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Candlelight and velvet: a cosy autumn celebration

Mary Kate and William filled their day with chic seasonal touches

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Mary Kate & William: Autumnal delights
Mary Kate & William: Autumnal delights – “We decided to marry in autumn because that’s the time of year we met,” says Mary Kate. “The ambience of the season was our starting point.” Working from a colour palette of deep berry, russet and green-browns, the couple planned a laid-back celebration bursting with autumnal touches. “We wanted the day to be relaxed and intimate, without overwhelming formality.” Photography by Rik Pennington For more ideas, pick up a copy of our real wedding special issue, packed with gorgeous celebrations and inspirational mood boards. Out now!
Mary Kate & William: I do
Mary Kate & William: I do – The couple said their vows in Our Ladye Star of the Sea in Greenwich, South London; the service was conducted by a relative of Mary Kate. “We wanted to be able to walk to our reception venue from the church.”
Mary Kate & William: Vintage wheels
Mary Kate & William: Vintage wheels – “I originally planned to walk to the church, but William arranged an Nuffield Oxford taxi from London Taxi Wedding Services as a treat.”
Mary Kate & William: Grand glam
Mary Kate & William: Grand glam – Mary Kate and William ended up choosing not one but two reception venues. “We decided to have our champagne reception at Ranger’s House in Blackheath for a bit of grandeur.”
Mary Kate & William: Love parade
Mary Kate & William: Love parade – After the champagne reception, guests walked to wedding breakfast venue Davy’s Wine Vaults. “We all trooped down Greenwich Park with a jazz band leading the way. The best men gave out sparklers to everyone, which looked magical as they sputtered and flickered in the sunset.”
Mary Kate & William: All about ambience
Mary Kate & William: All about ambience – “We chose Davy’s Wine Vaults because we felt it would be an atmospheric and personal venue – it’s naturally cavernous and winding, and we were able to do our own decorations.”
Mary Kate & William: Mellow fruitfulness
Mary Kate & William: Mellow fruitfulness – “I wanted the flowers to be redolent of autumn and feasting, giving a feeling of cosiness and escaping the chill of the season. We had blush, russet and gold hues and plenty of leaves; our centrepieces were in jars I collected and then covered in moss.”
Mary Kate & William: Hunter gatherers
Mary Kate & William: Hunter gatherers – “We scoured Greenwich Park for chestnuts, leaves and fallen apples for decorations, and bought pumpkins from a local shop to add to the look.”
Mary Kate & William: Wild honey
Mary Kate & William: Wild honey – “My father woodturned 80 honey spoons for our favours; I attached luggage tags to them so they doubled as place cards.”
Mary Kate & William: Bird of paradise
Mary Kate & William: Bird of paradise – “We wanted to keep our stationery informal: we had hand-stamped luggage tags by Sunshine and Ravioli for Save the Dates, and used the same bird motif on our table numbers.”
Mary Kate & William: Foodie festivities
Mary Kate & William: Foodie festivities – Guests feasted on a warming menu of pumpkin soup, lamb shank and lemon posset. The Konditor & Cook cake was made up of three tiers: orange and cinnamon, chocolate and traditional fruit.
Mary Kate & William: Golden glow
Mary Kate & William: Golden glow – To keep the romantic, cosy ambience, the reception venue was lit solely by candles. “The party had a nice mix of people drinking wine in corners while others got giddy on the dancefloor. We left at 1am, and apparently the party went on without us for some time after that!”
Mary Kate & William: Bespoke beauty
Mary Kate & William: Bespoke beauty – Mary Kate teamed up with costume designer and couturier Martina Trottman to create the dress she’d imagined for the day. “We began with the material and my (very bad!) initial sketches and progressed from there,” says Mary Kate of her delicate silk and lace creation. “I wore a velvet Thirties opera coat for the walk through Greenwich Park.” William also went bespoke, in a tweed suit from Bookster.
Mary Kate & William: Velvet and pearls
Mary Kate & William: Velvet and pearls – “I wore VV Rouleaux velvet flowers in my hair and a trusted pair of pearl earrings – my ‘something old’!”
Mary Kate & William: Seasonal blooms
Mary Kate & William: Seasonal blooms – “My bridesmaids wore House of Fraser velvet dresses, and Martina made shawls for them out of lengths of tweed from William’s wedding suit. Our bouquets had a soft, romantic feel and were made up of roses, autumn leaves and berries.”
Mary Kate & William: Happy ever after
Mary Kate & William: Happy ever after – “I was very happy with the way our wedding looked, especially because it was accessorised with so many lovely familiar faces – that part you can never picture in advance.” Photography by Rik Pennington For more ideas, pick up a copy of our real wedding special issue, packed with gorgeous celebrations and inspirational mood boards. Out now!
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