Riley Uggla is a British-Canadian designer and founder of Riley Studio, a luxury fashion brand driven by an ethos of environmental and social responsibility – creating contemporary clothing from waste. Riley met Alex Rimmer – her now British-Spanish husband – in a beach bar in Ibiza and the couple hit it off immediately. Ten years on, Alex proposed to Riley in Ibiza where they met for the first time, the couple now have two children together. Their wedding was a grandeur affair, at the spectacular Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
The best part of our day was….
There was a lot of incredible moments for us both. However, I’d have to say getting in the wedding car from the ceremony to drive around the grounds of the palace and over to the main entrance where everything was lit up was pretty spectacular. My husband and I had a moment of calm just the two of us to take in the incredible ceremony that we had just come from. Further to this, as we approached the main entrance our friends and family were all walking through the archway which was a really special moment to see as everyones reactions to Blenheim as they came around the corner were incredible.
We choose to get married at…
We chose to have an evening wedding at Blenheim Palace, a venue that epitomises everything romantic, and more than anything, we wanted romance! The palace represents a bygone era of grandeur and so it was exciting to exchange our vows and celebrate with all of our guests in such an iconic venue that will forever be the most incredible memory. On the Sunday we celebrated at the Bull Inn pub, a location that completely personifies my husband and I, laid back and slightly quirky!
I knew I found ‘The One’ when…
I actually didn’t try on too many dresses. I had narrowed it down in my mind quite a lot prior to trying too many on. I also didn’t want to get carried away and get swept up in a trend-driven look when my heart was set on wearing something that was very timeless. My mum and I went together and it was actually my mum that pulled the dress out and said I had to try it, personally I wasn’t sure and actually told her to put it back before she insisted, thankfully she did because I absolutely loved it, from that moment I didn’t try any more on and my two sisters came back the following day for further approval. When it comes to wedding gowns, grace kelly is my idol and so initially I was certain my dress would have lace incorporated somehow, however, every dress I tried that had a lace detail I took off straight away. The silhouette of her gown however was exactly what I wanted to emulate in my own way and so I worked with someone to design and created a bespoke top that I could take off later on in the evening.
The most enjoyable moments of planning were…
To plan a wedding is literally a full-time job, there are a lot of really big decisions to be made, however, my wedding planners were incredible and made everything seamless, I looked forward to every meeting we had, the entire process of the months leading up to it was beyond enjoyable. If I did however, have to pinpoint something, it would probably be the designing of all the wedding collateral and stationery, I work within a creative role and so naturally this felt like home turf!
The hardest part of planning was…
The original wedding was sadly canceled and then pushed back due to covid (this happened more than once). This was definitely tough as there was the constant thought in our minds of thinking should we cancel our dream wedding and do something more intimate with immediate family.
We overcame this by just taking a step back for two and a half years and waited until it was the right time to try again when there would be no hurdles. We weren’t in a rush to have our wedding and as we both come from big families it was important we were able to include everyone.
We also planned an entirely new wedding which meant we had a whole new experience and an official lead-up to the big day.
Other than a covid reference, the hardest part was the seating plan, we had roughly 250 guests and whilst at the end, we definitely felt as if we nailed the seating plan it took a lot of time and many re-do’s!
The best accounts to follow on Instagram for big-day inspo are…
I loved following Benjamin Wheeler, Brides and Vogue weddings.
My top three tips for any couple would be…
It really does fly by, so just enjoy every minute of it, forget about anything that could be out of place, because you won’t even notice on the day.
Take some time to step away from it all with your partner and take it all in and watch everyone having an amazing time, because for a very rare moment, everyone that you love and loves you are all under one roof.
If I was able to do it all over again, the one thing I would change is…
Only to make it all go on much longer, we loved every single minute of it and didn’t want it to end. I’d love to go back and do it all one more time in slow motion!
Riley & Alex’s Wedding Suppliers:
Venue: Saturday: Blenheim Palace @blenheimpalace Sunday: The Bull Inn, Charlbury @bull_inn_charlbury
Caterer: Social pantry @thesocialpantry
Dress: @oscardelarenta & bespoke designed top by sewn right
Bridesmaids: Seren @seren_london & moh: rasario @rasario
Groom outfit: Suit supply @suitsupply
Florist: Willow Crossley @willowcrossleycreates
Photographer: Chris Allerton @chrisallertonphoto
Videographer: Reel Vision @reelvisionfilms
Wedding rings: Robinson Pelham @robinsonpelham
Makeup: Yin Lee @yinleemakeup
Hair: @sofiasjoohair
Gift list: The Wedding Shop @theweddingshopuk
Bridesmaid gifts: Pearl embellished hair pin & Seren gowns.
Wedding planner: Fait Accomplis
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