Part elopement, part micro wedding, Brenda and Nick wanted to get married abroad, but not entirely on their own. Rather than eloping just the two of them, the couple, who are from Wisconsin, invited eight of their best friends to come to England with them as their bridal party! Brenda chose autumnal colours for the faux flower bouquets and her bridesmaids’ dresses, which perfectly suited the October weather in London.
Having never been to the UK before, they didn’t really know where to start, but with the help of their photographer, they planned an itinerary to see all the sights. After their ceremony, they hopped in a black cab and visited some of London’s iconic landmarks including red telephone boxes, Big Ben, the London Eye, St James’s Park and Buckingham Palace. They ended the day with an amazing dinner at Gloria, a beautiful Italian restaurant in Shoreditch.
“The main inspiration for how we planned our wedding was our love for travel, spontaneity, and exploring together”, Brenda began. “Combining traveling somewhere new and starting a new chapter of our lives together sounded very us.”
After much Googling, they settled on Old Marylebone Town Hall as their ceremony venue, which they loved for its beautiful architecture and the fact they had some rooms small enough for their tiny group. “My favourite part of the wedding day itself was the element of surprise on the way to our ceremony”, Brenda continued. “I was so nervous and excited to see Nick. Our taxi had dropped us off across the street and I was shaking walking up to him in front of the town hall and waiting for him to turn around to see me.”
“Our friends had set up a Zoom call on a laptop for our friends and family at home to see our vows. We walked in to Coppertone, by Hellogoodbye; an artist and song we both have loved for years. I didn’t realise it would be just as nerve-racking being in front of people who are watching you on their screen from home as it would be in front of a traditional ceremony. We followed the ceremony with pictures in front of the town hall and then took a cab to start our mini sightseeing tour and photos around London.”
When asked if they had any advice for future marriers, particularly those who might want to elope or have a destination wedding, Brenda responded, “Make sure you’re doing everything for yourself and not to please others. We were feeling guilty about eloping but for us it was so exciting and a fun adventure and story for us to share. We can look back and be happy with everything we chose to do.”
