5 Ideas to creating a memorable wedding

Whether you are planning a wedding in summer spring or winter, thinking of your guests will make for a standout and memorable wedding. Add touches that are venue and season-specific. For example, for a high summer wedding- how about providing personal fans? flip flops for the late-night dancing or an outdoor wedding in the blaring sun- how about having large umbrellas ( personalised to the theme of course) available.

For both the white and traditional wedding, some specific traditions and ceremonies need to take place. Design these areas and look at how all guests will interact with them. Is there somewhere for kids to play if you are having children at your wedding? what about a guest with a newborn or those aunty's who cannot stand long at the cocktail hour for example?

Or what about a lounge area for the afterparty? think low seating, sofas and somewhere for guests to unwind and party following the formalities of your day- Louge areas are always memorable!

Nothing says memorable for your guests than coming to your wedding and seeing both of you reflected in everything from the design, location and drinks. 

Many elements such as programs, menus and table settings can be personalised with your images ( from your pre-wedding shoot) or your wedding logo. When personalising your day, think of your favourite places, scents and even shapes and speak with your wedding planner and designer to help you incorporate them.

With African and Multicultural weddings, there are so many festivities that need to take place for both the white and traditional ceremony. When planning, look at ways of putting your stamp on them and making them personal to you both. Your guests may have attended many traditional weddings in the community for example so changing an aspect of it ( but remaining authentic) would stand out.

Think of which ceremony will take place when in the program. There are also many ceremonies with the white wedding- if you don't want to throw the bouquet or want to serve street-style food instead that is up to you. There is no set formula or right way to organise the program for your wedding day.

Have fun in everything and remember that everyone you invite is there for both of you with love. It is your day and you have control. It may be easy to get caught up in small details such as the exact colour swatch of the napkins or having food served at 18:00 hours specifically! 

African Fairytale wedding

This wedding was spectacular, to say the least, and went viral afterwards and was especially a hit on Instagram!

We joined the couple in planning 8 months before the wedding and from the very beginning, I knew how special this wedding would be. We worked with Jane and Azeez to create personal touches that incorporated both cultures and honoured both the Rwandese and Nigerian guests in attendance.

The day started at the Savoy Hotel where the bridal party prepped their hair and make up with the Deborah Lola and Edith Williams team in the Bride’s Suite, before heading downstairs to the Abraham Lincoln suite for the ceremony. For the Muslim Nikah ceremony and vows, we envisaged a floral canopy being the backdrop and a great compliment to the art deco in the room. We enlisted one of London’s top floral company’s Kuy and Co florals to decorate, and the room was breathtaking, to say the least! The intimate ceremony was followed by a reception in the adjoining Manhattan room where guests drank champagne and sampled the Savoy Hotels finest Canapés & a selection of oriental and eastern dishes with Michelin star service.

For the 500 guests invited for the evening’s reception, we headed to North London’s largest venue- Meridian Grand.

The wedding was themed “fairytale” and for that our friends Enchanted by Syma created a bespoke set and stage along with a dance floor and walkway which adorned large florals and fairytale creatures. The set included features such as two water fountains, over 50 tables adorned with beautiful floral arrangements and one of our biggest set designs to date. No detail was left to chance to make sure that each guest was well looked after no matter where they sat in the ballroom.

Guests were ushered to their seats to the sounds of DJ Neptizzle before the reception began. one of the things we worked on during planning was an evening program which involved both families and reflected the couple's personalities. Our MC Eddie Kadi guided the evening effortlessly from the entrances and entertainment such as games before taking us through an evening of entertainment that saw Ballerina’s, London’s leading Rwandese dancers and special performances by Nigeria’s top Musicians King Wasiu Ayinde & Davido.

Rwanda in London

When my lifelong Friends Eric & Delphine asked me to plan their wedding with them I was honoured! For one, it’s a union our community has awaited for years! A Rwandan Wedding in London and of course , wedding planning is my passion turned profession.

From our initial conversation, one thing they emphasised was they wanted a wedding with meaning and one that reflects their relationship and heritage. Culture is a strong part of Rwandan Weddings- Even following the Gusaba (traditional Rwandan wedding/ Knocking) the white wedding is steeped in many traditions and ceremonies that I myself had to find out the meaning of each.

Orsett hall hotel was our reception venue and where the bridal party and family stayed before and after the wedding. Guests flew in from all over the world such as New Zealand, South Africa and the states so the 450 guests were in good hands with the EBP team and vendors for the day.

Delphine and the bridesmaids were glammed up by Deborah Lola and Edith Williams and Wore Custom Peridot Cobalt blue gowns which were seamlessly designed and a perfect fit for each girl. One of the difficult things is finding a silhouette that all bridesmaids will love and look good in. Peridot Official was an amazing choice for our bridesmaids!

Anthony’s London created a bespoke suit for our groom befitting of this worthy occasion. Eric was dapper and along with the 9 groomsmen who were all elegant in their navy blue attire. One of my favourite parts was the individual gifts Eric prepared for his boys as they stood by his side on his wedding. We had 9 customised whisky flasks presented to the groomsmen in the morning before they headed out to the church ceremony. Personal Touches such as these really enhance the day and are a wonderful way to show gratitude to your bridal party.

Following the photo shoot with the girls in the morning, our Bride looked stunning headed to the seventh Day Adventist church ceremony held in the couple’s home church. The ceremony was touching, with music from the couple’s family and a special rendition from the Grooms mum and her friends of a song they sang to her on her wedding day 30 years ago in Rwanda- a tradition of welcoming the bride into her new family following the vows.

Throughout the planning, Delphine was always clear on her vision for the reception in terms of the colour pallet, feel and overall look! We went with the Amazing Lux collection from Anaiah Grace- an elegant and regal tablescape with hues of blush and purple. Candlelight created the backdrop for the romantic reception with ample floating candles in mixed sized cylinder vases and hanging bauble tea lights.

One of my favourite designs was of the wedding Logo which incorporated rich florals along with the elegant gold infinity circle surrounding the couple’s initials. The Logo was centre stage on all stationery such as Invitations, menu cards and framed the reception on the dancefloor.

Guests were welcomed into the reception with a traditional drumming ceremony that mesmerised everyone before the official procession from the families and bridal party. The night saw a host of entertainment from traditional Rwandese dancing to games played with the couple and a few performances from traditional drummers. The reception itself was anchored in the strong cultural traditions of our couple with speeches, presentations of gifts and heart-warming votes of thanks from both families.

Congo Meets Ghana

On first meeting with Stephanie at Claridge’s hotel for our consultation, I knew instantly we would be a fit! Straight away, it was clear this multi-cultural celebration spanning two continents was about to be spectacular! The Bride from Ghana and Groom from Congo had great plans for a bilingual wedding that celebrated both cultures in the heart of Central London.

From the traditional wedding we were fortunate to be able to familiarise ourselves with the families so when it came to the big wedding on July 20th 2019, it was like seeing old friends again!

PLANNING

The planning phase is always exciting me; I love everything about wedding design and planning and how we take a blank canvas, infuse the couples’ taste and needs to produce a wedding that truly reflects them. We always start with a moodboard and look at wedding branding such as the logo, colour schemes and overall feel before instructing our carefully selected suppliers to help us bring the vision to life.

London’s most Central Venue Northumberland Avenue was the chosen venue for its grand ballroom, various rooms available and late finish time of 2am!

The guest experience is always at the forefront in all planning and decision making, I always look to how each guest will be guided through the day from the initial invitation ( we had beautiful acrylic Bilingual invitations created) to the actual day being guided to church, the reception and their onward journey.

The Grooms family came from Belgium, France and Congo so we hired 4 coaches to transport them through the various locations for the day and take out the hassle of finding their own way. Each coach had a bilingual hostess on board who was the point of contact and assisted with any queries. (They came really handy when a coach dropped off guests at the top of a road and told guests to walk 10 minutes up the road at the wrong location!) Needless to say, all guests arrived safe and sound, well hydrated and on time at each of the locations.

THE BIG DAY

We started the day at Bride’s apartment for hair by the talented Kirby of Platinum Tresses and celebrity make-up artist Alexandrina of Alexiglam who glammed up our Bride and Bridesmaids ready for the day. Prep was followed by a photo and video shoot that captured a beautiful gift from the Groom to his Bride on their wedding day.

In the heart of central London, the Groom too prepped with his groomsmen ahead of their morning photoshoot with Zapfoto before heading to the church service in Hampstead.

Following the service and mini reception in the grounds of Hampstead free Church, cars arrived in 5 minute intervals to transport guests to the reception where they were greeted by the EBP hostess team, while the Bridal party were whisked off to Mayfair for a Royal photoshoot and dress change for our bride at the Ritz Hotel.

At the reception, the guest experience began in the Annex which held cocktail hour with food from Favour Catering (who wowed us with Traditional delecacies the whole evening), the bespoke photo area and had live jazz & soul music. This room was relaxed and warm with food circulating and drinks flowing before guests were ushered by their hostess upstairs to take their place at one of the 150 place settings each with a handwritten place card with their name (so many compliments and many took them home)

The reception was magical! Everything from the place settings, tablescapping and entertainment was planned with the guest experience at the forefront. The uber talented team at Enchanted By Syma created the dream reception for our couple which included hues of blush, ivory and white peonies, roses and hydrangeas with foliage. One of my favourite aspects of the reception setting was the half-moon gold and white tables that added and extra special touch to the floor plan. A combination of candlelight and gobo lighting was used to set the romantic scene throughout.

This wedding reception was beautiful in not only the look but in the moments created for both the couple and the guests. We were guided through the love story of the couple with moving speeches, (Stephanie surprised her groom and new family with a speech in French) there was ample entertainment in the form of a Congolese Live band, Ghanaian dancers and DJ set to end the party!