Real Weddings London: Verity and Joel’s lovely November wedding

After a spectacular proposal involving a decadent chocolate pudding this November wedding was always guaranteed to be show stopping. Our WED2B Real Weddings feature reveals more…

Verity and Joel met online through OkCupid and their first date was in Verity’s favourite park, Bois de la Cambre in Brussels. “Joel proposed after dinner in my apartment on the 20th April 2019,” she says. “He’s a patissier and chocolatier and he said he wanted to surprise me by making dessert. I had no idea he was going to propose, as he's very romantic and good at surprising me. He had a big chocolate sphere and poured melted caramel over it, so it opened up like a flower. Inside was a muffin (his nickname for me) with a ring on it! He then got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. Of course I said yes!”

Wedding dress featured: Maddie, in blush, by Viva Bride styled with the Santana jacket from Amixi

A nature-inspired dress

Verity visited WED2B in Central London with her mum, sister and sister-in-law. “We had a great time!” she says. “I tried on a few dresses but the one that stood out was the Maddie dress in blush. Joel loves to spend his free time in the forest and this dress had little lace fern leaves on it, which made me think of him. It was the deciding factor in getting this gorgeous dress! I also chose the Santana jacket and LouLou veil in cathedral length.”

Choosing a venue

“We looked at various wedding venues around Brussels, which is where I lived before we got married,” says Verity. “We chose to get married there, as Joel is from Luxembourg and we felt it was easier for all the guests to meet centrally in Brussels. One particular venue stood out, mainly because it was not only beautiful but their customer service was far better than anywhere else. They were so lovely and enthusiastic about everything and were happy to answer all our questions and give advice. We decided to have a 2nd November wedding, as that was the date the church, church hall and evening venue were all available for.”

The big day

The couple had a legal wedding in Luxembourg town hall at the end of October. “We’re committed Christians and felt that the church wedding day would be the real day,” says Verity. “For our November wedding we had a church ceremony at 1pm in my first church, near my childhood home outside of Brussels. My dad walked me down the aisle and then he proceeded to officiate the wedding, as he’s a pastor, so that was beautiful. After church we had tea in the church hall across the road. The cakes and sandwiches were prepared partly by me and partly by Joel’s family’s bakery, where he also works. We’re both passionate about baking, so we wanted to add those personal touches and everyone loved it! About 140 people came to the church and tea and then we had an evening reception elsewhere for close friends and family.”

Natural style

“Our theme was essentially forests and nature,” says Verity. “Joel spends a lot of time in the forest and I love nature and wanted to keep a natural, green feel throughout. So, we had lots of foliage and varying shades of purple, pink and white flowers. We also had candles and ivy in vases, little jars of flowers and some pine cones as decorations for the evening reception. For the church there were lots of flowers everywhere and then for the tea just a few paper garlands and flowers. My sister made sure the flowers didn't go to waste too. Lots of people took them home with them after the wedding, which was lovely.”

A show-stopping cake

Joel and his father made the wedding cake at their family bakery. It had three white tiers with a three-corded strand wound round the tiers (a reference from the Bible). It also featured handmade sugar flowers that were delicately spray-painted pink.

So many highlights…

“The most memorable moments from our November wedding were seeing friends and family friends that I haven't seen for a while, the fun evening games (a Luxembourgish tradition), our first dance (to ‘Everything’ by Michael Bublé), being married by my dad in church and so many other things,” says Verity. “The whole day was so special and memorable!”

My top tips…

“Make sure your guests have enough food throughout the day and give them a decent meal in the evening,” says Verity. “It meant there was lots of variety and no one went hungry. Buy some umbrellas in advance too, just in case! We’re so glad we did, even if thankfully the rain stopped just in time. Spend more on a decent photographer, it’s so worth it. Also, be realistic about what you can and can't do yourself and choose a wedding venue that prides itself on good customer service. Finally, get your dress from WED2B! Such an amazing range of stunning dresses that don't break the bank. Thank you WED2B!”

Verity's Dream Team 

Photography: Barbara Cox Photography

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