Moments before she leaves, Henrietta adorns herself with a collection of borrowed and collected jewelry. Around her neck is a Tiffany cross that belonged to her mother. On her hand are several individual and unique gemstone rings, including her grandmother’s engagement ring, an aquamarine ring, and a pink coral ring her grandmother bought in Jamaica in the 1930 years. She also pinned a mini pearl and enamel half-moon brooch to the dress. “I’ve always loved jewelry, so I have a lot,” says Henrietta.
Henrietta’s brother drove her and her father to church in a silver Rolls Royce – a tribute to her family’s illustrious former owner. Her six flower girls, three bridesmaids (all in custom Rixo gowns) and the couple’s five-month-old son Wolf were all waiting at the door. “That moment felt really real and I knew the people I loved the most in the world were in there,” she said. When she walked into the church, the first person to meet her was Ronan, who was wearing a Thom Sweeney tailored suit, Gucci loafers and pink socks. “I thought I was going to cry, but I just couldn’t stop laughing,” she said.
After their vows, Ronan and Henrietta carried Wolfe down the aisle arm in arm as the bell rang. Guests bathed the newlyweds with confetti before they hopped into a vintage white Rolls-Royce Esplanade for a spin on winding country roads. in the rear window? A “Just Married” sign – hand-painted by her young bridesmaids.
The reception is an informal but classic English garden party at the blue panel Rix house. Henrietta’s mother worked on flowers, hedges and landscaping the year before the wedding, and decorated the grounds with urns from antique markets across the UK. Wheelbarrows are filled with cold beers, and waiters serve up rare beef and Cornish crab doughnut snacks for trendy catering company Social Pantry.
The dining table is named after the Rix family pet, both revered (their English spaniel Cooper) and fearful (Malcolm, “our not-so-friendly goose”) . Like many of her other stationery, Henrietta painted watercolor location cards with her mother.
This couple has no color scheme or theme. “These tables are an eclectic mix of decor and detailing that is real to me and Ronan. We have mismatched tapestries and crochet tablecloths, weird OXO green and brown glass vases filled with English wild meadows Flowers, large golden candlesticks, shells with salt and pepper flakes, colourful crystal vessels,” explains Henrietta. “The rest is the backdrop to the walled garden.” Guests enjoyed grilled tuna and sirloin steak for dinner, and shell tiramisu, rhubarb tarts and puff tarts for dessert. The wedding cake is a red three-tiered heart-shaped dessert made by Pink Cooker with a unique retro feel.
After the speech “made everyone cry,” Henrietta said, it was time to party. A DJ spins a disco set to encourage everyone to hit the dance floor. The Moscow Mule’s Bronze Cup has enough courage for even the most timid of attendees to get there. Henrietta changed into a pale blue Alexandra Ricci gown, which she found at a thrift store two weeks before her wedding. “I was worried it wasn’t white, but it was my blue,” she said. “I altered it a bit to fit me perfectly and put on a pair of vintage glass earrings.”
The pinnacle of the night? A dazzling fireworks display reminiscent of the couple’s engagement night. “It sounds cliché, but it really was the best day of my life. I remember looking around the dance floor and seeing my four siblings and their partners, my parents, all my closest childhood friends, I am very happy,” Henrietta said. “It feels like a big family gathering for all ages.”
