Love and the City

Cosmopolitan couple Martin and Mirembe found love at work and tied the knot with a stylish city wedding

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Early days…

When Mirembe Wells was interviewed for a job (which she didn't get!) she didn't know at the time that her interviewer, Martin Woodrow, would not only go on to become her head of department, but also her husband! They got to know one another after working on a major project and romance blossomed...
Martin says: “As I gradually got to know Mirembe, I began to realise what a special person she was.” For Mirembe, the clincher came over breakfast! -“Martin made me breakfast one day, presenting me with a plate of eggs and bacon in the shape of a smiley face...that was it! I’m a simple girl.”

The proposal…

One night in London, the pair made a late night dash for the tube, when Martin took a detour.“He was making me laugh so much that before I knew it we were in a lift in The Langham hotel," says Mirembe. "He said it was just a special treat so that we could do some Christmas shopping in style. He’d packed me some clothes for the weekend and showed me everything he had brought for me to wear. Then he said 'and there’s something else I’ve brought for you to wear' and pulled out the most beautiful engagement ring."

Hen and stag parties…

Twenty of Mirembe's friends joined her for a hen party in London where they celebrated at Chez Gerard on Dover Street. “The theme of the weekend was handbags and gladrags and I asked everyone to be glamorous and wear frocks and skyscraper heels" Mirembe says.The next day they headed for Bath, checking into the Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel for relaxing treatments, before hitting the town in feather boas for tapas and a Greek themed bar for dancing and plate smashing.

Stag Martin jetted off to Germany's hip capital with 24 friends. “Berlin's a great city,” Martin recalls. “We did a tour in self-drive Trabants (the old East German cars), which was entertaining, and spent the afternoon at the beach bar in the middle of the city." Like a true stag, Martin says "... what goes on tour stays there!"

The venues…

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich was the stunning spot chosen to exchange their vows. The awesome chapel, designed by Wren, made a beautiful setting for their ceremony. As man and wife, Martin and Mirembe took to the Thames with their guests, on a river cruise that took them towards their reception at the exclusive City restaurant - complete with roof garden and terraces - Coq d'Argent.

The attendants…

Martin and Mirembe put a modern twist on colour themes with the bridesmaids in blue and the groomsmen in pink! The girls in blue were Mirembe's school friends, Sarah and Helen and Martin's cousin, Christina, in Alfred Angelo strapless dresses. The flower girls were Mirembe's niece, Anna, and god-daughter, Ellie.
The men in pink were Martin's two best men Stephen (his brother) and Danny (a university friend) wearing pink John Francombe shirts with plain pink ties. Six ushers (a combination of UCL football team, friends and family) followed in dark blue suits.

The dress…

Like many modern brides, Mirembe didn't want anything "too big or over the top." Her slimline dress reflected the cosmopolitan style of their city wedding beautifully. Radiant in a strapless champagne crushed taffeta dress with a tulle overlay, the simple style was appliquéd with lace, Swarovski crystals and diamontes to add subtle sparkle.

The transport…

Mirembe arrived at her ceremony in a traditional London taxi. The entire wedding party later travelled up the River Thames by boat, towards their reception in Bank. “Once we got off the boat I really loved walking over London Bridge and through the city to the reception in my flip-flops," says Mirembe. "Tourists were stopping to take photos of us all!”

The decorative touches…

Mirembe and Martin's groomsmen wore fuschia pink and carried matching pink umbrellas which were used to guard against the unpredictable British summer and to signpost the guests walk through the city to the reception.
Inside, the couple swapped traditional favours for sticks of bright pink Bournemouth rock – a reference to Martin's hometown. Instead of a traditional wedding cake, the couple embraced Martin's love of cheese with a cheese cake made from tiers of Cornish Yarg, Cashel Blue, Gubbeen and goats cheeses and topped with pink and white sugar mice.
They maintained the simple and stylish décor of their chic reception spot, simply adding square glass vases filled with white freesia, pink spray roses and blue cornflowers as centrepieces.

The best bits…

Looking back, Mirembe says of the whole day: “I especially liked the boat ride and the walk through the City to the reception. It was really great fun. The disco in the evening was brilliant.The dance floor outside on the terrace at the Coq'D Argent was packed all night.”
And her tip for emotional brides? An understanding groom: “Martin was prepared for that with a stash of tissues in his suit!”

Top tips…

Unbelievably to some, the couple organised this amazing day, complete with 160 guests, in six months and say it's quite possible to organise a big event in a short period if you put your mind to it.

The honeymoon…

With all the excitement of their city wedding, the honeymoon had a lot to live up to. Mirembe and Martin ensured it did just that by jetting off around the world in 3 weeks, stopping in Singapore, Bali, Sydney, Fiji and Los Angeles. Mirembe said: “It was great to see so many places. Fiji was my favourite place, especially Navutu Stars which was absolutely beautiful.”

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