After being introduced at a dinner during Paris Fashion Week, Rae & Etienne – a fashion stylist and fashion director respectively – went on to work together when she was invited to style his collection and ended up becoming the best of friends, before it turned into romance. After getting engaged in Ibiza, and not wanting your typical wedding celebration, the couple chose to hold their wedding on the island and to take everyone to one of their favourite restaurants. As always from TAYLOR & PORTER, the images of their day are just sublime.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS LOCATION? When they’d spent time in Ibiza before, Rae and Etienne typically favoured the north where it’s more private and there are beautiful views of the sunset. So for the wedding, They searched high and low there for the wedding, and ultimately found an old traditional Spanish style villa near Portinatx.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROPOSAL: We had been seeing each other for a little more than a year when we became engaged in Ibiza. We had just started our holiday and were staying at our favourite hotel Les Terrasses. Etienne had been acting a bit reserved and strange during the first two days. I didn’t understand what was wrong with him, especially as this was the start of our month-long holiday. That night, we went out to dinner with some old friends, and when we got back to the hotel later that evening, I asked what was bothering him. He got a bit nervous and said, ‘I have something to ask you.’ My response was ‘Okay . . . ‘ Side note: I was already in bed, retainer in, glasses on, and it was about 2:00 a.m. He then reach into his suitcase, pulled out a ring that he had designed, and asked if I would be his wife. It was beautifully imperfect and sweet.
TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR WEDDING DRESS: For the main event, Rae approached her wedding dress search like she would a client’s and spent a lot of time mood boarding, pulling vintage Vionnet dresses from the 1930s as well as some old Narciso Rodriguez and Ralph Lauren gowns from the ’90s. “I did not look at what other girls had been wearing as I really wanted to find something I felt comfortable in, but that also felt like myself,” Rae explains. “My mother forced a few bridal appointments on me, but nothing worked!” Rae also shopped every vintage boutique she could find between New York and London. Ultimately, her bridesmaid Sophie, who was working with bridal designer Delphine Manivet, stepped in. She suggested Rae meet with Delphine about creating something custom. “We met, and I just adored her,” Rae says. “She made me feel so comfortable and did such a beautiful job. It was a bit last minute, and I was fitting up until about a week before the wedding, but it was a very special experience!”
The morning of the wedding, Rae got ready with her bridesmaids in a vintage Miu Miu slip dress that Etienne bought for her. “On top of that, I wore a lace kimono style robe from the 1920s that I sourced from a vintage boutique in London,” she says. Her getting-ready look was followed by many an outfit change! The first dress of the day was the custom Delphine Manivet gown. “A sapphire stud earring that my sister gave me was my something blue, and I kept in all of my little hoop earrings,” Rae says.
DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS: The terraces and patio were transformed into a bar garnished with greenery, while the dinner was held in the garden around the villa’s swimming pool, overlooking the ocean. Guests were seated at long tables where family and friends were mixed together. Boris Buono from Ibiza Food Studio was the chef for the evening, assisted by caterer Fiona Frith, and a signature spritz was served along with mezcal-infused oysters, gazpacho verde, various tapas, and Iberic lamb or Mediterranean fish for the main dish. For dessert, vegan cakes made by the couple’s friends Sullivan Hoziaux and Marie Vial from Up Grain in Brussels were a hit.
FAVOURITE DETAIL OF THE DAY: After the ceremony, the couple’s good friend Stefan Jovičić drove the newlyweds back up to the villa in a white Mini Moke. “We arrived at the cocktail hour and everyone was cheering and clapping,” Rae says. “It was such an emotional and beautiful feeling to have all of your closest friends and family there to celebrate and to be so happy for you. We were so lucky!”
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? Before the dancing really got started, Rae’s father, Garry Boxer, gave a speech and sang a song called “Raeby Baby” that he had written—it moved almost everyone to tears. Rae remembers “the whole party singing the chorus together. It was a moment I’ll never forget!”
