Jerramy & Michael - Looking for Love

As a little girl growing up in Colorado, Jerramy Fine had one wish: to move to England and marry a prince. But this was no mere childhood whimsy; she relocated from America to London and, in 2009, published a memoir about her quest called Someday My Prince Will Come: True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess.

Photography by Polly Alexandre alexandreweddings.com

Jerramy & Michael - A Real Prince

Technically, Jerramy never met that fantasy royal husband but she did find her own English Prince Charming. “Michael was extremely handsome, and his eyes seemed so kind and wise,” she says of their first meeting, at a mutual friend’s leaving drinks in November 2003. “He invited me to his birthday party the next weekend, and the rest is history.”

Jerramy & Michael - Planning the Fairytale

After a relaxed proposal at home, the couple began to plan a wedding bursting with classic romance and fairytale flourishes. “We wanted to really personalise the day and make it meaningful to us, incorporating the traditions we liked from US and UK weddings, and dropping those we didn’t,” Jerramy says.

Jerramy & Michael - Going to the Chapel

“We had a non-religious ceremony with readings from Leo Tolstoy and Marianne Williamson and live versions of Surrounded by Sophie Daniels and Make You Feel My Love by Bob Dylan performed by close friends,” says the bride of their July I dos at the Richmond Unitarian Chapel.

Jerramy & Michael - Making Ceremony Magic

“We wanted it to be fun and cheerful, so we chose the instrumental music from the Disney film Enchanted for the processional,” Jerramy says. To create a dreamy, playful atmosphere, the aisle was lined with lollipop bay trees and sprinkled with flower petals, provided by florist Lavender Green.

Jerramy & Michael - Maid to Perfection

Five bridesmaids clad in gold-brocade cocktail dresses from Priscilla of Boston carried bouquets of cream-coloured roses on their walk up the aisle. (As thanks to her ladies in waiting, Jerramy presented each one with an amazing goody bag at a special bridesmaid brunch. The contents? A Smythson notebook, a Diptyque candle, and copies of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and the DVD My Fair Lady – the bride’s favourites. Lucky girls!)

Jerramy & Michael - Well Groomed

For a wedding outfit worthy of royalty, Michael chose a traditional morning suit featuring striped trousers, a grey waistcoat and a gold tie, finished with a white garden rose.

Jerramy & Michael - All About the Dress

The bride wore a duchesse-satin ball gown by Edgardo Bonilla, customised with cap sleeves by Surrey-based dressmaker Pam Stretch. “It had such simple tailoring, with tiny princess details,” says Jerramy of the box pleats, delicate embroidery and buttons down the back. “It made me feel like Jackie Kennedy or Grace Kelly, exactly what I was aiming for.”

Jerramy & Michael - Finishing the Look

To her gorgeous gown, the bride added Cartier diamond earrings on loan from a friend, a small tiara by Ivory & Co, a 1950s-style veil (also by Pam Stretch)\r\nand a diamond pendant necklace from her godmother.

Jerramy & Michael - A Hint of Vintage

For her bridal bouquet, Jerramy carried pale pink garden roses wrapped in antique lace handmade by her great-grandmother.

Jerramy & Michael - If the Shoe Fits …

Cute satin peep-toes embellished with satin bows from L.K. Bennett were the perfect princess touch.

Jerramy & Michael - Reception Perfection

From the chapel, the wedding party boarded a riverboat bound for an elegant reception at Hampton Court Palace, the iconic former home of Henry VIII.

Jerramy & Michael - The Place to Be

“Michael and I have a passion for British history and great architecture, so once we discovered the palace allowed weddings, we immediately knew it was the venue for us,” Jerramy says.

Jerramy & Michael - Top Table

A sumptuous wedding breakfast of crab salad, tiger prawns, fillet of beef, roast potatoes, wild mushrooms and samphire was served on a regal, U-shaped banquet table laid with gold damask linen. \"Dining in The Great Hall was absolutely magical,\" recalls Jerramy. \"Words can\'t describe what it\'s like to feast by candlelight with your friends and family in a room where Henry VIII did the very same.\"

Jerramy & Michael - Flower Power

The couple decorated the banquet table with candelabra, tea lights and alternating vases of gold, pink and peach roses and white hydrangeas by florist Lavender Green.

Jerramy & Michael - DIY Goes Glam

“All the stationery was designed by us!” Jerramy says. Invitations were engraved on white, gold-edged cards sealed with gold wax, and matching place cards like this one were all hand-calligraphed by her father.

Jerramy & Michael - Save Me a Dance

Though Hampton Court Palace does not generally allow dancing, the couple received special permission to perform a first dance to God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. “Michael loves to surf and is a beach boy at heart, and the lyrics are exactly how we feel about each other,” Jerramy says. Guests gathered along the King’s Staircase to watch, Beauty and the Beast-style.

Jerramy & Michael - Happily Ever After

Afterwards, partygoers mingled and snacked on sweet canapés like tropical fruit skewers and fine chocolates until the evening drew to a close. “To finish the fairytale, we had to leave the palace by midnight,” says Jerramy. “Just like Cinderella!”

Photography by Polly Alexandre alexandreweddings.com