Small intimate weddings can be just as powerful, sometimes even more so, then larger wedding fetes.  This gorgeous lil English wedding is certainly no exception!  Maria Silvestri and Joe Wilson opted to for a more intimate, almost city hall type affair, getting married in the same Town Hall as both Paul McCartney and Ringo, not to shabby in the iconic figures in British history department!  Certainly not wanting to miss out on the celebrating, our sweet couple joined friends & family for a bright & airy dinner that truly allowed guests to be close with the couple & share in the creation of their wedding day memory.  This wedding is clearly filled with the love between Maria & Joe, while each small detail clue into their special bond.  There are some really lovely moments between captured by Esvy Photography that perfectly show how at ease our bride & groom are with one another, so very two peas in a pod!

Novella of the Bride…

We’re Maria and Joe and we currently live in North London, with our puppy Dolly. We met on June 7th 2010 before a concert we were both attending and have been together since! We both knew when we met each other that we’d be together and got married in June 7, 2012 after 3 years.  Joe writes scripts and Maria works in music so  we put together our interests and make music videos together

We wanted it to feel informal, spring, and a touch vintage, but not so much that it felt like a theme.  We tried to keep the decorations and venues simple and fairly understated.  The decorations we did have we tried to make as much ourselves, or something special to us.  To make it special – for example, we made the bunting out of sheet music to our favorite songs to jokingly sing at each other, and the gift bags had vintage pick n mix sweets which we love eating loads of whilst watching films.  Both of our parents helped us a lot with the wedding.  Maria’s family flew out early to help us set everything up and do little things like gift bags a few nights before.  Joe’s family helped us along the way making sure we got the right venues for us and making sure we didn’t lose or forget anything! We definitely didn’t want the wedding to feel too structured or formal but more like a big fancy family dinner where we could all laugh, talk, and shout across the table.

We chose Old Marylebone Town Hall for our ceremony, it was the first place we’d looked and everywhere after didn’t feel the same way.  It was the perfect space for us, and had rooms that weren’t too big but were gorgeous and bright still. We thought the history of the Town Hall was quite good as well – being the same place as Paul McCartney and Ringo both got married. We were really stuck where to have the reception at first, but as soon as we’d been to The Crown we knew it was the right fit.  We wanted something that felt comfortable and loved the big bright windows.   We also picked it because it is right next to Victoria Park which would have been a lovely walk around and photo opportunity but, as I’m sure you’ll know, the sun doesn’t stay around for long in London and it started pouring on us!

The Couple’s Favorite Moments:

Bride: “People had tried to warn me how much the day melts into one and is over before you realized it started, but I didn’t realize how accurate that was! I fell asleep in the car on our way back to the hotel after the wedding and when I woke up it was almost like it was all a dream.”

Groom: “The whole day was absolutely amazing. Although I’d seen Maria in her dress before the wedding day as I’d accompanied her to the dress fittings, she looked even better in it on the day. I popped out to the Costa Rican Embassy at 7am as my phone told me to go there instead of Costa to get her a drink, and when I got back I had to get ready so by the time I saw her at 10am, it was amazing. She was absolutely perfect. When I first saw her, she had this huge smile on her face and she couldn’t stop it taking over and it’s probably the one moment that’ll stick out in my head the most out of the whole day.”

Vendor Love

Ceremony Venue: The Old Marylebone Town Hall/Yellow Room| Reception Venue: The Crown | Wedding Dress: Vintage/adjustments by FCNK | Shoes: Melissa x Vivienne Westwood | Hair & Makeup Stylist: Elbie van Eeden | Groom’s Suit: Ben Sherman | Invitation Designer: Vinyl | Florist: Flower Station | Caterer: The Crown | Baker: Ella’s Bakehouse | Photographer: Esvy Photography

There is something about English weddings that completely captivate me.  English weddings seem to be less about pageantry and more about solid tradition.  Imogen Richards & Richard Cox’s wedding is no exception exchanging vows at a gorgeous old world church & celebrating at a lovely manor house complete with draped tent reception.   From start to finish this wedding is dripped in white and bathed with roses of soft pink, cream & touches of lilac.  Imogen & Richard are an adorable couple & I love this traditional English wedding!

A Special Note About How Imogen & Richard Met:

Imogen & Richard’s wedding was all about romance, music and roses. Both musicians they first met when performing together. Richard was in position on stage and Imogen was playing in the orchestra pit below. Ever inventive Richard made the most of the situation by using the customary bow at the end of the performance as an opportunity to take a glimpse below at the girl he had immediately been attracted to, night after night making his interest quite clear to any observing eye in the audience. When the show ran to a close and there were no more stolen glances to be had they arranged their first date to be after Imogen’s performance at the opening night of a Bollywood show. Waiting for Imogen at the end of the show, Richard was spotted by an Asian TV reporter as an unusual spectator for a Bollywood spectacle. Asked why he was there Richard declared on live television that he was there waiting to take Imogen on their first date.

Music played a massive part in their wedding with many of the bridal party and guests being professional musicians. Best man Jonathan Veira sang a moving operatic solo in the ceremony. Bridesmaids Nadine Andre, Charlotte Ansbergs and Tom Davey all played instrumental pieces, including a song the groom wrote especially for his bride called “A Song For Imogen” before the newly married couple exited the church. Ian McMillan played the organ during the service and usher Craig Ogden played guitar during cocktail hour on the sun filled terrace of the beautiful Cotswold reception venue. To end the music filled day a 7 piece soul band rocked the evening away.

The rose theme was in remembrance of Imogen’s gran as it was her favorite flower. Roses were in all the floral elements, the cake, and all the paper goods. The color for the day were soft pinks and pastels. Flowers were breathtaking in the candle lit church and marquee at the reception.

Vendor Love

Venue: The Slaughters Inn
Dress Designer: Impression Bridal
Shoes: Rainbow Club
Jewelry: Pressleys
Bridesmaid Dresses: Monsoon,Ebony Rose
Hair Stylist: Abi Webley
Men’s Attire: Moss Bross
Florist: Sally Gill Flowers
Baker: Cut Above Cake
Musicians: Nadine Andre,Jonathan Viera,Craig Ogden
Band: Refunct
Invitation Designer: Alias
Handmade Goods: The Real Flower Confetti Company
Transportation: Vintage Wedding Cars
Photographer: Weddings by Nicola & Glen

What could be more intimate then hosting your wedding at a family friend’s gorgeous place?  Arla McDonald & Ben Linwood had the good fortune of having such wonderful friends which allowed them to celebrate their wedding in the lawn of their house while the reception took place in a newly erected barn on the property! Arla put hours into the little details to make everything exactly what she wanted, really going to task on all her DIY projects.  Taking a cue from the rustic vintage theme, old crates, a vintage car, rustic florals & mason jars wrapped in burlap & lace were used to style the day.  Our favorite decor piece however, is a vintage old school wooden desk in the lawn!  What a sweet rustic wedding with plenty for future brides to be to get inspiration from!

What Storyboard Likes…

The DIY Attitude- I myself, being a DIY bride, have a real soft spot for other fellow brides that want a certain elevated look to their weddings & aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves to get it.  Want to know the big secret as to why some DIY’s fail when others succeed with flying colors?  Its in the attention to detail.  Seriously, if your not naturally a picky, almost anal driven to perfection type person, your going to end up frustrated with what looks to be sloppy version of your inspiration picture.  If your not naturally this way, but still really want to make a few things, I suggest limiting the amount of projects you set yourself up for & give yourself plenty of time to have another go at it when needed.  The best part of DIY is being able to stand back in the end & be proud that yeah, you created that!  Speaking of the which, I am loooooving the Just Married Burlap bunting! Well done girl!!

Burlap & Lace- Burlap & Lace are like the yin & yang of rustic weddings.  These 2 dueling textures go together like  peanut butter & jam!  The detailed holes in lace compliment the tight knit woven twine that creates burlap.  The harmony is achieved as the two patterns are both easy on the eye, neither one truly competing to be the star.  Its like reading with the TV on… well for those that can anyway!

The Bouquets- Correct me if I am wrong, but the main flower in our ladies bouquets are Dahlias in  both cream & soft pink.  The choice of using Dahlias for this wedding is perfection, why is that exactly?  Simply put, the petals on the Dahlia work in complete harmony with the rustic feel to the wedding.  While the petals are indeed oblong, the natural twists & imperfections to them compliment the rustic shabby chic feel.  The clever florist filled in the bouquets with stems that give a wildflower touch, really picking up on the country vibe, while each bouquet was wrapped in lace, driving home all the right touches!

Vendor Love

Caterer: Sugar Mountain Catering
Event Planner: True Devotion Wedding and Event Planning
Floral Designer: Design by Lili
Invitation Designer: Chiffon Photography and Design
Cake Designer: HappyCakes
Equipment Rentals: Classic Party Rentals, Eventwest Rentals
Photographer: Chiffon Photography

When a wedding is a group effort, it truly is that much more special to the couple.  Such is the case for Tanya Gutierrez Vazquez & Eli Vazquez, whose family members & friends all came together to make their wedding day as customized & true to who they are as a couple as could be.  Having a natural vintage hipster vibe, our gorgeous couple embraced this very feel from everything from their choices in fashion, transportation, to the lovely Hoosier Grove Barn where our couple was married.  Both sides of the families helped, making the dinner & desserts, while friends pitched in with the music.  Tanya & Eli’s local pastor officiated the wedding, while friends & family gifted Tanya with various brooches which she combined into her hand made brooch bouquet.  Our sweet couple let who they are lead them & did not deviate, leading to a gorgeous wedding day celebrating exactly who they are as a couple!

What Storyboard Likes…

The Emotions- The emotions are an unsung hero in this wedding feature.  The love & joy that Tanya & Eli hold  for one another is so evident it practically jumps off the page at you!  We love the multiple pictures where Eli looks as if he could not wait one more second to kiss his sweet bride, while she has that certain gleam in her eye when almost bashfully at times looking back at Eli.  Their emotions are a standout start to me & I love how much I as the viewer get caught up in it!

The Groomsmen- Whether these guys are naturally hams {we’re prone to think so!} or just doing an ace job of playing the part, these boys came to play when it came to picture  time!  We love a good bridal party who isn’t afraid to really make the portrait session something memorable, taking the opportunity to hoist up the groom on their shoulders, hold our groom back wide eyed, even jump a bit for joy.  We give big props to the boys, you brought it!

The Fashion- From start to finish our vintage hipster couple covered all the bases & we couldn’t be bigger fans of the outcome!  We love everything about gorgeous Tanya’s fashion choices from her pill box hat birdcage veil, to the the perfectly fitted lace dress.  We must say though, our favorite touch just might be the bracelet heavy arm party she’s rocking, though the ”Toms” altered owl shoes are pretty hot!  Eli’s simple easy going suspender chino look is an old school classic & we love that the groomsmen paired perfectly, while the bridesmaids were dressed in easy breezy mix matched summer yellows.  Each area of fashion was allowed to be unique, while smartly chosen themes tied it all together.  We looooove it!

Vendor Love

Venue: Hoosier Grove Barn
Photographer: Estanislao Photography

I am feeling a touch nostalgic today as Caroline Colditz & Zachary Dillard has me feeling the 1950′s all over again!  Love our brides style, from the throwback feel frock, a 1950′s style cocktail length gown in ivory with protruding lace just below the hemline to her perfectly styled makeup and birdcage veil!  Pinks & greens were used to compliment the garden setting while family & friends helped the couple collect the adorable glass animals that adorned their table tops.  Setting  up a clever vintage vanity station, guest were able to use props, take Polaroids of themselves, giving a real creative forum to the guest book!  The perfect finishing touch to this retro wedding was of course a stunning classic red roadster!

Vendor Love

Caterer:  Countryside Catering
Event Planner:  622 Soirees
Floral Designer:  Always Always Flowers
Dress Store:  Dolly Couture
Cake Designer:  Gigi’s Cupcakes Athens
Makeup Artist:  ZoomWorks
Venue:  State Botanical Gardens
Photographer:  ZoomWorks