Incredibly Special Small & Local Vintage Wedding in London

Welcome to the vintage London wedding of Lauren and Freddie who were hitched on the 18^th December 2020. They were married at Hackney Town Hall with 15 of their nearest and dearest surrounding them. It was incredibly special and I am sure you will agree Lauren and Freddie dealt amazingly with all the changes in the restrictions due to COVID-19. They plan to have their second wedding next year at The Hoxton, which I for one just can’t wait to see, it’s going to be epic!

Lauren and Freddie looked amazing. Freddie wore a vintage suit and accessories, while Lauren wore a vintage-inspired short wedding dress with a cape and hat. Don’t they look so happy and loved up too? I also adore their vintage style wedding cake complete with Lego toppers and the gorgeous flowers.

I can’t thank The Shannons enough for sharing these totally beautiful images of a really wonderful celebration.

Vintage London Wedding

The Proposal

I had booked a room at the fabulous Rose Hotel in Deal for us for the weekend and popped the question on a walk down the pier in. The wind in our faces and the roaring sea made for a beautiful moment.

The Vision

We had to change our wedding date three times before we secured December 18^th. With all of the changing COVID restrictions, we got to the end of 2020 and decided to go ahead as soon as it was allowed. So our vision for the actual day was drastically different to what we had been planning for the whole year before. We were only allowed 15 people at the ceremony, and have had to postpone our reception. We wanted the day to be special without having to compromise on all the moments we had been so looking forward to. Speeches and the first dance will have to wait.

Budget

Minimal, thanks to all the changes. Taxis to the venues, champagne for a toast on the street, and the bus fare home covered it.

The Venue

Hackney Town Hall

Your Outfits

FREDDIE: I think Lauren thought I was last minute when it came to my outfit but I knew I had to see the actual suit before I could decide. I was always going to buy a suit from Blackout in Covent Garden, which is an amazing vintage shop. And once I had the suit I spent hours trawling eBay for all of the other vintage touches – socks, tie, cufflinks, and became obsessed with tracking down the perfect Missoni tie. My vintage oxblood brogues came from Hunky Dory vintage on Brick Lane.

LAUREN: Because we really scaled back the wedding, I totally changed my outfit choice. I was originally going to wear a classic ballgown style dress, but instead, I went for a bespoke vintage-inspired two-piece dress with cape that adapted into a skirt for later in the day. I was inspired by images of women having their town hall weddings in the 50s. She’s Dynamite made my dress, which I love, and my shoes were from Remix Vintage Shoes in the US.

The Ceremony & Music

One of our close friends was on music duty, hitting play when Lauren came down the aisle and when we walked out. We were building a playlist for months in advance of the wedding, noting down songs that were meaningful for us, or new versions of old songs that we loved. Lauren walked down the aisle to Dream a Little Dream by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. And we had September by Earth Wind & Fire and How Sweet it is (to be loved by you) by Marvin Gaye play as we signed the register. Our mums were our witnesses which was a lovely touch as we were not allowed to have our siblings say their readings during the ceremony – just another thing to look forward to at our reception.

We really wanted our walkout song to blast out through the speakers, but we had to make do with the wireless Bluetooth speakers offered by the venue. Nevertheless, it felt great to walk out to the Ballroom Blitz by Sweet, which is such a fun song.

Your Photographer & Filmmaker

The Shannons, our photographers were excellent. With such a small guest list they were basically part of the wedding party, and we loved having them. They were so positive all day, they were flexible to all of the demands of the day, and worked so hard to make sure we got the photos we wanted. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the shots they got. Highly recommended!

The Styling & Decor

Lili Vanilli does amazing vintage cakes, and we were delighted to have one of their designs for the day. We have a vintage 80’s style wedding couple topper for whenever we might have the reception cake, but for this one, we plonked a lego wedding couple on the top that we’d received as an engagement present. All of our guests’ buttonholes and bouquets were designed by Gloria, which looked fabulous and they delivered them to our door on the morning of the wedding.

The Honeymoon

We are booked in for three nights at Burgh Island in Devon, and can’t wait to go as soon as restrictions are lifted. We also have our reception at the Hoxton Hotel, Holborn to come as well. They offered a package for small wedding parties to take over their apartment, which is kitted out like a mid-century, vintage dream.

Memorable Moments

To be honest, I think we were both a bit anxious about how the day would go, and whether we would be disappointed when we looked back given the day was such a compromise. But what made it so special was obviously having our closest friends and family with us, especially given the circumstances. Coming home from the ceremony on the 253 bus was not what we had ever imagined but it was so much fun!

Advice For Other Couples

The circumstances of our wedding were extraordinary thanks to the pandemic, but I think the best advice we could give would be to be flexible. Our parents remarked on how well we dealt with the constant changes to our wedding but there was really nothing we could do.

At the end of the day, it really makes you realise the real reason for getting married – it’s just about you two.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Wow, just so special.

Lauren and Freddie thank you ever so much for sharing your amazing vintage London wedding with us.