A Dickens Christmas – Niki & Anthony’s Alice In Wonderland Inspired Wedding with The Hype

Niki and Anthony booked The Hype as their evening wedding band for their Alice In Wonderland inspired wedding at The Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich and have kindly shared their highlights along with great planning tips and advice for other couples.

What was your best single moment of the whole day?

When my new husband put my wedding ring on the wrong finger (it’s the type of couple we are) or when the old priest said, ‘now for thunderous applause’. Which had all our guests whooping, cheering and laughing and really set the tone for the day.

Why did you pick your venue?

My husband is Catholic, so the ceremony needed to be in a church. I fell in love with St Etheldreda’s as soon as I walked in. It was a small church tucked away on a private road and have gorgeous giant stained-glass windows and a balcony for the choir. It’s the oldest Catholic Church in England with links to Henry VIII and the area is linked to Charles Dickens & Oliver Twist.

Our reception venue was across London in Greenwich but I knew I wanted The Trafalgar Tavern, as it’s also linked with Charles Dickens. It’s historic and has an amazing view over the river. So, we used the excuse of the distance to hire red buses to transport the guests between the ceremony and reception, with Prosecco and Christmas songs playing on the speakers.

Did you have a specific style or theme for your big day?

It wasn’t a full theme, but it had a nod toward a Dickens Christmas mixed with Alice in Wonderland. I’m a big book lover, so I had old books and candles as my centre pieces with potion bottles of raspberry vodka that my Nanna had brewed for 3 months. Our name tags were tied to old fashioned keys.

How did you hear about the act?

I spent a long time searching the internet for a band that was indie but commercial to cover everybody’s taste. We wanted a band that looked clean cut enough for a wedding but had a slight edge and good voices. I was actually very picky and listened to about 50 band demos’ trying to find the right one.

What did they bring to your day?

Dancing! At first the floor was a little empty while everybody flocked to the bar but by the end of the night both our family and friends were on the floor and most the men had ties around their heads. The band were also very sweet by letting the pageboy play the drums while setting up. He was their number one fan.

Did you have a first dance song and what was it?

Louis Armstrong – Wonderful World. It’s one of my favourite songs that Anthony usually tries to ruin with bad singing. We didn’t ask the band to cover the song as we wanted the original.

Where did you draw inspiration or find suppliers for your wedding?

A lot of online searching and Pinterest.

What did you think of the service provided by Warble?

Quick and easy, leading up to the day they were informative of what to expect.

Best piece of advice for other couples planning their wedding?

It’s said repeatedly but don’t worry about everything being perfect. I turned up to the wedding half an hour early in an Uber, so my wedding party had to run into the pubs to drag out the guests before I could pull up in front of the church. My uncle walked me down the aisle on crutches and the best man dropped the rings into the bowl of holy water, so they were wet. Oh, and I only had 5 minutes to put my wedding dress on. But I love that we have these little funny stories from the day. I laughed a lot!

Looking back is there anything you would change?

I would have double checked the timings in the morning, there was a small mix up with the stylists and we were pressed for time. Though they still did a great job.

Name your favourite suppliers from the day:

Fiona my photographer was amazing, she really was like an extra bridesmaid. She helped us figure out how to bustle the dress and helped untangle my hairpiece when it fell out from headbanging. She was never in the way and made us feel so comfortable. I literally had to change all of our previously set plans which she did with a smile and just gave new suggestions. Everybody commented on how she was really capturing the moments. She really cares that your day goes well and that you’re happy.

Emily from design by nature blew me away with her flowers. I originally wasn’t going to bother with flowers, but my friend put me in touch with her and once I saw some examples I knew that was exactly the style I wanted. Wild but still pretty. I showed Emily the reception venue 3 days before the wedding and gave her free reign to do what she thought best. The result was stunning. The bouquets were delivered in bags holding jars of water so I was able to take them home the next day which was a bonus.

Published by Warble Entertainment