This week we’re catching up with loved up newly-weds Sophie-Rose and Roi, who have been together for 6 years. Both London born, Sophie-Rose grew up in South West, Roi in Leyton, East. They met when Sophie pulled Roi a pint at their favourite pub, The Gun on Well Street. Sophie says “I hadn’t worked there long when he slid into my DM’s with an ever poetic one liner ‘what you saying?’ I didn’t reply until 9 months later as it went into my requests, when I did luckily he was still single and thereafter we got together.” Well, we’re glad they did, not only because they make each other happy, but because we get to share their gorgeous wedding and love story with YOU! They married in a super-chic ceremony in London, followed by a night of partying with family and close friends. Sophie & Roi used Patchwork to invite guests to treat them to experiences on their once-in-a-lifetime Italian honeymoon.
How did you get engaged?
We were on a mates holiday in Foye Cornwall, Roi took me for a walk on a secluded beach and got down on one knee. I’ve never been more shocked in my entire life, screaming “what are you doing? Get up!!” And then realised it wasn’t a joke and he was crying too, obviously said yes and then cried tears of joy for 4 days straight.
What kind of wedding did you plan?
Originally we started really big and elaborate, something totally not us, then we sat down worked out the numbers and U turned. We planned a really good night out in London instead, entailing a ceremony of 50, big red bus to Bistrotheque for a lunch of 75, then onto Looking Glass Cocktail Club on Hackney Road for a party of 100.
Did you have a first dance?
Yes we did! We chose a really cheesy number, ‘If You’re Not the One’ by Daniel Bedingfield, because it’s my dad’s favourite song, which caught him totally by surprise!!
We had a dance duo called KZ creatives teach us a choreographed number just days before.
What was your favourite part of the day?
I think arriving at our lunch, seeing all our nearest and dearest and sitting down for speeches was pretty epic.
What made Patchwork the best wedding registry for you?
We chose Patchwork because it’s the best and chicest way of asking for something you really want, we made ours as inclusive as possible, whether it was a drink in Venice or a nights stay in Florence.
What did you want to ask guests to contribute towards and why?
Our honeymoon starting in Sicily then onto Italy, whether it be a train ticket, a boat trip, a stay in a hotel, or a drink in the Palazzo.
What was the best bit about using Patchwork?
Weddings can be expensive for everyone, whether guests need to pay to travel to the venue, hotels, the hen party etc, so at this point we wanted to ask for an extra hand in funding our honeymoon but in the least pressurising way. We also wanted our guests to feel a part of our honeymoon even though they weren’t there! Patchwork does all those things.
What did your friends and family think?
They loved knowing where we were going, the wedding went by in a flash but they all knew where we were heading next as they gifted towards it. I have had 3 friends now use Patchwork for their weddings this summer, it’s just undeniably the best wedding registry and so easy to use.
Where did you go on honeymoon and what were the highlights?
We started in Palermo, Sicily for 4 days, we then travelled across to catch a ferry from Milazzo to Salina the first of the 2 islands we were heading to on the Aeolian Islands. From there we headed to Panarea, this was by the far the best moment, so empty, so untouched, so secluded. In fact it was so beautiful we had to extend our stay, cutting out Naples, then heading to Florence for 48 hrs, and finishing in Venice.
How did it feel knowing your friends and family had helped make it happen?
Literally quite overwhelming to think about. Our Patchwork collected enough for all the hotels over 2 weeks plus some spending money/ The hotels we picked were particularly spenny, and it really was a once in lifetime trip.
Do you have any top tips when it comes to planning / preparing for a wedding?
Make it as personal to you both as a couple, work out what sort of night you want to have and take it from there. My main tip, don’t invite the whole world, this will give you time to see and be with everyone. It also makes your guests feel special knowing they were part of something so intimate. We had a rule that if we hadn’t had supper with them at some point in the last year they weren’t coming! Brutal I know.
Thank you so much Sophie-Rose and Roi for sharing these amazing photos and words about your wedding day and dreamy honeymoon funded by friends and family! If you’d like to create your own unique honeymoon registry and invite guests to contribute cash to your first adventure as a married couple you can check out our gorgeous easy-to-customise templates here.
Here are some of the amazing wedding suppliers that made Sophie-Rose and Roi’s day even more epic:
Photography – Joanna Bongard
Flowers – Gloria Studio
Venue (ceremony) – Islington Town Hall
Venue (reception) – Bistrotheque
Venue (dancing) – Looking Glass Cocktail Club
Table laying and on the day planning – Tony and his team at Fairholme Studio
Signage – Cecily Cairns
Dress – by Alon Livne White purchased at Morgan Davies Bridal in Islington
Roi’s suit – Mr Start
Shoes – The Attico
Bird cage – Morgan Davies Bridal
Make up by Celia Burton
Hair by Adam Embleton
p.s. you can listen to Sophie and Roi’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.