We kept the colour scheme simple, with a classic combination of white, navy, and yellow.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, and what you love.
James and Rachel both live in London with their three cats. Rachel works in operations for a reformer Pilates gym and also owns her own fine jewellery company, Rachel Muscat London. James is a finance director. We love travelling to new countries and exploring different cuisines. As big foodies, we often find ourselves dining out when we should probably be at home!
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met on Hinge in 2018. After some serious effort on James’s part, we went on our first date in Brixton, London, and the rest was history. We spent every weekend together after that, eventually moving in together after just three months. My first impression of James was that he was very cute, and I loved his northern English accent. James’s first impression of Rachel was that she had great taste and was fun to be around.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
I think we both realised we were in it for the long haul after we got our first cat. You don’t bring an animal into your life, one that can live for 20 years, unless you’re committed. We also went through lockdown together, and after making it through that, we knew we could handle anything.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes, etc.)
We had three words to describe our wedding: fun, food, and champagne. We wanted a black-tie wedding, but that ended up being a constant source of entertainment for our guests. We kept the colour scheme simple, with a classic combination of white, navy, and yellow (lemons and touches of blue in the crockery). We rented a beautiful English country house with magnificent gardens, so we felt no need to fill the venue with flowers. We wanted the venue itself to be the focal point.
What styling and visual elements worked best for you?
We absolutely loved the venue—it didn’t need much added to it. The venue is surrounded by a moat and features a typical English countryside garden. There was a bar already provided, but we wanted to be outside as much as possible. So, we held the ceremony in the gardens and hired a marquee for the wedding breakfast. The marquee was styled simply with dripping greenery and beautiful table arrangements that our wedding planner provided as part of her styling service.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
I enjoyed adding personal touches, like hand-embroidering every napkin with the initials of our guests, so they could take home a personalised keepsake. We also had a banner with prints of our three cats hanging at the front of the house, so everyone saw it as they arrived. We loved finding new ways to celebrate ourselves and share these moments with our loved ones.
Tell us about your main outfits. What was unique, and is there a story behind them?
James wore a beautiful velvet black-tie jacket paired with Burberry black-tie trousers. Rachel wanted a very classic gown, rather than a traditional wedding dress, so she removed the train and opted for a Hollywood-style dress. She paired it with simple shoes and a bouquet of plain white peonies. Rachel and James both wore wedding rings that they designed themselves through Rachel’s jewellery business. Later in the evening, Rachel changed into a sparkly, shorter dress to dance and wore Miu Miu ballet flats.
What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on?
I was really glad that James shared my vision of how important a good photographer is. I had followed Natalie for years before we got engaged and saw her work at a wedding we attended in Portugal. We were thrilled she was available on our date, and we couldn’t have asked for better photos. We also agreed that food was the most important thing on the day. People often don’t prioritise it enough, but we wanted everyone to be full and happy. That’s why we had canapés on arrival, so no one would be hungry during the ceremony, and a family-style dinner where guests could choose how much or little they wanted to eat. We also selected all of our favourite foods, and the caterer was fantastic.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Honestly, no, everything went exactly as we wanted it to. Having Amanda, our wedding planner and coordinator, there meant that any stress was taken care of behind the scenes. The morning after the wedding, we both looked at each other, high-fived, and were just so happy with how everything turned out.
BRIDE Rachel, @rachelgagie GROOM James, @muscat__ VENUE Crows Hall, @crows_hall PHOTOGRAPHER Natalie Pluck, @natalie_pluck VIDEOGRAPHER Claudia of Afashionante Films, @afashionantefilms STYLIST Amanda Whiston, @amandawhiston_weddings FLORIST Basil and Pip, @flowersbybasilandpip CELEBRANT Bride’s brother, Tim Gagie ENTERTAINMENT String Quartet – 117 Delicato Strings; Singer/DJ – The Music Guy, @themusicguyuk HIRE Amanda Whiston, @amandawhiston_weddings MARQUE Miller Marques, @millermarquees CATERING JP’s Kitchen, @jpskitchen.co.uk STATIONERY Printed by the bride SIGNAGE Tyne and Thistle ENGAGEMENT RING Rachel Boston, @rachelbostonjewellery WEDDING RINGS Designed by the Bride, Rachel Muscat London, @rachelmuscatlondon BRIDE’S DRESS Katherine Tash, @katherinetash BRIDE’S SHOES Manolo Blahnik, @manoloblahnik MAKEUP Niomi Stromberg, @niomistrombergmakeup HAIR Hollie Parsons, @byhollieparsonsbridal BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Miller Harris, @millerharris BRIDE’S RECEPTION DRESS Trish Peng, @trishpeng BRIDE’S RECEPTION SHOES Ballet Pumps – Miu Miu, @miumiu SUIT Carlilse Smoking Jacket – Oliver Brown, @shopoliverbrown GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Black Tie – Burberry, @burberry BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Pretty Lavish, @prettylavishuk
