14 February, 2019
weddings that bride lottie longford
weddings that bride lottie longford
Weddings

That Bride: Lottie Longford-Kerr, Associate Director At Golin

14 February, 2019
weddings that bride lottie longford

We chatted to Golin’s Lottie Longford-Kerr, to get the low-down on how she planned a very rock ‘n’ roll day!

Lottie moved to Hong Kong with her then-boyfriend Dave in 2016, after meeting at a house party in London seven years ago. Let’s just say she knows how to make an impression. She managed to catch Dave’s eye by showing him her party trick (touching her elbow with her tongue no less!). And after that, there was no going back for the couple. Working in PR, Lottie is no stranger to organising events. So it comes as no surprise that when it came to planning her own wedding, she was able to bring some unique touches to the big day. From the four hen dos, to customised signet rings adorned with a bespoke crest, and fortune cat pin badge favours, this wedding was one big celebration!

Read more: How He Asked: Our That Brides Share Their Proposal Stories

weddings that bride wedding photos

Every bride has a proposal story. What’s yours?

We were spending Christmas in Australia and had been for dinner with my best friend (and subsequently Maid Of Honour!) in Bondi on Christmas Eve, before heading back to our Airbnb overlooking the beach. Dave had originally been planning a stocking style proposal, but instead chose to seize the perfect moment on the balcony (which was decorated with fairy lights) at about 1am. We celebrated by sipping champagne and watching the sunrise on the beach.

Tell us about the ring.

My engagement ring is a square cut diamond from Bee’s Diamonds, which was chosen by Dave. My wedding ring is a customised signet ring, made in Hong Kong by Allan Jones & Co. Ltd. Dave designed the engraving on it. It features a feather (from my family crest) and a sun (from Dave’s Scottish family clan).

What did you do for your hen party?

I was lucky enough to have four!

  • One with my Hong Kong friends, where we got pampered at LUSH Spa (my haven) before heading to a hotel suite and playing party games
  • The celebration with my Golin colleagues involved takeout from Maison Libanaise and wedding quizzes
  • I also went graffiti art jamming in Notting Hill with my UK friends, before we headed on to Chiltern Firehouse for dinner
  • Then I had a “3G” (three generational!) afternoon tea with my Mum and Nan

Tell us about the dress. How many did you try on?

I booked a trip back to London to sort out a few arrangements (dress shopping being on the list!). I had appointments booked at four stores and found mine at Rock The Frock, where I received such incredible service.  It was a Sabina Motasem design that I luckily got in the sample sale at a fraction of the usual price! Originally, I was going for a short 1950s design (instead I had that for our Hong Kong celebration!) but ended up with something very different for the big day, but very “me”.  To accessorise, I wore earrings belonging to my great-great-aunt, my crossbones necklace wrapped around my wrist as my bracelet, red LK Bennett heels and glittery hair stars from Crown & Glory.

The best advice you received before the big day?

Not to stress too much about it because it is just one day, and even better days of our lives are still to come!

What was the wedding like?

Soho in London had played a major part in our relationship – we hung out in Denmark Street’s music shops and drinking holes, and my first apartment was in a mouse infested studio above the 12 bar (rock bar). So eclectic flamboyance, rock n roll, neon lights and vibrant diversity sum up our home away from home. That’s why we chose to have the wedding in Soho at The Union Club. We didn’t want a specific wedding theme, just to make sure that it reflected us as a couple. It was essentially a big house party! There were guitars, Hong Kong Fortune Cats, kilts, NOLA jazz and rock ‘n’ roll live-jamming. The most important thing was that there was more partying than formalities.

Do you have a favourite part?

All of it! But specifically, dancing with Dave to Queen’s “Under Pressure” at the end of the night. I’d included some of the lyrics in my speech earlier in the day.

“And love dares you to care for,
The people on the edge of the night,
And love (people on streets) dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves”

weddings that bride wedding tables

How did you incorporate little pieces of Hong Kong in your overseas wedding?

We wanted to bring elements of our Hong Kong life back to London. We did that by having stunning floral dim sum basket centrepieces, table names named after HK bars we managed to drink dry after our legal marriage signing, Kowloon Dairy milk bottles we DIY’ed into candles and customised temporary tattoos.

What were memorable parts from the speeches?

The speeches from our loved ones were more than we could have dreamed. My grandad gave a beautiful impromptu speech. My dad’s speech closed with him pulling out a note from me as a little girl, asking how the pyramids were built (ever curious!). He said he had never got round to telling me, so presented me with a kid’s book to explain!

One detail you and the groom just couldn’t agree on?

Videography! Dave initially said that he was cool with just having our own memories of the day but I won, and in the end Adam Rowley of Delirious Weddings filmed it “fly on the wall” style. He managed to capture quirky goings-on that we had we missed, enabling us to go back in time when we watch it

What was the most fun element of planning your wedding?

Making it so personalised and seeing the care that went into the big day from our loved ones. My Mum and Nan picked petals from nearly every flower in my hometown to make biodegradable confetti!

Most stressful moment?

I’m pretty experienced in planning events for work, but still that didn’t stop us experiencing some unreliable supplier dramas. A few were totally non-responsive, and cancelled unexpectedly (which when dealing with from afar and in a different time zone wasn’t ideal). But it was nothing we couldn’t handle.

weddings that bride pin badge wedding favour

What were the wedding favours?

We gave a rock ‘n’ roll fortune cat pin badge as favours, personalised using our new “Longford Kerr” joint crest (the same one Dave designed for my wedding ring).

Any tips and tricks for brides-to-be?

When you choose your suppliers, think of them as guests with superpowers! We were so lucky, with ours that they began to feel like an extension of our friendship circle (which is impressive given our only previous contact was on Skype!). It felt natural having our gang of experts be so involved and genuinely happy during our big day.

And that brings us naturally to your honeymoon. Where did you end up going?

Fiji! We island-hopped, scuba-dived, hiked and sun-bathed around Navini Island Resort, Manta Ray Island and Navutu Stars. I’m known for dragging Dave on hiking/adventure travel holidays, so this was the best excuse to totally unwind. The sea was crystal clear, the food was great for veggies like me, and the people were just the kindest!

All images courtesy of Lottie Longford-Kerr via Matt Parry Photography.

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