Music publicist Iris Herscovici and Joe Falconer, the guitarist for indie band Circa Waves, met the old-school way—in a bar late one night. He was DJing her then-flatmate’s work Christmas party when he played “Celebrity Skin” by Hole. “I was like, ‘That’s my jam,’” Iris remembers. “Within a month, I told him that I loved him and accidentally called him by my ex’s name—luckily, he stuck around. A year later, we were going steady, and he was squatting in my room. We’ve been inseparable ever since—developing our own little lingo, traveling the world, and making a home together with our Cavapoochon Peggy.”
Their engagement was a low-key but nonetheless special event. They had planned to go on a picnic on a Tuesday afternoon to bask in the sun in Hampstead Heath. “I remember going up the hill to an overview of London and noting how romantic our spot was,” Iris says. “While playing fetch with Peggy, I looked back and the ring of my dreams was in front of me. It was an immediate ‘Yes!’ We then popped the champagne and later that night went straight to the pub!”
The couple’s wedding was scheduled for August 30, 2020, and they were lucky enough to be able to keep their original date amid the pandemic. “We, however, had to downsize the party from 250 guests to 30 people, and our ceremony from 30 to 6,” Iris notes. Their original party venue was a night club in East London—a location they chose because it was open until 4:00 a.m., and they wanted DJs and bands playing all night long. Their theme was a 70s disco—“Music is so important in both of our lives, and we love dancing!” Iris says. “We also love gold, which was a big part of our color palette.”
Much like so many other couples right now, Iris and Joe had to pivot their plans because of the pandemic. “As soon as we realized that my friends and family in Canada weren’t going to be able to travel for a while, we decided we would downscale the event and go ahead with the original date. We knew we were dedicated to each other and with the turmoil of the year, we wanted to be sure we could still get married,” Iris says. “My parents were happy to travel and quarantine before the ceremony, which ensured we were willing to go ahead.”
They ended up doing an intimate dinner with their closest friends at a pub in East London. “So although the stress levels leading up to the date and whether or not the wedding would happen were high,” Iris admits, “we were able to level that out with the ease of having a small intimate ceremony and a laidback dinner party.”
Due to lockdown restrictions in London, the bride couldn’t go dress shopping in person, so she embarked on an online search. “That’s when I came across Kitri’s first bridal collection,” she says. “It fit! And I wore gold 70s platforms to match our 70s dream wedding.”
She accessorized with an ostrich-feather headband by Alessandra Rich and a gold locket from the early 1900s that belonged to her great-great-great-grandmother. Meanwhile, Joe did his part to dress on-theme by wearing flared trousers and a suit with peak lapels that was purchased from a vintage shop called Penny Lane while he was on tour in Amsterdam.
Unfortunately, the flowers didn’t arrive on time, so Chris Tyler, one of the couple’s best friends, ran to Evergreen and Outrageous, where they were able to pull together a beautiful bouquet in less than ten minutes (just five minutes before the ceremony).
Once the bride had her bouquet in hand, the ceremony started at Clissold House in Stoke Newington, London. “We always walked by and admired it with our dog Peggy,” Iris says. “We also spent many drunken afternoons in Clissold Park during our dating days.”
Only six people were in attendance at the service. “It was a surreal feeling because the room was so cold, and everyone was wearing masks. It was bizarre, but also intimate and reassured us that we were doing the right thing.”
After the ceremony, the small group gathered at The Prince N16 for a traditional Sunday roast and a layered heart-shaped chocolate Guinness cake with cream cheese frosting by friend, baker, and food stylist Sophie Garwood. “Although my Canadian friends were unable to make it, Joe made sure we had a cardboard cut-out of Drake to make it feel like home. We were grateful to see our friends and family in one place—because of COVID, we weren’t able to have any events, parties, or celebrations, and this was the first time were able to see everyone enjoying themselves in real life. And in the end, I was just happy to marry my best friend.”