Yes, we know – weddings are notoriously tough events to pull off. The pressure to make sure that every element is just perfect is so high that you should probably follow a low-sodium diet in the run-up. And we get it, you want your big day to feel like a material reflection of you, your taste and, of course, the love that you’re committing all that time (and money!) to. That said, in this age of social media echo chambers and archive fever, that totally you dress you’ve had your eye on since first spotting it on some bridal nostalgia Pinterest board has struck the exact same feelings in about every other bride of your milieu. Pick it, and prepare for the embarrassment of clocking your frenemy (who also happened to pip you to your dream venue just the weekend before) in it – if you’re even able to source it at all.
The thing with weddings, though, is that while the list of choices to make is seemingly endless, so are the options. Looking for something with the waist-snatching vibe of a Vivienne Westwood Cocotte that isn’t, well, a Vivienne Westwood Cocotte? Has Dua Lipa stolen the Palermo wedding venue of your dreams? Do you have your heart set on a low-key town hall wedding, but don’t want to look like you’re knocking off Charli XCX?
Reader, we are here with the answers to all of these questions and so many more. We’ve decoded the celebrations that have resonated most strongly with you over the past year, deciphering what, exactly, made their big days the standouts that they were, and offering directional alternative proposals. Think of it a bit like one of those algorithmic recommendation generators, but generated by actual people – yes, us!
Without further ado, here are some new wedding-day essentials well worth saying “I do” to.
The dress
Looking back on the dresses that caught your eye over the past year, Vivienne Westwood was easily the name that popped up the most. Home to a roster of contemporary classics, and a perennial favourite for any bride looking to bring a splash of sexiness to their big day, a corseted, bustier neckline dress was the go-to gown for Bryony Deery’s primary London celebration, while British Vogue’s current cover star famously sported an abbreviated Nova Cora for her legal ceremony.
If you’re after something that still has the same flex, there are plenty of other über-cool options for the fashion-forward bride. For a sculpted, bust-y form, demi-couturier Ellie Misner is a no-brainer – just ask Iona Judd, who stopped by the designer’s London studio ahead of their big day. For a more haute-gothic take on bridal – without skimping on the corseted snatch – Dilara Findikoğlu is a great shout, as fashion photographer Harley Weir can attest. While Sinéad O’Dwyer’s body-embracing designs stole the show on artist bride Nicole Coson’s big day. If shimmer is your main prerogative, though, you’d be hard pressed to look any further than West London’s queen of sparkle, Clio Peppiatt, whose bead-embroidered gowns are as revered for their comfort as for their ability to hold a magpie’s gaze.
The ring
Right now, “thanks to our endless obsession with all things CBK, slimline and minimalist engagement rings are trending (think delicate bands, a sprinkling of diamonds, and absolutely not a stonking solitaire),” says British Vogue’s jewellery authority, Laura Hawkins, who cites Tiffany & Co, De Beers and Harry Winston among the go-tos for sleek eternity band-inspired pieces. “If you’re looking for something a little more subversive, though, opt for Suzanne Kalan’s organically-formed iterations, twinkling with green emeralds; Anita Ko’s design-led take, which features a suspended pear-drop diamond; or Repossi’s architectural Antifer silhouette.”
When it comes to the bands for the main event, you’ll probably have noticed “our affection for the “one-and-done ring”, a band that incorporates a wedding and engagement ring into one piece,” she says. “For some discerning brides, this means playing with the notion of two rings in one like Boucheron’s stacked Quatre Classique designs. By far the most unusual take I’ve found are Marla Aaron’s DiMe Rings, which are inspired by 14th-century ‘Gimmel’ rings, physicalised as chunky bands which are, in fact, formed from two interlocking rings, which can be engraved inside with a love-drenched message.”
The shoes
In the words of the great Dominique Jackson, “get the shoes, baby, get the shoes!” And when you do, make them Jimmy Choos. Such seems to be the memo we’ve gleaned from the weddings we’ve seen over the past year, with brides, including Ellery Romanko and Anjli Mohindra, opting for satin-covered sling-back sandals and vintage pumps, respectively, for their nuptials. And for good reasons – few brands have quite as solid a reputation for providing enough lift to ensure you don’t tread on your dress’s hem, while ensuring enough comfort to see you through the entire day. Alaïa also scored high on our ranking – the vintage lace-up sandals that fashion PR Virginia Norris sported for her celebrations in the Suffolk countryside were real winners.
If you’re after an IYKYK flex, look to Christen, the brand founded by Nina Christen, a longstanding luxury house secret weapon, and the current whizz behind the stellar shoes coming out of Dior. She’s just opened a standalone store in Paris. For options a little closer to home, Lili Curia, the brand beloved by Little Simz and Suki Waterhouse, offers an array of sandals and pumps that we’ll no doubt soon be seeing on the feet of the city’s chicest brides. Mount Street-based Malone Souliers also offers a seriously sexy range of aisle-ready heels, while Tabitha Ringwood – a regular collaborator of Sinéad O’Dwyer’s – is a must for any bride-to-be after bespoke heels.
The venue
While weddings have typically been grand occasions, this year, we’ve witnessed a notable trend for incredibly glamorous brides opting for the relatively humble settings of local town halls. The jury’s still out on whether this is an actual recession indicator or just a collective, slightly pretentious channelling of faux humility, and we are not here to judge. Well, maybe a little. If we can beg for one thing, though – please, for the love of God, no more weddings at Hackney or Islington Town Hall.
There are many other magnificent municipal buildings across the city that fit the bill – Chelsea Old Town Hall, with its pillared Victorian façade; Morden Hall, set within a charming rose garden; and if Hackney’s a must, Stoke Newington Town Hall, an Art Deco marvel set on picturesque Church Street. Beyond London, there’s Bath’s Guildhall, a paragon of Georgian elegance; Cardiff’s Renaissance revivalist City Hall; and Glasgow’s Beaux-Arts City Chambers, to name a few. And if you’re after an East London town hall vibe with a bit of hotel polish, then Bethnal Green’s Town Hall Hotel – a discreetly, chicly restored Edwardian landmark – offers just that.
If it’s a country wedding that you have your heart set on, there is no shortage of options across Britain’s arcadian wilds. This year, we saw Lioness Chloe Kelly tie the knot at Cheshire’s Merrydale Manor, while Jack Whitehall and Roxy Horner opted for the Italianate Euridge Manor in Wiltshire. If you’re really willing to push the boat out, choosing a spot that has all the bases covered is a shrewd move – somewhere like Heckfield Place, for example. The tastefully renovated manor hotel is a favourite among the fashion and art set. Featuring knockout restaurants, working with seasonal produce sourced from its 438 acres of sprawling farmland, and The Bothy, a world-class spa where the stress accumulated over the journey to your big day will instantly be melted away, it’s a bucolic location that delivers on wow factor while covering many of the essential bases.
On the flip side, destination weddings are still big news. From Roman basilicas, Moroccan desert hideouts, Bhutanese mountain retreats and the Pyramids of Giza, it’s been an especially adventurous year for far-flung declarations of love. Sicily will no doubt be high on a number of bride-to-be’s lists following Charli’s infamously big bash there last summer, and rumours of Dua Lipa’s taking place in Palermo next month. The news cycle around the upcoming season of The White Lotus will also have spiked interest in spots along France’s sunny southern coast. For something that channels the vibe of both hotspots, but with fewer hordes (and costs!), Liguria’s glittering coastline – which runs across the border from France’s world-famous stretch of sea and sand – is a winner, with historically overlooked spots, like Camogli, primed for their moment in the destination wedding spotlight.
The cake
If there’s anyone who knows their way around a wedding cake, it’s me. Why? Well, for our last wedding special, I was tasked with tracking down a London-based baker able to cater to even the most fickle of tastes and dietaries. My pursuit led me to Violet. The Dalston-based bakery is, as you may know, something of a favourite among the fashion crowd – just pull up to the E8 home on a sunny afternoon, for proof.
That said, there are a number of other bakers in this fair city that take the cake. There’s Lily Vanilli, for one, a Columbia Road-based bakery that created confections for the likes of Studio Boum’s Andy Moller and is the mastermind behind the award-winning afternoon tea offering at Four Seasons Tower Bridge. Another rising fashion fave is Louis Thompson. As the former Spring pastry chef and Stefan Cooke muse, wedding gateaux aren’t his regular focus, though he did create a spectacular metre-long blackberry custard tart for the creative director couple Jamie Reid and Jodie Hill. And if the cakes and bakes he’s created for Jake’s – Jake Burt’s buzzy weekend retail venture – are anything to go, a show-stealing wedding centrepiece is well within his remit.