We absolutely loved getting to visit The Wedding Present Company showroom. We spent the morning appointment picking wedding gifts for our home together, with the help of the London showroom team. Seeing things in person made such a difference. It was also extremely easy to create a wedding gift list and then add or make changes to it.

Soho Home, Burleigh, Le Creuset, and Life of Riley

The range of wedding gifts on The Wedding Present Company site is huge and offers exactly what we were after. The showroom team and our dedicated wedding list advisor were fantastic from the get-go. Plus, the whole process of building a wedding gift list online was extremely straightforward and user-friendly. We also loved that we were able to contact the team with any questions or help creating our wedding registry.

Sam: I knew very early on that Rachel was the one and that we made the perfect team. When her parents were in London last summer, I secretly arranged to meet up while Rachel was working. I then asked them for Rachel’s hand in marriage. Luckily, they said yes, and the plan got underway.

With London as the setting for our love story, I wanted a location that we’d remember forever. And that also reflected our time together. Rachel and I had previously enjoyed visits to the County Hall Hotel. So I knew it would make the ideal setting for their special moment.

With a balcony at sunset, overlooking the River Thames and Big Ben, I had arranged some of Rachel’s favourite flowers to fill the railings. I also had a photographer hidden away for the special moment.

Under the pretence of going out for dinner, Rachel arrived at the suite to help me take some photos ‘for work’. Instead, she was led along a trail of petals to the balcony. There, I got down on one knee and popped the question.

The ring has an extremely special detail, with the diamond from her mother’s engagement ring set into a new band for Rachel. A pear-cut, beautiful diamond that carries a lot of love and will continue to do so.

We wanted a timeless wedding inspired by the old Hollywood glam or reminiscent of a Nancy Myers movie. It was important that our wedding guests felt like they were on a date night with us. And so every detail reflected the two of us while feeling intimate and fun. Think martinis, low-level lighting, and plenty of white florals for the perfect understated level of luxury.

We worked with our wedding planner, Emma Westacott. Her previous experience helped massively in suggesting wedding suppliers. Instagram was also a great way to find people we liked, as it almost acts like an online portfolio for you to browse. For our wedding, we found most suppliers via tagged images of venues we were looking at. Or via previous weddings we'd seen online.

The night before, we said, I do. We hosted a welcome dinner for our wedding guests at Smith & Wollensky, with a ‘Cocktail - with a Texas Twist’ dress code. 

Our wedding was held at St. Mary Woolnoth. The reception then took place at the iconic venue situated in the heart of London, The Ned.

All our wedding flower arrangements and bouquet were done by Paula Rooney.

For the ceremony and reception, Rachel wore a wedding dress by Romona Keveza and Loeffler Randall shoes. Her veil and hair accessories were from the Dallas-based brand, Warren Barrón. For the second dress, she opted for a Jenny Packham dress with Tecovas Cowboy Boots.

Sam is a London-based men's fashion and lifestyle content creator. He regularly shares elevated style inspiration on his website and on Instagram. So naturally, his impeccable taste shined through in his choice of a groom's outfit for the couple's old Hollywood glam-themed wedding.

Sam: I wore black and white versions of the wedding tux: a white tux by Oliver Brown and a black tux by Moss Bros. I paired them with custom Russell & Bromley shoes, Deakin & Francis cufflinks, and a Bell & Ross watch. 

The custom cufflinks were my favourite quiet detail of the wedding. I had a pair of cufflinks made for both myself and Rachel’s dad. Each wearing one with my family crest and one with Rachel’s family crest to represent the two families joining together. The silver cufflinks were hand-engraved in the UK, and the British brand was the perfect addition to our London wedding.

Both Rachel and I chose one of Floris scents for our wedding day. We wanted to champion a British heritage brand, and we have loved learning about Floris over the years.

I opted for No. 89, as worn by Ian Fleming, and Rachel chose White Rose. The very scent Queen Elizabeth II wore on her wedding day. Each of our guests got samples of both in their hotel rooms too. So they could always remember the scent of our day too.

Our bridesmaids wore beautiful floral Reformation bridesmaid dresses.

STARTER

Steak tartar, quail egg, classic garnish, and fennel cracker
Devonshire crab tartlet, tomato and cucumber concasse, and lemon mayonnaise
Slow-roasted beetroot, goat cheese curd, lentil tuille, and pomegranate dressing 

MAIN COURSE

Winter truffle risotto, parmesan, chives, and wild mushrooms
Beef fillet, ox cheek croquette, duck fat potatoes, kale, shallots, and red wine jus
Dover sole fillet, soused courgette, smoked carrots, rosti, and tartar butter sauce

DESSERT

Vanilla and blueberry cheesecake, yuzu curd, and pear compote
Chocolate nemesis, white chocolate sorbet, caramel chocolate mousse
Apple crumble tart, rum caramel, vanilla ice cream

We had a few signature cocktail classics on the menu that night. Sam’s choice was Martini, a true classic, made to order and garnished with either a twist or an olive. Rachel chose the Picante, a spicy variation of the Margarita, which really kicked off the wedding party.

To honour our London and Dallas story, we also served Manhattan. A cocktail with a blend of inner-city sophistication and a strong dose of Southern charm, which happens to be our personal favourite. To keep the party going all night, we also served espresso margaritas.

Our first wedding dance was to At Last by Etta James.

We carefully chose a fantastic lineup of musical talent to make our old Hollywood glam inspired wedding day unforgettable. Christian Smith set the perfect mood with his piano performance during our welcome dinner. Starlight Strings added a touch of sophistication to our ceremony and drinks reception. The Hudson Dukes entertained us during dinner. Then LDN Entertainment took charge of keeping the party going late into the night.

Wedding Gift List: The Wedding Present Company

Planner: Emma Westacott

Photographer: Rebecca Searle Photography Amy Gray-Ling

Videographer: Juno Wedding Films

Venue: Welcome dinner at Smith & Wollensky , Wedding reception at The Ned

Bridal Fashion: Dress Romona Keveza, Shoes Loeffler Randall, Veil and Hair Accessories Warren Barrón (Dallas), Second Dress Jenny Packham, Cowboy Boots Tecovas,

Wedding Fragrance: Floris

Groom's Fashion: White Tux Oliver Brown, Black Tux Moss Bros Custom, Shoes Russel & Bromley, Cufflinks Deakin & Francis

Bridesmaids: Reformation

Hair & Makeup: Chloe GH Bridal

Flowers: Paula Rooney

Production:  Bespoke Events London & Charlotte Hedge 

Stationery & Print: Babooche Calligraphy

Cake: Cake Lady Abi

Champagne: Laurent Perrier 

Hire: Duchess & Butler, Options Great Hire, Just 4 Linen

Music: Christian Smith Music, Starlight Strings, The Hudson Dukes, LDN Entertainment 

Event Artist: Anna Fashion Illustration