City-Chic Registry Office Wedding at a Marylebone Town Hall

Welcome to Real Wedding Inspiration, a thoughtfully curated collection of our couples' most cherished wedding stories. Whether you envision a grand marquee celebration or a charming traditional affair, prepare to discover a treasure trove of wedding ideas to inspire your own special day. 

Set against the iconic backdrop of Marylebone Town Hall, a charming registry office wedding in London marked the special day for Lucy Burton, a talented wedding cake maker, and her husband, Chris. Although the original plan was a laid-back pub reception with sandwiches on the bar, the couple created a chic and modern celebration that truly reflected their individual tastes, blending the elegance of family heirlooms with the vibrant energy of the city. "We always knew we wanted to get married in London," Lucy explained. "As gorgeous as a big white marquee wedding in the countryside is, it never really felt like us," she continues. "Instead, a modern, chic and informal city wedding always felt like the right choice."

Read on, as Lucy reflects on her wedding day and shares the couple's favourite wedding presents from their beautifully curated wedding registry.

When it came to a wedding planning checklist, Pinterest boards were nowhere in sight for this couple. Instead, Lucy and Chris drew inspiration from understated celebrations, even toying at first with the idea of a classic East London pub reception: “The original idea was for everyone to go to the pub after the ceremony and have sandwiches on the bar, like a proper ’50s East London wedding — but I think that would have been a bridge too far for our poor parents!” says Lucy. And so while they decided to keep some British wedding traditions, they put their own spin on the day. “We wanted modern wedding readings, so we selected excerpts from Anthony Bourdain and Seamus Heaney, read by our close friends,” Lucy explains. “We did our best to keep the trappings to a minimum and focused instead on everything feeling coherent, rather than ornamental,” she adds.

"So many friends recommended The Wedding Present Company to us, and we loved that they have the best brands all in one place," says Lucy. "The highlight of our experience was undoubtedly getting to choose such gorgeous pieces for our new home – it felt like the biggest treat!" she adds.

When asked about their favourite brands, Le Creuset stood out straight away. Reflecting on the wedding present delivery, Lucy shared, "Our gift delivery day was officially the best day. It’s the perfect way to hold onto the magic of our wedding for a little longer."

Their reception was a deliberate choice to bring everyone back to their neighbourhood of Stoke Newington, at the unique West Reservoir Centre, a place they had grown to love during their Saturday morning coffee walks. Transporting their 120 guests between venues was an event in itself, with two classic route master buses filled with champagne and cheese biscuits courtesy of Lucy’s mum.

With a keen eye for fashion, Lucy surprised herself by making a relatively swift decision on her wedding outfit. Inspired by ’70s style and the elegance of It-girl and writer Camille Charrière's wedding dress, she envisioned a silk gown with balloon sleeves and an open back. She found a near-perfect match in the ankle-length, bias-cut La Lune dress by Shona Joy in a rich cream shade, which she had altered with button cuffs and a shortened hem.

“The colour of my bridal dress ended up being a perfect match for my antique veil — it’s 250 years old, and has been worn by brides in my family through the centuries. It’s such a special heirloom. It spent around 100 years in New Zealand before travelling back to London 65 years ago for my Granny’s wedding,” Lucy shares.

Adding to the sentimental touches, Lucy wore a 1920s sapphire bracelet from her late grandmother and yellow emerald earrings from her other grandmother. “It was gorgeous to feel like they were both there in a small way, even though neither could be,” she says. Lucy finished her bridal look with Loeffler Randall heels and swapped her wedding veil for a cream silk bow for the reception. After dinner, she changed into a second-hand sequin mini dress — ready for dancing.

"I chose my eight closest girlfriends as bridesmaids," Lucy states. "They have been my constant support, and it was a joy to have them with me as we headed to Marylebone Town Hall." She adds, "For their dresses, they each wore their own dresses, shoes, and jewellery – they’re all in their 30s and have such different styles, so it felt odd to dress them in unison. The result was a wonderful array of pinks, greens, and oranges.”

Adding a touch of nostalgia, Lucy’s niece, Connie, wore the very same flower girl dress Lucy had worn in 1996, lovingly handmade by her aunt’s mother, Kay. "It was such a meaningful piece, and it was truly lovely to see it get another outing," Lucy adds.

The wedding floral arrangements, created by Lily of Lys London, were ethereal spring bouquets in whites, blushes, and creams. “The bridal bouquets were truly the most beautiful I’ve ever seen,” Lucy says. “I adore flowers and was conscious that March isn’t the best time for them, but Lily of Lys worked her magic as per usual.” Lucy, her bridesmaids, and flower girl niece Connie all carried matching, lush bouquets in cream, which were later repurposed as wedding table decorations.

Instead of a formal, sit-down dinner, the couple opted for a family-style menu featuring slow-cooked lamb and vibrant salads by Ren's Kitchen, which perfectly suited the relaxed atmosphere of their East London wedding. Adding a personal touch, Lucy not only designed and hand-drew the wedding stationery and menus but also, as a professional cake maker at @lucyburtonbakes, also created their cake — a delicious combination of raspberry and pistachio, rhubarb and orange blossom, and dark chocolate butterscotch

Wedding drinks included champagne on the buses, the couple’s favourite Picpoul and Pinot Noir wines, and a special beer brewed by Chris and his groomsmen, featuring bespoke labels reading ‘I Could Drink a Case of You’ — a nod to the couple’s beloved Joni Mitchell song.

“The bus ride from Marylebone to Stoke Newington became legendary,” says Lucy. “We drank so much champagne, my dad was cavorting around the bus, refilling everyone’s glasses, and my mum and all her friends were giggling like teenagers, reminiscing about their days (and nights) training as nurses in the city.”

After dinner, Chris's sister and her partner, both talented mixologists, treated everyone to bespoke Negronis Spagliatos. “Mel, also a talented artist, made us a custom wedding poster featuring the Negronis, which now hangs in our kitchen,” Lucy adds.

“Music is super important to us and was a big part of the day.” Lucy explains and adds, “The playlist that our guests arrived at the ceremony to was carefully curated over several car journeys.”. The couple wanted music that fully represented them — the wedding playlist featured Self Esteem, The Beatles, Elvis Costello, Jessie Ware, Joni Mitchell, Prince, Yusef Cat Stevens, and Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters by Elton John, from one of their favourite films, Almost Famous. “ I could hear everyone arriving to Self Esteem while I was waiting with my bridesmaids and remember laughing at the surrealness of it all,” she remarks.

“Music is super important to us and was a big part of the wedding day,” Lucy explains, adding, “The playlist our guests heard as they arrived at the ceremony was carefully curated over several car journeys.” The couple selected music that truly reflected them — the wedding playlist featured Self Esteem, The Beatles, Elvis Costello, Jessie Ware, Joni Mitchell, Prince, Yusef Cat Stevens, and Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters by Elton John, from one of their favourite films, Almost Famous. “I remember hearing Self Esteem as everyone arrived while I was waiting with my bridesmaids and laughing at how surreal it all felt,” she remarks.

“I’m so glad we stayed true to our vision and did the day our way,” says Lucy. “It can be hard to do that when there are so many opinions involved, which I think is often the case with weddings.”

“We skipped many traditional British wedding customs, which raised a few eyebrows along the way, but in the end, the day was perfect for us,” Lucy explains. “We organised everything ourselves and created many of the details: we invested in a brilliant photographer, gorgeous bridal bouquets for me and my bridesmaids, champagne for the buses, and venues we adored. It felt like a true reflection of our life and all the people we love.” She adds, “We focused on making it fun and joyful, and — mainly — did well at not getting too stressed about it all (although I definitely had my moments!).”

“Despite a rainy forecast,” says Lucy, “we got so lucky with the most amazing spring sunshine. The photos of everyone striding through Soho look like something out of a film. London truly did its best on our wedding day.”

Despite being a talented cake maker, Lucy recalls one important piece of advice: “One thing I learned: for any wedding cake bakers reading this, don’t make your own cake. It’s honestly the last thing you need in the days before the wedding. I wasn’t convinced otherwise, but I’ll admit I was wrong on that one!”

Gift List: The Wedding Present Company, Photography: Phoebe Piper, Catering: Ren's Kitchen, Florist: Lys London, Bridal Fashion: Shona Joy, Groom’s Suit: Percival, Wedding Ceremony Venue: Marylebone Town Hall, Reception Venue: West Reservoir Centre, Transport: Route Master Buses, Cake: Lucy Burton Bakes, MUA: Kate De Havilland,  Hair: Hair by Irene, Music Band: Violet Soul

The Wedding Present Company is a bespoke wedding gift list experience; couples come to us seeking the extraordinary. We offer a tailored and completely personalised wedding registry experience free of charge. Our team goes above and beyond to help you create a wedding list that is unique to both of you and full of items that you will love and use for a lifetime.

All images courtesy of the couple.