Welcome to Who What Wear Weddings, the destination for style-minded weddings. Expect insightful tips straight from the newlyweds, shoppable elements and plenty of must-save imagery as we share the nuptials of our favourite fashion people getting married. For upcoming features, share your submissions here.
"Olly and I met on Hinge a few years ago, and the debate still stands about who liked whose picture first…" explains Frances Cookson, co-founder and creative director of uber-chic bridal brand Rewritten. After their first date at Spiritland bar in Kings Cross (which lasted until the staff kicked them out at closing time), Cookson knew they were onto something special. A few years later, Olly, a software developer, proposed on a sea-view balcony on holiday in Mykonos with a stunning diamond and emerald ring he had designed by jeweller Bear Brooksbank, which took Cookson completely by surprise.
Due to COVID, wedding planning was put on the back burner, and the couple spent the next few years renovating their new home and welcoming a baby boy, Rafael, in the spring of 2022. But when an illness in the family meant that the wedding suddenly became a priority to ensure loved ones could attend, the couple turned around the whole thing in just two months. After much debate over location, the wedding took place in London, where the couple met, with the ceremony at Islington Town Hall—the same place they registered the birth of their son the year before. The end result was a wedding focused on family, love and togetherness, with a hearty dose of old-school Hollywood glamour and elegance.
Scroll on to read more about how the wedding unfolded in the bride’s own words, including everything from the dress she designed herself to all of the details behind the city-based nuptials.
"I got ready with my bridesmaids and my parents in our North London house. It was very casual, with our nanny running around after our little boy whilst two makeup artists and a hair stylist looked after myself, my bridesmaids and my mum, all with a glass or two of champagne, of course! I went for a simple bun and pared-back makeup to complement the long veil.
"I had a lot of fun designing my two outfits in the lead-up to the wedding. I knew I wanted a halterneck style as I have broad shoulders and have always suited this neckline. I also wanted something flowing, simple, elegant and a little bit timeless to match the feel of the day. I designed a bias-cut cross-over halterneck dress with a small train in a draped, matte satin (similar to the Marianne dress in our bridal range) and wore it with a long cathedral veil and satin shoes.
"I worked with our pattern cutter to make the first toiles of the dress before passing it over to our London workshop for the final version. I felt so glamorous wearing it; there is something very old-school Hollywood about the silhouette, and it made me feel like the most beautiful version of myself. I kept jewellery minimal with diamond drop earrings from Astley Clarke and a simple yellow-gold band to sit alongside my white-gold engagement ring."
"We chose to get married in the wood-panelled Council Chamber, which holds up to 80 guests. We then had some photos on the front steps before heading by taxi to The Delaunay restaurant in Covent Garden."
"We wanted the mood of the day to be fun and casual so opted for bright flowers from the seriously talented Kasia at Gloria Studio. She had free reign and did an amazing job. There were peonies, sweetpeas and wildflowers in an array of pinks, purples and oranges."
"Olly and I wrote our own vows for the ceremony, which is something that was really important to us and made the ceremony feel really personal."
"My bridesmaids wore Rewritten (of course!). One of my bridesmaids is my co-founder, Katie, who wore the Porto Dress in Forest Green Satin. The girls all chose their own dresses, so we ended up with a really fun palette of hot pink, burnt orange, olive and forest green in different styles, which looked awesome paired with the bright flowers."
"We organised our wedding in such a tight timeframe and honestly, it was a blessing; we didn’t have time to deliberate or worry about the small details and it was still the perfect day with very little stress in the lead-up. I'd advise others not to get caught up in the tiny stuff and spend too long worrying about things."
"Olly wore a bespoke suit from Beggars Run with monk shoes and an Hermès tie."
"We started our reception with an intimate lunch in the private room of the Delaunay restaurant. It was important to us to have a smaller lunch to celebrate with family and our little boy."
"With wood-panelled walls and silver service, there is something so classic and decadent about this restaurant, and it's one of our London favourites."
"We started with a champagne reception followed by a beautiful three-course meal before walking through the streets of Soho to our next reception venue; private members' club The Groucho Club. It was so much fun walking through Soho past all of the tourists and famous London sights."
"At The Groucho, we caught up with the rest of our guests who had attended the ceremony. Olly and I entered the room to Sussudio by Phil Collins and kicked off the evening with another champagne reception followed by cake-cutting and our first dance."
"When looking for a party venue, we wanted somewhere that had cosy, fun party vibes and where guests could have a great time; we definitely got that with The Groucho, and the food and drinks were delicious! We were in two private rooms that had mirrored ceilings and Damien Hirst art all over the walls—it felt like a secret, sparkly little chocolate box of a venue. The dancefloor was packed all night and DJ Dave played some brilliant '80s, '90s and club classics."
"If you want people on the dancefloor, don’t go for a massive venue; guests end up spreading out and it can feel quite empty. The Groucho is quite an intimate space, which meant it ended up feeling like a busy nightclub dancefloor—it really got everyone dancing!
"For the party, I changed into a bespoke feather-trimmed minidress from Rewritten with some Dolce & Gabbana heels and a satin hair bow."
"Our first dance was to Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve. It has such special memories for us as it was played on our first date and came on the radio on the way home from the hospital after the birth of our son. We knew then that it had to be our first dance."
Wedding Photographer: Matthew Johnson
Makeup: Katie Elliott
Engagement Ring: Bear Brooksbank
Flowers: Gloria Studio
Ceremony Venue: Islington Town Hall
Cake: Pieces Bakery
Reception Venue: The Delaunay
Evening Venue: The Groucho Club
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