Image / Style / Weddings

Real Weddings: Caitríona and James tie the knot in London and Mallorca

by Shayna Sappington
06th Sep 2024

Creatives Caitríona and James had two glamorous weddings – one in London and one in Mallorca. With talented friends pitching in, vendors abroad and, of course, their adorable pup Tippi, the result was two special celebrations with everything they could've dreamed of.

THE COUPLE
Caitríona, costume buyer for film and TV, and James, music agent.

THEY LIVE
in East London.

THE VENUE
Islington Town Hall, London for their legal wedding and Finca Comassema, Mallorca for the big day.

PHOTOGRAPHY
Leoni Blue (London), Nicola Dixon and Janet Kaczmarek (Mallorca).

THEY MET
On Brick Lane on a sunny evening in June. We both moved to London, me from Australia and James from Scotland, to pursue our dream careers.

THE PROPOSAL
James proposed to me in Oia in Santorini, Greece. He had a bespoke ring made by my favourite designer Rosh Manti of Aligheiri. We had been travelling around the Greek Islands and he had been keeping it hidden along the way, waiting for the perfect moment. He got down on one knee at sunset on a cliff overlooking the stunning views of the bay.

THE WEDDING ATTIRE
We had two weddings – one in London and one in Mallorca, Spain. For the London wedding, I wore a bespoke mini dress from Jessica Bennett and a mini plisse pleated veil by Sheila Considine Bridal. I also wore my Mom’s 21st birthday ring given to her by my nana and grandad (something old, blue, borrowed and new to me).

For the Mallorcan wedding, my dress was Hera Couture which I found in a beautiful contemporary wedding store called Halo and Wren outside London. As stunning as it was, the veil was the showstopper – a cathedral-length, ruffle-trimmed, tiered veil made by my dear friend Sheila Considine Bridal. James’s tuxedo was The Kooples.

THE CEREMONY
The London wedding for us was so special, it’s where we met and now call home. We have a big friendship group in London, a lot of creatives, and we were so blessed that all our friends offered to get involved. Our friend Leoni (fashion photographer) took pictures, our friend Sam made our wedding cake (she also made the Royal Wedding cake) and my HMUA friend Victoria did my hair and make-up. We stayed at 100 Shoreditch the night before and took a black cab to the ceremony at Islington Town Hall. We were surrounded by a small group of family and friends, but most importantly our adorable puppy Tippi, who stole the show.

The Mallorca ceremony was at Finca Comassema – a breathtaking manor house located in the valley of Orient; their iconic courtyard was the perfect place to say ‘I do’ in the heart of the Tramuntana Mountains.

THE RECEPTION
The London reception was at The Albion, a beautiful old English pub draped in wisteria (fun fact: The Sex Pistols used to rehearse in the shed out the back).

The Mallorcan reception was held on the stunning grounds of Comassema, surrounded by olive trees and a beautiful natural pond. The wedding was managed by Grupo Amida, who liaised with all our suppliers and made sure the day ran smoothly. We had the most amazing catering, with canapés and slow-cooked scallops, prawns, and oysters – I’ve never tasted food like it! We also had Aperol spritzs, mojitos and cava on tap. They thought of everything, even the homemade lemonade was from the lemon trees surrounding the venue; it was outstanding.

THE ENTERTAINMENT
For our drinks reception, we had an amazing jazz band called Pulse Jazz Band – led by Julian Vaughn on drums (who used to tour with BB King). They were incredible and set the perfect mood for our guests as they were led from the courtyard through the 100-year-old house for canapes and cocktails.

We also had a band after dinner for dancing under the stars, we struggled to find the right kind of band for a long time. One day we saw an Insta-live video of Loran band busking and decided they were for us – no regrets. If there was a roof they would have blown it off!

THE DECOR
The venue spoke for itself; it was set in a world heritage centre surrounded by so much natural beauty – we really didn’t need to add much. We always wanted to get married abroad and dine under the stars; we had a bespoke sky of lights built so we could dine alfresco!

The flowers were stunning, Francis at Little Sister created a beautiful bouquet, ceremony ring and banquet-style tablescapes. Washed linen tablecloths, scattered with white roses, lisianthus and phalaenopsis, surrounded by candles and bespoke menus (illustrated by Studio Y Creative in Sydney) – it was a vibe!

THEIR TOP TIPS
It’s never too early to start planning, have a to-do list and keep on top of it. Try and enjoy the process, even if at times it feels overwhelming. You will always want everything to be perfect and to run like clockwork but relax and enjoy the day.

THEY WISH THEY HAD
More hours in the day; everyone tells you it flies and it really does, even if you do it twice.

THEIR BEST MOMENTS
Walking down the aisle to one of my favourite songs, Father John Misty’s Real Love Baby and seeing James at the top looking so handsome surrounded by all our friends and family. It meant so much to us that all our loved ones had made the trip to Mallorca. (James might also say driving the vintage Porsche around the hairpin corners of the Tramuntana Mountains, a close second!)

THE FIRST DANCE SONG
The Teskey Brothers’ Carry You – James works with this band, and we’ve always loved their music. We have spent many summers seeing them everywhere from Glastonbury to Love Supreme, never did we expect we would play them for our first dance song but there you go.

THE CREW
London Wedding Dress: Jessica Bennett. Mallorca Wedding Dress: Hera Couture from Halo and Wren. Bride’s Shoes: Loeffler Randal. Bride’s Bag: Shrimps. Bride’s Earrings: A.B. Ellie. Rings: Alighieri and Mejuri. Groom’s Tuxedo: The Kooples. Videographer: Filip Engel.