1 of 67
Rose and Jessie did an incredible job of bringing a fresh, color take on traditional inventory. The flowers on the main invite really came to life during the wedding day and set the tone for the floral displays we wanted. I also was excited about our information booklet with everything from links to our curated travel guide to morning coat rentals… the American travelers loved it.
2 of 67
In an emergency change of visa situation in 2022, Tom and I decided to legally marry at Chelsea Town Hall on May 23, 2022, to get a Partner visa. Tom moved mountains to try and get us a town hall slot and registry ‘notice’ meeting. . .which were experiencing 4-6 month delays with COVID.
3 of 67
We were so lucky to get a slot the weekend my parents were visiting from Virginia. After a wedding dress shopping weekend in New York City, I told my parents that we were surprising both sets of parents with our legal wedding… and came to find out that both my parents and my Grandma Ginny did the same thing—three generations of surprise civil ceremonies were in our DNA.
4 of 67
We wanted to keep the wedding a surprise so that guests could feel 100% focused on the May 27, 2023, wedding. Some family members are better at secrets than others, but we were so happy to capture the day with our wedding photographer, Katie Julia.
5 of 67
I thought that legal weddings were going to be basic or less emotional, but I was completely wrong. Our registrars were so wonderful and deeply caring—even they were tearing up when we read our vows and walked into Nora Jones "Come Away With Me."
6 of 67
Tom’s sisters, Victoria and Rosanna, did two readings from Winnie the Pooh and The Art of Marriage, and it was so nice knowing that we could intertwine secular readings in this ceremony and then pick religious readings for Hampton Court Chapel. I started crying a lot to the point of us all laughing when we heard in the first reading: ‘"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.” It just gets you!
7 of 67
We had my parents from Virginia and Tom’s parents and two sisters from Essex and London join us for a special day!
8 of 67
We swung around the corner to take some pictures on one of our favorite streets in Chelsea. I feel like our vibe is the nose bump… ha it came up in many a wedding photo. With the small window for peonies which are one of my favorites, I was so happy to include them in the day!
9 of 67
We hosted our Rehearsal Dinner and Welcome Drinks at Boodles Members Club in St. James’s. Tom’s parents had never attended a Rehearsal Dinner as it’s a very American thing and jumped on board to plan a magnificent champagne party to welcome everyone and give them a taste of England.
10 of 67
As soon as I saw this Markarian Evora Bow dress in New York. . .I knew that it had to be part of the weekend. The gold and pink brocade fabric felt like incredible British curtains, and I am all about the big bow energy. Without even knowing the reception room’s décor at Boodles when I bought it, it felt like this dress belonged there. It also was a nice nod to have my rehearsal and wedding dress from New York to bring a little American energy to the wedding weekend in London.
11 of 67
Tom is an Oliver Brown loyalist ha – only fitting that he decked himself out in one of their suits.
12 of 67
We hosted about 160 people upstairs, and it was such a nice way to say hello to everyone and it put less pressure on the big day. As we all said the next day. . ."It was a bad day to be a bubble," I think everyone woke up a little foggy the next morning!
13 of 67
We hosted ~60 people downstairs in Boodles for our Rehearsal Dinner and invited our bridal party, ushers (groomsmen), and aunts and uncles. Each table setting had a picture of Kylie or Tom in a little frame as the seating markers which I loved. Tom’s parents and 6 friends gave toasts and we were laughing at how the American bridal party had more emotional / sincere toasts and the ushers went full British roast on Tom – hilarious.
15 of 67
14 friends in my bridal party, our two moms, and my aunt and cousin had a great day hanging out at the Landmark Trust House which is part of Hampton Court to get ready and do hair and make-up. I loved my mom’s dress and think the coppery / burnt orange tones worked perfectly with our color palette for the wedding – she looked stunning!
16 of 67
I loved how the bridal party dresses came together – it no doubt was a process to bring together the pinks, oranges, teals, and duck blues, but we got there! I wanted everyone in their gown to feel like a princess at the ball and show off their personality. It was chaotic in the moment putting them on (in a separate room) as one of my friend’s zipper broke and thank god another bridesmaid, Blythe, always brings a spare dress in the color scheme that can fit multiple sizes…I need to channel this energy with future weddings.
17 of 67
Emily has been my ride or die best friend since we were five, and it was only fitting to have here there every step of the way. From my wedding dress shopping process to videoing the final fittings at Lela Rose in NYC, she knew how to zip me in!
18 of 67
This is probably my favorite photo of myself. Haley and the team at Lela Rose were instrumental in the wedding day, and I loved every part of this dress from the topper to the wateau train to the floral lace. I never thought I was going to go strapless or lace, but after trying on 100 dresses (yes, I am probably crazy but also thought it was weirdly a really fun process!) this was the one and complemented English garden vibes that we were going for.
19 of 67
I wore the matching topper and my pearl lined veil that Lela Rose created for the wedding ceremony. My something old – my engagement ring is super special and a gift from his mom’s side – the ring was his great great great grandmother’s and is one-of-a-kind. I feel so lucky to wear it (and don’t think she ever thought an American would be wearing it one day!). My something new – diamond drop earrings with pearls on the end were from an antique shop in our neighborhood which we love (so I guess it also is a bit on the ‘new side). My something borrowed – pearl bracelet from my mom. My something blue – we designed my wedding band to be a ‘roulette’ ring with Emily Smeaton – cascading blue sapphires of different tones and diamonds.
20 of 67
I wanted a statement train for walking down the aisle and Lela Rose’s wateau was exactly what we needed. One of my favorite parts of the dress!
21 of 67
This was definitely the best BFF photoshoot I have ever had with Em. She’s my right hand woman and truly the best! Her dress was the brief—giving off the English garden pinks and having a little train that mirrored mine which was completely random but perfect. It just worked and she looked stunning!
22 of 67
My Aunt Linda (left) and mom’s older sister has been such a special person in my life, and I wanted her to get ready with me on the big day!
23 of 67
My dad (Gary), walked in on the first look wearing new sunglasses that no one knew he purchased. In a tense moment of ‘this will be emotional’ with the photographers, Emily, Jessie, and my mom standing on the side, my mom yells ‘Gary, you look like a SPY!’ and we all broke out belly laughing together. Unfortunately, his sunglasses had his prescription in them… so maybe I was a little blurry on the first look haha.
24 of 67
Doing a first look with your best pals is one of the best feelings to see them all looking so glammed up and ready for a party. For the pump up song, we turned on Viva La Vida and had a little first look dance party to send us off!
25 of 67
As one of my family friends said, "They honestly look like your bouquet of friends standing around you."
26 of 67
All of my gals ahead of the first look!
27 of 67
We hosted our cocktail reception as well as the first look in the Privy Garden which is this beautiful topiary and fountain garden. Honestly, London weather put on a show for us – it was so sunny and warm for 5 days straight and we could not have been luckier with all the garden shots.
28 of 67
The photographers called it the "garden walk"—and think we were all cracking up talking about random/hilarious things as we strolled around the gardens. Because Hampton Court is also a museum, visitors were like "what is happening," and we had a bit of crowd watching us.
30 of 67
The ushers were a dapper crew! Tom had quite the fun day, playing nine holes of golf with our dads, getting ready in morning coats, and then randomly renting boats to go down the Thames to a pub lunch. It’s amazing they all made it back in one piece not sunburned or going overboard.
31 of 67
I love this moment. 20 years ago, my Grandma Ginny and my parents did a whirlwind trip of all things London, and we visited Hampton Court and took pictures in this very spot. We also brought the pictures of grandma at Hampton Court so she could be there in spirit for our wedding day. My dad said she never missed a party, and her FOMO energy has a direct link to how I treat every party.
32 of 67
At our first look, we read our hand-written vows to each other which resulted in a lot of happy tears!
33 of 67
The squad! Best friend since kindergarden, high school friends, a big University of Virginia crew, BCG ex-colleague, and Tom’s sisters…Everyone brought the best energy and it was wonderful that our New Jersey Engagement Party and epic bachelorette to Jamaica allowed everyone to get to know each other in advance and have a blast together.
34 of 67
The power crew! These photos always make me chuckle as the first thought is—"We’re excited. . .What do we do with our hands!"
35 of 67
A portrait of Tom’s family bringing the English traditions to our wedding – morning coats and Nellie’s bespoke hat which I loved. I met the Bishops very early on in our relationship – week one ha! I lived with them during the pandemic, and they have had the chance to visit with my parents in London many times. Feels lucky that both can be close!
36 of 67
I love how each train deserves a team to hold it. Walking around the gardens was a moment for the dresses that is for sure.
37 of 67
We held our service at Hampton Court Chapel Royal – which was built in 1530's by Henry the 8th and has the Tudor look and feel. It’s rare to be married in this Royal Chapel, and we felt so fortunate as members of the congregation to hold our service here.
38 of 67
We truly felt so present the entire service. Walking out and seeing all your people in one place smiling at you is a special kind of memory.
39 of 67
We had the full royal choir of Gentlemen and Boys to sing English hymns alongside the organ, and two of my best friends performed readings. The best part of English weddings is that everyone sings loud and proud and it’s truly magical.
40 of 67
Tom’s main request was that we ended with ‘Jerusalem’ which is a belter that every Brit is obsessed with. I was chuckling seeing my bridal party to the left of the altar mouthing words to songs they did not know (but were learning along the way).
42 of 67
Classic us—we didn’t really want to miss a beat of the reception, so we had 20 minutes of photos right after church for our portraits. The columns area was an unexpected location for pictures, but the lighting and stone were really beautiful. Always trust your photographer to find the right spots, even if you wouldn’t pick them yourself.
43 of 67
Similar to our wedding invitation envelopes, we had wax stamped, calligraphy escort cards with table numbers inside each couples’ envelope. The boards looked perfect outside the Great Hall entrance.
44 of 67
After the reception, our guests meandered through the palace—with each turn feeling like a surprise for them. Walking into the Great Hall and seeing three long, stunning tables for dinner was such a fun moment for our guests.
45 of 67
Jessie, our wedding planner, had such an incredible vision to bring the Great Hall and the 400-year tapestries to life with her warming color scheme and lighting vision.
46 of 67
Interestingly, these tapestries are the second most insured item in the UK after the crown jewels – so not only was it a unique experience for our guests, but also one where we ensured the most fun-loving guests sat in the middle table to avoid staining the tapestries… ha.
47 of 67
Hilariously Tom and I were drinking Champagne in a side room where we could see people coming into the dining room with their jaws dropped and finding their seat. That was so fun for us.
48 of 67
Lavender Green executed our flowers perfectly. We wanted them to feel whimsical and punchy with the color without taking away from the other table décor. They were creative in finding what was seasonal and local where they could to make sure it felt like a May English Garden wedding. I also love how they deepened the colors from start to finish to work their way into the night.
49 of 67
We are not big cake people, and knew that a cheese wheel cake was a must. We worked with our local Northcote Road Cheesemonger shop to test out and pick cheese that we loved or had a memory of. I am in fact lactose intolerant but love cheese, so Tom ensured that I had a Lactaid pill on hand!
50 of 67
This grand staircase is one of my favorite parts of Hampton Court Palace. If you could only see how high the ceilings are… The train got to have a moment on the stairs and it felt like a dose of Princess Diaries walking into a ball.
51 of 67
We had Tour Guides escort our Guests from Chapel to the Privy Garden Drinks Reception to these stairs taking them up to dinner in the Great Hall, and I loved how our guests got to meander learning something about Hampton Court Palace.
52 of 67
Tom and I snuck away with Jessie to see the Great Hall before our guests arrived and were absolutely blown away. Jessie was our fearless leader and executed everything fearlessly. She even dealt with my ex-management consulting Type A organized brain haha and kept me calm with all of my questions and thoughts. She also was key to managing an American / British expat wedding – from guest questions to explaining American or British wedding concepts to parents… I don’t know what we would have done without Jessie!
53 of 67
The Brits call the reception the "Wedding Breakfast"—your first meal together, and we wanted to showcase some of our favorite ingredients and flavors and also make the meal a delicious memory (sometimes hard to accomplish at weddings). We love cooking and wanted the meal to be an ode to Virginia, London, and our favorite travel spots (Italy!). Food Show did such a fantastic job, and people are still talking about the dinner. To start we had orange cured salmon with mango and lime salsa or a choice of the summer squash tortellini. For mains guests selected either the pistachio crusted cod, the roast rump of lamb, or the porcini pithivier. We wrapped with our Italian tasting plate showcasing our favorite tiramisu, biscotti, limoncello, and sorbet.
54 of 67
I know that some of our guests are still talking about the Drinks Reception steak wrapped frites canape… Food Show, you killed it!
55 of 67
We ran into the Great Hall to ‘Kill the Lights’ (a fave of all the UVA Hoos) and went up and down the tables with the napkins flying – the energy was on another level and I think I still watch the video of it once a month.
56 of 67
As the last speech of the evening, Tom and I wanted to share some thank-you’s and turn it up with Espresso Martinis as everyone’s first post dinner cocktail. In a turn of events, I decide to share ‘spoiler alert’ we got legally married last year and accidentally took some of Tom’s planned jokes, but hey it all worked out.
57 of 67
I love zooming in and seeing what kinds of conversations were happening or people laughing over a glass of wine – that is what it is all about! We walked around to everyone’s seat during dessert to say hello and thank you to all our guests – would highly recommend!
58 of 67
We used Tom’s fathers’ High Sherriff of Essex Sword to cut our cheese wheels. Hilariously someone forgot to put the softest cheese on top so we struggled to even poke into the ‘Cropwell Bishop’ (and ode to our last name) and had to share a fig and grape instead as our first bite. Later on we served the cheese wheel cut up into a nice cheese board with other elements and had my favorite – mac and cheese with toppings all next to the dance floor to keep the energy going.
59 of 67
After dinner, our guests walked downstairs and outside to the Undercroft – Henry the 8th’s beer cellar that transformed into the party… it felt like a surprise club popped up and our guests loved it. Everyone was greeted by an espresso martini to watch our first dance and then Father / Daughter and Mother / Son. Then the negronis and ‘salty dog’s’ were flowing as the DJ was popping up. My vision for the party was ‘Decades’ and thank you to Prelude Entertainment for your patience as I continued to brief them on Motown vibes moving into Abba Disco hours and then wrapping with a Tropical House / Kygo set… I am obsessed with music and we didn’t want anyone leaving the dance floor or stage area.
60 of 67
When Tom and I had that epic 52 hour first date, watching the Parent Trap became part of that weekend – I guess a love of that UK/USA culture was there from the beginning. Dancing to ‘This Will Be’ was an easy choice, but prepping for the dance was harder. Yvette came to our rescue and got us in rhythm. While Tom was told he had two left feet, he did not want to have a ‘lame first dance’ and told Yvette that he was determined to ‘chuck me in the air and spin me around’… and after 4 lessons he did just that and we crushed it without ripping our fits.
64 of 67
My dad and I did our first dance to ‘Song for a Daughter’ by Zac Brown Band and had a slower choreographed dance that was very cute. He practiced in Virginia and I practiced in London, and it came together!
65 of 67
In British weddings you don’t typically have a mother or father dance, so Nellie was loving that she could do a mother son dance as part of American traditions. Tom and his mom kicked off the dance floor with ‘Love Train’ and then brought everyone on!
66 of 67
The dance floor energy was non-stop, and there was not a moment that someone was not on an elevated surface (me included) or crowdsurfing or throwing disco balls around or dancing with the saxophonist. A last-minute decision to do the mirrored floor was a big win, and it elevated the disco ball lighting and red and dark pink tones on the couches and flowers to give it a sultry vibe.
67 of 67
How epic it was to end the night strolling out of a castle with our friends, holding cheese wheel slices in hand, and closing the palace down. I already want to plan the next bash again!