A Classic Wedding in London with an All-White Color Palette

These days, it's almost impossible to find someone who isn't on social media, but in this couple's case, that was how it all began. In November 2011, Juliette and Nick were set up by a mutual friend who had to send each of them a picture of the other because Nick wasn't online. Despite the fact that Juliette couldn't look her blind date up beforehand, the couple met at a bar in the Notting Hill neighborhood of London, England, and had dinner after. The date went well and just under three years later, while on holiday in Santorini, Greece, Nick popped the question.

Prior to their vacation, one morning over a breakfast of their daily Marmite on toast, Nick had asked Juliette's father for her hand in marriage. "My father is quite excitable, so I'm surprised he managed to keep it a secret for a few days!" the bride says. On their second night of the trip, after a romantic dinner at a restaurant in a quiet bay by the sea, Nick led Juliette back to a different room in their hotel. While in their own private courtyard, he got down on one knee and proposed with a rose gold band. "I knew she'd be very particular about the ring, so I told her she could choose her own," he explains. The couple celebrated in their suite, which was covered in white rose petals, enveloped by candlelight.

On June 7, 2015, Juliette and Nick were married in front of around 200 guests at the New West End Synagogue, the same place where the bride's maternal grandparents had also said their "I dos". Mixing modern and traditional styles, Juliette channeled her love for all things monochrome with a mainly white theme, accented with gray and gold. For the reception, the couple chose Claridge's for its timeless elegance and old world charm—a perfect fit for their chic, classically British celebration.

As a stationery designer herself, the bride was especially excited about designing her own suite. Going along with the wedding's clean, minimalist aesthetic, Juliette chose a dove gray, gold, and charcoal color scheme for her paper goods. On the front of the textured linen paper, she had the couple's name done in a huge foiled pale gold script. On the other side, copy was done in a simple dark gray and gray cord tied the invitation to the RSVP postcard.   

Juliette got ready in her childhood home, where she'd slept the night before as well. "Everyday I wear a ponytail and couldn't change a habit of a lifetime for a wedding," she says of her hairdo. "Violetta at Michael Van Clarke gave me the best ponytail I've ever had and it didn't move all night!" 

When it came to looking for her wedding gown, Juliette knew she wanted a dress with sleeves, something she was worried would be hard to find. Surprisingly enough, her dress of choice was the first one she tried on at Brown's Bride. The Mira Zwillinger number boasted a detailed overlay of scattered petals with tiny pearls sewn onto them and a delicate belt. The bride teamed her classic gown with a Brown's Bride's veil, Jimmy Choo shoes, diamond studs gifted to her by her parents, and her Grandma Juliette's antique 1920s diamond watch. Her look was finished off with a delicate bouquet of white roses, ranunculus, lisianthus, and lily of the valley.

For her bridesmaids, she decided to be a little unconventional. "I chose white as it just felt right and I loved the fact that they both looked so fresh, clean, and modern next to my own white dress," she explains of their Camilla and Marc gowns.

Juliette took her niece, Gracie, for a girls' day out where they tried on dresses at Nicki MacFarlane. The bride and the flower girl both loved the same white silk-and-tulle dress and on the day of the wedding, Gracie had a great time twirling in it, with tiny white flowers clipped into her hair.

Choosing the ring bearers' outfits was straightforward—the boys wanted to wear the same thing as their uncle Nick! Accordingly, Freddie and Bobby were decked out in their John Lewis suits and looked like dapper miniature versions of the groom.

The blushing bride posed for photographs with her parents at their family home. "My mum and I are very close and she just told me to enjoy every single moment as it all goes past so quickly," Juliette says of her mother's wedding advice.

Juliette made sure to incorporate her favorite car, her father's pale gray 1950s Jaguar into her special day. Their florist, McQueens adhered a bevvy of white blooms to the back of the car and on the morning of the wedding, Juliette, her father, and her brother tied the car with white ribbons.

Despite the father of the bride worrying that the veil and dress wouldn't fit into the vintage vehicle, Juliette had no trouble getting in, and the drive to the synagogue with him acted as a sort of sentimental "ride" of passage. "I will never forget that journey, which although was the most important car journey of my life, felt as if it was just any other drive with my dad," she explains.

Juliette's father walked her down the aisle to her favorite, traditional Jewish song sang by the chazan. Her father also read a special prayer under the chuppah. While most grooms anxiously await the first glimpse of their bride walking towards them, Nick had a special, different take on the occasion. "I didn't look until Juliette arrived down the aisle as I wanted to look forward to our future rather than backwards. When she stood by my side, I realized how lucky I was!" the groom explains.

"There was one moment under the chuppah when everyone started clapping to the rabbi singing and I remember looking around, seeing everyone smiling and humming—I'd never seen that at a wedding before!" Juliette says of her favorite part of the ceremony. Another memorable moment—when the newlyweds came out of the synagogue and were showered with white rose petals by family and friends.

The reception took place in Claridge's 1930s ballroom. Guests were chauffeured over to the venue in two classic red London busses and were greeted by live jazz music, courtesy of a pianist and saxophonist, setting the night's old world charm feel. The couple used long tables as they wanted the reception to feel more like a dinner party—"You can talk to more people and we loved the look of everything being lined down the middle," the bride says.

The centerpieces were kept classic and simple with small bunches of her favorite flowers—hydrangeas, spray roses, lily of the valley, white lilacs, peonies, and lisianthus—lined down the middle of the table in metallic and clear vases. To play off the dream-like ambience (and a subtle throwback to their engagement night), candles on clear candlesticks added warmth to the arrangement.

To compliment the hotel's gold-edged china, Juliette created an elongated foldout menu that doubled as guests' name places, with their names written in large script calligraphy.

The couple's first dance was extra memorable; thanks to one of Nick's best friends, Gary Go who sang a stripped-down version of his hit track with Benny Benassi, "Cinema". More dancing ensued after with the band playing the hora. "It's amazing how excited everyone gets and the boys just jump around," Juliette recalls. "I kept looking over to see Nick flying through the room, nearly hitting the chandeliers!"

Peggy Porschen created the couple's cake, a three-tiered confection of vanilla and chocolate sponge, finished with a lily of the valley edge. Their florist also decorated the cake stand with loose peonies, tying in the wedding's elegant theme.

Juliette and Nick invited some extra friends along to the speeches, dessert, and dancing and made sure to provide ample sweet treats. Claridge's did just that with a chic silver dessert cart, filled with miniature desserts.

The couple gifted guests a slice of their wedding cake, packed in Claridge's boxes as a sweet take-home treat.

Lending to the night's old Hollywood feel, once the dancing kicked off, Juliette and Nick also had a vintage-themed open photo booth set up in the reception room, complete with a white picket fence and an old camera. Guests had a fun time posing with props and the photos were compiled in the couple's guestbook. 

Photography, Polly Alexandre

Location, Claridge's

Event planning, Sasha Taylor at Claridge's  

Flowers, McQueens  

Stationery, Paper Shop  

Cake, Peggy Porschen

Music, ALR Music; Gary Go  

Rentals, Photo Emporium

Bride's gown, Mira Zwillinger from Brown's Bride

Bride's accessories, Brown's Bride veil; Jimmy Choo shoes

Hair, Michael Van Clarke

Makeup, Ruby Hammer

Bridesmaids' dresses, Camilla and Marc

Flower Girl's dress, Nicki MacFarlane

Groom's suit, Ralph Lauren

Groom's shoes, Crockett & Jones

Transportation, This Bus