Hannah Varley & Adam Burbidge { 22ND SEPTEMBER }

TRATTORIA DELL’ARTE, NEW YORK, USA 

photos captured by: Natalie J Weddings 

Shaking off the stress of organising a formal wedding in the United Kingdom, Hannah and Adam decided to elope in New York City. “Apart from our photographer and our wedding outfits everything else was completely unplanned. It all just fell into place and our wedding day was an absolute dream.” 

WITH THIS RING

Adam proposed to Hannah in Cuba. “We had been talking about getting married for about a year but decided we would wait another year or so before doing anything about it. To celebrate our 30th birthdays we decided to go on a trip to the Caribbean. We spent the first evening sitting on our hotel balcony and sipping sparkling wine as the sun set. Adam got down on one knee and proposed. It was pure magic! Adam is the calm to my storm. He keeps my feet on the ground when
my mind is running a million miles per hour!”

JUMP IN

Hannah’s wedding outfit designer was Velvet Johnstone. “I had a very clear idea about what I wanted. It had to be unique with clean-cut lines and tailor made to suit my style. Cheryl at Velvet Johnstone worked with me to create my bespoke ivory jumpsuit. The vision was elegant and stylish with a modern edge. It was everything I had dreamed it would be. My jumpsuit was backless with a low cut front and thigh high split.” 

Adam chose a dark pink mohair suit by Nottinghamshire designer Paul Smith. “Adam didn’t want to wear anything too formal. It seemed fitting that he should wear a Paul Smith suit as a way of representing his home roots.” Complementing Adam’s outfit, Hannah wore pink velvet Marco De Vincenzo heels. “I’m obsessed with texture!” She also wore stunning Dolce & Gabbanna earrings for a pop of colour.

COME WITH ME TO NYC

Hannah and Adam initially booked a wedding venue in Adam’s home city Nottingham. However the couple found that the wedding planning was becoming more and more stressful and expensive. 

“We just really wanted to get married and we also wanted to enjoy the planning process. After discussing our options we decided that instead of going to New York City for our honeymoon we would get married there instead!” 

JUST OUR STYLE

Hannah and Adam had been following Natalie J Watts’ photography closely and loved her emotive style. “We were thrilled to have Natalie on board for our original wedding date. It was one of the easiest decisions we’d had to make. So when it came to relocating our wedding to America we agreed that we would ask Natalie to come with us. Thankfully she said yes.”

IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS

“From picking up my flowers to enjoying iced teas and pastries on the rooftop, our wedding day was wonderful from the start. Excited nerves had kept me awake all night before the wedding. This resulted in my best friend Monique and I doing yoga at 3am to calm down! I woke up to a message from Adam saying how excited he was too. While we were doing our makeup, Monique and I danced around the apartment to a playlist of Cuban music, a sentimental nod to Adam’s proposal in Cuba. It also helped shake
off any nervous feelings!” 

LIKE SHAKESPEARE

Hannah and Adam were married in Central Park’s Shakespeare Garden. “It’s a beautiful and private area of the park that is perfect for a wedding! We wanted a space that looked like a typical English country garden. It was the next best thing to being in England. The flowers were in full bloom for spring. We were also pleasantly surprised because live music began playing during our ceremony courtesy of The Lumineers and Green Day who were sound checking for the Central Park Summer Stage Concert!” 

TRUE SPONTANEITY

Hannah and Adam’s wedding planning was so laid back that they didn’t have a restaurant booked for their evening meal! “While Adam and I were enjoying our photoshoot around NYC, my parents met some friendly locals in a bar who recommended an Italian restaurant called Trattoria Dell’Arte. It was across the street from Carnegie Hall. Minutes later my parents had it booked and that evening we had the wine cellar to ourselves!” The restaurant is designed to evoke an Italian artist’s studio with sculptures, drawings and a wall gallery of famous Italian noses.

BIG & BOLD

Hannah found it liberating to have only a loose plan for the wedding. “The day became an adventure.” A fan of wild and rustic looking bouquets, Hannah wanted a bouquet full of colour and greenery. “I’d never been to New York City before and had no idea where to start with my flowers. However after researching local florists, I found a florist across the road from the apartment where we were staying. I emailed the owner with images of the bouquets I liked and we arranged to meet when I arrived. Within 48 hours I was ready to pick up the bouquet of my dreams! When I walked back into the store the team were putting the finishing touches on my bouquet. I was handed the flowers and burst into tears because it was all so surreal. I was finally getting married. It was such a beautiful moment.”

WHAT’S MINE IS YOURS

Hannah and Adam didn’t have a wedding cake but the restaurant’s waiters fetched the couple a huge slice of Italian lemon meringue. “We attempted to do a mini ‘cutting on the cake’, and Adam and I linked our arms in order to feed each other, only for Adam to forget he was feeding me and fed himself instead!” After an 8 hour photo shoot across New York City and Brooklyn the couple were happy to sit down with cocktails, far too exhausted for a first dance!

CREDIT TO

gown: Velvet Johnstone, velvetjohnstone.com

shoes: Marco de Vincenzo, matchesfashion.com

photographer: Natalie J Weddings, nataliejweddings.com

reception venue: Trattoria Dell’Arte, trattoriadellarte.com

flowers & floral decorations: Verde Flowers, verdeflowers.com

stationery: Papier, Papier.com

groom: Paul Smith, paulsmith.com

bridal accessories: Dolce and Gabbana, dolcegabbana.com

celebrant: Lisa Traina, lisatraina.com