticks as wedding favours!). Rachel and I also learned how to make macramé plant hangers, which we hung around the hall, as well as Mexican papel picado and lots of star-shaped fairy lights.

Sophie & Steve

Autumnal Colour Scheme

With gorgeous rust hues inspired by both autumn and Mexico, and the leafy backdrop of Abney Park Cemetery (where Amy Winehouse filmed the video for Back to Black, no less), you may be surprised that we're in Stoke Newington for Sophie & Steve's big day - that is until you see the 73 bus tootling along! Autumn iconography dominates the décor, with a plethora of pumpkins and golden leaves, which work wonderfully with the Mexican momentoes - have you spotted the guac and tacos on the tables? Delish!

Advice For Brides-to-be

DIY doesn't necessarily mean cheaper. You have to source a lot of things you don’t think about at first when you go for a dry hire venue, like napkins, signage displays and chairs. Make sure you budget for these things if you go down the DIY route, and make sure you have plenty of helping hands on board because it can be a lot of work. I’m so thrilled with how my vision came together on the day, but it wouldn't have been possible without all the help from our parents, family and friends.

Sophie & Steve
Did you know that you can filter all our real weddings by season, to find inspiration according to the time of year you are getting married? Whether you're an autumn bride-to-be, a spring chick, a winter darling or a summer señorita, we have weddings to suit all seasons.
Victoria Honan

Written by Victoria Honan

Venue: Abney Public Hall | Dress Designer: Story of My Dress | Bride's Shoes: Sam Edelman | Earrings: The Gypsy Fawn | Crown: Mignonne Handmade | Groom's Suit: Reiss | Florist: Botanique Workshop | Chairs: Linda's Vintage Hire | Catering: El Patron | Evening Pizzas: Apollo Stoke Newington | Cake: Luminary Bakery | Doughnut Wall: Vicky's Donuts

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