A cocktail dress code? A feathered red dress? Britney Spears’ Toxic? Five-minute DIY make-up? a guest list that includes Dame Joan Collins? sounds like the recipe for an excellent party - and in many ways, it was. But in this case, they were the building blocks of fashion designer Coco Fennell’s unapologetically “Vegas-kitsch” wedding.
Coco married photographer Maximillian Webster on December 5th at the Clapton Country Club - a repurposed Victorian Tram Depot in East London (which, fun fact, was also used for filming in the 2018 Tomb Raider film). “We just wanted it to be really fun, a bit silly, and not too sincere. I didn’t want anything to drag on; I wanted it short, sweet and joyful.”
© Harley & Susie barkerevans.comHer bridal agenda for her big day was the perfect blend of high-street pieces, heirloom delights, pleasantly offbeat outfits, and statement bags straight from a designer’s personal archive.
The Dress(es)
In keeping with the delightfully kitsch vibe of her wedding, Coco found her dresses in the most refreshingly untraditional way possible - with a super savvy Google search.
‘Ostrich feather, beads, plunging neckline’ were the terms she used to search for the dress of her dreams. The result? a heavily embellished gown by Valdrin Sahiti. “They usually make dresses to order, but they had one that someone never picked up. It was sort of my size and way cheaper, so I just had it tailored. I couldn’t believe my luck.”
© Harley & Susie barkerevans.com
© Harley & Susie barkerevans.comAs a fashion designer, it might seem natural that Coco would create her own wedding dress, but in reality, the opposite was true: “We were moving house, and there was so much going on,” she explains. “I also knew I wanted something really, really extra - and that’s just not my forte as a designer.”
Although a specific designer or brand was not clear from the outset, her vision for the design was. “I wanted vintage starlet - Cher, Bob Mackie vibes,” Coco says. “As soon as I saw it, I knew.”
“It’s what I’d love my everyday style to be, but realistically, my day-to-day is much more low-key. At work, I’m either in one of my own dresses or tracksuit bottoms and a top!”
Coco did, however, put pen to paper to create the dresses worn by her bridesmaids - one of whom was her sister, actress and director Emerald Fennell. “We had this amazing hand-painted set made for the ceremony with kind of celestial vibes, because we needed to cover a door at the end of the aisle,” she explains. “So I designed the dresses with embroidered stars and moons on the sleeves, so that they almost matched the backdrop. Everything felt really cosy, with fairy lights, and it all tied together beautifully.”
© Harley & Susie barkerevans.com
© Harley & Susie barkerevans.comIn true cool-girl bride fashion, Coco’s bridal look didn’t stop at one outfit. As the evening unfolded, she swapped her beaded gown for a dramatic, feathered red dress by Bronx and Banco, with a matching-coloured veil by Madison Chamberlain. “The main dress was so heavy with all the beading,” she laughs, “I knew I wouldn’t be completely comfortable all night. And I just love red - it’s my favourite colour!”
© Harley & Susie barkerevans.comThe Accessories
As a bride-to-be myself, I’m fully taking notes from Coco’s bridal footwear playbook. “I wore old silver slip-on shoes from ASOS - comfort is key," she says. And rightly so, because nothing kills the party faster than being benched from the dance floor, especially on your own wedding day.
Her jewellery, on the other hand, was more sentimental (though a comfortable pair of heels should never be undervalued). “I wore some of my mum’s jewellery from the 80s, which my dad made.” Her father, renowned jeweller Theo Fennell’s designs, were also worn by her husband: “Max wore one of my dad’s snake motif brooches, instead of a buttonhole,” she explains.
© Harley & Susie barkerevans.com
© Harley & Susie barkerevans.comHer handbags added another layer of playful glamour to her contemporary bridal agenda: “I had a Lulu Guinness castle bag with my first dress, then I borrowed a Judith Leiber gold phone bag for the second look,” she says. “I was living in fear of dropping it - it's incredibly expensive!”
The Hair & Make Up
Beauty-wise, Coco kept things deliberately pared-back. Her friend, Sarah Necia, was on hand to create her vintage-inspired voluminous hairstyle, but Coco chose to do her own makeup. “If I’d had my hair and make-up done, I think I would’ve felt overwhelmed,” she explains. “I can do my make up in five minutes, and I wanted to feel like myself.”
© Harley & Susie barkerevans.comThe Wedding
In true Coco fashion, she eschewed the likes of Etta James' At Last or Richard Wagner's Bridal Chorus, she walked down the aisle to Britney Spears’ Toxic. “If it was slow and really sincere, I’d find it too embarrassing,” she says. “I wanted something fun - and I’ve always loved Britney. I even have the same tattoo as her that I got when I was 13. For my hen do, my friends secretly photographed it and turned it into transfer tattoos!”
“We had a band called Wandering Hands, who literally wandered around singing with everyone,” Coco says. “It made everything feel alive.”
Despite the multiple moving parts needed to create the perfect bridal fashion moment, the most challenging part of planning had nothing to do with clothes. “Dietary requirements and the seating plan,” she admits. “That was the hardest part. I even got a face rash and thought, maybe I’m more stressed than I realise.”
© Harley & Susie barkerevans.comDespite unexpected rashes and the intricacies of seating planning, what stands out most for Coco is how the day felt. “It was just really fun,” she says. “I think everyone had a good time, and that’s exactly what I wanted. It’s all a bit of a blur, but I loved the days leading up to it - organising everything and setting it up.”
The Aftermath
Now newly married, would she ever consider designing bridalwear herself? “Never say never,” she says. “But bridesmaid dresses feel more like my world. Brides are so specific - it’s such a personal thing.”
As for her first Valentine’s Day as a newlywed, Coco already knows what she’ll be doing. “I always find going out on Valentine’s Day a bit intense,” she laughs. “I’m releasing a unisex knitwear collection with cupids on it, so I’ll probably be on the sofa wearing a cherub jumper, watching telly with a takeaway.”
Very Coco indeed.
