The pandemic meant that for many brides their plans were disrupted. Irene Forte is a skincare entrepreneur who tied the knot in a small ceremony in London in 2020. Super stylish in a bridal suit, Irene’s makeup look was created by Karina Constantine who has acted as something of a mentor to me.

Irene’s father, Sir Rocco Forte, is a hotelier, so Irene took the opportunity to have a larger celebration, nearly a year to the day after her first nuptials, at her family’s Verdura Resort, with a Catholic service beforehand. This time, Irene opted for an early evening church ceremony, followed by a huge reception at her father’s resort. Guests included VIP friends of the couple including Princess Eugenie and Cressida Bonas.

The bridesmaids all wore full-length gowns which were designed by the bride’s mother. All the dresses picked up on colours from the floral decoration on the day at the reception and in the church. The pink handmade crochet dresses were made in collaboration with the bride’s mum and dressmakers in Sicily. Understandably, the wedding was running at a tight schedule. Karina and Leila were looking after the bride, mother of the bride, and sister and I had between 30-40 minutes for each bridesmaid. The day started at 11 am and the bride and her party left for the church around 4 pm.

The bride changed things up from informal waves for her London ceremony to a sleek modern twist for her Italian nuptials. Both of her looks were created by Leila Karalic who switched effortlessly between the two perfect bridal looks.