The moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived! Same sex marriage is now legal in the UK! From the trendy A Most Curious Wedding Fair comes the highly anticipated One Love Wedding Show; the show is a partnership between A Most Curious Wedding and Ruby +Diva dedicated to creative same sex couples. There will be over 70 suppliers showcased at the event, one of which is Sammy Aki, The Groom Style Consultant. We caught up with Sammy to find out about her contribution in this amazing wedding event.
Hi Sammy, tell us, what is the One Love Wedding Show?
The One Love Wedding Show is an innovative Gay and Lesbian wedding show taking place this October at The Hospital Club a well-known London creative hub. Spearheaded by the fabulous Becky Hoh- Hale from A Most Curious Wedding Fair and Sara Smyth from unique bridal boutique Ruby + Diva. They have come together to provide gay and lesbian couples with an inspirational, design led, and quality wedding show. Becky and Sara have a very special belief that love is the same no matter who it is between, in whatever combination. This Wedding Fair celebrates the ONE love that can be found between any engaged couple. And that is always worth celebrating. That is what this show will celebrate.
How did you get involved in One Love?
For the past two seasons I have been working closely with Becky Hoh- Hale to provide a bespoke styling service for Grooms attending A Most Curious Wedding Fair. I have always felt that men have been left out of the wedding experience and wanted to provide a service for all men, one that they could fully indulge and get involved in. Clients are able to undergo a full consultancy where I identify the styling needed to create their perfect outfit for their wedding either making them made to measure or bespoke suits as well as including a personal shopping session. For me I enjoy making guys look good together and with this show I feel that there will be many couples who want just that, to look and feel good together and express this to all their friends and family.
Your styled grooms have been splashed all over the One Love Wedding Show website. What are your favorite trends for A/W grooms?
It was such a fun shoot to do and work with such a creative team. With the shoot I wanted to show that couples can coordinate and look fantastic together without having to wear the same thing or even the same colours. I love working with different textures and tones and my relationship with the tailoring houses on Savile Row enable me to do this with my clients. With this in mind I love the velvet smoking jackets and slippers appearing this season and think this looks great for a candle lit November wedding on a country estate.
What, in your opinion, is a groom’s biggest fashion faux pas?
Wearing clothes that don’t fit and blindly following trends.
What are you most excited to see at the One Love Wedding Show?
It’s always the people; they bring me the most inspiration. I enjoy meeting fantastic and genuine suppliers and clients from all cultures and connecting with them to produce something new and special.
Do you think recent same sex legislations will herald in a new fashion trend for grooms looking to tie the knot?
I don’t believe in fashion trends as such but I do think that gay grooms will be able to find more offerings with brands speaking directly to them however this then needs to be sifted through in order to tailor them especially to their needs.
I do think that those same-sex couples that are choosing to get married will take it much more seriously in terms of ‘the big day’. The word ‘marriage’ has more connotations to planning a wedding, the clothes, the cake, and the venue. Whereas Civil Partnership sounds very stiff and something you do quickly in a town hall! So in short, yes. Because now that it’s more ‘wedding’ focused, gay grooms will put a focus and importance to what they wear and will be looking for something more than the traditional Bridegroom tails, they will want to enjoy the process as well.
The One Love Wedding Show is on 20th October from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Sammy Aki can be found at info@sammyaki.com
Images via Aki Akiwumi, Robbins Photographic
