Today we share A magical Aeolian escape-inspired shoot in the heart of London sent to us by one of our 5 Star Wedding Directory members, Roberta Plans Your Day.
The concept I envisioned for this styled shoot was to welcome the end of Summer with sophisticated style and a glamorous twist for a micro wedding featuring the historic Westminster venue One Great George Street.
This historic building, moments away from Parliament Square and St James Park, was the perfect setting for my Aeolian-inspired colour palette and my design vision.
With its unique central location and classic, elegant design, at the OGGS venue, couples can dream big for their one-of-a-kind wedding day.
The Ambience
The Main Hall with the Grand Staircase sitting under a domed skylight and the Rotunda offered our wedding ceremony shoot an impressive background, reminiscing Stromboli or Vulcano islands.
The talented TBR Floral Design has created unique floral installations for the shoot, mirroring some natural arrangements that organically embraced fresh green foliage, contrasting a delicate blue Delphinium and Hydrangea, Pampas Grass, soft ivory Snowballs, Spray Roses and Dahlias for both ceremony and dining settings.
During the Ceremony, the sitting area featured limewash Chiavari chairs with alternate red and ivory tones pads, dotted by warm distressed gold lanterns beside each seat, located concerning social distance rules.
The Silvermere Duo provided some mesmerizing symphony to a romantic ceremony setting with their cello and acoustic guitar.
The ceremony celebrant, Jennifer Patrice, waited on the Grand Staircase, licensed for holding wedding ceremonies, along with our groom Nathan.
Jessica made her fabulous entrance in the Main Hall, looking drop-dead gorgeous in her ivory Dando London Gemini Gown, kindly selected and provided by the lovely from Lavelle Bridal Couture in Warwick.
She held a teardrop bouquet that included the same blooms as the ceremony floral arrangements, delicately embraced by some silk ribbons, custom made by Pompom Blossom matching the shoot palette.
This crepe satin dress, with its low back and sides, is the most luxurious and fashion-forward wedding dress, fiercely feminine, accentuating Jessica’s radiance beautifully.
Makeupology Bride has created a glowing, dewy, glam make-up look to emphasise Jessica’s natural beauty.
Nathan’s suit was a stylish Hampton navy 3-piece suit with cravat, provided by expensive Knightsbridge Atelier Aristocracy London, and Nathan looked dapper in it.
The dining set was hosted in the Stephenson Room. Its dazzling chandelier looks stunning in the predominantly cobalt décor, and an imperial table sitting against the fireplace display was just epic with floral arrangements designed by the TBR team.
The elegant Westminster venue perfectly recalled my vision of the magical and A-listers’ favourite Panarea Summer sunsets:
The table setup had the 2020 Pantone colour of the year, classic blue, mixed with royal blue chairs. This ice blue damask linen beautifully reflected the blue tapered candlelight and twinkly tealight holders, with contrasting flashes of antique gold urns and elegant round blue hydrangea.
End of Summer blooms complemented the pastel, white and gold mise-en-place and the bespoke invitation and menu suite crafted exclusively for the shoot.
Ananya Cards set the tone perfectly with a luxurious shade of blue and gold stationery suite, featuring the same bold palette as the room and Panarea shoreline, representing some Mediterranean tile patterns, in line with Ananya cards’ strong cultural celebration philosophy.
Both menu and escort cards sat beautifully on a refined ice blue damask linen, perfect for a contemporary yet elegant table style.
Our Stephenson room floral arrangements featured similar ceremony blooms, adding Wax Flower, Lizianthus and Gladys, contrasting wild Dill, Ruscus and Grasses for an effortlessly sophisticated tablescape.
The wedding cake and dessert were created by Claire’s Sweet Temptations, inspired by aeolian solid cultural elements, featuring a Lemon flavoured cake with gold and blue tiles pattern, lemon cake popsicles, almond, and almonds pistachio biscuits, all incredibly styling various Sicilian tiles design.
Claire also produced another strong cultural element, keeping the stylish and edgy dessert table vibe for her wedding favour mini, in the shape of “ex voto”, in bold gold contrasted by a delicate line of tiny pearly beads.
The idea behind the statement desserts is to send them to guests unable to attend the micro wedding.
Mixologist Rui Teixera welcomed my idea to create bespoke cocktails for our Aeolian-inspired shoot, using Panarea Island Gin and Sunset Gin.
He played with a mix of Sicilian ingredients, the perfect pairing for the Sicilian-inspired menu, echoing the luxurious island sunset feel, and the result was just lush!
Suppliers
- Venue – One Great George Street onegreatgeorgestreet.com
- Event planner/shoot organizer – Roberta Plans Your Day robertaplansyourday.com
- Makeup artist and Hairstylist – Makeupology Brides makeupology.co.uk
- Photographer – John Nassari johnnassari.co.uk
- Florals – TBR floral design tbrfloraldesign.co.uk
- Cake and Desserts – Claire’s Sweet Temptations clairessweetemptations.com
- Wedding Dress Gemini by Dando London Lavelle Bridal Couture lavellebridalcouture.co.uk
- Invitations & event stationery – Ananya Cards ananyacards.com
- Groom’s suit – Aristocracy London aristocracy.london
- Furniture – Yahire yahire.com
- Table linen – Northfields Linen linenforhire.co.uk
- Crockery – Whitehouse crockery eventcrockery.co.uk
- Ribbons – Pompom Blossom pompomblossom.com
- The model couple – Jessica John and Nathan Daly
- Musicians- The Silveremere Duo thesilvermereduo.com
- Bespoke cocktails – Pegasus Spirits & Panarea Gin
- panareagin.it
- Celebrant – Jennifer Patrice jenniferpatrice.com
About One George Street
One Great George Street is a stunning and historic venue in the heart of Westminster, London, UK. It is a popular choice for weddings, offering a range of elegant spaces for both the ceremony and reception.
The venue has several beautiful wedding rooms, including the Great Hall, the Telford Theatre, the Brunel Room, and the President’s Room. Each room has its unique character and charm, allowing couples to choose the perfect space to suit their tastes and preferences.
The Great Hall is particularly popular for wedding ceremonies, as it features a stunning marble staircase, ornate chandeliers, and impressive columns. It can accommodate up to 140 guests for a seated ceremony or 200 guests for a standing reception.
The President’s Room is an ideal choice for smaller, more intimate ceremonies. It has a capacity of up to 60 guests and features elegant wood-panelled walls and a beautiful fireplace.
In addition to the beautiful event spaces, One Great George Street offers a range of wedding packages, including everything from catering to entertainment. The venue’s experienced wedding planners are on hand to help couples plan every detail of their special day, ensuring that it is truly unforgettable.
Overall, One Great George Street is a beautiful choice for couples looking for a stunning and sophisticated venue for their wedding. With its beautiful spaces, excellent service, and historic charm, it will surely create a memorable and magical wedding experience.
