Molly Whitehall, co-founder and director of entertainment PR agency WDW Entertainment, and Toby Wilkinson, co-founder and director of creative partnerships agency AUFI, met six years ago through mutual friends. After dating for five years, he proposed in their London garden with a beautiful 1930s, square-cut emerald ring from local, vintage jeweler Farringdons. “I had never even thought about what kind of ring I had wanted, but it was just perfect.”
The bride-to-be found her dream dress at William Vintage. After failing to find something quite right at other bridal salons, Molly reached out to the vintage showroom to ask if they offered any bridal options. They sent her a brochure, and there was her long-sleeve gown—a one-of-a-kind, ivory wedding dress from 1935. As fate would have it, it fit perfectly and didn’t need any alterations.
She completed her look with gold Miu Miu shoes and a headpiece that her in-laws bought her for her 30th birthday. “I didn’t want to have a veil but loved the idea of a headpiece. It was simple but made enough of a statement,” she says. Also from her 30th birthday, a few months prior, was a pair of Otiumberg diamond earrings that Toby bought her, which she wore on the day-of.
For her outfit change after dinner, Molly’s friend, Charlotte Sweet from Sewn Right, designed her a short satin dress adorned with feathers and jewels. The groom stayed in his handsome, midnight blue, black-tie suit by Charlie Casely-Hayford for the whole day.
The engaged born and bred Londoners always knew they wanted a winter English wedding. “If you get married in winter in England, you just plan for the weather to be miserable, and nothing relies on it, so then you don’t feel disappointed or have plans scuppered when it’s bad, you just embrace it!” Molly explains. To host their reception, their close friend generously offered up her Wiltshire home to the couple. “It’s the most beautiful house, with stunning grounds and gardens and a beautiful little church right next door.”
To plan their February wedding, both of their mothers helped the engaged couple, which was so special. “We both run our own companies and have pretty hectic work lives, so our mums were just totally amazing on the planning,” Molly says. “We also have two best friends, one who is a wedding planner and one who has a catering company, who helped us a lot along the way too.”
At 4:00 p.m. at St Peters Church in Langley Burrell, the bride walked down the aisle with her father to meet Toby and Reverend Dave at the altar. “We both felt totally overwhelmed with emotion and surrounded by so much love, for each other and also radiating off of all our amazing friends and family,” Molly says. “It was very emotional and so special…there were also so many funny moments, some intentional, some not.”
After being announced as husband and wife, everyone rejoined in a marquee, produced and decorated by Jamie at Covered Occasions, Derek from Knight Light Events, and Rose from Flowers by Passion. Then everyone took their seats to enjoy the delicious meal, prepared by local caterers Wesley House. A winter soup was followed by a traditional chicken pie and mash plus lots of canapés. For dessert, they served their wedding cake—a carrot confection made by their friend, Alexandra Talbot.
Along with tequila bottles on the tables, the couple’s best friend, Emily, founder of event production company Spook London, provided a cocktail bar with all of their favorite drinks plus a specially designed bar menu.
Molly’s older brother, comedian Jack Whitehall, and Toby’s best friend, Jamie, were joint masters of ceremony, and to kick off the speeches, the groom took the mic and had everyone in tears. He was followed by Molly’s parents’ joint toast and words from Toby’s best man, Harry.
After the speeches, The Arts Club Band from ALR Music started the party on the dance floor. The newlyweds had their first dance to “Promises” by Sam Smith. “It’s a song we have so many fun memories to and lots of our friends associate the song with us, so it was perfect,” Molly says. “It’s also a great floor-filler to start the party!”
Once dancing at the reception ended, dancing commenced in the cellars for the after-party and didn’t stop until the early hours. “We had a couple of great friends DJ, one with another friend playing live saxophone over the top. It was so much fun, we never wanted it to end!”
