Photo: Holly Falconer1/17The morning of our wedding we went for a walk on our property in the Lake District, Cumbria, U.K. Our village, Patterdale, consists of a pub, a post office, and this red phone box. It's always raining and dewy, so we practically live in our Hunter boots.
Photo: Holly Falconer2/17In the early 20th century, the writer and illustrator Beatrix Potter used the
proceeds of her Peter Rabbit books to buy up most of the land in the area. It is now a national park thanks to her preservation efforts, and the only place we wanted to throw our wedding celebration.
Photo: Holly Falconer3/17Our finishing touches kit, pictured in one of our guest bedrooms with its original William Morris wallpaper. Benjamin's Longines gold watch (a
hand-me-down from his father) and family signet ring are pictured with the
double ring box from Tiffany & Co. (rose gold for Benjamin, yellow for Stuart)
and our fragrances. We wanted to feel fresh on the day and Blanche by
Byredo (Stuart) and Violetta by Penhaligon's (Benjamin) have that kind of clean, dewy, soapy smell we love.
Photo: Holly Falconer4/17Us before the big event, posing in front of our Arts and Crafts house, Daweswood, in our custom-made suits and navy Prada ties.
Photo: Holly Falconer5/17Our suits had labels with our names and the date sewn onto the inner pockets, so we'll get an additional kick every time we wear them from now
on. The wedding band is a 2mm style from Tiffany & Co. We went with slim, modern bands from the quintessential New York jeweler, since that is where we started our lives together.
Photo: Suzanne Kelsey6/17There were three interconnecting teepees: one for lounging,
one for dining, and one for dancing, each with a bonfire in the middle.
There was also a bonfire outside which people could sit around on hay bales.
Photo: Holly Falconer7/17We went for very classic text on the invitations and program/menu. The green ribbon on the Christmas cracker and edging on the Smythson invitations reflects our festive forest theme, and the berries and thistles would become our boutonnières.
Photo: Holly Falconer8/17Our floral arrangements, pictured here on the Persian carpets in our
chill-out tent, were all locally sourced by Thirzie Hull and Samina Raza. We went for a festive red-and-green color scheme using English and Scottish blooms of the season, and a wilder, forestlike feel.
Photo: Holly Falconer9/17We had the Christmas crackers handmade and decorated them with festive foliage. They contained miniature bottles of Scotch for guests to warm up with before dinner. Garlands of our floral arrangements ran across our tables, which felt cooler than centerpieces. All the names and table numbers were done by a calligrapher in a fairy tale-like script reflective of the setting.
Photo: Holly Falconer10/17The first thing we did when we got engaged was get a custom-made cake topper in the U.S. We kept it on our mantelpiece as a lucky talisman until the big day. We were very particular about the cake colors, providing
the baker with Pantone swatches. We went for an untraditional vanilla
sponge with buttercream icing, which took a few of our guests, who were
expecting the traditional fruitcake, by surprise.
Photo: Holly Falconer11/17This view through the tents runs from the dining area through the bar and lounge area. That box in the middle is an open fire pit, which made for a lovely hearth. Most of the lighting was provided by candles or
the fire.
Photo: Holly Falconer12/17We met at a party thrown for Suzy Menkes in Paris in 2008, when Stuart was showing his Loewe collectsions in Paris. Benjamin was assisting
and illustrating for Suzy at the International Herald Tribune at the time.
It meant the world to have her there, and she was duly thanked in every speech.
Photo: Holly Falconer13/17The food was a little late due to a rainstorm that cut off the electricity in the kitchen, so everyone has empty plates here. As a result, they're well on their way to getting rowdy in time for the speeches.
Photo: Holly Falconer14/17Our friends from high school gave rousing speeches that had our guests laughing throughout.
Photo: Holly Falconer15/17Rosanna, Benjamin's friend from Cambridge University and one of the few academics in attendance who shares his love for fashion. As there was no bride to upstage, the girls upped the glamour quotient, and Rosanna in her Matthew Williamson gown, dancing in the run-up to the New Year's countdown, is no exception.
Photo: Holly Falconer16/17Here we are laughing at the Best Woman speech, given by friend Hannah Gruy. She was talking about how Benjamin made her a dress out of gingerbread for a high school fashion show.
Photo: Holly Falconer17/17After we cut the cake, Neil Amin-Smith from Clean Bandit took to the turntables and DJed until the early hours.
