Eleanor is a luxury, travel and fashion publicist and Alexandre is a financial director. They met on their morning commute in Kensington in 2018. Alex proposed at Grace Hotel by Auberge Resorts Collection in Santorini during a holiday in July 2021. The couple tied the knot at a chic countryside wedding on the outskirts of Bath, following a ceremony at London’s Chelsea Old Town Hall.
The best part of our day was….
We had so many incredibly special moments, such as simply seeing people so close to us meet for the first time and connect so effortlessly, and one of my wonderful bridesmaids dashing into our suite five minutes before the ceremony following surgery that morning. She’d flawlessly emulated the hair and makeup in the car one-handed…
We chose to get married at…
We toyed with getting married in France as Alex is French, but decided on the iconic Chelsea Old Town Hall down the road from us, followed by our big wedding bash at Homewood Hotel & Spa in Bath. My parents got married at sister property, Bishopstrow Hotel & Spa, and growing up that was always one of the happiest days of my life.
I knew I found ‘The One’ when…
I began dancing for joy on the podium in Pronovias’ New Bond Street boutique, as my darling mother gazed admiringly. It was the very first wedding dress appointment in our calendar. The Masazir mermaid crepe dress had a sweetheart neckline which I had always envisaged, and the detachable sleeves made it for me – that dose of uniqueness alongside the classic and elegant silhouette won me over. I didn’t take the sleeves off the entire day.
The most enjoyable moments of planning were…
The belly-aching laughs with mummy over countless ‘wedmin’ sessions; the cake tasting whereby Alex’s utter delight at ‘mixed berry’ surpassed the many other incredibly innovative flavours from The Cake Architect; being spoilt by my gem of a maid of honour Fi who threw a ‘Breakfast at Tiffellie’s’ bridal shower; and incorporating copious French touches such as our aisle song, La Vie En Rose, played beautifully by our string quartet.
The hardest part of planning was… (and how did you overcome it)
The hardest part of planning was the battle between safely selecting the indoor Chandelier room for our ceremony or the terrace outdoors (we had both white umbrellas and fans at the ready). Classic British weather kept us guessing until the morning of, when Homewood thankfully opted for indoors as thunderstorms were right on cue… No one wants a soggy Order of Service. The sunshine made an appearance for our Reception, without a single sign of downpour bar the marshy bottom of my dress – call it balayage – and somewhat different hue of blue of my Freya Rose shoes which swiftly returned to their shade once dry.
The best accounts to follow on Instagram for big-day inspo are…
Over The Moon, Gigi & Olive, and The Wedding Edition, of course!!
My top three tips for any couple would be…
It sounds obvious but focus on the larger elements of the wedding in the lead up, just as much as the smaller things.
Relax with the understanding that your wedding venue and team have got this! (Working in PR I like to run the show, but on the day I was fairly zen knowing they had it all in hand.)
Enjoy every second of your big day! We certainly did, thunderstorms and all!
If I was able to do it all over again, the one thing I would change is…
Make it go on for longer! We had so many special people there and I’d have loved to have spent an hour chatting with each!
Venue: Home Wood @homewoodbath
Dress and Veil: Pronovias @pronovias
Shoes: Freya Rose London @freyaroselondon
Bridesmaids: Jarlo London @jarlolondon
Groom outfit: Charles Tyrwhitt @charlestyrwhitt, Gieves & Hawkes @gieveslondon, and Russell & Bromley @russellandbromleymens
Flower girl: Lilly & Bo @lillyandbo
Florist: Cotswold Blooms @cotswoldblooms
Tableware: Vintage napkins owned by brides’ mother; Charger plates and Santorini gold-rimmed glasses by The Luxe Collection @theluxecollectionuk, and Wren Ark
Stationery: Cartalia @cartaliastudio
Photographer: Cwindle Photos @cwindlephotos and Lauren Dudley
Wedding rings: Eleanor Corp Jewellery (Bridesmaid) @eleanorjoycorp
Hair: Rene Aubrey @reneaubreyhair and Kate Kelvin @katekelvinweddings
Makeup: Kate Kelvin @katekelvinweddings
Gift list: The Wedding Present Company @weddingpresentco
Cake: The Cake Architect @cake_architect
Bridesmaid gifts: Bracelets from Joanna Reed Bridal @joannareedbridal
Music: Unity String Quartet and Oliver Fatemi
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