This Bride Wore a Romantic, Cottagecore-Style Dress for Her Cool East London Wedding
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"I grew up watching plenty of rom coms like Serendipity, Before Sunrise, The Holiday and Notting Hill—basically the whole '90s catalogue—and always dreamt of meeting someone organically in a supermarket or on the street and falling in love. Well, our story couldn’t be further from that," says Felina Caddick-Tan.
"In 2019, I moved to London after being offered a transfer opportunity with my previous agency. Having spent nearly three years in Hong Kong, I was ready for a change of scenery. Early 2020 rolled around, and I had just got out of a three-year relationship. I re-downloaded the dating apps I had previously deleted. I'm a bit of a dating app veteran, having first tried Tinder in 2014.
"Dating apps can be hit or miss, but I’m chuffed to share that it worked for me and Billy. So thank you, Hinge—you live up to your brand promise; you are truly designed to be deleted. I went on a few failed dates before meeting Billy, so my expectations were low when we agreed on a date."
"When we first matched on Hinge and began texting, I was enjoying a long weekend in October with Andrea, one of my closest friends and bridesmaids. We were at Birch, a beautiful lifestyle space in Cheshunt that’s now sadly closed. I briefly mentioned to her that I was going on yet another date, but little did I know he was The One. We met at the peak of lockdown when Eat Out to Help Out was the highlight of allowed outdoor activities, apart from exercise.
"We met for a drink at The Goods Office in Finsbury Park and we’ve been inseparable since. Billy practically moved in with me in November 2020 when I decided to rent my flat in buzzy Dalston. We got our first dog, Reggie, in January 2021, which tested our relationship like nothing else. Some might wonder what an innocent eight-week-old lurcher puppy could do to cause conflict and tension. A lot, as it turns out. But in hindsight, I’m grateful for that experience.
"Our puppy ownership styles reflect who we are. We’re total opposites and yet complement each other so well. Billy’s cool, calm and collected but has a firm side, which he leaned into when raising and training Reggie. I’m a functioning 'anxious Annie' most days. With Reggie, I spoilt him endlessly when he was a pup, which has obviously backfired because he’s four years old now and barely listens to me!"
"Billy and I are big fans of the countryside and aren’t huge on public displays of affection. We got engaged in August 2021 at Chapel Down Vineyard in Kent. Billy proposed amongst the many rows of grape-bearing vines, away from the eyes of other visitors. I must admit that I can barely remember what he said as I started crying the moment he got down on one knee. I did say 'yes' without hesitation! We couldn’t have imagined it happening any other way. Plenty of delicious celebratory Chapel Down fizz followed immediately afterwards. You could say our relationship has been a bit of a whirlwind, but when you know, you really know."
Scroll to read more about the wedding day from the bride's point of view, from the outfits and the flowers to the ceremony and the food.
"The night before the wedding, I stayed at One Hundred Shoreditch with Rosie, one of my bridesmaids and Billy’s sister. We had a low-key evening with pizza and wine. Rosie got me a This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray to help me sleep, but despite that, I was too nervous to get much rest! We started getting ready at 8 a.m. with Nicola Beddoes, our amazing hair and makeup artist.
"Rosie looked adorable in a pastel yellow pyjama set adorned with pink seashells, whilst I opted for a geometric-print set from Oliver Bonas. Later in the morning, my other two bridesmaids, Yelena and Andrea, joined us to have their hair and makeup done by Nicola as well. We had Hot Chip and various indie mixes playing in the background, which was perfect for calming the pre-wedding jitters."
"I had a trial with Nicola three months prior, so she knew exactly what I going for: a chic yet natural vibe with red lipstick, winged eyeliner and a perfect blowout. She completely nailed it—I couldn’t have asked for a better hair and makeup artist! A special moment was when Billy’s mum and granny, who were staying at the same hotel, stopped by to say hello. It was such an emotional visit, and the photos captured the magic perfectly."
"I absolutely loved the process of finding my wedding outfit! From the start, I wanted something contemporary with a hint of cottagecore. I adore dresses with voluminous sleeves, an A-line fit and a square neckline, but nothing too fussy like a long train or loads of lace. After some searching, I stumbled upon The Fall Bride and fell in love with its selection of contemporary wedding dresses. I did consider booking appointments with Andrea Hawkes and Blake Ida too, but The Fall’s range of brands and dresses won me over."
"At my first fitting with the lovely Annelise [founder of The Fall Bride] in her Hackney Wick studio, I tried on several dresses. They were all beautiful, but the Kamperett Meiere Gown was the only one that felt like me. It was a unanimous vote from my bridesmaids and mum-in-law too! As the fittings continued, I started exploring accessories. I'm not a huge accessory person—I don’t wear rings (other than my wedding band and engagement ring) and I rarely put on earrings. Annelise and her team were amazing with their suggestions, picking out the perfect earrings and veils to style with my dress."
"The dress has a high neckline, so I didn’t want anything too dramatic that would overshadow it. I chose the Eze-eh earrings by Completedworks and fell in love with the idea of a bow instead of a veil. I wanted the dress to shine! Annelise suggested a bespoke hair bow by Anne Marie Faulkner, as the ones available weren’t quite right; they were either too heavy, too slinky or too heavily patterned. The bespoke bow was perfect and tied everything together beautifully.
"Choosing my wedding shoes was a breeze! I wanted block heels because me and stilettos just don't get along. The Loeffler Randall Dahlia heels in white were perfect; not too high and not too chunky, with soft, pleated textures that complemented the silk and organza of my dress and bow beautifully.
"For our wedding bands, we knew we wanted Mejuri. Its bands are simple and understated and we could both get the same style, which we loved."
"Billy’s first suit appointment was with an independent brand in East London, but the service left him and his friends unimpressed. So, he took me along for round two. Billy has a fab sense of style and knows what suits him when he sees it. We explored several brands but kept coming back to MOSS, where he found a three-piece, sage-green tweed suit that was just perfect!"
WWW Weddings Tip: "Take the time to go dress shopping alone. I had two appointments with girlfriends which were wonderfully memorable. But on the third visit to The Fall, I went by myself and absolutely loved it. I can only describe it as therapeutic, like an act of self-care where you indulge yourself and feel incredible about it. I proudly proclaimed this to Annelise and attended subsequent fittings on my own."
"Hackney holds a special place in our hearts—we started living together in Dalston and raised our pup there. So, having our ceremony at Hackney Town Hall was a no-brainer. The stunning North Atrium, with its high ceilings and massive skylight, needed little decoration as it was showstopping on its own."
"We wanted our wedding invitations to be unforgettable keepsakes rather than something that’s quickly discarded. So, we opted to have letterpress invites that double as coasters and beer mats. Our black-and-white circular invites feature two intricately embossed magpies on one side, with our wedding details on the other. We chose magpies because we adore them, and two magpies are said to symbolise joy. These invites were designed and produced by the talented Emma Lee Cheng, a specialist in letterpress wedding stationery. Her charming studio, nestled in Crystal Palace, was the perfect place to bring our idea to life."
"Our programme was lovingly designed by Billy’s brother and his best mate, Max and Arthur. They hand-drew all the illustrations and produced the entire thing. Since our dog Reggie couldn’t attend the ceremony, we made sure he was included in the illustrations."
"Our spring wedding aimed to capture the essence of the season—plenty of light, seasonal flowers and pastel colours to create that warm, balmy feeling. Billy and I also have a thing for venues that look 'fine' on the outside but turn up the wow factor when you’re inside. Hackney Town Hall and Bistrotheque do just that. They’re so unassuming from the outside but once you enter these spaces, they have so much character."
"Flowers played a key role in embellishing these spaces without overshadowing the big windows and airy atmospheres. Our florist, Elle Harris from Botanics Florist, was an absolute dream to work with. She was so excited to bring our vision to life and nailed it with a pastel mood board that was spot on. We ended up with gorgeous ivory and lilac blooms with hints of black and green. Orchids were in season, and since they're Singapore's national flower, I was thrilled! The floral arrangements were something I wished we could keep forever."
"We had two cultural elements to our ceremony. Each guest received a red envelope with confetti, blending my Singapore-Chinese heritage with Western wedding traditions; and Billy’s auntie Kathy sent a handmade trinket a few days before the wedding to signify the classic tradition of 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in your shoe.'"
"We had a humanist ceremony that truly represented us as a couple. Our lovely celebrant, Nat Raybould, encouraged us to design the ceremony with her in any way we wanted. So we did just that. Billy walked down the aisle with our mums, and I walked down the aisle with our dads, crying the whole way and audibly swearing because I was so nervous! Billy’s mum and my sister did the readings, and Billy’s mum wrote an original poem titled 'Two For Joy,' inspired by our love for magpies and our magpie wedding invites.
"My sister read an excerpt from Winnie the Pooh about living to a hundred and being friends forever. We created our own vows in haiku format and had a string quartet play our favourite tunes, including 'Here Comes The Sun,' 'Sweet Disposition,' 'Friday, I’m In Love,' and 'Gangsta’s Paradise.'"
WWW Weddings Tip: "Vows don’t have to be lengthy. We kept ours short and sweet by creating haikus. We didn’t show them to one another beforehand but somehow, they complemented beautifully!"
WWW Weddings Tip: "Don’t hold back on the emotions! Ugly cry if you must, laugh uncontrollably if you have to. It’s an emotional day! Sack off the soft smiles—just be yourself and embrace every feeling to the fullest. I cried a lot. Happy tears, of course."
WWW Weddings Tip: "When in doubt, kiss or laugh. We’re awkward in front of a camera (I say 'we' but really, it’s me!) so posed photos aren’t our thing at all."
"For our reception, we chose Bistrotheque. The food and drinks were delicious, and the industrial yet elegant atmosphere was exactly what we wanted. With an intimate guest list of 70, we needed a space that felt cosy but not cramped, with plenty of room for dancing and a post-dinner party vibe. Bistrotheque checked all of those boxes!"
"We wanted everyone to genuinely have a good time and be well-fed and watered. From canapés and cocktails to a three-course dinner, party snacks and cake, we ensured no one went hungry or thirsty. I kicked off the reception with a speech, thanking everyone for their time and effort to celebrate with us, through streams of happy tears. Some of our family and friends clocked up serious air miles just to be there."
WWW Weddings Tip: "Make sure your guests (including the photographer, videographer and DJ) are well-fed and hydrated! We’re foodies, so we couldn’t compromise on having an amazing spread. We chose Bistrotheque for this very reason. [There were] canapés and cocktails upon arrival, a champagne toast, a three-course dinner with free-flowing beer, wines and cocktails all night, plus party snacks (soft-shell crab burgers and veggie empanadas!) and wedding cake."
"Billy and Arthur also gave speeches throughout dinner, which were hilarious and special. During Arthur’s speech, my enthusiastic uncle initiated a traditional Singaporean celebratory toast known as 'Yam Seng' ('cheers' in Cantonese). The idea is to draw out the first word ('Yam') for as long as possible, getting louder before finishing with a loud 'Seng.' We did it three times—for a blissful marriage, eternal love and fertility."
WWW Weddings Tip: "Skip the wedding planner or co-ordinator if you and your partner have a good idea of how the key elements will come together on the day. I’m a worrywart, so I was very keen on hiring a co-ordinator for the day as I was anxious about the tiniest things. Billy talked me out of it and it turns out that he was right. Those things tend to magically sort themselves out."
"After dinner, we moved to the disco room for the final instalment of the night. There were comfy seats and snacks for those who didn’t feel like dancing and a sizable dance floor for those who wanted to pull some shapes! Our first dance was to 'Bennie and the Jets' by good ol’ Elton. It had zero choreography and was 100% spontaneous and silly, which is us in a nutshell."
WWW Weddings Tip: "Get tipsy, but not too tipsy! We made it a point to savour every moment since our married friends warned us the day goes by so quickly. After the reception, we went back to our suite and read all the lovely cards we received from family and friends. That was really special and heartwarming."
"My second dress was the Elina Mini Dress by Solace London. I honestly had zero intentions of owning a second look, but I fell in love with the shape of this dress the moment I saw it hanging on the display at my first fitting with The Fall. The sculptural sleeves won me over—I have a thing for loose and uniquely shaped sleeves. I contemplated for a few months and browsed other dresses from Aje, Cecilie Bahnsen, Molly Goddard and Cawley Studio, but ultimately, the pull for the Elina Mini was way too strong to resist!"
"We hired Eddie the Goatboy, our indie wedding DJ, who got everyone involved with memorable tunes. One of the dance floor highlights was playing 'All Together Now' by The Farm. Billy’s uncle, Steve Grimes, is the guitarist and keyboardist in the band, and we wanted to surprise him and embrace a family moment with this familiar track."
WWW Weddings Tip: "When planning your wedding, identify your non-negotiables and nice-to-haves. This sets the tone for your entire to-do list and helps with headspace. Our five priorities were a personalised ceremony, locations that felt uniquely 'us', delicious food and drinks, chic floral designs and an insanely talented photographer who could truly capture us."
Photography and videography: @taylorandporter
Hair and makeup: @nicolabeddoes
Flowers: @botanicsflorist
Felina's getting-ready venue: @onehundredshoreditch
Ceremony venue: @hackneyvenues
Reception venue: @bistrotheque
Wedding celebrant:@natraybouldweds
String quartet: @carnabystrings
Wedding cake: @aprilsbakerlondon
Dancefloor DJ: Eddie the Goatboy @ Indie Wedding DJs
Wedding invites: Emma Lee Chang
Wedding dress: The Fall Bride
Order of service design: Arthur Dunster (Billy’s best man) and Max Caddick (Billy’s older brother).
Poppy joined theBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing UK team as managing editor in 2022. After graduating from university with a degree in English literature, she worked for a number of print and digital publications, including Women's Health, The Times, Hello! and Marie Claire. In these roles she assisted the fashion teams with print content as well as digital shopping features, shoots and celebrity news.
Prior toBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing , Poppy worked at SheerLuxe as the commercial content manager. There she oversaw all paid-for site content and inclusions, managed the visual assets and briefs for branded content, and ensured all content—whether editorial or commercial—was in line with overall brand guidelines and tone. She also supported the editorial team by looking after visual merchandising on site and reviewing the brand’s daily newsletters.
As WWW UK’s managing editor, Poppy spends most of her time looking after the content calendar and all output across the brand, in addition to working with contributors, supporting with social media planning, assisting with branded content and contributing to brand strategy. Poppy prides herself on being organised, and a keen eye for detail means she oversees the production of tentpole moments such asBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing ’s quarterly celebrity covers, the Wedding Issue, team shoots, events, industry-facing moments, gift guides and more. In addition to this, Poppy ensures processes across the brand are efficient and effective, and is always on the lookout for ways the team can work smarter, not harder! As someone who works behind the scenes (Poppy loves a spreadsheet!), you won’t find many articles by Poppy on site, but when you do there’s no doubt they will either be focused on dresses, handbags or classic high-street buys. Or better yet, all three!
Born and raised in London, Poppy is a true city girl. When she's not thinking about clothes (or raiding her mum’s wardrobe), Poppy fills her time walking along the river with her 11-year-old labradoodle, getting stuck in a good book and enjoying as many of the city’s amazing restaurants and bars as her purse will allow! Her favourite London spots are Caravel for dinner, the Ham Yard Hotel for a fancy pre-theatre drink, Daunt Books for a new read, 26Grains for breakfast and Coal Drop's Yard for a spot of shopping.