Inspiration

There are weddings, and then there are weddings, and this fantastic celebration at The Bike Shed Motorcycle Club in Shoreditch is nitty, gritty and oh so pretty. Thoroughly modern couple, Natasha and Luke, worked together to create a celebration that not only reflected them as a couple (move aside, Meghan Markle; this is how bride's walk themselves down the aisle), but also ensured their guests had a great time to boot. Captured in mesmerising style by Nigel John, the photos feel fitting for a magazine editor and her beau: artistic, atmospheric and poignant, they would not be out of place in an editorial shoot or an art gallery. You truly are in for a treat.

Bride Walking Herself Down The Aisle

 

I’m a women’s interest journalist and stridently, if sometimes aggressively, feminist. And Luke is a species all of his own; an artist and a wanderer who doesn’t like playing by anyone else’s rules. Neither of us intended to get married and none of our friends expected us to, so we decided that we needed to interrogate many of the traditions of a wedding and marriage, to determine whether they felt relevant or meaningful to us. And, if they didn’t, we got rid of them. As a result, I walked myself down the aisle; I had bridesmen as well as brideswomen; we nixed all the stuff about ‘obeying’ and ‘serving’; my mum gave a speech, as did my sister; we didn’t have a gift registry; and I didn’t change my name. We created the sort of wedding ceremony that actually meant something to the two of us and wasn’t necessarily tied to the traditional tenets of marriage. - Natasha & Luke

Natasha & Luke

Shoreditch Wedding at Bike Shed Motorcycle Club

We got married at The Bike Shed Motorcycle Club, which is both where we met and where I first said "I love you" at a New Year’s Eve party. It seemed like a lovely idea to get married at a place that already meant so much to us. The venue was a fabulous blank canvas and, with the hard work of an amazing lighting and sound team from Visual Elements London, we turned the bare brick arches into a twinkly fairylight wonderland. Our guests expected to arrive at a motorbike club, but they stepped through the doors into a festoon lit arcadia.

Concept Catering By Mam Sham

 

I’m a women’s interest journalist and stridently, if sometimes aggressively, feminist. And Luke is a species all of his own; an artist and a wanderer who doesn’t like playing by anyone else’s rules. Neither of us intended to get married and none of our friends expected us to, so we decided that we needed to interrogate many of the traditions of a wedding and marriage, to determine whether they felt relevant or meaningful to us. And, if they didn’t, we got rid of them. As a result, I walked myself down the aisle; I had bridesmen as well as brideswomen; we nixed all the stuff about ‘obeying’ and ‘serving’; my mum gave a speech, as did my sister; we didn’t have a gift registry; and I didn’t change my name. We created the sort of wedding ceremony that actually meant something to the two of us and wasn’t necessarily tied to the traditional tenets of marriage. - Natasha & Luke

Natasha & Luke

We can't leave this wonderful wedding without a note on Natasha's dress: an exquisite gown made by her mother. With both a nod to the bride's fashion background through the simple silhouette and stunning construction, as well as a reflection of her playful personality thanks to the thigh-high slit, champagne and dusty rose coloured underskirts and feathers, it sums up this wedding day to a tee. Stuck with the gargantuan task of choosing your own gown? Episode 1, Series 2 of RMW's podcast is dedicated solely to the dress. You're welcome.

Victoria Honan

Written by Victoria Honan

Venue: The Bike Shed Motorcycle Club | Bridal Shoes: Topshop | Bridesmaids Dresses: ASOS | Bridesmaids Dresses: Revolve | Groom's Suit: Paul Smith | Jewellery: Astrid & Miyu | Hair: Session Stylist Richard Johnson | Caterer: Mam Sham | Entertainment: Duane Lamonte | Drag Queen: Baby Lame | Lighting and Sound: Visual Elements London

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