Together with their families
Lacewood House, Hancock Park, Los Angeles
May 22, 2027
You are invited
Before we ever shared a table, we shared a postbox: two years of letters between Los Angeles and Edinburgh, written by hand, carried by airmail and kept in a shoebox under the bed. This spring we would like to say the rest out loud. Come to Lacewood House on a Saturday afternoon in May for vows in the rose courtyard, tea in the garden room and dancing in the old ballroom until the candles burn low.
190
days until May 22
Our story
2019 · Los Angeles
Celeste bought a worn copy of Neruda's love sonnets from a shop on Larchmont. Tucked inside was a postcard of Edinburgh with a return address and one line: "If this book finds you, tell me which one you love." She wrote back that evening.
2019 to 2021 · by airmail
Henry answered in fountain pen. Then she did. Then neither of us could stop. Thin blue envelopes, stamps from both sides of the Atlantic, and one pressed garden rose that is still between pages forty and forty-one.
2022 · Edinburgh
We met on a wet October morning at Waverley station, each holding the other's last letter in case we didn't recognise each other. We did. Henry moved to Los Angeles the following spring.
2026 · Hancock Park
On her birthday Henry handed Celeste an envelope addressed in her own handwriting: her very first letter to him. Inside, folded into the same page, was a ring.
2027 · Lacewood House
Yes, in person this time, with everyone we love in the room.
The day
3:30 pm
Through the garden gate
Lemonade and sparkling rose water under the magnolia while the quartet tunes up.
4:00 pm
The rose courtyard
Vows under the colonnade, read from letters we wrote to each other by hand. It's short, and there will be tissues on every chair.
4:45 pm
The garden room
Tea in china cups, petits fours and Henry's grandmother's shortbread. There's a writing desk with paper and stamps: leave us a note to open on our first anniversary.
6:30 pm
The ballroom
A seated dinner by candlelight, a few short toasts, then the dance floor until eleven.
10:45 pm
Under the colonnade
Lavender to toss and one last waltz in the courtyard before the cars.
What to wear
Long dresses or tea-length, suits in soft tones; lace, silk and linen are all welcome. Think ivory paper, faded rose, airmail blue and dove grey. The courtyard is old stone, so block heels will thank you.
Coffee, pastries and the last of the cake in the garden room from ten. Bring your sunglasses and any stories from the night before.
Getting there
Lacewood House sits on a quiet tree-lined street between Larchmont Village and Wilshire Boulevard. Burbank airport is about 30 minutes away and LAX about 45, depending on traffic. There's valet parking at the garden gate, but we'd love you to take a car home after the dancing. (Lacewood House is invented for this demo.)
Open in mapsWhere to stay
Mention our names when you book. Rooms are held until April 15, and there's a note waiting on your pillow.
A small 1920s hotel with a fountain courtyard and very good breakfast pastries, a short walk from Larchmont.
Book a roomLarger, quieter and closer to the freeway, with a rooftop pool and a car service to the gate.
Book a roomMake a weekend of it
If you're in town on Friday, walk Larchmont Boulevard for coffee, a bookshop or two and the little stationer where Celeste buys her paper. Sunday morning there's a farmers market around the corner, and we'll be in the garden room from ten with coffee, pastries and whatever cake survived.
Good to know
If your invitation names one, yes. The ballroom seats exactly the people we've written to, so please check yours before you reply.
Yes, at the ceremony and the tea. From dinner onwards there's a sitter and a film in the library, so parents can dance.
Valet at the garden gate from 3:15 pm. If you'd like to raise a glass at dinner, a rideshare home is easy from the front steps.
Please do. There's a writing desk at tea with paper, pens and stamps. We'll keep every note sealed until our first anniversary.
Please keep your phone away during the ceremony so everyone can see the vows, not the screens. After that, take as many as you like.
Registry
Your company is the present. If you'd still like to give something, here are two ideas close to our hearts.
RSVP
Please reply by April 1. One reply per household; we'll answer every one.
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