Ana and Chris met on OK Cupid, bonding quickly over their mutual love of travel. Ana was actually Chris’ first online date and six years later they were married! They wanted their day to be non-traditional, full of colour and to have lots of nods to recent travels (Ana’s dress had custom embroidered patches on it of things directly inspired by some locations they’ve visited together – Easter Island, Singapore, Mexico… and of course, London, where they now live).
A tropical cocktail party with bowl food at a tiki bar replaced a sit down formal dinner reception and they danced to 80s tunes all night long! “It was our day, so we wanted it to reflect our relationship rather than tradition”, Ana explained. “That said, we did not aim to be ‘unconventional’ per se – it is more that we wanted it to be for and by us, and to give everyone a really good time, with music, dancing and fabulous cocktails. We wanted our wedding to mirror the joy and adventure of our travels.”
The ceremony was a highlight reel of unforgettable moments, from Ana’s grand entrance to I Wanna be Loved by You by Marilyn Monroe, to the couple exchanging vows amidst laughter and a spontaneous high five as they were pronounced husband a and wife. The incorporation of Ana’s Serbian heritage through the rosemary maid tradition added a meaningful touch, too. “It is a Serbian tradition in which the youngest family member hands out lucky rosemary to the guests to pin on their lapels for a few coins”, she explained, “Maya was brilliant and told some of the guests that she had big plans for the money she was making… apparently it would go to her college fund and an iPad!”
After exiting to a shower of colourful confetti, they did photos with their incredible photographer, Photos by Vicki, who they hired specifically for her super bright and colourful style. They then hired a red London bus to transport everyone over to their reception at the (sadly now closed) Trader Vic’s.
Guests were welcomed with Will His Love Be Like His Rum? by Harry Belafonte and Mai Tais. “The energy was electric,” Ana remembers. “Seeing everyone so happy, dancing, and enjoying themselves was incredible. Several of the guests (including me!) danced for six hours straight, showing some impressive stamina!”
The couple’s hands-on approach added personal flair to their wedding, from the tropical-flower-adorned invitations to the bride’s paper flower bouquet. The venue, didn’t really need any extra decor so they saved a lot of money there. Their cake was from a local bakery and the venue did the bowl food and drinks.
Their advice to engaged couples is one we’ve said before, but we’ll say it a thousand times over if we have to: “Make your day, yours. Forget the ‘shoulds’ and embrace what brings you joy. If you have fun, other people will too!”
