Photography by
Real Wedding
Intimate Wedding Dinner Party At Italian Villa
Inspiration
We're finishing the week off on a colourful note with this bright and beautiful London wedding. The venue, The Swan at The Globe, is intimate and intoxicating, with stunning views of the River Thames and St Paul's Cathedral. The fact it is also the setting for some of the most romantic plays ever written makes it even more special still. Our lovely bride, Melissa, shows off her eye for detail to great effect, taking inspiration from Fortnum & Mason's chocolate boxes to create the gorgeous duck egg blue and pink scheme, which flows through every aspect of the day, from the stationery and the flowers to the cake, meringue kisses and colourful table décor. It is a day which draws to mind - and brings to life - my favourite Shakespeare quote: "I would not wish any companion in the world but you" (The Tempest – Act 3, Scene 1). We have no doubt that the bard himself would approve.
Inspiration Behind The Styling
The inspiration for our wedding styling was the Fortnum & Mason chocolate box. All of the details – and especially the colours of the wedding – were inspired by that element, starting with the invitations, which were a bespoke design from RMW recommended supplier Emily&Jo Stationery Design, through to the escort cards, menus, cake, and even the crockery. Since Paul and I both love film, we also wanted to ensure that there was a ‘cinema’ element to the day, so as part of the evening buffet we had cinema ticket biscuits, and our table names were film titles that contained the word ‘love’.
Meringue Kisses
Meringue kisses make the sweetest of treats - in both name and taste - and guests must have devoured the offerings at this dessert table; well, after they had taken a selfie with the creative three-tier wedding cake by Claire Owen, that is. In fact, the photo opportunities must have felt endless at this wedding, with the colourful tablescapes and bright blooms no doubt capturing everyone's attention. And oh my, can you imagine the scent from the orchids, dahlias, roses and eucalyptus? This must have been the very best sort of olfactory overload; a true midsummer night's dream.
Advice For Brides-to-be
Make it personal and plan the day as you want it – and no one else! That said, there were a few elements I thought I wanted in the beginning but ended up not having after further consideration and digesting all of the options, so definitely give yourself enough planning time. Finally, even if you don't have a wedding planner to orchestrate your event, it's worth getting some advice from a professional. Whilst I had an idea of what I wanted, our consultations with Knot & Pop were invaluable. Not only was it how we found Miss Gen, but also Susie literally shared her personal contacts so that we could reach out to them directly. Definitely money well spent!
Do you love Melissa & Paul's stationery as much as we do? I mean, the colours! How excited would you be to receive this in the post to perk up your day? Here at RMW we believe that stationery sets the tone for your wedding - and given your response to stationery suites like this, you clearly do too. If you're just beginning your wedding planning journey and wondering where to start when it comes to stationery, our supplier directory The List includes our pick of gold-standard stationers. Here's to making every aspect of your big day beautiful.
Written by Victoria Honan
Venue:
The Swan at The Globe
| Dress Designer:
Halfpenny London
| Bride's Shoes:
Emmy London
| Headband:
Tilly Thomas Lux
| Make Up and Hair:
Kylie McMichael
| Flowers:
Palais Flowers
| Cake:
Claire Owen Cakes
| Stationery:
Emily & Jo
| Band:
Sugar Rush via Alive Network
| Table Names:
May Contain Glitter
| Wedding Planner:
Knot & Pop
