Inspiration

Having your day your way, means choosing which bits to spend money on, and which bits to save money on. For Kylie, bagging a bargain dress was really important, as her and Koray wanted to spend more on the flowers, entertainment, food and the photography. You'd never tell that Kylie's dress wasn't super expensive, she looks gorgeous and the it's clear that the whole day really reflects these two as a couple. It's relaxed, stylish and fun. Images come from the lovely Olivia & Dan, who have captured every moment to perfection.

The Bride

I had two requirements when it came to my dress. I wanted it to be really comfortable, and I didn’t want to spend a small fortune on it (just for one day)! With that in mind, I went to Bromley’s Wed2B store. They’ve got a great queuing system which means you don’t need to book an appointment and can just stop by and browse (no pressure and relaxed!) They have so many dresses, in all different sizes and at reasonable prices too! I chose the Gala Dress from their Signature Collection. After trying on a few dresses, I knew it was the one for me. I bought it there and then and took it home with me! My friend Lucianne Mitchell did my makeup, she’s the owner of Lucianne Beauty - which was handy!

The Groom

Koray wore a navy tailor made suit from Moss Bros and shoes from Jones. We wanted a relaxed feel that matched the Islington venue, so didn’t want the groomsmen matching and asked them to wear their own blue suits of varying shades. We got matching ties from Thomas Pink in a pale grey/blue colour to match the bridesmaids. The guys outfits looked formal enough while steering away from the morning suit vibe which was in our view, too dressy for Farringdon.

The Bridesmaids

I liked the idea of all the bridesmaids wearing different dresses but in similar(ish) colours and despite the dresses all being completely different, they looked great when put together. The colours were purple-grey and complemented the autumnal colour palette of the flowers. The girls all chose their own dresses from various places on the high street as I wanted them to feel comfortable on the day.

The Venue

We are both from London, met in London and bought our first home together in Highbury, Islington, so we always knew it was going be a London wedding! We walk past Islington Town Hall all the time and always stop across the road to watch the weddings taking place over the weekends. It’s a beautiful venue and I particularly liked the circular ceremony room, so it just felt like the right place for us. Islington Town Hall had a real touch of elegance, and was as classic and dressy as a church. The wood panelling and marble floors provided a formal setting even though we aren’t religious enough for a church wedding. We didn’t want the reception venue to be too far away and wanted a relaxed, pub vibe. We visited St Bart’s Brewery in Farringdon and knew it would be perfect. Big tall ceilings, split levels, floor to ceiling windows and 2 bars areas! Pam manages all the wedding there and she has got it down to a tee – she is fantastic! We thought that Farringdon at the weekend was the perfect setting for a wedding as it’s not as busy as during the week, but central and accessible enough for all. It also meant our photographers were able to capture us in a few a locations around the area, without any people or traffic in the background.

The Decor

Koray is half Turkish so we wanted to include a few Turkish twists. Our table numbers and seating plan were all written in Turkish and we had Turkish music playing during dinner with a few songs playing in the evening for those wanting to show off their Turkish dancing! With it also being a London wedding, we decided to have a big post box for our cards and we organised for two old London routemaster buses to take all the guests from the ceremony to the reception.

The Flowers

We had Lara from Wild Renata Flowers, and she was actually recommended by our photographers. We love her vibe, and she just put together the most perfect colours for an October wedding. I didn’t want anything too ‘structured’ for my bouquet, and wanted the colours to be autumnal to fit in with the time of year, which was the autumn.

The Entertainment

We found Kelly Barnes from Alive Network, she’s a very talented solo singer guitarist, and did a fantastic job! Kelly played until 10pm, and then we switched it up to a pre planned playlist when the party really got started.

The Food

It was really important that our guests enjoy the food. Luckily the food at St Bart’s Brewery is fab! We went to a couple of food tasting sessions and decided on a crab and avocado starter, beef fillet with a potato rosti and spinach main and cheesecake for dessert. We had so many compliments and it really was delicious – I wish I could eat it all over again! We found French Made on Instragam and loved the look of their cakes. We had a simple, semi naked three tier cake (coconut and Lime, Lemon and Victoria Sponge). It was so delicious. I purposely dragged Koray away from the party to try a piece of each and I’m glad I did as it all went! The whole lot!

The Photography

We spent ages searching for a photographer and I’d been to meet a few before we finally came across Olivia & Dan on Instagram. I loved the style of their photos, and thought they’d be perfect. It turned out they live just down the road from us so we met in a local coffee shop and we were sold! They are just the loveliest couple, so professional and the best thing is you get both of them! They recommended an engagement shoot as a bit of a practice run, which I convinced Koray to do, and I’m so glad I did! Despite feeling a bit awkward at the beginning, it’s such a good way of getting used to having the cameras around and it also means less time spent away from the party on the big day because you already know the types of photos you want. Big bonus for us!

The Videography

I wasn’t convinced about a videographer at the time. I just saw it as another added expense and an extra person following me around...like who am I! However, I am SO glad we decided to book Filmmakers of London. Chris had actually filmed my friend’s wedding the year before so I knew he would be great and I absolutely love the video! The greatest part of the filming was the speeches. Having these on video is worth all the money in the world and more.

The Ceremony

This was the part that made me the most nervous, walking down the aisle in front of all those people. We went for the simple ceremony. Our vows were one of the options suggested by the venue and they matched our personalities as we didn’t want anything too fussy! Two of our aunties gave readings, one of which was written by her daughter. It all went much faster than we had imagined so there really was no reason to be nervous. The music was ‘DJ-ed’ by one of the groomsmen. The venue have an aux cable and the registrar is a pro at knowing when to press play!

Advice

If I could give anyone planning a wedding any tips they would be: 1. Don’t print the ‘RSVP by date’ on your invites, as you won’t be able to use them once the date has passed and then people will know if they were a 2nd choice...Oops, sorry! 2. Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy 3. Try not to nag your partner to get things done. They’ll do it eventually and it will all work out perfectly. 4. Don’t feel obliged to follow every tradition...if you don’t want to do wedding favours, then don’t. If you want to take an Uber to your ceremony then do.
Fern Godfrey

Written by Fern Godfrey

Bride: Wed2B | Groom: Moss Bros. | Ties: Thomas Pink | Hair & Make Up: Lucianne Mitchell | Ceremony Venue: Islington Town Hall | Reception Venue: St Barts Brewery | Florist: Wild Renata Flowers | Guitarist & Singer: Kelly Barnes via Alive Network | Cake: French Made | Video: Filmmakers Of London

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