The Traditional vs. Alternative Bride: Two Brides-to-Be With Opposing Tastes Reveal Their Wedding Mood Boards

It goes without saying that your wedding should reflect your personal style, but harnessing that—for what is supposed to be the most important day of your life—is surprisingly hard. Classic, cool, chic, unique: everyone wants to evoke a certain mood and ensure the day is as memorable for the guests as it is for them. But when presented with the choices for all the details (the invites, the dress, florals, cake, music, venue…), the list is truly endless, so even the most decisive people can face chronic decision paralysis.

I spoke to two brides-to-be with very different styles about their desires for their respective Big Day. I know both of them very well, as they're part of the Who What Wear UK team. Poppy Nash, our managing editor and resident bride-to-be with traditional taste, is getting married in late September this year. She, like her style, is sophisticated, minimal and polished—I'd expect her wedding spreadsheet to be as diligently organised, curated and colour-coded as the wedding itself.

Sophie Cookson, our in-house insights analyst and token cool girl, is more alternative. Yes, she works in data, but she's more of an eclectic (though always chic) dresser, a vintage fanatic and lover of colour. Whilst Sophie and her partner Jack haven't yet set a date or found a venue, they have a pretty good idea of what they do (and don't) want.

When you work in a female-dominated industry like fashion, you tend to hear many anecdotes about your colleagues' lives, both the everyday stuff and the big things, too. As such, when one of them (or two, in this case) is planning a wedding, you get to hear about it from the inside. I can vouch that these two women, whilst sharing the same desire to evoke a celebration of love, joy and family, will want to create very contrasting weddings. From the flowers and location to the dress and décor, these are the (very different) elements on their wedding mood boards that will deliver their dream days.

THE "TRAD" BRIDE: POPPY NASH

"When it comes to style, mine is fairly classic with 'pretty' touches. My colleagues joke that I'm allergic to colour at times because my interiors taste and sense of style are so neutral, so it felt right that our wedding reflects this. If I had to describe the vibe, it would be classic, minimalist and English garden, with lots of white linen and simple stationery," says Poppy.

I ask her if there was a famous wedding (celebrity or one on TV or film) that evoked the overall mood. "Probably Kate Moss and Jamie Hince’s wedding in 2011—because of the English garden, boho and romantic vibes—with a sprinkling of Father of the Bride," she tells me.

In light of this, Poppy and her husband-to-be, Jack, chose Updown Farmhouse, a stunning venue in the Kent countryside. "There is no colour scheme, just all white everything," says Poppy, aside from, "Maybe pale-blue bridesmaids dresses, but that's still yet to be decided."

For florals, Poppy has landed on fluffy roses and hydrangeas, but instead of larger arrangements, she's prescriptive about wanting "tonnes of small setups" in—you guessed it—white, that will add to the whimsy and romantic vibe. The invites have been printed on simple, thick white card, with no fussy design, although she admits she "spent hours deciding on the right font." As well as lots of white flowers, for Poppy and Jack, the non-negotiables were "a big band, an acoustic musician for cocktail hour and lots of speeches. Oh, and whilst we didn't ask for gifts [on the invite], we did ask that every guest give us a card that we can read afterwards."

Choosing the dress, as often is the case, came with a lot of pressure for Poppy. "I’ll admit I felt quite anxious. I’m a real dress girl, and I’ve worn so many beautiful ones over the years, but I knew this particular one had to be the best of all time. I struggled to find something in boutiques that felt right; I didn’t want anything too traditional or covered in beading or lace, because that's just not me. Whilst I love those pretty touches, I hate anything overly fussy. I am, however, partial to a puff sleeve, so that may or may not feature. After trying on so many options, I realised that I wanted my version of a big white dress: something very simple but still impactful."

For beauty, Poppy's choices match the natural, romantic vibe of the wedding itself: "simple makeup, lots of pink blush and my hair will be up in a loose bun."

Reflecting on her choice to go for something more traditional, Poppy says she "always wanted that traditional marriage moment."
"Not boring, not cookie-cutter and not traditional in every way, but yes, I wanted to go all in on the weekend. When it came to planning the wedding, I definitely leaned towards a 'big white wedding' vibe, because I want that moment of celebration. I want to go all in on a day to celebrate us and all our family and friends. I felt like we—and all our loved ones—deserve that!"

THE "ALT" BRIDE: SOPHIE COOKSON

Sophie and Jack (yes, her partner is also called Jack) are your classic East London couple. He owns a pie bakery in Leyton, and she works in fashion. Their vision for their Big Day, although not yet set, reflects this to a tee.

"We want two weddings, essentially. The first will be a London registry office with close friends and family, followed by a meal at St John Bread and Wine, followed by a pub or maybe a gathering on a canal boat. Then we’d like to organise a bigger party at a rented house in the Lake District, where everyone can come together and party. Our vibe for the day will be casual, cool, fun and unfussy."

Whilst Sophie hopes the general mood will be very relaxed, the details and décor will be filled with colour and joy. "We’re going to do photo-booth photos for invites, we want an Irish or country band (with cowboy hats and the whole shebang, of course) and lots of colourful blooms. Instead of a cake, we’re leaning towards a larger dessert, something retro and a little kitschy."

Knowing Sophie well and Jack a little (I’m a frequent visitor to his bakery, Win's, in Leyton), I know they’ll both wear something very cool—perhaps a little vintage—but will make it look effortless. "His style is a little edgier than mine, but we’re both pretty eclectic in our tastes; I can see him wearing a bowler tie, and I’m quite keen on wearing a green dress instead of white.

"For the London wedding, I envision something either sequinned or a '70s or '80s vibe. The second wedding dress I hope to be secondhand—I’m thinking something lace, maybe sleek and long-sleeved. I’ll also definitely let my bridesmaids choose what they’re wearing to ensure they’re happy with their look. I don’t think we’ll have them in a singular colour, but there’ll still be a point of difference so they stand out from the crowd. Then, I’m asking all other guests to go OTT and extra; think sequins, feathers… the bigger and bolder, the better."

When seeking inspiration for what she and Jack want to achieve, Sophie cites two pretty iconic weddings. "I loved Blondey McCoy and Jennifer Murray’s wedding; some elements looked pretty traditional, but they did it in their own way and with a lot of personality. It looked so fun, free and just full of love. I also loved Lily Allen and David Harbour’s wedding. I feel like it's a bad omen to say now, considering she wrote a whole album about their break-up, but I love the idea of getting married by an Elvis impersonator and then going for fast food after. Something that feels intimate and carefree."

Adding to the fuss-free and intimate vibe, Sophie and Jack have already enlisted her mum and Jack's uncle to orchestrate the second ceremony in the Lake District, where Jack's family have close ties. They also want to include their beloved dog, Pepito, and will host a hike the next day for those who want to join (and aren't too hungover!).