Elle + James by Elena Popa

More like having all our favourite people over for a really beautiful dinner

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

Ellen is from Brisbane, Australia, and moved to London in search of a change of scenery, a little adventure and the chance to travel around Europe. James grew up in the Surrey Hills and moved to London for work. We both work in luxury property and share a love of travel, good food and beautiful places. Most of all, we love spending time with our family in Mallorca or Australia and friends hosting barbeques at our house in South West London – James is a keen chef, and Ellen loves to eat!

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We met in May 2018 at the iconic Centre Point in London, on the day James joined the company Ellen was working for. James’s first impression was that Ellen was beautiful and elegant, but also goofy, thoughtful and never afraid to speak her mind. Ellen thought James was incredibly charming – a little bit like James Bond – relentlessly optimistic and very funny.

Our relationship grew slowly over the following months. We were colleagues first, and then became very close friends. One evening, after a few drinks at The Three Greyhounds in Soho, a kiss changed the dynamic between us – and we’ve been together ever since. Within the month, Ellen had met James’s parents, and we were officially a couple. We got engaged in New York in November 2023.

Eight years later, almost to the day of meeting, we found ourselves back at Centre Point and The Three Greyhounds, this time taking photographs on our wedding day. It felt incredibly special to have those places that were part of the beginning of our story become part of the day we got married.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you?

James chose No. Fifty Cheyne for the food. We wanted the wedding to feel less like a traditional wedding and more like having all our favourite people over for a really beautiful dinner – just with champagne, flowers and a little more dressing up.

The venue overlooks Albert Bridge and the River Thames and already has so much character, colour and personality. Ellen wanted to soften and elevate it rather than transform it completely, so we carried a palette of ivory and white through the tables and flowers.

Just weeks before the wedding, Ellen made the satin table runners herself and paired them with hurricane candles and simple single-stem vases, leaving plenty of room for the sharing platters. We knew the incredibly talented Charlotte D’Arcy would create something beautiful, and she brought the most elegant ivory and white arrangements into the space.

We also dressed the bar with buckets of Ruinart Champagne tied with ‘The Hislops’ on ivory ribbons. Ellen’s friend Phoebe supervised the install of the styling on the day, and we are so grateful she was there!

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

Our planning journey was certainly not the conventional one. Other than our date and photographer, which we booked in advance, almost everything was planned and brought together in less than eight weeks!

It’s very easy to become overwhelmed by all the choices, checklists, opinions and expectations that come with planning a wedding. Our biggest piece of advice would be to forget everyone else’s checklist and instead start with the things that genuinely matter to you as a couple.

For us, that meant creating a day that felt relaxed and full of love, where we could really be present with each other and our favourite people. The little moments together, our vows and speeches, incredible food and making sure everyone felt relaxed and looked after were what mattered most to us.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

Our photographer was probably the most important vendor to us. We knew the day would disappear in a heartbeat and, afterwards, the photographs would be what allowed us to return to all those moments and feelings. We feel incredibly lucky that we trusted Elena with our day.

We really wanted mostly candid photographs that captured the moments as they happened, rather than anything feeling too posed. Elena was so professional, warm and fun, and somehow managed to make even James – who normally hates having his photograph taken – feel completely at ease.

Elena also seemed to be everywhere at once, capturing little moments that neither of us even saw, while somehow always being close by to reassure us. She even stepped in with other vendors when things started to veer off course, which we appreciated more than she probably realised!

A few days later, while we were on our mini-honeymoon in Puglia, the photo preview arrived. Sitting together over cocktails and reliving the wedding through the photographs was such a special moment. Elena also used a beautiful mix of digital and film, and we especially love the film photographs. There is something so nostalgic and precious about knowing that moment has been captured on film forever.

Our florist, Charlotte D’Arcy, was another dream vendor. Ellen’s brief was simple – ivory and white flowers – and Charlotte immediately understood the feeling we were trying to create. She designed the most elegant arrangements in beautiful silver urns for the centre of the room and the bar, with delicate single stems above the fireplace behind us and on the tables. We heard compliments about the flowers all night, and they were exactly what we had hoped for.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

Vanessa is one of the most incredibly talented and wonderful women we know, and Ellen has known her for most of her life, so there could have been no better person to create her wedding ceremony outfit.

Ellen wanted something that felt like the perfect London Town Hall look: a structured bodice, lace skirt and silk tie-front blazer. The outfit was designed with the idea that each piece could be worn separately and enjoyed again after the wedding, which made it feel even more distinctive.

For the black-tie reception dinner, Ellen kept the Australian designer theme going and changed into a slinky Shona Joy dress. It felt like a completely different look for the evening and was perfect for dinner, dancing and a little more champagne.

Ellen wanted James to look like James Bond – so black tie was the theme for everyone for the whole day.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

Ellen’s original engagement ring was designed by James and made by Elegance Jewellers in Hatton Garden. It features an emerald-cut mined diamond with tapered baguettes and is a piece that feels incredibly personal to us. The ring was later reset to sit perfectly alongside Ellen’s wedding band, a beautiful band of baguette diamonds made by Cara Jewellers in Dubai.

James also surprised Ellen with a stunning diamond tennis bracelet on the morning of the wedding, which was such an unexpected and incredibly precious gift. A big thanks to James’s sister Antonia, a fellow magpie for shiny things, who helped choose the bracelet.

What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on?

As photography was one of the most important elements to us, we were very happy to spend a decent portion of our budget on it. The photos bring you so much joy for years to come; they really are irreplaceable! We also wanted to serve amazing food and great champagne – once we had those three elements, we worked backward with the budget on the rest of the list.

But ultimately, the most important thing for both of us was simply being surrounded by our family and closest friends and having everyone we love together in one room. That, to us, is priceless.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

So many of our favourite moments were the ones that came completely from the heart. Saying our vows and hearing all the speeches were incredibly meaningful, but we also loved the quiet time in between – just the two of us, in our old London white cab, visiting the places around London that had been part of our story was really fun.

We also really enjoyed getting ready together in the hotel in the morning. It’s quite unconventional but definitely helped to quell the nerves. Ellen’s sister, Claire, was there (all the way from Australia) to help Ellen get into her dress, and we called Ellen’s father from the hotel.

Looking back, it’s those little moments together that we treasure most. The day is full of so much happening around you, but every now and then there is a quiet moment when you look at each other and realise, we’re actually married. Those are the moments we’ll remember forever.

What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?

For us, being married means choosing each other and building a life that feels like a partnership. It’s having someone who is your person to celebrate the good things with and rely on when life isn’t so easy. We think it also means continuing to choose each other as you both change and grow, whilst allowing each other to be individuals. We certainly hope to continue our Friday night debrief, by the fireplace in winter or in the garden in summer, with a red wine.