Inside: The Chicest Fulham Palace Wedding

From a university friendship rekindled with a kiss at a Cornish wedding to a heartfelt proposal over champagne in Petworth Park, Sophie and Josh Dearden-Howell’s Fulham Palace wedding was a love story steeped in history and modern romance.

The story so far

Josh and I went to university together and were incredibly good friends. We drifted for a few years and came together again post-pandemic at a mutual friend’s wedding in Cornwall. It ended as all good weddings do, with a big old snog.

Josh proposed at an incredibly special place to us, Petworth park on the 27^th June. I was taken for a walk and a champagne picnic where the question was popped with a rather loud and frantic ‘There is only one place I would do this, WILL YOU MARRY ME?’.

When we had discussed that we were both in this for forever, I had been quite (read incredibly) descriptive of what I wanted. A pear-shaped pale yellow stone sat on a diamond band set within yellow gold. It is exactly that; it feels old school and unique.

It was made at and with the amazing Sophie Breitmeyer, an independent family jewellers in Notting Hill. I have worked with Sophie on a few pieces in the past and her jewellery is so beautiful and she is so generous in her design skills at making your brief work to your budget.

Venue

We really went all out with a three-day event, including champagne and fish chips on a boat on the Thames the evening before for our bridal party and a debrief day of joyous frivolity at Putney Pies.

The wedding itself was held at All Saints Church in Fulham with a gorgeous reception at Fulham Palace. I am incredibly close to my grandparents and my grandma’s mother and father were married in the same church, my sister and I also lived very near to Fulham Palace for many years. I had never known what I wanted for a wedding and one day we were strolling through Bishops Park and entered up to the Palace where a wedding had all of the tables dotted round the fountain in their Tudor courtyard and I knew that was what I wanted. It was elegant and chic without being twee.

Fashion

My dress was from Danielle Frankel, a New York designer I am obsessed with. I had explained to everyone that I had no idea what I wanted from a dress at all, only to realise the gown I ended up with was the only one I had in my spreadsheet that I had been saving. My mum joked that this was incredibly on brand that I in fact had known exactly what I wanted.

I got my dress from Brown Brides in Marylebone. I wont lie I didn’t love the initial stages of trying dresses on. I am a size 14 and although the industry has come along way with sizes and comments on women’s bodies, I would say we have some way to go.

My shoes were Jimmy Choo. I adored the experience of going into their store and trying on all of their beautiful styles. I toyed with a bit more glitz or a bit of drama but I wanted something that felt me. I chose a pair of pale yellow silk square toe mules that matched my ring and I know I will wear for years to come.

Josh wore a cream tuxedo jacket from Oliver Brown with a full look Reiss black tie outfit and a pair of beautiful Manolo Blahnik shoes I wiggled in a sample sale.

Jewellery

I like my jewellery like everything else, understated, I opted for a pair of Mejuri drop diamond tennis earrings. On the morning of the wedding one of Josh’s grooms men arrived at my door with a Sophie Breitmeyer bag from my husband to be, in it a golden chain bracelet with a stone that perfectly matched my ring. After sobbing, I wore this over my Cornelia James cream silk opera gloves.

Both of our wedding bands were also from Sophie Breitmeyer. Josh’s, a thick traditional yellow gold band, and mine is a yellow gold round wire.

Bridal party

Our groomsmen wore head to toe Marks and Spencer’s tuxedos and the bridesmaids had black dresses from Coast with white shoes from Stradivarius (I was thrilled with how these looked). I gave my bridesmaid each a pair of silk pyjamas in a warm bronze colour from Ghost as a gift and we all got ready in them together.

Transportation

Josh and his groomsmen walked to the venue over Putney Bridge, however, mine didn’t go quite as smoothly, this was the only stressful moment of the day. The Black cabs we had pre ordered did not turn up so it was a mad dash to book Uber and Gett until we eventually ended up with the desired outcome, traditional black cabs. I refused to pre book these as they wanted to charge me £100 for a £7 journey, and I stand by this decision despite the excitement.

Tablescape

We worked with the most unbelievable florist, Flowers by Rosaria, who created the perfect tablescape of pillar candles and glass containers and single calla lillies.

My best friend and bridesmaid did all of our stationary for us and it was so elegant.

Food & drinks

We both love food and wine so this was a real focus point.

We worked with Majestic wine, who were superb and had a Nicolas Feuillatte champagne and magnums of AIX rose for the reception and a gorgeous Gavi and a Majestic Malbec for dinner. We served caccio e pepe gnocchi to start, steak and chips for main and a lemon posset for dessert.

The food highlight though, has to be the evening food, Porcco. A pulled pork van my husband found at a food market in Dulwich served the most amazing buns at 9pm.

Entertainment

Our gorgeous friend Josi sang my all-time favourite song A Sunday Kind of Love as I walked down the aisle; it was unforgettable.

My much-loved singers are Ella Fitzgerald and Gregory Porter and my husband’s favourite show is Oklahoma, from which a song about two friends falling in love has been mixed together with both of these vocals, it felt so perfect for us.

Our band was The Distractions who were fabulous and really got the soul we were after and created the most amazing party.

Beauty regime & wellness

I was determined to work on my skin throughout the year and used a lot of MZSkin products including retinol, vitamin C, and serums. I also used the Dr Dennis Gross light mask. But my favourite treatment that I had was HIFU with Fierce Face Clinic in Clapham.

My hair was done by the absolute best in the business and an incredibly dear friend of mine, Ben Cooke. I have been going to his salon Lockonego for years and I wouldn’t have trusted anyone else! My makeup was done by the gorgeous Sonia Deveny who is the calmest and loving woman to have around on a day like this.

Favourite Wedding Gifts

Another of my best friends and bridesmaids who is a DR by profession made our cake, it was the most standout I have ever seen and it blew us all away.

Honeymoon

We went on our honeymoon straight after the wedding, it was pure bliss. We did an Italian tour for two weeks, starting at Borgo Egnazia in Puglia moving across to Casa Angelina on the Amalfi Coast, onto The Capri Palace on Capri and ending at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio, Lake Como. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Advice

Despite planning an incredibly weather-dependent wedding and it being so beautiful for the whole of August, God had other plans for our wedding and we were dealt the wettest day of the Summer. When we had to make peace with the way this would change things, including the meal moving from the courtyard to inside a marquee, I was upset. However, we had the day of our dreams and if I could go back now I would not change one second and risk changing a moment of the energy, joy and love we had. My advice, move with what happens in the lead up and on the day as it is ultimately about you marrying your person surrounded by all of your people, keep that your priority.