City-Chic Registry Office Wedding at a Marylebone Town Hall
Soho chic meets East London cool. From cherished antique heirlooms to bespoke hand-drawn menus, this couple redefined tradition through bespoke touches, crafting a celebration that was perfectly "them."
Read time:
minutes
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. While the initial vision involved a laid-back pub reception with sandwiches on the bar, the couple crafted a chic and stylish wedding celebration that was a true reflection of their individual tastes, infused with the elegance of family heirlooms and the unique 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, we never felt like that was very us," she continues. "Instead, a modern, chic and informal city wedding always felt like the right choice for us."
Read on as Lucy relives her special day and shares the couple's favourite wedding presents from their beautifully curated wedding registry.
Engagement Story
Both Lucy and Chris are self-proclaimed non-'weddingy' people, and so unsurprisingly, their subtle engagement set the tone for a day that was deeply personal and joyfully unconventional. "It was perfectly low-key, perfectly us," Lucy fondly recalls of the Tuesday evening in July when Chris proposed at home. "Chris had had my ring made and decided to just go for it. It was such a surprise, and so special that it was in the home we loved. We went out for Crémant and oysters at our favourite local restaurant afterwards."
Wedding Planning
When it came to a wedding planning checklist and inspiration, Pinterest boards were nowhere in sight for this couple. Instead, Lucy and Chris drew inspiration from understated celebrations, initially even toying with the idea of a proper 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 but with their own spin on it - “We wanted modern wedding readings and so we selected excerpts from Anthony Bourdain and Seamus Heaney, read by our close friends,” says Lucy. "We did our best to keep trappings to a minimum and focused instead on all the pieces feeling coherent rather than the focus," 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"
The Wedding Present Company Experience
"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 absolute 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 available, Le Creuset immediately came to mind. Describing their delivery experience, Lucy shared, "Our wedding present delivery day was officially the best day. It's the perfect way to hold onto the magic of our wedding for a little longer."
Favourite Wedding Presents
Wedding Venue
For the couple’s wedding ceremony, Marylebone Town Hall held a special significance for Chris, a longtime admirer of its history and its connection to one of his musical heroes. "Chris had always loved the idea of getting married at Marylebone Town Hall, mainly because it’s where Paul McCartney got married (twice!). It’s the most beautiful building, and so entrenched in London history," Lucy shares. “We’d both passed it by many times and seen city weddings happening at every time of year, and it felt like such a privilege to join that incredible canon and become a tiny part of the rich tapestry of the place,” she adds.
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.
Bridal Fashion & Accessories
Having a keen eye for fashion, Lucy surprised herself with a relatively swift decision on her bridal wedding outfit. Inspired by 70s style and the elegance of the 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 with an ankle-length, bias-cut Shona Joy dress La Lune in a deep cream hue, which she had altered to include button cuffs and a shorter hem.
"The deep cream hue of my wedding dress ended up being a perfect match for my antique veil — it’s 250 years old, and it has been worn by brides in my family through the centuries. It’s such a special heirloom which spent 100 years or so in New Zealand before travelling back to London 65 years ago for my Granny’s wedding," Lucy says.
Adding to the sentimental touches, she 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.” Lucy finished her bridal look with ruched and rugged Loeffler Randall heels and swapped her veil for a cream silk bow for the reception. After dinner, she changed into a second-hand sequin mini dress, ready for dancing.
Groom's Fashion
The groom, Chris, opted for a stylish olive-green linen suit from Percival, a choice that even inspired a guest's future wedding look, admits Lucy. He accessorised his groom's outfit with Ray-Bans and cufflinks, which Lucy had bought him as a wedding gift engraved with the wedding date.
Bridesmaids' and Flower Girl Fashion
"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." She adds, "For bridesmaids’ dresses, they each wore their own dresses, shoes, and jewellery - they’re all in their 30s and have such different styles, 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 special piece, and it was truly lovely to see it get another outing,” Lucy adds.
Wedding Flowers
The 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 her flower girl niece, Connie, all carried matching blousy bouquets in cream, which were later repurposed as table decorations.
Wedding Décor
The wedding decoration at the West Reservoir Centre was a reflection of the couple's personal touch. “We decorated the space ourselves,” says Lucy. Long trestle tables were adorned with Lucy's hand-drawn menus, the repurposed bridesmaids' bouquets, and hundreds and hundreds of jars, which they filled with tea lights and drops of essential oil, creating a warm and twinkly atmosphere.
Wedding Catering
Instead of a formal, sit-down dinner, the couple opted for the informal family-style wedding menu, featuring slow-cooked lamb and vibrant salads by Ren's Kitchen, which perfectly suited the relaxed atmosphere of this 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, created their wedding cake, which featured a delicious combination of raspberry and pistachio, rhubarb and orange blossom, and dark chocolate butterscotch.
Wedding Drinks & Bar
Wedding drinks included champagne on the buses, the couple’s favourite Picpoul and Pinot Noir wines, and a special beer brewed by the groom, Chris and his groomsmen, adorned with bespoke labels for the bottles which were called ‘I could drink a case of you’ – a nod to the couple’s beloved Joni Mitchell song.
“The bus journey from Marylebone to Stoke Newington was the stuff of legend,” says Lucy, ”We drank so much champagne, my dad was cavorting round the bus topping everyone up, and my mum and all her friends were giggling like teenagers remembering 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 is also a talented artist and made us a custom wedding poster featuring the Negronis, which is now hanging in our kitchen,” Lucy adds.
Wedding Music
“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.
“We both hated the idea of a first dance and tried hard to resist doing it, but in the end realised it was kind of a moment and we might regret not doing it,” says Lucy. The couple chose a band called Violet Soul, and their first dance was a brief and lighthearted shuffle to "Everlasting Love" by Love Affair, after which they were quickly joined by their guests.
Wedding Highlights
“I’m so glad we stuck to our guns and did the day our way,” says Lucy, “It can be hard to do that when there’s a lot of opinions floating around, which I think there often are with weddings.” “We didn’t do a lot of British wedding traditions which raised eyebrows along the way, but the final day was perfect for us,” Lucy explains and adds, “we organised it all ourselves, we made a lot of the elements, invested in a brilliant photographer, in gorgeous bridal bouquets for me and all my bridesmaids, in champagne for the buses, and in venues we adored.” It felt like a true reflection of our life and all the people we love.” “We focused on making it fun and joyful and - mainly - did quite well at not getting too bogged down in the pressure of 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 really did its best work for us on our wedding day.”
A Last Piece of Wedding Planning Advice...
In spite of being a talented cake maker, Lucy recalls one important piece of advice: “One thing I learnt - for any wedding cake bakers reading this - don’t make your own cake. It is honestly the last thing you need on your to-do list in the days before. I would not be told otherwise, but I’ll admit I was wrong on that one!”
Recommended Wedding Suppliers
Gift List: The Wedding Present Company, Catering: Rens 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, Music: The Jukeboxes, MUA: Kate De Havilland, Hair: Hair by Irene, 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 Lucy Bartlett.
You May Also Like...
Every One Of Your Wedding Gift List Questions Answered
Wedding gift lists are becoming increasingly common. But before you commit to starting your wedding registry, you probably have a few questions? In this guide our experts share everything you need to know about wedding gift lists, including how to create a bespoke one tailored to your tastes and needs with The Wedding Present Company.
