In Britain, there's a tradition when it comes to weddings, (as I'm sure most of you will have witnessed during the Royal wedding) that women simply MUST wear something on their head...whether it's a hat, a fascinator, hairband, corsage or some other obscure form of hair decoration, it's just tradition.
Alas, the majority of guests at the American-British wedding I attended were natives, and it's safe to say my mother and I stood out from the crowd - adorned in our headgear (mother in a Royal Blue creation by a local milliner, whereas I opted for a smaller ornate, sleek and sophisticated headpiece)
Dress: Julian Macdonald, Pashmina: Vintage, Headpiece: Debenhams.
I've only ever seen American weddings in movies and on tv, and expected a few differences in the style of the wedding reception in comparison to British weddings... but I wasn't quite prepared for this!
After a tear jerking service (Chris and Ginny, you are a perfect couple) we headed back to The Rittenhouse for the reception - and I was stunned. The gaggle of guests were treat to a champagne reception, along with cocktails and sumptuous hors d'œuvre before heading to the grand ballroom... remember Monica and Chandler's wedding on Friends? I was reminded of that only BETTER.
The room oozed glamour and sophistication, filled with delicate bouquets of pink roses and decadent chandeliers... complete with their own wedding band for the night! This was the sort of wedding I'd spent my childhood fantasizing over, and I was in heaven.
Below my brother and I.
The amazing 'Sid Miller' band, who had a blind percussionist - a truly gifted musician.
Below, my heart shaped clutch - it seemed like the most appropriate bag I had to take to a wedding :)
I have to admit, I was slightly shocked at the lack of hats there, and felt a little out of place wearing one...but I did receive a lot of compliments from American gals (and guys!) so perhaps the hat tradition will work its way across the pond one day. Who knows?
Sans hat, even the toilets were beautifully decorated...
"The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress." -Hubert de Givenchy
Me (and my hat!) in the hotel lobby.
"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different."
- Coco Chanel
"A hat is a flag, a shield, a bit of armor, and the badge of femininity. A hat is the difference between wearing clothes and wearing a costume; it's the difference between being dressed and being dressed up; it's the difference between looking adequate and looking your best. A hat is to be stylish in, to glow under, to flirt beneath, to make all others seem jealous over, and to make all men feel masculine about. A piece of magic is a hat." - Martha Sliter
