London LOVE From rainy afternoon dates, heartfelt proposals and a bold beautiful London celebration, Catherine and Rhys’ wedding was one to remember Images courtesy of Tara Florence Studio Catherine, a New York attorney newly moved to London, met Rhys, a London-born artist, on Tinder. While Catherine was travelling in the US, they messaged nonstop and when she returned to London, their first date in Camden lasted eight hours, ending with a rainy walk up Primrose Hill with her dog in tow. “I think it’s very unlikely our paths would have crossed without Tinder, though now I cannot imagine life without him,” she comments. Rhys later fell in love with a quiet beach near Catherine’s childhood home in Rhode Island, where they spent hours searching for sea glass. On a trip home before Christmas, she suggested a quick beach walk. Knowing Rhys loves little romantic gestures, Catherine tapped his shoulder to show a heart-shaped rock she’d found. He smiled, reached into his pocket, knelt and revealed a beautiful Ami Pepper ring and proposed! SETTING THE SCENE The couple wanted a venue that felt magical and distinctly British. “We wanted something as a nod to Rhys’ London upbringing and the city where we fell in love,” says Catherine. With guests flying in from the US, they hoped to give everyone a quintessential London experience, from the welcome reception at National Liberal Club overlooking the London Eye to views of Trafalgar Square from 116 Pall Mall on the wedding day. The couple infused personal touches throughout the day. Rhys’ hand-designed invitations and stationery, featuring magpies to reference a special early moment in their relationship, their dogs, flowers and a playful take on a traditional gilded frame. Inspired by a wedding at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, they gifted each guest a vintage British teacup, sourcing and handcleaning 200 pieces from The Old Schoolhouse Tearooms. To honour Catherine’s Italian roots, her father provided traditional confetti bonbonnieres with delicious almonds from Maggio’s Confectionery — always in uneven numbers, as tradition requires. TO DINE FOR Catering was by Searcys, 116 Pall Mall’s in-house team. “I’ll start with the dessert because I lie in bed at night still thinking about that gorgeous lemon tart,” Rhys comments. “My mouth is watering just thinking about it! For starters, we had a delicious tomato dish. Our vegan and vegetarian guests enjoyed the lemon risotto, while the others enjoyed a beautiful chunk of Cornish hake with mashed potatoes. After a bit of dancing and plenty of champers, mini burgers and falafel wraps were served alongside paprika fries in the evening. I can’t forget about the cocktail hour with delicious canapés! The evening before, we had a delicious summer barbecue catered by the National Liberal Club’s in-house dining, with Pimm’s and Pineapple Coolers as our welcome drinks.” LOOKING THE PART Catherine wore her grandmother’s 1940s lace dress, later slightly altered for her mother’s 1987 wedding, reimagined in a non-traditional pink shade. Lisa Lyons Bridal salvaged fabric and beading to create Catherine’s bodice and veil, adding a small “something blue” ribbon sewn underneath. The bride wore floral Adidas x Liberty trainers, frilled Dr. Martens socks, and a silver sixpence gifted by her friend Megan. For the pre-party, she wore a specially made floral Needle & Thread silk dress. Rhys wore a Ted Baker green suit, Uniqlo shirt and socks, Clarks loafers and a green floral Liberty tie, later switching into Nike Jordan 4 Brick by Bricks. The bridesmaids wore dark navy Azazie floral burnout dresses with gold accessories, and Catherine’s brothers wore sustainable dark navy suits. Two VIPs, the couple’s dogs, also dressed for the occasion. Leo the Pomeranian wore a custom navy tuxedo from Wedding Dogs Atelier, while Peanuts the sprocker spaniel wore a tuxedo harness from Tuna & Bear. TIME TO CELEBRATE A string trio from Kara Strings entertained guests, playing pop hits arranged for strings. Catherine’s mother sang and played guitar during the ceremony, and Rhys’ mother recited the poem Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog by Taylor Mali. A great moment was when Catherine surprised Rhys with a ukulele performance of Lover by Taylor Swift on an eight-string ukulele. Later in the evening, DJ Bella kept everyone dancing way into the night. MEMORABLE MOMENTS There were plenty of fun moments throughout the day! Peanuts the spaniel yapped through the ceremony, concerned about not being next to his humans, and ran amok on the staircase once his duties were complete. The couple also had a private golden-hour photo session, soaking in the moment together – something they will treasure for years to come. REAL WEDDINGS 19
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