To allow her dresses to do the talking, Banks kept her accessories minimal, opting for shoes by Jimmy Choo and wearing her engagement jewelry, plus a bracelet borrowed from her sister. She took a similar approach to her beauty look for the ceremony, with her make-up artist Charlie Riddle focusing on a luminous complexion, with softly lined eyes and rose-hued lips for a romantic feel. Meanwhile, her hairstylist Philipp Verheyen had the brief of “Jillian meets Banks,” so that the bride looked both like herself and her musical alter-ego, with a little bit of goth thrown in for good measure. He emphasized her face with an elegant bun, tied with white lace matching her dress, pulling the whole look together.
The couple took a unique approach to their wedding weekend by having a small, intimate ceremony in a secret wildflower garden near their Seattle home on the Friday, saving the party for the following night. “We did our vows in private before the ceremony,” shares Banks. “It was such a special moment, and I’m glad we kept it to just us.”
After their vows, the couple joined their family for the official ceremony, with Banks’s niece acting as flower girl and her father walking her down the aisle to “Baby” by Donnie and Joe Emerson. The ceremony was officiated by Banks’s dear friend Alison Crowley, who she credits with doing a great job at bringing the couple’s love story to life. And despite it being sunny for a month straight prior to the wedding day, it of course rained. “But actually, it made it more beautiful and cinematic,” she laughs. Afterwards, guests headed to Carmines, one of the couple’s favorite Italian restaurants nearby. “Our dads gave speeches and we ate our favorite dishes,” she remembers. “Then my aunt threw us a welcome party at a swanky bar nearby, Black Bottle, and I changed into an amazing Grace Loves Lace beaded minidress to start the real celebrations.”
After a morning spent doing puppy yoga (“honestly, my favourite part of the whole wedding!” she jokes), 200 of the couple’s friends and family gathered on Saturday evening for a party at The Nest at the Thomson Hotel. “We took over the entire top floor, where the Seattle skyline wrapped around us 360 degrees,” explains Banks. Following the simplicity and romance of the ceremony the previous day, this was an opportunity for the couple to let their hair down, with the popstar opting for a show-stopping asymmetrical Versace party dress (“again, the first thing I saw online!”) and a fun make-up look inspired by the 1960s. “I had so much fun with my glam that night,” the singer shares. “We did a ’60s updo with a very Cleopatra-esque eye. It was one of my favorite looks I’ve ever worn.” There was no official schedule or entertainment, just one of Drew’s friends hopping on the decks. “I know so many DJs, but I love that it was one of my husband’s childhood friends who ended up doing the music,” she laughs.
Just over a week later, Banks has the following advice to anyone planning their own wedding. “I think it’s important to do your wedding your own way,” she says. “The pressure to follow the classic traditions is less important than feeling like you are being honored in how you celebrate. I’m so happy we did it in a way that reflected our unique personalities and taste.”