A summer wedding at The Retreat and Grubstreet Cellars
KELLY & ANDREW
A relaxed celebration that followed an intimate ceremony at Islington Townhall
Make An Enquiry
The Ceremony
London has been home to Kelly and Andrew for several years, so when it came to choosing a location for their wedding, the city felt like the natural choice. They wanted a day that felt relaxed, opting for an intimate ceremony surrounded by their closest family at Islington Town Hall, where they skipped tradition and walked down the aisle together.
After the ceremony, they took time to enjoy the building’s historic architecture, capturing beautiful portraits on the marble staircase and outside the Town Hall, before making their way to The Brewery for the reception.
Statistics
Number of guests ceremony
15
Number of guests evening
77
Rooms used
2
Reception and Market-Style Wedding Breakfast at The Retreat
With the ceremony complete, Kelly and Andrew’s celebrations continued at The Brewery, beginning in The Retreat – our seasonal outdoor setting available from May through to the end of August within the historic 18th-century courtyard. This is where their guests joined them for the reception and party.
From the outset, the couple knew they wanted to keep their day informal and avoid a three-course seated wedding breakfast. Instead, they chose a relaxed outdoor setting with an open flow, giving guests the freedom to move around, chat, and enjoy the atmosphere. The Retreat was the perfect fit for the style of celebration they had in mind, with guests grazing between market-style food stalls offering plenty of choice, paired with premium wines, craft beers, and cocktails. It struck the balance they were after: sociable and informal, while still feeling high quality, and ideal for a warm August wedding.
To add a playful, interactive element to the day, they included garden games and surprised their guests with a live painter, whose illustrations became a unique favour for everyone to take home.
Once the sun set over the courtyard, guests made their way inside to The Grubstreet Cellars for the after-party.
The after party at the Grubstreet Cellars
For small, intimate weddings at The Brewery, nothing compares to the atmosphere of the Grubstreet Cellars. With its speakeasy vibe, it’s the perfect space to bring all your guests together for a vibrant after-party. The space is made of three rooms, two of which were used for the wedding: the Pasteur Room and the Sample Room.
Kelly and Andrew had one more surprise in store for their guests: a live-built dessert table, complete with dry ice in the Pasteur Room. After seeing it on our Instagram post it’s sure to be a detail you won’t stop thinking about for your own special day.
The dance floor was set in the Sample Room, where DJ Josh Reichman kept everyone on their feet. From Dirty Dancing to Sweet Caroline and Queen, the newlyweds and their loved ones danced the night away.
The Food and Drink
The menu included a canapé reception, a standing menu and evening food – all prepared and served by The Brewery’s in-house team.
Canapés
- Steak and chips – beef tartare, fried hash brown, pickled shallots, bearnaise emulsion
- Chicken Caesar croquette, shaved baby gem, Worcestershire sauce emulsion, crispy chicken skin with kombu seasoning
- Smoked salmon, English toasted muffin, soft quail egg, basil hollandaise sauce
- Carrot tartare, tapioca crisp, tarragon & carrot emulsion (VE)
- Mac & cheese bite, truffled emulsion, crispy shallots (V)
- Truffled goat’s cheese, parmesan crisp, dehydrated cherry tomato, balsamic caviar pearls (V)
Standing Menu
- Chicken katsu, sushi rice, smacked cucumber ribbons & Asian slaw
- Japanese aubergine katsu, sushi rice, smacked cucumber ribbons & Asian slaw (VE)
- Pulled lamb shoulder, pickled red cabbage, tomato salad, garlic & citrus yoghurt
- Grilled sirloin of beef, garlic-buttered ciabatta, rocket, caramelised onions & chimichurri aioli
- Cajun truffled mushroom, baby gem lettuce, beef tomato & toasted ciabatta (VE)
- Beef pie, mash, liquor
- Veggie pie mash, liquor (VE)
Cheese Board
- Chef's selection of cheeses
- Served with quince chutney, grapes, biscuits & crackers
Interactive Dessert Table
- Dry ice bowl in centre with vanilla and chocolate ice cream
- Dark chocolate and Maldon salt, fudgy cookie bites
- Chocolate feuilletine cremeux
- Black forest yule logs
- White chocolate bars with cranberries and apricots
- Milk chocolate bars with raisins and marshmallows
- Chocolate brownies
- Dark milk and white chocolate sauces
- Milk chocolate and salted caramel tarts
- Chocolate espuma
The Suppliers
Kelly and Andrew’s day came together with the help of a talented group of suppliers:
- Photographer: Edward Umpa
- DJ: Josh Reichman
- Live Painter: Jen Darling
Thank you SO much – we couldn’t have asked for a better day. The Retreat and the Grubstreet Cellars were absolutely perfect, and exactly what we wanted. The food was incredible, and our guests were so impressed by the live dessert table – everyone loved it. Thank you again to the wonderful team at The Brewery. We already want to do it all again!
Kelly & Andrew
Make An Enquiry
Related Case Studies
