Inspiration
Chinese Lion Dance At City Wedding
Photography by
Marta Ilardo Photography
Photography by
Marta Ilardo Photography
Have you ever heard of a Christmas wedding that included a Chinese Lion Dance? No? That's hardly surprising. But prepare yourselves, because you're about to be amazed. Lara & Gus wanted a wedding that was theirs and theirs only - and they certainly did. Wanting to pay tribute to Lara's Malaysian/Chinese heritage, the couple decided on bringing out some Chinese Lion Dancers. Talk about wedding entertainment! The vibe of the day was split into three, by rooms in which the parties occurred. The downstairs hall had an incredibly exotic and oriental vibe, brought together by the funkiest streamers from Recommended supplier Streamadelica. The whole day, in its magnificence, was planned and designed by Recommended supplier Whole Lotta Love Weddings, and can we just say - what an AMAZING job.
Hanging tinsel streamers, fairy lights, a Lion Dance and a Christmas wonderland - what more could you want?
We actually had a process for this, which is unlike us! We started scouring as many resources as we could. Websites like Rock My Wedding were invaluable for collecting inspiration. This then got distilled into a PowerPoint presentation of mood boards for each element of the day. We then started sharing this with venue-recommended suppliers. When we were running out of ideas (and steam!) we brought Whole Lotta Love weddings on board. She really brought the whole show home for us.
Lion Dance At Multicultural Christmas Wedding
We wanted a wedding that felt truly ours. For us, that meant a civil ceremony. Following that, an exceptional meal, cocktails, a lion dance to surprise our guests, a classic wedding disco upstairs followed by a nightclub "afterparty" downstairs. Lots of this might be standard fare for a wedding. But it took place in the coolest environment we could've imagined. The lower hall was transformed into an Asian Speakeasy Boudoir (and later nightclub!), while the upper hall was a twinkly winter wonderland. This was complete with a Christmas tree (decorated by our guests), bespoke bauble place cards, foil streamers and more!
Across the three rooms, we were able to get 3 styles that reflected exactly what we wanted. The Westminster Room at the Marylebone Town Hall is their grandest room. The whole place felt majestic... Perfect for a ceremony. The upstairs hall then was a Disco-Christmas wonderland. We created fauna archways as you enter, pink-hued tablescapes, a Christmas tree that we asked guests to bring an ornament to decorate, a grant piano (& pianist!) and lights galore. Finally, the downstairs hall had an exotic, oriental vibe that invited our guests to relax, mingle and (most importantly) party.
Lara's bespoke princess wedding dress is next-level gorgeous!
This wedding screams joy from the moment you look at the photos. And who doesn't want that from their wedding shoot? That's why choosing the right photographer is critical. Luckily for you, our podcast episode on wedding photography goes over all of that and more. If you want a wedding like this but are not sure how to even begin planning it, our wedding planning timeline will definitely help you out, there.
Written by Sasha Kirkham
Featured suppliers
Venue:
Old Marylebone Town Hall & The Amadeus | Photographer:
Marta Ilardo Photography | Videographer:
Chloe Rose Video | Entertainment:
Groove Centre, Dom Booth & Alex Chadwick, London Strings | Florist:
Gray and Greenery | Food:
Catered By Justin | Makeup Artist:
Pam Wrigley | Bridal Outfit:
Bridal Atelier Brighton, The Lucky 6 Pence | Bridal Boutique:
Bridal Atelier Brighton | Planner and Stylist:
Whole Lotta Love Weddings | Stationery:
With Bells On | Decor and Hire:
Charlie's Catering Hire, Streamadelica | Transport:
London Bus Company
