YOU’VE GOT the love

Autumnal vibes pop against Core Clapton’s backdrop for Liz and Henry’s fun-filled day

Images courtesy of Paola de Paola

Liz and Henry first met at work and were friends for a couple of years before a crazy weekend away at a music festival sparked a relationship. “We’d always been attracted by each other’s energy, sense of humour and sense of fun, but initially just got to know each other as colleagues and mates,” Henry explains. After five and half years, they got engaged. “The proposal was very low key, as it was at the start of the third lockdown, but we had a really lovely day together,” he says. “We walked up to Walthamstow Wetlands, picked up some DIY cocktails from one of our favourite bars in Bethnal Green, then got dressed up and had dinner (takeaway) together at the flat we’d just bought. Liz was pretty surprised but remembered to say yes!” he says.

When it came to planning their day, they did it their way! “We wanted to have a wedding that reflected who we are – not too traditional or ceremonial. We don’t have loads of relatives, so it was a chance to celebrate with our immediate family and a few dozen friends,” says Henry.

For Liz and Henry, the best things about weddings are having a big party, celebrating with friends and family, and organizing a day that’s all about them! “Getting so many of our favourite people together in the same room at once was such a highlight, particularly with some friends having moved out of London or abroad in recent years. It was a proper reunion and an epic party.”

Here Henry fills us in on all the detail…

Liz’s dress was from House of Ollichon. It was a gorgeous two-piece that showed off her tattoos.

Later into the evening, Liz changed into a 1920s-style white dress for dancing, and I switched up my jacket to a slightly more dazzling one at the same time.

Liz accessorised with a stars and moon headpiece from Honey & Ember, shoes by Terry De Havilland and her usual array of gold jewellery and piercings.

Liz’s bridesmaids wore black dresses and each picked their own style to feel comfortable and her nieces were flower girls and were unbelievably cute.

My groomsmen wore dark suits that weren’t identical to allow each to feel comfortable and I wore a similar style but my jacket was black velvet with subtle brocaded patterning to stand out. We accessorised with ontheme buttonholes and knitted, mustard yellow ties.

We had a non-religious service and it felt super personal and relaxed. Our celebrant, Patricia, from Hackney Council was wonderful.

Our florist created an incredible archway flanked by beautiful dried pampas grass arrangements that created the backdrop for our ceremony.

During the ceremony my sister read a lovely poem and my brother played acoustic versions of our favourite songs, including Heat Waves by Glass Animals and Cosmic Love by Florence + The Machine. That made the day even more special.

The floral styling was reflected in the small centrepieces that were created by my mother who’s got an amazing eye for design and details.

We were looking for a venue in East London, as it’s where we’ve lived for almost 10 years. We immediately loved Core Clapton because it was a great space and a blank canvas that we could turn into something that really suited us.

Our bridal and bridesmaid bouquets and buttonholes all complemented the theme.

The decorations were minimal, but all closely thought through by Liz to match our theme.

We had long, dark wooden tables rather than traditional circular ones and they looked great.

The catering was simple and informal - tapas brought out to the tables in rustic bowls for sharing and later on, we had artisanal pizzas, plus some decadent brownies and doughnuts from Crosstown Doughnuts!

We both felt super relaxed all day, albeit excited and nervous at the start, as expected. We had so much fun all day.

For us, the best things about weddings are having a big party, celebrating with friends and family. Getting so many of our favourite people together in the same room was such a highlight. It was a proper reunion and an epic party.

Our place names were on cute wine glass charms, with fun, cartoony versions of each person’s likeness (hair, eye colour, glasses etc) that our guests really loved and kept.

The cocktail bar by Crimson Mobile Bars went down a treat later on. We served espresso martinis, bee’s knees and margaritas. It felt relaxed, perfectly on-point, and was another hit with guests!

Our band was incredible. We had the sax player during the drinks reception and the whole band joined for the evening, soundtracking our first dance to You’ve Got The Love, by Florence + The Machine, which is one of our favourite tracks.

The table plan, table names and signage were designed by my colleague Georgie Cobbs, with a decorative floral theme and lettering.

LIZ AND HENRY’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK

The speeches were all great, spaced out during the day, and each with their own energy and vibe. They all made people laugh and get slightly emotional at points too!

Venue, Core Clapton, www.coreclapton.org | Photographer, Paola de Paola, https://paoladepaola.com | Dress, House of Ollichon, https://houseofollichon.co.uk | Jewellery and accessories, Honey & Ember, www.honeyandember.co.uk; Terry De Havilland, https://terrydehavilland.com | Hair stylist, Hewlett Hair, www.facebook.com/people/Hewlett-Hair | Make-up artist, Maria McKenna, www.mariamckennamua.co.uk | Flowers, Dried and Tied Bouquets, www.facebook.com/Dried-and-Tied-Bouquets | Catering, Three Gents Event Catering, www.3geventcatering.com | Rings, A.R. Ullman Ltd, https://arullmann.com | Wedding co-ordinator, Foil Events, www.foil-events.co.uk

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