While the venue for the ceremony was chosen relatively quickly, a location for the reception proved more of a challenge. “We love going out for dinner more than anything and wanted the food to be really important – not to have the wedding-y chicken or beef thing,” Cassie explains. “Having a boozy long lunch with great food is just my ideal situation in life – I wanted that to be a really important part of [the wedding].”
Dave, meanwhile, wanted a venue where they could carry on dancing as late as possible, but the couple struggled to find somewhere that could accommodate both. “At one point, we were going to rent a photography studio in Tottenham and set design the whole thing,” Cassie says. “It was in the middle of an industrial estate and my dad was really baffled by the whole thing – that idea quickly got put to bed.”
Eventually, the couple decided that they would go for two different venues to cater for both elements – the first being Arte e Pasta, an Italian restaurant near their home in Walthamstow. “We went for dinner with some friends after I’d spent all afternoon trying to find somewhere where we could do what we wanted,” Cassie explains. “It was just really delicious, hearty Italian food. But as it’s in a residential area, we couldn’t do the dancing there. So we managed to find a bar in Dalston called Kraft that stays open until 2am, and our friends took it in turns to DJ.”
As a stylist, Cassie felt an added sense of pressure to nail the all-important dress. “Because of my job, people kept saying to me, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to see the dress,’” she says. “I really liked the idea of having a vintage dress but I knew I wanted a watery silk – I also found ’30s and ’40s shapes didn’t really suit me.”
After spending months exploring various options, it was another meal out with friends that helped her settle on the style she wanted. “I went to meet some friends at the pub and put on a dress that had a wide neck and two holes either side at the waist,” Cassie recalls. “It suddenly clicked that it really suited me, and I wanted the dress to be of the moment – I love it when you look at all the ’80s weddings and there’s a charm to it.”
The stylist then came across London-based brand Wed, which specialises in bridal and occasion wear, on Instagram, and immediately fell in love with the eco-conscious designs of founders Amy Trinh and Evan Phillips. “I just loved [their] ethos,” Cassie explains. “They were fantastic; it was a really collaborative process. I feel so lucky to have worked on it with Amy and Evan.”
The bride’s ”something borrowed” came in the form of her mother’s earrings, a pair of glass drops that belonged to her grandmother. Meanwhile, her mum also made her veil, party dress, a bag made from leftover silk and the outfits for the bridesmaids and flower girls. “My mum did so much work for our wedding – so much sewing!” Cassie says. “It was amazing to have her bring ideas to life exactly how we wanted them.”
With the sun out in full force, the day ended up being just how they’d imagined – a proper east London wedding that didn’t feel too traditional. “We were all so giddy and happy,” the bride reflects. “It was so glorious to see all our friends and family together, especially after Covid.”
https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/gallery/hackney-town-hall-wedding
