Travis & Remy: An English wedding beaming with classic style, and smooth masculine beauty
The blissful union of two style-savvy gentlemen made for one charming English countryside wedding, one that was beaming with classic style, and smooth masculine beauty.
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"We met via Twitter, initially before meeting for the first time in London on the 19th July 2013. We shared drinks at the Sanctum Soho Hotel and felt like we'd know each other forever. We had been talking on Twitter for a year before we met, and thought we'd be great friends; fortunately for us, it turned out to be much more!"
4 year later, Travis and Remy wed in Gloucestershire, UK and Cowley Manor played home to their June wedding, "We wanted the beauty of rural England and the Cotswolds character that comes with it. Cowley is a unique venue - it's where Alice in Wonderland was conceived" the boys say. With soft, elegant styling, complete with old world charm, it was evident that these two gentlemen knew precisely what style of wedding they wanted to possess.
Style aside, weddings are about celebrating deep connections, not only between the couple saying 'I do', but celebrating those deep connections you hold with your most cherished loved ones. Travis and Remy's wedding was equally about every one of their loved ones as it was about themselves. It was important to Travis and Remy to have all their guests stay at the venue and to treat them to the luxurious facilities, they also kept it intimate enough so that they knew everyone well enough to spend hours talking to whomever they came across during the celebrations.
When summing up their wedding day, Travis and Remy say that their wedding created "memories that will last us a lifetime, that pick us up when we have a bad day and connect us on a much deeper level than we ever have been."
More of Travis and Remy's story continues below.
Photography Nick Ray | Location Gloucestershire, UK
How did the two of you meet?
We met via Twitter, initially before meeting for the first time in London on the 19th July 2013. We shared drinks at the Sanctum Soho Hotel and felt like we'd know each other forever. We had been talking on Twitter for a year before we met, and thought we'd be great friends; fortunately for us, it turned out to be much more!
So who proposed to who?
Travis proposed to Remy! Remy catches on to everything very quickly, so the proposal had to be quite normal to ensure it was unexpected. It was the lead up to Christmas, and we wanted to go shopping to buy each other a new winter jacket. Remy got carried away, and Travis used the opportunity to distract Remy by basically encouraging him to rinse his wallet! 14 bags of shopping later followed by a drink and lunch stop, we returned home intending on going out for dinner. Remy had other ideas and decided to rearrange his entire wardrobe; throwing old clothes at Travis to take to the charity shop. Ever patient, Travis eventually got Remy out for dinner at one of their favourite taverns in Hampstead, London. Dinner and a bottle of red later Travis took Remy to a bench outside and asked Remy if he had a nice day and if there was anything that would make it better!? Remy replied "have we won the lottery", to which Travis replied, "not quite" and placed a ring on the table we were sitting at. Remy placed his head on the table to try and control himself in front of others sitting around him, and cried a lot! We must have drunk four bottles of champagne that night and called family (in Australia and the UK) until 4 am.
Tell us a little about your wedding day.
Well, it was amazing in every way. We'd planned it within an inch of its life and had brilliant attendants and family to help keep it all on track. The most important thing for us was having an occasion where we could have all the people we loved in one place - not easy when half your guest list is from Australia. We weren't nervous, just excited, and very emotional. Feeling so much love around you in one day is an unbelievable feeling. You can't put a price on that and will never regret a penny we spent. From the venue staff to all our suppliers, the day was flawless. We loved every second and still cry watching it all back - which we've done A LOT!
What style of wedding did you want?
We wanted the beauty of rural England and the Cotswolds character that comes with it. Cowley is a unique venue - it's where Alice in Wonderland was conceived - with a beautiful, historical manor style exterior and an artistic and surprising interior, backed by rolling landscapes, gardens, lakes and art. To complement a venue full of such character we wanted our styling to be simple, elegant and chic: plenty of white flowers that provided varying depth and height, simple wedding party bouquets, loads of candles and an array of soft pastel and grey touches. Grey is our favourite colour which decided our wedding party's attire and table setting touches. For ourselves, we just wanted to be simple and elegant. We wore the same designers for each piece of clothing we wore, but had a slightly different look and feel to reflect our personalities.
What was the number one thing of importance to you?
That everyone had as much fun as we did: so perfecting all the entertainment/ food/accommodation was of ultimate importance. So many of our guests are intending to return to our venue because they had such a great time, which means the memories will live on for them as they do for us - which is a fantastic feeling.
Sum up your wedding day in 3 sentences.
Surrounding ourselves with all the people we love, to have fun, be silly and celebrate a pivotal moment in our lives.
Memories that will last us a lifetime, that pick us up when we have a bad day, and connect us on a deeper level than we ever have been.
An important reminder of how far our community and the world around us has come and how far it has yet to go. When we got married, it wasn't legal to marry in Australia (where half our family is from) and 10 months later, here we are living in Sydney and celebrating another nation accepting the beauty of love being love.
What was the best thing about your wedding day?
Oh, that's tough! Apart from cementing our love for good, the speeches from everyone on the day: deeply moving, honest and beautiful. The words spoken on that day will never leave us, and they have taken our relationships with those that spoke to a whole new level. If only we all told people how much we love them more often :)
Tell us a little about your story of acceptance, coming out and getting married. Where there any hurdles to jump?
We have both been fortunate in that our families have always accepted us. At the time, the only thing they were upset about was whether we'd be safe against the narrow-minded views of others! Fortunately, nothing awful has ever happened to us. Of course, we have been victim to levels of discrimination, but the world is getting better - even if it doesn't feel like it in the current climate. One of our attendants reminded our guests of the importance of our day in consideration of those that can't tie the knot. It was a very touching sentiment and was part of the reason we continue to share our love on social media: if it provides comfort, support, or hope for just one person then it's worth it. If you asked any of our family if they'd rather we were anything other than who we are they'd say no way!
How did Australia's Marriage Equality postal survey affect you?
We couldn't quite believe it was even going to postal vote! We kept faith that the right decision would be reached, and when it was, we were absolutely ecstatic. Now living in Sydney (Travis' original home, having lived in London the last 8 years until recently) we have never felt more accepted, welcomed and loved. To see so many of our Australian community and their supporters overwhelmed with emotion was so beautiful. We celebrated for days!!
Any words of advice to anyone in the LGBT community finding it difficult dealing with unsupportive family around their wedding planning journey?
Firstly, we're really sorry if that's the case. Lack of understanding can bring out the worst in people no matter how much they love you. Ultimately, you are you. Love is love is love, and no one should ever steal your spotlight when you choose to take the stage in the musical of your life - the show must go on no matter what.
Suppliers
Wedding Date 4th June 2017
Location Gloucestershire, UK
Venue Cowley Manor
Photographer Nick Ray
Suits Yves Saint Laurent
Accessories Alexander McQueen skull cufflinks, socks and pocket squares. Tom Ford bow ties, custom-made shirts by Hands of Napoli, Christian Louboutin shoes
Rings Custom made by Karina Martus (designed by couple - black and white diamonds in platinum)
Florist Flowers By Passion
Cake Curtis and Co
Videographer HD Moments
Entertainment Michelle Lawson; Nero Strings