This Bride’s Blue Wedding Dress Was a Perfect Fit for a Backyard, Beachfront Ceremony on Martha’s Vineyard

Brittany and Josh were both living in East London when they matched on Hinge in June 2020 and realized they had an instant connection. After a three-hour video call the next night, they planned a picnic for four days after the app had matched them. “The picnic lasted for eight hours with lots of orange wine—we were smitten,” says Brittany. “The following morning, Josh biked to my flat in Shoreditch at 7 a.m. with a cappuccino from my favorite coffee shop. We didn’t spend a single day apart after that.”

In September 2020, the couple moved into a new flat together, and a month later Josh proposed at Soho Farmhouse in the Cotswolds. “Josh had ordered a bottle of Dom Perignon to our cottage, ran us a bath in the outdoor bath on our private cabin porch, and we got into comfy robes,” says Brittany. “When I went to turn off the water, I turned around, and Josh was on one knee with a gorgeous, three-stone sapphire-and-diamond ring. We both cried!”

The couple planned their wedding for August 14, 2021, choosing Brittany’s parents’ home on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts to host their 80 guests. “Having spent my summers there my whole life, I always knew I wanted to get married on Martha’s Vineyard,” says Brittany. “Josh and I both love the aura and the quaintness of the island—it provides a sense of calm and tranquility in this crazy world. It’s just a magical island.”

Timeless Event Planning helped the couple coordinate every detail, from the backyard tents set up facing the water to weekend COVID-19 tests for all the guests. Many of the couple’s UK-based friends and family—Josh is from London—weren’t able to attend due to health guidelines, but others opted for 14-day layovers that allowed them into the United States after a waiting period. “Josh’s family spent two weeks in Mexico before our wedding in order to enter the United States, one of his best friends spent two weeks in Jamaica, and other friends spent two weeks in Panama,” says Brittany. “It was so special to bring our family and friends to Martha’s Vineyard, many for the first time, to celebrate with us.”

See more details of the couple’s beachfront ceremony and backyard reception—including Brittany’s beautiful, pale-blue gown, as captured by photographer Elizabeth Cecil.

An invitation suite from Katie Fischer Designs included a save-the-date card modeled after a vintage travel poster, an initial crest crowned by a watercolor of London Bridge, and black envelopes addressed in gold calligraphy. Brittany and Josh also welcomed their guests with custom tote bags stocked with wedding weekend essentials, including snacks, drinks, and caps featuring the couple’s business logo. 

Brittany worked with makeup artist Amanda Thesen and hair stylist Jasmine Burnside to create a fresh, simple look. The bride prepped her skin with her favorite Joanna Vargas exfoliating mask (and a pre-wedding spa day with Josh, where they both got facials at the Joanna Vargas spa in New York City). “I knew I wanted to wear my hair long, as I usually wear it,” she says. “I wanted to look like myself on our wedding day, so I made sure that my makeup and hair were pretty natural.”

Brittany slipped into a pale blue tulle Oscar de la Renta gown fit for a princess for the couple’s ceremony. “Josh and I had already eloped at the courthouse back in November 2020, so I felt like I didn’t need to wear white for our August wedding,” she says. “And I am so glad I went with the blue; it was so unique and special.” 

Flat Aquazzura sandals with embellished straps were comfortable for both walking on the beach and dancing after dinner. “I had worn Alaia high heels for our courthouse ceremony and they were beautiful, but I was distracted by how much they hurt!” says Brittany. “Definitely didn’t want that for our wedding!” Her jewelry included a Tiffany diamond necklace and bracelet borrowed from her mother, Cartier diamond earrings, and an heirloom wedding band that had belonged to Josh’s grandmother.

Brittany kept her bridal party a family affair, asking her sisters to be her bridesmaids. The women chose their own gowns, opting for bright pink and pale lavender in ruffled and draped silhouettes that complemented Brittany’s ball gown. 

One of the bride’s favorite aesthetic elements of the day was the floral design by County Line Florals. “We wanted to work off of my light blue dress for the colors and I knew I wanted dark red flowers as the accent color,” she says. “It looked stunning.”

Josh’s best friend flew from London to the United States to serve as best man—with a two-week stopover in Jamaica required by public health and safety guidelines. “Talk about dedication!” says Brittany.

The groom donned a custom navy Armani suit that he and Brittany had designed together. “It was such a lovely experience to go to Knightsbridge together after work, sip Champagne and eat chocolates, and pick out fabrics for the suit,” says Brittany. “Definitely an overall planning highlight.” 

Though they saw each other early in the morning on their wedding day for last-minute setup, Brittany and Josh also shared a first look before the ceremony so they could spend as much time as possible celebrating with their guests afterward. “It was special because my blue dress was a surprise for Josh!” she says. “It also was just so nice to be back together after the morning spent apart getting ready.”

The beach directly off the bride’s family’s property offered broad ocean views that surrounded the couple as they said their vows. Installations of pampas grass next to rustic wooden benches lined the aisle; the couple also provided baskets of flip flops for guests whose footwear choices weren’t a good match for the terrain. “Martha’s Vineyard is such a magical corner of the world, and it was so special to exchange our vows with our family and friends here,” says Brittany.

Brittany and Josh outfitted the flower girls in pale blue dresses, while the ring bearer wore navy shorts and suspenders with a white shirt. “My niece Ava requested light blue Wellies to walk down the sandy aisle, as she doesn’t like sand on her feet,” says Brittany.

After Josh’s mother and brother walked him to the altar and Brittany’s parents escorted her down the aisle, the bride and groom exchanged personalized vows in front of their beaming friends and family. “We both included quotes from our favorite TV comedy show, “Peep Show,” without having talked about it before!” says Brittany. A cellist performed “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran as the couple left the beach as husband and wife.

Brittany and Josh used their wedding reception to launch a new business, The Bubbly Brit—a mobile bar based out of a restored 1956 Citroen van. “It’s a double entendre, because Josh is a Brit, while I’m Britt!” says the bride. “We were very picky about choosing the beverages for our wedding; we sourced all-natural wines for all of our wedding events and made sure we had one of our favorite orange wines for our guests to enjoy.” They also served a pair of signature cocktails: “The ‘his’ was a Cotswolds Gin Eastern Standard, and the ‘hers’ was a grapefruit tequila paloma,” says Brittany.

Large tents set up on the property’s back lawn offered comfortable lounge seating and ocean views. Lanterns and greenery were suspended over the tables where guests dined on caprese salad, ribeye steak with roasted artichokes, roasted halibut over parmesan polenta, and butternut squash ravioli.

Individually-bottled servings of gin held calligraphed escort cards, while long wooden tables were lined with pale blue runners and low arrangements of flowers and fruit. “The flowers, the flowers, the flowers!!” says the bride. “I honestly have never been to a wedding before with such beautiful flowers.” Even the kids’ table was thoughtfully designed, with blue goblets, tied napkins, and instant cameras for each junior attendee.

Brittany and Josh took inspiration from a friend’s earlier wedding and wrote each guest a short letter; the notes were presented in hand-calligraphed envelopes at the place settings. “So many guests of ours commented on how much they loved their personal notes—it was something I’d recommend doing for future couples!” says Brittany. “But beware, it does take up a good chunk of time!”

The couple turned the floor over to their nearest and dearest for memorable and sentimental toasts. “The speeches by Josh’s best man and by both of our siblings were real tear-jerkers,” says Brittany. “They were very special to us.”

Before the cake cutting, Brittany changed into an ivory, corseted gown from Vivienne Westwood, which she customized with help from the designer’s New York City store. Val Cakes Martha’s Vineyard provided a three-tiered dessert decorated with blueberries and blackberries.  The flavor? “Lemon and white chocolate cake with the blueberry preserves and crunchy meringue,” says Brittany. “It was divine!” The newlyweds also built a 100-coupe-high stack of glasses to create “an epic bubbly tower,” says Brittany. “It was a lovely addition to cutting the cake.”

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