A grand house in the British countryside where we could throw an epic party.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We live in New York and split our time between the city in TriBeCa and upstate in Woodstock with our two Pomeranians, Miles and Biff. Nat is the founder of OSSA (ossanewyork.com), and Russ is the President of DICE (dice.fm). We love to host and throw parties, so that’s why we didn’t have a wedding planner. Nat loves to do crafts, and Russ loves to run.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Our first date was at Frenchette. Russ’s first impressions were that Nat was so beautiful that he forgot where he was.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
We both agreed it was our first date!
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).
We watched the movie Saltburn at Christmas and booked the venue a few weeks later. We wanted exactly what Wilderness Reserve provided: a grand house in the British countryside where we could throw an epic party. Originally, they were fully booked for 2 years, but then there was a cancellation on the summer solstice weekend, so we got lucky and booked it straight away.
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
Nat did an incredible job making merch for every part of the wedding; on Saturday in particular, there was tennis merch at the court, pool merch and archery merch while all those activities happened, and then a full merch stand late at night. Our guests are still wearing it months later.
We also had a great partner in Kim at Figa&Co who really brought to life Nat’s vision for vegetables-as-decor. Those moments, along with the entrances to the main house and tent, were stand-outs.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
Although we had lots of support from our suppliers, venue and friends, we did not have a wedding planner, so it was a real collaborative process putting the wedding together. I think the biggest thing was remembering to switch gears as soon as guests started to arrive and remember we were the guests of honour, not the hosts. Enjoy it!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
We asked everyone to wear Black, Cream or Green for the ceremony, so we did, too.Â
Nat used to work at Daniel Frankel and worked with her on her beautiful dress.
Russ got two custom suits from Bode, one Black and one Green. Both had personalised elements and were fitted at Bode’s Fine Tailoring space in the Lower East Side. The dress shirt was also customised with a martini glass, and the other shirt was made with vintage fabric.
We also had the custom senior cords for Saturday daytime pool party, etc., which were all hand-painted after interviews with the team at Bode.
What was one, or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
We held a wedding weekend for our guests; most had travelled from overseas. As we said, we love to host and throw a party so the first things were the venue, the food and the drinks.
Welcome Dinner
Nat and Russ hosted a welcome event the day before their wedding, giving guests the chance to unwind, mingle, and enjoy some fun together. We love that welcome dinners and pre-wedding events are becoming increasingly popular—they’re a fantastic way to celebrate, make the most of a destination location, and help guests get to know one another. It also allows the couple to spend more quality time with their nearest and dearest before the big day.
VENUE Wilderness Reserve, Suffolk, UK, @wildernessreserve PHOTOGRAPHER Emily Tyler, @emilytylerphoto FLORIST Kim Beedle – Figa & Co, @figaandco CELEBRANT Our friend, Shy Sayadi ENTERTAINMENT Wedding Morning Pool Party Choir – Pop Chorus, @ukpopchorus; DJ – Them Jeans, @themjeans; Sunday Recovery Murder Mystery – Paul Goldsmith at Twisted Reality Productions, @twistedrealityproductions HIRE Lettice Events, @letticeevents MARQUE Sail & Peg, @sailandpeg CATERING & CAKE Lettice Events, @letticeevents STATIONERY Lea Carey, @leancarey RINGS Mociun, @mociun BRIDAL DRESS Danielle Frankel, @daniellefrankelstudio BRIDE’S WEDDING DAY PRE-WEDDING OUTFIT Custom Painted Senior Cords Shorts & Jacket – Bode, @bode BRIDE EVENING WEDDING PARTY OUTFIT Custom Jacket – Bode, @bode BRIDE’S SHOE Chanel Bonin, @Chanel BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Pearl bouquet – Simone Rocha, @simonerocha_; Bangle – Bride’s Indian Grandmother; Emerald earrings, Long black hair bow, and necklace gift from the Bride’s mother HAIR Davide Barbieri, @davidebarbieri_ MAKEUP Barrie G, @barriegmakeup BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Ettene – Fueguia 1833, @fueguia1833 SUIT & SHIRT Custom Made – Bode, @bode GROOM’S WEDDING DAY PRE-WEDDING OUTFIT Custom Painted Senior Cords Shorts & Jacket – Bode, @bode GROOM’S WEDDING EVENING PARTY OUTFIT Custom Made Suit & Shirt – Bode, @bode GROOM’S SHOE Maison Margiela, @maisonmargiela GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Broach – Prada, @prada; Cross Tie – Bode, @bode; Vintage Ship Cufflinks GROOM’S FRAGRANCE Santal 33 – Le Labo, @lelabofragrances
