Tell us a little about yourselves!
Nick is half Australian/half Hawaiian and I was born in New York, but we both moved to different countries as kids and met at school in England. We aren’t high school sweethearts, but we might as well have been (think long held stares across the classroom and many a close encounter…). Despite moving to different continents after school for uni and work, we’d always make sure to both be in London over New Years where sparks would fly. We knew if we were ever in the same place at the same time, that that would be it, and it finally happened in 2018.
Now we live in Primrose Hill in a mid-century flat we’re slowly fixing up. Nick works in the music industry and I work in politics, and we spend our time spending as much time together as possible. We’re best friends and feel like the luckiest people in the world to love and be loved like we are!
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
Nick’s family lives in Australia, mine is all over the US, and since we went to international schools, our friends are everywhere… so no one place would work for everyone! Given that most people would have to travel regardless, we decided to pick somewhere warm and beautiful, so that our friends and family could make a holiday of it – so Portugal it was! We found this incredible region south of Lisbon called Setubal that had it all - delicious restaurants, stunning vineyards, dramatic cliffs and some of the most beautiful remote beaches. When we experienced the location for the first time, we knew it was a place we wanted to return to with our future family – and that’s how we knew it was the place.
The venue - Quinta da Conceição – was full of old world charm and made for the perfect backdrop. It slept just over 30 people so we were able to make a whole weekend out of it and have our closest friends and family stay with us. It also meant that the party lasted until 4am and finished in the pool!
How many guests did you have?
We had just over 100 guests. I have a huge extended family, so just over half our guests were relatives and the rest were our closest friends. We were so excited about merging our two families and wanted that to be the centrepiece of the experience throughout the wedding weekend.
Tell us about your outfits.
I love fashion and was so excited to curate our looks for the wedding…when I was a kid I dreamed more about the dress(es) than the guy!! I knew I wanted to wear something that felt like me and reflected my day-to-day style, so I chose a sleeveless, A-line dress by Danielle Frankel that was simple but incredibly crafted. I played with the details and accessories to bring the drama, like these beautiful lavender Roger Vivier shoes and Chantilly lace gloves. I also worked with Danielle Frankel to design a bespoke drop veil that hung over my head and ended at my waist like a catholic chapel veil - but was sort of sexy rather than virginal. At least that was the goal!
For my second outfit, I wanted to honor a tradition connected to my mom, who used to live in Anne Fontaine’s clothes. I found this amazing bright yellow Anne Fontaine gown that felt like a perfect mixture of me and her, but sadly it was ruined during the alterations process a week before the wedding!! So in a pinch I found these two beautiful dresses by De La Vali and combined them, using the corset from one and bodice of another - and it turned out perfectly. It was also so much easier to dance in than the new one, so it all happened for a reason!
I also have to shout out the incredible Paula Nadal who designed my rehearsal dinner dress. She made me the most gorgeous v-neck cocktail dress in this exquisite oyster silk that is somehow iridescent like a real pearl. The process of working with her was so lovely, and the dress already feels like a family heirloom.
Nick’s wardrobe also had special meaning. His dad loved fashion, so he incorporated lots of special items that he inherited from him like his watch, bow tie, cufflinks, cummerbund and pen. He changed into a white tuxedo jacket for dinner and loved leaning into the occasion!
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We’re both so close to our families, so we wanted it to feel as much a celebration of the joining of our families as it was of our love and wanted every part of our wedding to reflect that deep connection—through music, art, words, and the roles our family played. We didn’t want to be bound by tradition, so we wrote our own order of service, my sister walked me down the aisle, my brother MC’d, Nick’s sister offered a Hawaiian blessing, Nick’s mom performed a lei ceremony, and my mom married us. My sister also created an amazing collaged order of service that tied everything together.
Both of our Dad’s passed away recently, so we wanted to draw their memory - but also an awareness of their presence with us - into the day. Our mothers shared a blessing on their behalf, and we felt their spirits with us, deeply woven into the fabric of the celebration. It brings tears to my eyes thinking about the love that embraced us that day – it was a celebration of our love in the present, but also of a lifetime of love – past and future – through all of life’s beauty and hardships.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
Two things – the first was spending the whole day together! So many people told us that you barely see your spouse on your wedding day because of all the mingling and people pulling you in different directions, so after the ceremony we made sure not to leave each other’s sides. It was the best – we had so much fun together, chatted to all our loved ones as a pair and every single memory is shared.
The second is music – Nick’s life is music, and both our Dad’s were so passionate about it, so we wanted each musical moment to speak (sing) to our love. Nick walked down the aisle to the Book of Love by Peter Gabriel, my sister and I danced down to Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere, Nick and I exited to Jack & Diane by John Mellencamp (the song playing during our first kiss), we entered dinner to Blink 182’s All the Small Things and did a hokey first dance to Stevie Wonder’s I Believe. All these songs we love carry new meaning now. Nick also curated every single playlist – from the rehearsal dinner playlist to the getting ready, dinner, dancing and beach party playlists – everything!! It was like a walk through our musical history and told our personal and family stories in such a cool and subtle way. He also surprised me during the party by serenading me with one of our favourite songs – Love You For A Long Time by Maggie Rogers. I had no idea it was coming and was the most incredible moment.
Any tips for couples getting married?
My biggest point of advice is to try to make every aspect of planning fun and special – even the dull bits. The day really does go by in an instant, so have fun with your partner dreaming about the day, go try on more dresses than you need to, crack open a bottle of something to do the seating plan, whatever it is, try to make it fun. Making even the small moments celebratory brought so much happiness into our day to day during the whole year ahead planning.
Also stick around after your wedding if you can and get as much time with the people you love as possible! We hosted a chilled-out beach party the next day and then had an impromptu party at our villa until 4am the following day! It was so f**king fun. We didn’t rush off for a honeymoon and it made the whole wedding feel so much longer.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
One of the most fun parts of the wedding was working with such lovely and creative people. Our photographer, Nieves, from Dias de Vino y Rosas, was incredible. She made us both feel so calm and confident throughout the day, and her photos have blown us away. Our videographers, OS Pixel, were so much fun and went above and beyond in capturing every element of the weekend. Our florist, Oh, Maria Flores is a true artist who made our imagination come to life, and our caterer Gengibre Cozinha Criativa was utterly magnificent – our guests raved about the food and its creative presentation. Matt and Joana from Quinta da Conceiçãowere also wonderful hosts. All in all, we feel so lucky to have gotten to work with such talented people and have made some beautiful new friends!
Photographer: Dias de Vino y Rosas @diasdevinoyrosas | Planning: Tudo e Festa @tudo_efesta | Flora: Oh, Maria Flores @ohmariaflores | Videographer: OS Pixel @pixel.i | Ceremony & Reception Location: Quinta da Conceição @quintadaconceicao | Celebrant: Bride’s Mother | Hire: Tudo e Festa | Makeup: Beatriz from Le Haute Beauty @lehautbeauty | Hair: Helena Vaz Periera of Griffe Hairstyle
@griffehairstyle | Catering + Beverages: Gengibre Cozinha Criativa @gengibrecozinhacriativa | Cake:
Mighala Doce @migalha_doce | Stationery: Bride's Sister | Entertainment: Ana Isabel Dias Harp,
Portugal Bossa Nova Band & DJ | Wedding Dress: Danielle Frankel @daniellefrankelstudio | Party Dress: De La Vali @delavalioffical | Suit: Tom Ford @tomford & Giorgio Armani @giorgioarmani | Veil & Gloves: Bespoke Danielle Frankel @daniellefrankelstudio | Reception Necklace: Vivenne Westwood | Engagement Ring: Family heirloom | Wedding Rings: Kimai & Taylor & Hart | Wedding Shoes: Roger Vivier @rogervivier | Dancing Shoes: Aquazzura @aquazurra | Nick’s Shoes: Suit Supply @suitsupply