An elegant occasion

Deep purple hues and a black-tie dress code ensured Emma and Simon's wedding was a plush affair
Images by Will Dolphin Photography

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Early days…

Emma and Simon first met five years ago, in a bar in Clapham Junction. "For our first date we went to Wimbledon for lunch and then took a drive into the Surrey countryside where we found a spot at the top of a hill and watched the world go by," remembers Emma. "It went really well and we have been together ever since."

The proposal…

Simon proposed to Emma in a boutique hotel in Oxford on New Years Eve, 2007. "After dinner he took me into the courtyard area of the hotel which was decorated with fairy lights, a table with a bottle of champagne on it and two chairs," she says. "I knew at that moment he was going to propose and so I started crying. He proceeded to get down on one knee and asked me if I would marry him. I think he told me how much he loved me but I was so shocked that I don't remember much, other than seeing him with a tear in his eye."
It took just nine months to organise the couples' elegant black-tie themed wedding.

The venues…

"We wanted to get married somewhere that had character, but which was modern and made an impact on the guests," says Emma. "So we treated ourselves to a meal at The Bingham one evening and fell in love with it.
"The staff were excellent, it was beautifully decorated and the food was fantastic. It also sits on the river, so it created a lovely atmosphere."

The attendants…

The ushers wore tuxedos but Simon surprised Emma by wearing a kilt. "I'm Scottish, so he wanted to honour my heritage which made me very proud," she says. "Although he didn't organise this until two weeks before the wedding!
"My bridesmaids were my best friends Melanie, Julie and Lynsey. They all designed their own dresses to suit their own shape and style. The only thing that was the same was the material, but as they all have very different personalities they wanted their dresses to reflect that.
They wore wrist corsages instead of holding bouquets, which were made of vanda orchids and calla lilies. They were very modern and classic."

The dress…

Emma tried on six different dresses before finding the right one. "The one I chose was very figure-hugging, plus I like my shoulders and the sweetheart neckline accentuated their shape even more," says Emma. "I purchased it from London Bride and Groom - the ladies in the shop were fantastic.
"My shoes were a pair of purple Christian Louboutin's, to match my bouquet. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on shoes I would only wear once.
"I had my hair done at Rush Salon in Richmond, they did a great job and I was really pleased with it. Natacha Smidt did my make-up and she was amazing. She is a make-up artist for magazines and fashion shows, so she goes for an edgy and modern look. I don't tend to wear very much make-up normally, but I didn't want something boring, so my wedding look was very bright and vivid."

The decorative touches…

"We had cupcakes decorated with black bow ties and orchids, filled with butter icing, which my mum arranged. They tasted amazing. For the favours we gave the girls small black candles from Space NK, and we gave the boys bottles of Glenfiddich whisky.
"We also had a wedding cheese cake, which was made from different wheels of cheese. My dad made it from cheese he selected from a deli in Scotland. I love cheese, so I ended up eating more of that than anything else!"

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