Grace & Mat

You'll be forgiven for thinking we've taken you back in time at this lovely vintage wedding. Bride Grace is an absolute siren in a sumptuous satin and lace gown, and groom Mat looks dashing in a three piece suit. Plus the deep burgundy hue of the bridesmaid dresses are absolutely delicious. The Asylum and Town Hall Hotel ceremony and reception venues couldn't be more perfect to host the timeless day. Filled with atmospheric candle light, greenery and gorgeous florals, as well as tender moments, love and smiles, all captured to perfection by Kevin Fern Photography.

Our Story

Grace the Bride: Mat and I are both actors and met on a production of 'The Railway Children' at Waterloo Station around 7 years ago. More recently, we've started our own company called ‘Ruttle & Rowe’ Coffee co. which is a mobile Espresso Bar with a pitch at the Lea Bridge Station, E10. We chose a Winter wedding in London as it was around that time we met, all our memories are in the city, and wrapping up in the cold always feels so romantic!

The Ceremony

We chose The Asylum in Peckham for the ceremony. A few years ago, I did a cast photo shoot when I was involved with the West End production of ‘Great Expectations’ and fell in love with the rustic, bohemian charm of the space, luckily, when Mat saw it at the open day, he too was blown away. We wanted a light hearted personal civil ceremony so when reminiscing on how we met, (both acting in the stage adaptation of The Railway Children, at Waterloo Station), we found a very endearing excerpt from E. Nesbit’s novel, where the children referenced marriage to have as a reading. This led us on to choosing the Kinks ‘Waterloo Sunset’ that was performed as an acoustic version by my band mates whilst we signed the registry.

The Reception

The reception was at the Town Hall Hotel and Apartments in Bethnal Green. We ate at their restaurant ‘The Typing Room’ for Mat’s birthday a couple of years ago and loved the food, along with the class and history of the building that it instantly sprung to mind when thinking of a venue for our day. My parents used to go ‘courting’ in the area, so we thought it would be a nice touch for them to go back to their old stomping ground. We are so both such foodies so were thrilled Head Chef Lee Westcott also designs the wedding food and it is exceptional. The drinks reception was held in the De Monfort Suite. A friend played on the grand piano, whilst upside down Bellini’s with a strawberry foam/glasses of prosecco were served. The Grazing table included Honey roast duck with cherry and pistachios, Beef burger sliders, Goats cheese chestnut and grape, Parmesan and cream cheese muffins, Salmon and cream cheese cones, and they were amazing! The wedding breakfast was served in the Bethnal Hall with a starter of Pigs Cheek, Jerusalem Artichoke puree and pickled carrots. The main was Duck Breast, kimichi pear, confit carrot and orange. Dessert was a peanut parfait, celery and apple sorbet followed by Coffee/Tea and macaroons.

Brides Fashion

My dress was from a vintage shop called ‘Story of my Dress’. I found it after searching Pinterest for inspiration. The story goes that it was saved from a closing down museum in New England by a vintage store in NYC, where it had been kept behind glass being adored for 80 years. It was the only dress I tried on, and luckily it fit! However, I always imagined wearing something backless, so Cara’s Team removed a panel creating a contemporary style onto something so timeless. I have held back telling them however, that I ripped a hole under the arm when I decided to do my party piece ‘the worm’ on the dance floor in the evening! The sign of a destroyed dress marks the sign of a good day by my standards!

Brides Shoes

Jimmy Choo Bridal – I fell in love with the style of these shoes to compliment my dress and also loved that the heel wasn’t too high so I could dance the night away!

Grooms Fashion

Mat always dreamed of having a tailor made suit for his wedding day. He chose a 3 piece woollen suit in grey herringbone by Tom James Tailors with our wedding date and my name stitched into his lapel pocket. He chose a light blue shirt to bring the suit to life and matched a vintage art deco tie in burgundy and blue colours, with burgundy braces.

The Wedding Party Fashion

Bridesmaids - my sisters wore burgundy floor-length silk gowns with long sleeves from Anthropologie Bridal. Mat’s brother was the best man, and my nephew was our page boy. We decided to have them in different coloured grey tweed style suits to complement Mats, with uniform burgundy ties to match the bridesmaids too.

Entertainment

Live music is so important to us so we incorporated it through the whole day. In the evening we booked Oomphf (7 piece funk band) who created an amazing atmosphere and seamless entertainment for the night.

Colour Scheme/Décor/Flowers

We kept the colour scheme and styling very modest and minimal. With the help from our florist Lisa @ Lily Lupin, we went for Lush greenery and pillar candles at the Asylum. We kept the greenery theme but added pops of white exotic flowers such as hydrangeas and orchids which came to life in the glamorous Bethnal Hall. In a meeting with Lisa, I mentioned that my nan’s favourite flower was the lily of the valley, and there was a tiny little surprise posy left by my place setting at dinner! She was such a dream! The Town Hall hotel oozed style with its original 1930s art deco features, so we added some authenticity with real vintage props. Mat and I took great pleasure in sourcing an employer’s time clock system as our seating plan, and a gramophone to display our Cheese Tower on.

Table Favours

We thought it would be a lovely personal touch to use our own roasted coffee, and to mark our new business venture together. We now make these favours for other coffee lover couples for their wedding days and also offer Espresso Martini Packages served from our Coffee Van.

Wedding Consultant

Lianne tucker, from Blonde Army stepped in last minute and helped set up and coordinate the day. She was so thorough and approachable and it was priceless knowing we were in her capable hands.