Opulent 18th Century London Wedding Inspiration At Spencer House

https://vimeo.com/548475175

Intertwining the grandeur and opulence of 18th century London to the neoteric chic of the present day

In its heyday in Georgian times, Spencer House was the setting for numerous lavish parties, hosted by the first Earl Spencer and his wife, and attended by the cream of London’s high society, or “The Ton”, a term which all Bridgerton fans will recognise – derived from “le bon ton’ meaning manners or etiquette. My desire was to create a style that would honour the rich history of the venue whilst appealing to couples from today’s global fashionable elite

Creative Director of Couture Events, Susannah Parker, says

When visiting Spencer House, I was immediately struck by the magnificent 18th-century chandeliers featuring throughout the venue – so delicate and fragile yet symbolic of endurance and longevity.

These chandeliers, as illuminators and reflectors of light, became a metaphor to me as we navigate our way out of the 2020 global pandemic – banishing darkness and guiding us forward into a new normal, reflecting on what we have experienced, on what we have learned about ourselves, our motivations, and our priorities, honouring the past and those we lost whilst offering grace and hope for our future.

Building on the enduring beauty of crystal as my inspiration,

I wove this element into every touchpoint of my design, in ways which interlaced

timelessness and sophistication with innovation and contemporary design.”

All the crystal elements were perfectly complemented by the colour palette of our chosen Mise En Scene, the unrivalled Palm Room, the architectural climax of the ground floor of Spencer House, with its gilded architectural features, and delicate green and pink accents, which again I incorporated through my design, offsetting the softness of the palette with dramatic, contemporary black elements.

Stationery Suite

Our theme of timeless luxury starts with our stationery suite – meticulously, individually hand-painted on artisan paper by a master artist, and designed to become treasured heirlooms for future generations. These individual works of art are designed for the modern couple wanting a distinctly one of a kind wedding stationery suite that will never be repeated.

Bridal Party Styling

The first bridal look was super formal, in keeping with the magnificence of the venue.

The incredibly ornate crystal embellishments, luxurious heavy golden fabric and incredible cut of the haute couture Helen Gown by Milla Nova was just perfect for the vision;

I offset the classicism of the gown with a chic, modern handmade crystal hairpiece, statement earrings and modern middle parting and red carpet make-up.

I then added a modern twist to the look with a pair of dramatic black heels with a silk ribbon tie.

Our bride was accompanied by our groom wearing immaculate, timeless white tie and tails, reserved for only the most formal of occasions.

For the second, more playful look, I restyled the couple into their more informal ‘going away’ attire – a fabulously fluid yet heavily embellished bridal gown by Chosen by Khya and a snappy white dinner jacket for our groom – perfect for making their dramatic exit as they dashed off on honeymoon in their roaring AC Cobra!

Tablescape

I wanted to contrast the neo classism of The Palm Room with a tablescape that is full of contemporary design elements.

I commissioned a bespoke gold mirror table, with complimentary gold and white leather chairs which I styled with carefully chosen tableware featuring crystal charger plates and cut glass crystal stemware; in contrast to the classic formality of the antique style cut glass tableware, I chose contemporary white and gold cutlery and statement gold and crystal napkin rings. 

The look was finished off with the most striking, ultra-modern tall crystal candelabra.

Floral Design

For the floral design, we created a luxuriously high-density floral runner, styled at varying heights throughout the length of the table and finishing in a dramatic floral tumble to the floor. The antique tones of the florals – champagne, soft pinks – toned perfectly with the surroundings and the blooms had been specifically prepared to be ‘overblown’ which we predict will be a big floral trend in 2022.

Wedding Cakes

5 incredible wedding cakes were created for the shoot.

The opulent green, gold and white splendour of the Palm room were replicated in the beautiful 6 tier rococo grand wedding cake. Elizabeth used unusual shapes for the cake from the petal-shaped bottom tier to the tapered 3rd and 4th tiers. The decorations included gold swag and drop detailing, high baroque scrolls, palms and acanthus. The result was a tall and stunning piece of art that worked beautifully with the opulent room.

White wafer paper wedding cake

Elizabeth also created a 4 tier white confection inspired by the huge wedding dress. She covered the avant-garde cake in textured wafer paper, edible white glitter squares, edible glitter and edible pearls and non-parelis to mimic the glitter and textures on the dress. The cake was finished with pink sugar flowers to create a pretty effect.

Black wedding cake

The inspiration for the one-tier black wedding cake was the incredible hand-painted stationery from Crimson Letters. Elizabeth used edible gold, edible copper and edible red paint to create the round garland and the cake topper were fresh blooms from WildAbout. In these days of intimate weddings where every detail counts, this is an example of meaningful personalisation that resonates with couples.

Gold wedding cake

The gold, square bas relief wedding cake was inspired by the acanthus leaf ceiling roses of the Palm room. The cake was also topped with pink sugar roses, gold leaves, gold butterflies and gold berries.

Green hand-painted wedding cake

The unusual pale green hand-painted wedding cake was dabbled with pink paint and gold leaf. It was then decorated with rice paper sails, gold rosettes and pink sugar flowers. This cake will appeal to couples looking for a more contemporary wedding cake that references the venue for their celebration.

The Team

Venue: https://www.spencerhouse.co.uk @spencer.house

Concept, styling & planning: https://www.couture-events.co.uk @couture.weddings.events

Photographer: https://www.robertafacchini.com @robertafacchiniphotography

Videographer: https://perfectmomentfilms.co.uk @ perfectmomentfilms

Floral Designer: https://wildabout.co.uk @wildaboutflower

Wedding Cake Designer: https://elizabethscakeemporium.com @elizabethscakeemporium

Bridal Gown: http://www.thewedding-club.co.uk @theweddingclubofficial

Grooms Attire: https://nealandpalmer.com @nealandpalmer

Talent: https://www.bamemodels.com @bameagency @chiara_king @ jasonkwanmusic

Make Up and Hair: https://www.botias.co.uk @botiashairandmakeup   

Bridal accessories: https://botiasaccessories.co.uk @botiasaccessories

Stationery: https://www.crimsonletters.com @crimson_letters

Table, chairs & candelabra: https://eventfurniturehirelondon.com @eventfurniturehirelondon

Tableware: https://duchessandbutler.com @duchessbutler

Cars: https://rngclassics.com @rngclassics

Linen: https://www.just4linen.co.uk @just_4_linen    

Ribbons: https://www.instagram.com/silken_ribbons @silken_ribbons  

Bridal shoes: https://www.emmylondon.com @emmylondonofficial

Napkin rings: https://www.amara.com @amaraliving