Sarah + Brendon by Maja Tsolo - Together Journal

My mom reminded me recently that when she and my dad visited Shanghai in the early days, a group of us were walking home from lunch, and as Sarah crossed the street, I told them, “if I were going to get married, I’d marry her”.

Sarah- I grew up in England and have lived and worked in Shanghai and New York.After a decade-long career in fashion talent management and photography production, I took a break over Covid and just returned from a 12-week course at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland, which I’d dreamt of going to for years. I’m now working on moving into food somehow.

Brendon- I grew up in Chicago before moving to Seattle. Like Sarah, I have a passion for travel and exploring. We met in 2010 when we were both living in Shanghai, at a mutual friend’s party. We became fast friends and stayed in touch for several years.

Our first official date was at a wedding where Sarah met nearly my entire family. We started dating long distance. Sarah- I think we both knew early on that we had a special connection. Brendon is the kindest and most supportive person I know. It’s often said that you should marry your best friend, so that’s what we did!

Brendon- My mom reminded me recently that when she and my dad visited Shanghai in the early days, a group of us were walking home from lunch, and as Sarah crossed the street, I told them, “if I were going to get married, I’d marry her”. Sarah- After claiming he would never propose on a holiday, Brendon proposed on a trip to Stockholm, as we walked along the water’s edge on Skeppsholmen. He’d planned on it snowing, but it rained. It was still wonderful.

We organised our London wedding in about five weeks after letting go of the idea of having it lakeside at Brendon’s family home in Seattle due to Covid travel restrictions. I wanted it to be chic but relaxed and fun, with a few considered details. We love KOL in Marylebone which showcases local British ingredients in Mexican dishes, so when the chef’s table became available, we locked it in.

We picked a small and beautiful wood-panelled room at the Old Marylebone Town Hall for the ceremony, and surprised our guests with a New Orleans-style brass band as we walked out afterwards. After photos, we hopped on a vintage open-top bus with the band and some champagne to take in a scenic tour of the city as the sun set and lights came on. Strangers danced and waved from the pavements, office buildings and construction sites. It was so much fun!

I didn’t want to wear anything that felt too typically bridal. I settled on a delicate slip and gown by New York designer Kamperett, and a vintage fur cape that had belonged to Brendon’s grandmother. I went with JimmyChoo for my shoes—not in white, so that I could wear them again. For the evening, I changed into Lucchese cowboy boots I got in Nashville on our first date.