Kelsey Styles Her Dream London Wedding
Love is like gravity: an attractive force, proportional to distance. After a chance meeting in London— and one bacchanalian week in Ibiza later— Kelsey found herself dating her dream Englishman.
It was a love-affair separated by a mere 8,000 kilometres. Fate, in the guise of the pandemic, threw them together (“he said get on a plane tonight or I’ll never see you again”): so she boarded the last flight from LA to London before UK borders closed in March 2020. Kelsey says the moment she jumped into his arms at the airport, they both knew they never wanted to be apart again.
But they had never lived together before, let alone had a stable domestic routine; would the magic rub off? It turned out they, like gravity, got stronger the closer they were. Lockdown was heaven: he made deals on Zoom, she made cocktails in lingerie.
When Brits were released back into the wild after lockdown, he popped the question in Claridge’s. That set the scene for their wedding: it had to be Mayfair. The ceremony was in the spectacular Farm Street Church with the reception held just yards away at the sumptuous Connaught Hotel.
While working on looks for Paris Hilton’s wedding at Albright Fashion Library LA, stylist Neda Rouhani introduced Kelsey to the wonderful team at Vera Wang in Beverly Hills. Kelsey chose The Octavia (Spring 2015). This strapless, dropped waist, soft ball gown, with a hand-gathered bodice, sweetheart neckline and ruched tulle voluminous skirt hit all the right notes. The bride’s entrance was as dramatic as her dress: she paused outside with her father for a suspenseful minute as Hubert Parry’s rousing “I Was Glad” filled Farm Street Church. She processed up the aisle in the words of the groom’s mother, “like Venus”.
FOR HER BRIDAL LOOK, KELSEY DREW INSPIRATION FROM VICTORIA BECKHAM’S WEDDING DRESS SILHOUETTE, GRACE KELLY’S BODICE IN TO CATCH A THIEF (1955), AND FINALLY THE SHEERNESS OF THEIRRY MUGLER’S BRIDAL LOOK WORN BY LAURENCE PELLAGOT (FALL 1999). SHE KNEW EXACTLY WHICH DESIGNER COULD DELIVER: VERA WANG.
BROOKLYN-BASED DESIGNER LAUREN HOLOVKA OF LE LAURIER FIRST DISCOVERED KELSEY WHILE WATCHING NETFLIX’S HIT SHOW SELLING SUNSET, WHERE SHE WAS STYLING MARY AND CHRISHELL AT ALBRIGHT LA.
DRAWN TO HER EYE FOR DETAIL AND PRESENCE IN THE FASHION SPACE— LAUREN REACHED OUT AND WHAT FOLLOWED WAS A COLLABORATION ROOTED IN MUTUAL ADMIRATION.
TOGETHER, THEY CREATED KELSEY’S CUSTOM DRESS BEFORE THE DRESS: A 1930S-INSPIRED BOUDOIR ROBE, BACKLESS AND ROMANTIC, CRAFTED IN FRENCH LACE WITH HAND-SEWN BEADING AND FEATHER TRIM. A COLLABORATIVE DESIGN PROCESS OF MOOD BOARDS AND VIRTUAL FITTINGS BROUGHT THE VISION TO LIFE.
THE STORY EXTENDED BEYOND THE BRIDE— MATCHING BLUSH SILK PYJAMAS WERE DESIGNED FOR HER MOTHER AND SISTER, WEAVING THE MOMENT INTO SOMETHING THEY COULD ALL SHARE WHILE GETTING READY TOGETHER.
POUR LE MOMENT, AVANT LA ROBE.
FOR THE REHEARSAL DINNER AT CLARIDGE'S THE BRIDE WANTED TO GO IN A DIFFERENT, GLAMOROUS DIRECTION. DANIELLE FRANKEL GOT IT RIGHT, AS USUAL. CUT FROM GLOSSY SILK-CHARMEUSE, THE “SASHA” IS A SLINKY, PEARLY WHITE NUMBER THAT PAIRED PERFECTLY WITH A SHARON STONE UP-DO TO SHOW OFF THE DRAPED COWL NECKLINE AND OPEN BACK.
HAIR STYLIST PHILLIPPE THOMILIET USED PEARL CLIPS DIAGONALLY TRACING THE TOUSLED UP-DO TO MIRROR THE BUTTONS ON THE GROSGRAIN EDGING OF THE DRESS.
KELSEY HAD A VISION FOR HER WEDDING: HER PERSONAL TOUCH RAN THROUGH EVERYTHING.
A MAYFAIR LOVE AFFAIR: HER HAND-DRAWN COVER ART TRACES THE PLACE WHERE IT ALL BEGAN— AND WHERE THE CELEBRATION UNFOLDED.
KELSEY TRANSLATED HER ILLUSTRATIONS INTO BESPOKE FOULARDS, PRODUCED BY THE LEGENDARY SILK HOUSE OF MANTERO IN LAKE COMO, AS GIFTS FOR EACH GUEST.
INSTEAD OF THE USUAL FORMALITY, KELSEY WANTED EACH GUEST TO FEEL SOMETHING REAL.
EVERY INVITATION INCLUDED A HAND-ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET SHE CREATED HERSELF— FILLED WITH LOVE STORIES, SKETCHES, AND PERSONAL TOUCHES THAT SET THE TONE FOR THE CELEBRATION AHEAD.
Throughout the weekend, the bride dripped in sustainably produced diamonds by Vrai, made with recycled gold, created in their zero-emission foundry.
Fashion powerhouse Jack Eustace attended all the dress fittings to ensure everything was perfect. As the Creative Director of Glamhive (just one of the many hats he wears), he had invited Kelsey to host a live panel in London where she was introduced to makeup artist Tania Grier. On the big day Kelsey’s dream team was completed by the addition of celebrity stylist Zadrian Smith.
Kelsey had been designing suits for Richard since they met, and the wedding was no exception. For the rehearsal, she created a made-to-measure double breasted light-grey wool suit, paired with a sky-blue shirt and light-grey knit tie, inspired by Gianni Agnelli. For the wedding day, Richard wore custom Tom Ford made of black organza reverse twill, a fabric selected by Kelsey with the help of her friends on Tom Ford’s design team.
Kelsey also helped style many of her guests in luxury looks from Albright Fashion Library’s impressive archive in LA. “Not only is it sustainable, working with Albright for my own wedding allowed our guests who were not in a position to buy a whole new look to feel special, a ‘princess for a day’ kind of thing,” says the bride. Irene Albright herself was in attendance, looking radiant in vintage Dolce & Gabbana, watching her company’s youngest ever director walk up the aisle.
The guests grooved all night in the Mayfair Room at the Connaught to the sounds of the San Francisco based DJ, Shane One. The fashion and emotion were captured by LA-based photographer Collin Stark, who had shot the bride from the start of her modelling career. Flowers were arranged by Warren Bushaway of London Event Florist, who filled the ballroom with masses of freshly cut hydrangeas, white David Austin roses, delphinium, orchids and olive trees.
Five years after that wild whirlwind week in Ibiza, Kelsey and Richard proved that love, like gravity, is a mysterious force that can work over even the longest distances, but becomes stronger the closer you are.
“Happily ever after? With you, yes please.”
— Kelsey
