Phoebe and Martin’s Brighton wedding took place in May 2022. Following a ceremony at the registry office, the couple and their guests celebrated at Patterns club and restaurant in the city centre.
This was a lovely, laidback and fuss free wedding, with sweet, considered detail woven throughout. Phoebe purchased her Reformation wedding dress online (scroll down for links to some of our fave Reformation bridal gowns) and carried the most beautiful colourful bouquet.
Photography was captured by Sussex based wedding photographer, Lucy Dracott. Enjoy!
The Dress
I was underwhelmed by the options in the traditional bridal boutiques. They didn’t really match my style and I didn’t feel like myself. Then I found Reformation ship to the UK for free and this particular dress I had in similar styles in different colours and i just knew it would flatter me and help me feel like myself.
It arrived and I fell in love! I wore my Mothers veil as well which was really special.
I would really recommend looking at the online retailers for less expensive, but more fashion forward options. I felt much more classic in a column dress than a huge meringue! Although you don’t get the champagne experience it is still a special moment when you try on the dress and it just feels RIGHT.
I just loved how effortless it was and how true to myself I felt.
Discover Reformation Wedding Dresses
Bridesmaids
Bridesmaid dresses were from Aritzia in Canada as that where one of my sisters lives and they matched the colour palette perfectly and they both were so confident in them.
Bridesmaid shoes were from Zara and polka dot sheer gloves were from Shein.
Shoes, Veil & Accessories
I wore my mothers veil that she wore when she got married to my Dad. I also wore a pair of espadrilles by Castaner they are so comfortable and unique. I’ve also worn them so much since my wedding as well.I kept it simple with my hair down and curled as I would always normally have it.
I spent a couple of hours one afternoon testing scents for my wedding day and I ended up going for Acqua di Parma – Rosa Nobile. I love floral scents, but this is also quite punchy and lasted all day. It is really special and always reminds me of our wedding day.
I’d love to mention my earrings and necklace that were handmade by a friend of mine who has her own jewelry brand called Nouare. Pearl is my birthstone and I loved the meaning behind her Kali necklace. Again, I wear them constantly now, especially the necklace. It was so important to me to invest in pieces and things for the wedding that I would wear a lot afterwards.
Photography & Videography
Our photographer Lucy Dracott. was We chose Lucy as we loved the movement and colour in her images. It was not as posed as some other photographers we had seen and she really seemed to capture couples happiness in the images. We also realised just before our initial call that she had photographed a friend’s wedding the summer before in London.
A friend of ours is friends with Andy of Hadden Films and he asked if he could film our wedding to add to his portfolio and we were happy to oblige! He is a brilliant film-maker and captured the whole day beautifully. We were really lucky to have him work with Lucy flawlessly and its so wonderful to have those memories forever.
We walked from the town hall where we got married through some sweet passages and onto the seafront with Lucy and Andy and we had some beautiful shots from that walk and so many congratulatory messages from passers by. It was so special and we felt amazing.
How They Met
We met six years ago online and moved in together within eight months of knowing each other! When you know, you just know. We welcomed our daughter in 2020 and Martin proposed the year after.
I planned the wedding myself all in about nine months. I used Pinterest to create a moodboard and it really helped to pull my ideas together, although some aspects like the flowers and my dress really changed once I tried dresses on and got more inspiration and advice from my sister Sophie, whose general aesthetic I admire.
I wanted a day that felt fun and didn’t take itself too seriously, I wanted everyone to be relaxed and feel like they could just be themselves.
Flowers
Our florist was the incredibly talented Samantha from Magic Flowers and Gifts. My sister found her on Instagram and I immediately fell in love with her aesthetic and curation of flowers on her profile. She was so lovely to work with.
We had an initial call where we went through the moodboard of the wedding (i had updated it to reflect more of the details that I had cemented, so the dresses, venue etc as well as more images from Pinterest) and she came back with a beautiful array of flowers, so what was in season in the UK as well as blooms that her suppliers had. She also provided some amazing props like vases and huge stone plinths to hold some beautiful displays that I wish I could have frozen in time and kept in my house forever!
She also dried a huge number of flowers for me so I made some arrangements and pressed flowers in frames at home, from the day which are a lovely memento. Lastly, I loved the personal touch of getting a few blooms from her Nan’s garden to add that extra special moment that no one will ever get unless you work with her. I highly recommend.
Evening & Entertainment
Thirteen years ago, my husband saw a magician at an event and loved him and decided that we MUST have him at our wedding! Neb was brilliant and all of the guests absolutely loved him of all ages.
Our couples song was Cold Little Heart by Michael Kiwanuka. Martin heard it one day and said that its, that’s our song.
Words of Wedded Wisdom
I really recommend creating a moodboard, using a free tool like Canva, and with images from Pinterest. It really helps create your vision and organise your thoughts. I also really recommend looking at smaller boutique retailers for more modern and off the shelf dresses as you really do only wear them once!
Finally, I think it’s easy to get carried away with everything, just keep communicating with your partner about whether the plans feel true to you both and remember it’s just one very special day!
