Beautiful Erika | A Halfpenny London bride

Beautiful bride Erika and her new husband Matt said “I do” last October. They wanted their wedding to have a classic, yet contemporary feel, with their own fun and unique twists added in to make the day truly special.

“Music is our big thing,” Erika said, “so we had an acoustic duo in the daytime, a pop-punk band in the evening, band names for our tables, and Matt surprised me by getting custom band t-shirts made as our favours.”

I adore those special touches and love to see how creative couples can be when planning their wedding. I’m a huge fan of doing whatever makes you happy and always really encourage people to think about ways to make their day feel true to them.

Erika’s journey to find her dream wedding dress involved an extra special bit of luck…

“During lockdown in 2021, I saw that What About Weddings were running an online auction to raise money for charity. There were a number of amazing prizes on offer from lots of different suppliers, one of which being a VIP appointment at the Halfpenny London boutique. I’d been following Halfpenny for a long time and I’d always hoped to visit the boutique once the time came to start finding a dress, so I put in a bid on a whim. When I got contacted to say I’d won, it was such a shock, but I was so excited!

My appointment was just me and my mum, with lovely Niamh helping us for the day. I’d previously messaged to say which pieces I was interested in trying, and it was quite overwhelming to finally see them up close and be able to try them in person! The space was cosy and intimate, which helped me feel more comfortable and relaxed. Niamh was super patient and really helped make the whole experience run smoothly, especially as I kept going back and forth between pieces multiple times, but was also full of encouragement and support; it was so nice to be able to take my time and not feel any pressure to make any decisions. I had the pleasure of meeting Kate at one of my fitting appointments a few months later and Summer was also wonderful to work with when doing my alterations; the whole team are a dream!

I had lots of pieces in mind as I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking for, but some of the options I’d loved in photos just didn’t feel right once I had them on. I ended up choosing the Oak dress with the Mayfair overskirt on top. I had Oak on my original list of dresses, and it was the first one I tried on, but even after trying so many others I just kept coming back - that’s when I knew!

I thought I’d want something fitted or off-shoulder, and tried some slip dresses too, but nothing made me feel as special as Oak did. The fabric was so weighty and luxurious, and I loved how flattering the neckline was. I guess I wanted the big skirt after all as I couldn’t stop swishing it around! I also fell for the bow at the back which was just so girly and complemented the ribbons on my shoes. Something was missing though and I couldn’t place my finger on it… whilst I felt beautiful and the dress was timeless and elegant, I wanted more oomph! I’d tried on Mayfair and loved the skirt but the sleeves weren’t working for me, so Niamh suggested trying the overskirt on top, and I fell in love! The billowy ruffles were everything I was looking for without being too OTT. I knew it was the one when I looked to my mum and she agreed that my dad would have loved it. He passed away in 2014 but always thought of me as his princess, as clichéd as that sounds. The whole outfit paired with my more quirky accessories made me feel those princess-y vibes, but in my own way.”

I’m over the moon that we could give Erika exactly what she was looking for and how wonderful that her dad would have loved it too.

Everything about Erika and Matt’s wedding felt so personal, thoughtful and unique to them. These images bring me so much joy and I’m thrilled to have played a small part in this special day.

Huge congratulations to Erika and Matt. Wishing them all the love and luck in the world.

Love,

Kate & the Halfpennys xxx

CREDITS

Photography - Hue of Two (Jake & Chloe) / @hueoftwo

Venue - The Ned / @thenedlondon

Hair & Make Up - Alev Miller / @flaming_bride

Headband - sophandtell / @sophandtell

Shoes - Lace And Love @laceandloveshoes

Groom’s Outfit - Beggars Run @beggarsrun

Rings - Amanda Li Hope / @amandalihope and Affinity Fine Jewellers @affinityjewellers

Flowers - Kim & Oliver Ratcliff / @bespoke_flowers

Daytime music - Christina & Harry @christinaharryacoustic

Evening music - High School Reunion @hsrband

Bride - @pocketsizederi