Sarah Lindsay was at the gym when she first crossed paths with Richard Phillipps. “I had recently retired from sport and came back home to London, ready to start the next chapter in my life as a personal trainer,” she shares. “Rich was already a very well-established coach and worked out of the gym where I started my first job. He helped mentor me and built my confidence as a trainer, and it was soon very clear that we had feelings for each other. We fell fast and it was like nothing else we had ever felt.”
Over the next five years, the couple supported each other in their endeavors and opened their own gym together called Roar Fitness. When they decided to treat themselves to a November holiday in New York City, Richard proposed to Sarah in Central Park.
“WE FELL FAST AND IT WAS LIKE NOTHING ELSE WE HAD EVER FELT.”
The wedding planning process was soon in the works, with a date set for the following summer and a guest list of 130 people. “Organizing a wedding is not my idea of fun, so we got the help of the Snapdragon London team who were truly amazing,” says Sarah. “All we had to do were the fun bits like choosing flowers and sampling cakes. The whole build up was such a joy rather than stressful.”
When the big day arrived, the bride got ready with her mom and girlfriends, enjoying quality time and a fair amount of champagne. The groom was at home in Surrey, prepping with friends and his son, Ethan. Once it was time for the ceremony, pink roses filled the space as the bride and her father walked down the aisle to a string quartet performing “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses – one of the couples’ favorite bands.
“I was so, so happy when I saw Rich and he said that all his nerves left him when he saw me,” the bride recalls. “Our ceremony was short but beautiful, and we walked back down the aisle together with our dear friend, Pixie Lott, singing an incredible version of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’.”
After enjoying a cocktail hour of free-flowing champagne, guests were invited into an exquisitely styled banquet room for a family-style dinner. Since speaking in front of people “filled him with utter dread,” Richard told Sarah that he would get up only to thank everyone for attending. “What happened next was the absolute highlight of the day for me,” Sarah describes. “Rich walked up to the stage and delivered the most amazing poem that he had written, all about me and how he felt about me – not a dry eye in the house. I never thought he would do something like that, as he is a bit of a tough guy and not one to usually share much emotion. It’s something I will remember forever.”
The rest of the evening was filled with three indulgent dessert tables with a six-tiered wedding cake, hours of dancing, some hula hooping, and an after party at White City Soho House.
One day later, the newlyweds jetted off to Hawaii for an active honeymoon of hiking, climbing, swimming, and enjoying the local cuisine.
WEDDING TALENT
Wedding Dress: Kate Halfpenny: Groom’s Attire: Thom Sweeny
