Tell us a little about yourselves!
We are Kelly and David and we come from two very different parts of the world. Kelly grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, while David is from Curacao, a small island in the Caribbean. It took a 1 in a 200,000 chance and a move to London for us to meet while pursuing our masters degrees. We both work in tech corporate jobs but our relationship flourished over late night arguments surrounding the best music of the 90s, the tastiest foods in London or which pop culture moment changed the course of the world.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
The concept for our wedding was to make it ‘a day out in Hackney.’ We have been living in the area for over 7 years and have a strong connection to the neighbourhood, from its numerous restaurants to beautiful artisan shops and music venues.
It is the neighborhood where we fell in love and have the most precious memories with our friends, therefore we also wanted our guests coming from abroad to experience the area as we know it.
How many guests did you have?
50 for the ceremony and lunch, and 100 for the night party.
Tell us about your outfits.
Kelly: For me it all started with the jacket - I had made it my mission to visit all the bridal boutiques online until I stumbled on Morgan Davies Bridal and I must have scrolled to page number 40 of the website until I saw the jacket. I contacted them and luckily the jacket was still there, hiding in their storage. I was able to have it made to order but had never pictured how difficult it would be to find the rest of the outfit, to make sure that the shades of white matched (but also were still in stock!). The Anya top from Catherine Deane was a no brainer, and their customer team helped me source it as it was sold out (of course). It’s only when we went to David’s fitting at Dolce & Gabbana (a month before the wedding), that they had released their new spring collection and I finally found the matching pants!
David’s journey was a little bit easier and he went for a classic dark navy suit that was fitted at Dolce & Gabbana, which he combined with tuxedo shoes and belt to elevate his outfit for the special occasion. He also found his night outfit at D&G, wearing a special collarless black jacket.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
During the day we wanted to create an intimate atmosphere for our families and friends. It was important for us to be able to be able to spend some time with all of our guests, creating meaningful interactions. Something that sometimes gets lost in bigger weddings.
For both of our families food plays a crucial role in our lives, and we wanted to make sure that it couldn’t go wrong. We chose Café Cecilia because the food there is incredible, and the staff is super professional and warm.
For at night, we wanted to throw a party in a setting that was exciting and colourful. For this, we always had Bar Doña in mind, a beautiful mezcalería that teleports you to Día de los Muertos, Mexico. Its quirky and fun interiors meant we did not have to do any decorations.
Music is the cornerstone of our relationship and it was central for our night party. At Bar Doña we had seen Vic Lentaigne play amazing Disco and 80s Synth Pop which are 2 of our favourite genres. David DJs himself and found an instant connection with Vic when discussing the atmosphere for the party and we were thrilled to have her lead the music for the night.
Finally, we wanted to add an element of surprise for our guests, and had a drag queen show at midnight.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
Our cultures, Lebanon and Curacao. This meant including in our gift bags traditional Lebanese spices and local liqueurs and alcohol (including the original Blue Curacao and the Lebanese Arak).
We also requested to play some typical Arabic wedding songs at the end to engage with the crowd.
Any tips for couples getting married?
The guests will only have as much fun as the bride and groom do, so enjoy it – and take in as much as you can as the day flies by really fast.
For the outfits, shopping around multiple places can be a lot of fun, but we recommend this only if you have enough time.
Are there any vendors that would like to tell us a little bit more about.
It takes a village to help you get married. We were very lucky that the vendors we worked with were all so accommodating and great to partner with. I am forever grateful for having Rachel (fromCarr + Senteno) and Alev Miller (from the Flaming Bride) at home with me, who helped me get ready and went beyond trying to tame any wedding jitters before the ceremony. Rachel captured the day and night in a beautiful way, and choosing some of the images to be on film rolls was one our best decisions.
We also wanted to mention the staff at Bar Doña who were amazing in organizing the night for us, and even stepping in with a burlesque performance when one of the performers injured herself the day before.
Photographer: Carr + Senteno @carrandsenteno | Ceremony Location: Hackney Town Hall | Reception Location (Lunch): Café Cecilia @cafececilialondon | After-Party Location: Bar Doña
@bardonalona | Entertainment: Drag Queens booked via James Boswell @itsjimmybee | DJ:
Vic Lentaigne @viclentaigne | Flora: Jessica Blume @jess_blume | HMUA: Alev Miller @alevmiller
Grooming: Murdock London @murdocklondon | Cake: Violet Cakes @violetcakeslondon | Stationery: Ofelia Botella @ofeliabotella | Wedding Favours: Zaatar @lebanesefinefoodsandwines + Heist Chocolate @heistchocolate | Kelly's Outfit: Jesus Peiro Jacket from Morgan Davies Bridal @morgan_davies_bridal, Dolce & Gabbana @dolcegabbana Pants + Catherine Deane @catherine__deane Top | David's Suit: Dolce & Gabbana (David) @dolcegabbana | Engagement + Wedding Rings: Ruberg Jewellery @rubergjewellery | Shoes: Manolo Blahnik @manoloblahnik | Head piece: Ann-Marie Faulkner @am_faulkner | After-Party Outfits: 16Arlington @16arlington (Kelly) + Dolce & Gabbana (David) @dolcegabbana