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AUTUMN 2014
Writing your Vows On Edge MARIA SENVO THE COMPLETE GUIDE
NEW COLLECTION
EXCLUSIVE
Rime Arodaky INTERVIEW WITH DESIGNER
Luxurious Romance
THE SUNBORN HOTEL
Spain and Gibraltar’s dedicated wedding bible
f o r w e d d i n g s a n d s p e c i a l o c c a s i o n s p l e a s e c o n ta c t our wedding & events team. phone +350 2001 6200 e m a i l l a u r a . d o d s o n @ s u n b o r n g i b r a lta r . c o m f o r w e d d i n g s a n d s p e c i a l o c c a s i o n s p l e a s e c o n ta c t our wedding & events team. phone +350 2001 6200 e m a i l l a u r a . d o d s o n @ s u n b o r n g i b r a lta r . c o m
welcome ab oard t h e w o rw ld re s ta b 5 -o sa ta e’lscf oim rr d luxury u p e ro t t h e w os rw le dl ’s fya i recsh tt -oso rl l u x u r y c m a b5h ata red sludp’esrfya ct ht te the wor irs 5 -h so ta rll u x u r y
Autumn 2014
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AUTUMN 2014
Spain, Gibraltar and The Balearics’ dedicated wedding bible
rime-arodaky.com
Staff PUBLISHER Andy Clark andy@iconpublishing.es
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ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Gabriel Moya Gonzalez
34 Features, advice, tips, ideas and suggestions to help arrange THE PERFECT WEDDING IN SPAIN AND GIBRALTAR
Fashion
13 Confeti Loves
What’s hot in the world of bridal?
48 Top Ten Tips for planning a memorable Wedding Nigel Davis’ words of advice
16 Theme Your Day
82 Cover Stories 20 On Edge Maria Senvo New Collection
We are hooked on this new bridal label, which speaks to a new age bride
26 Designer Profile: Rime Arodaky
Parisian flare meets rock chic with the new Rime Arodaky collection
34 Location Location: Luxurious Romance The Sunborn Hotel
The world’s first super yacht hotel is the last word in luxury
44 Writing your Vows The Complete Guide
The ultimate guide to writing your own personalised vows
Choose a lilac and gold colour scheme for a stunning wedding celebration
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18 Aisle Style
Fashion forward Charlotte Balbier gowns
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Real Weddings
Finding and celebrating love on the Costa del Sol
International Real Weddings The big day overseas
Beauty
CONFETI in Gibraltar
Add a touch of vintage glamour to your big day with a Great Gatsby inspired look
News from the Rock
40 Get The Look
88
Wedding news from Gibraltar
42 The Test Factor
Read our panel’s views on the latest beauty products
Details 46 “If Music be the Food of Love”
Dizzying aphrodisiacs throughout history
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CONFETI Local News Round up of local wedding news
94 Confeti’s Address Book The best professionals, specialists and services
gabriel@iconpublishing.es
DESIGNER Constanza Martínez constanza@iconpublishing.es FEATURES EDITOR Amber O’Shaughnessy amber@iconpublishing.es CONTRIBUTING EDITOR GIBRALTAR Suzannah Lucy Bath suzy@iconpublishing.es EDITORIAL TEAM India Baltran, KJ Elsdon, Natasha Johnson, Padre Peter CONTRIBUTORS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Nani & Antonio de Perez, Richard Moran CONFETI is published quarterly by: Icon Publishing S.L. Depósito Legal: MA 1559-2010 CIF: B93035210
All enquiries, please call: +34 600 812 418 or email enquiries@iconpublishing.es The views and opinions expressed by contributors to CONFETI may not represent the views and opinions of the publishers. Icon Publishing takes no responsibility for claims made in advertisements or advertorials in this magazine. No part of CONFETI may be reproduced or copied in any way without the prior written consent of Icon Publishing.
www.confetimagazine.com
· barefoot and black-tie ceremonies on the shores of the Mediterranean · · spectacular views · 5 star service · exquisite cuisine · Kosher facilities · · luxury accommodation · expert in-house wedding planner ·
Puente Romano Beach Resort 5*GL · Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n · 29602 · Marbella · Spain (+34) 952 820 900 · www.puenteromano.com · weddings@puenteromano.com
Making you smile and swoon at the same time
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his season’s issue began its life with some campaign images from the bold and beautiful Maria Senvo bridal label. The dress designs are stunning in their simplicity – scoop detail backs and razor sharp features make these gowns ideal for a unique destination wedding in a hot and sunny climate. The CONFETI team is excited by these young and daring designers and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the brand in the coming months.
Following in the theme of brides overseas, we introduce you to Rime Arodaky. This Parisian bridal house gains its inspiration from legendary couples such as Brigitte Bardot and musician Serge Gainsbourg, creating dresses for the individual who wears them rather than the trends they follow. The collection is sultry, sexy and seductive, casting away the notion that brides have to be demure and staid on their wedding day. Turn to page 26 for an exclusive chat with the designer.
This issue’s location review takes place onboard the luxurious Sunborn Hotel. As the world’s first super yacht hotel, the boat offers a glamorous setting for your special day. Boasting 15,500 square metres of beautifully designed rooms, restaurants, leisure areas and events facilities, there really is no better place to tie the knot. Read all about what makes The Sunborn so very special on page 34.
As always, the autumn issue of CONFETI is bursting at the seams with ‘real weddings’ but we are thrilled to be showcasing a number of international weddings this time around. Chairman of the Sala Group (Marbella’s hottest collection of restaurants and beach clubs) Ian Radford wed his long-term partner and best friend Claire Strutton in a wedding that was joyful and entertaining – yes, wedding guests were up on the dance floor before even the starters had surfaced from the kitchen! Bridal designer Charlotte Balbier also got married back on UK soil, we spoke exclusively to the lady herself about her big day. We feature Charlotte’s wedding on page 76. See page 82 for the story of Sarah and Michael’s ‘minimoon’ in London. This recently married couple headed to the Andaz Hotel on Liverpool Street for a mesmerizing stay in the big smoke. The Andaz provides the last word in innovation with its iPad check-in system and installation artwork. Clearly, you don’t need to suffer hours on a plane and jet-lag for a memorable post-wedding break. All of the CONFETI regular features are included in this issue: Theme Your Day showcases a decadent colour scheme of gold and lilac for your wedding décor and turn to page 16 for our pick of bridal accessories including a gown from the Blewcoat collection by top designer Ian Stuart, to whom the bridal fashion world owes a tremendous debt. You know how it is. You’re in the midst of wedding planning, nervous about how on earth everything will come together in time. But don’t be deceived, you are not alone - CONFETI is your right hand man for all things bridal. So here’s our autumn issue. Get stuck in.
The Confeti Team 10rime-arodaky.com CONFETI
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ONFETI loves...
By Amber O’Shaughnessy
Bonkers about Buttons
For an alternative option to the more conventional floral bridal bouquet, why not order one of these bespoke bouquets made from buttons, brooches and jewellery? The bouquets have been exhibited at the National Wedding Show in London and are proving popular for brides who do not shy away from new wedding trends. The jewel-encrusted items glitter in the sunlight and add an extra special something to your overall look. Iheartbuttons.co.uk
A Classic Country Wedding
FETI CON -HAVE T S U M
For a rustic romance incorporate fun wedding signs like this one from Dotcomgiftshop. Many brides want their wedding day to feel like a relaxed summer garden party with close family and friends; informal decorations such as this sign as well as bunting, fairy lights and sprawling flowers help to achieve this vision. Dotcomgiftshop.com
Head Strong
Directional, exciting and diverse, the ASOS Collection makes and breaks the fashion rules. This pair of heeled sandals is inspired by fashion’s most covetable trends of the moment, including metallic colours and chunky platform heels; providing you with a cutting edge look for your wedding day. Asos.com
Blushing Bride
This delectable, delicate bra and brief set in a soft blush shade is made from barely-there invisible tulle embellished with exquisite, embroidered Guipure lace hand-stitched onto each cup, and onto the briefs. Silk satin edging and elegantly thin straps are the finishing touches on this beautiful boudoir piece. You’ll be loving this set of lingerie for your wedding day, honeymoon and beyond. Dolcifollie.co.uk CONFETI 13
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ONFETI loves...
By Amber O’Shaughnessy
Passion for Fashion
From structured shifts and simple slips to vintage inspired tea dresses and printed oversized tunics, wedding dresses are breaking new ground this season in an array of shapes and silhouettes. Don’t be afraid to embrace simplicity for a more casual bridal look such as this white shift dress, which is delicate and feminine Asos.com
Frill me!
The new Ian Stuart Blewcoat collection has launched and we love this gown, which would work perfectly for day or nighttime wedding celebrations. The collection comprises extra-special designs for women of all ages, for three generations. The new collection is for women who dare to be different and want to find an exclusive outfit. Ianstuart-bride.com
Favours with Love Welcome to the world of Lola Lola, a world of every day trendy jewellery at affordable prices, presented on cute cards which you can personalise. Perfect for wedding favours, gifts for the flower girls or as a thank you card with a difference.
Lola is hand drawn by Mimo Silver designer, Mercedes Lopez Charro, a local Spanish artisan and can be found on the back of the cards in a variety of different outfits, alongside positive words such as Luck, Love or Friendship. The collection of silver and gold plated necklaces offer a great memento for your guests to take away and cherish. Prices are 12.99-22 euros lolalola.es
Shine Bright Like a Diamond
This glam two-piece skirt and top from Miss Selfridge would be an ideal outfit for your wedding weekend. The irregular pattern of gold sequins adds just enough sparkle to help you to stand out of the crowd during the celebrations. A guaranteed way to wow. Missselfridge.com 14 CONFETI
Snap Happy
Liven up your party photos with this pack of 10 vintage photo booth props. These are ideal for capturing all those special memories from your big day and give your guests a bit of eccentricity. They can be used in a photo booth or just with a regular camera. Includes moustaches, quirky hair props and a chalkboard speech bubble for you to write your own message. Gingerray.co.uk
Theme your Day
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Combine soft lilac details with gold accessories for a stunning celebration. FETI CON -HAVE T MUS
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1. Tiered wedding cakes from Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium: Tel. +447958069116, elizabethscakeemporium.com, info@elizabethscakeemporium.com 2. ‘Hooray’ Disk with Diamond Necklace from Alex Monroe: Tel. +44207 378 6061, alexmonroe.com 3. Wedding invitations from Save my Date: Tel. +34 620 33 72 87, savemydate.es, hola@savemydate.es
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4. Venue décor at Villa del Mar, Marbella Club: Tel. +34 95 282 2211, marbellaclub.com Photo by nanideperez.com
5. Rose de France Amethyst and Gold Ring from Gemporia: Tel. +44 333 400 8000, gemporia.com 6. Bridal bouquet, Au Nom De La Rose: aunomdelarose.fr 7. Gold stacking ring from Alex Monroe: Tel. +44207 378 6061, alexmonroe.com
7 16 CONFETI
AISLE
Style 18 CONFETI
Iscoyd Park Collection
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he ‘Iscoyd Park’ collection is affectionately named after the Shropshire wedding venue where award winning British bridal designer Charlotte Balbier and her partner Edward Bedford celebrated their marriage last year. ‘The Iscoyd Park’ collection comprises more than 20 gorgeous gowns in an array of styles to suit the modern day bride, her wedding and personality. The new collection includes two of Balbier’s actual wedding gowns, worn by Charlotte on her wedding day, named ‘The Charlotte’ and ‘Iscoyd Park.’ The new collection sees fashion-forward gowns for the new generation bride sitting alongside Charlotte’s signature style and look, soft French lace and utterly feminine in charm and grace. Charlotte Balbier’s gowns are inherently traditional but with that added extra twist
of fashion for a modern gown, bride and wedding day. The collection presents classical elegance and timeless gowns in an array of styles, silhouettes, fabrics and a soft gold, pink and ivory colour palette. The 2014 ‘A Decade of Style’ collection won the Wedding Ideas Designer Of The Year award. With the beautiful new Iscoyd Park Collection, this year is all set to become Charlotte Balbier’s most successful to date, with exciting plans and collaborations ahead. Quote from the designer; “With a mixture of excitement I launched my ‘Iscoyd Park’ collection at White Gallery London in April. Iscoyd Park is my 11th Charlotte Balbier collection. It has been much anticipated and inspired by my very own wedding at Iscoyd Park in December 2013. The collection was designed with love and is close to my heart. With the gowns drawing on such personal and emotional inspiration I was more nervous than ever launching this collection. The collection has been wonderfully received by my brand partners, the bridal boutiques, the press and those most dear to me - my brides. The two signature gowns, ‘The Charlotte’ and the ‘Iscoyd Park’ gowns worn on my wedding day are my personal favourites and a firm favourite with brides. It is so thrilling and wonderful to think brides will also share the magical experience of wearing my very own wedding gowns.” charlottebalbier.com
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The Fifteen collection from Maria Senvo speaks to brides who are planning a destination wedding. Intricate beaded bodies, elongated lines and floating fabric pleats adorn the collection that when turned around reveal scoop detail backs, ideal for a wedding taking place in a hot and sunny climate. The debut collection has managed to master that elusive paired down aesthetic with just the right amount of glamour.
Edith-
Heavy lace meets soft chiffon in this elegant sheer sleeved gown with exquisite drop back detail. CONFETI 21
Asli
Elegant in shape, the Asli gown is adorned with luxe pearl beading 22 CONFETI
Ida
Simplistic in style with chic lace detail, Ida encompasses paired down chic
CONFETI 23
Lyla
Covered in delicate pearls and iridescent crystals, Lyla’s shape creates an elongated elegant silhouette
mariasenvo.com 24 CONFETI
CONFETI 25
D esigner P rofile
PARIS Interview by Suzannah Bath
Combining rock chic with Parisian flair, Rime Arodaky’s dresses bring a whole new dimension to the concept of aisle style. With staggered creations inspired by legendary couples such as Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg, her dresses are carved for the individual who wears them, not the trends they follow. CONFETI sat down with Rime to talk about her inspiration, collections and individualist style.
26 CONFETI
How did you become involved in fashion design?
From the moment I saw my mother and sister playing with fashion and clothes. They gave me the taste of dressing up and to style. Drawing was a passion too from the age of five.
Why did you specialise in bridal gowns?
Because the market was poor and I wanted to bring a fashion touch and some style to the bridal world. I thought brides were beautiful, but they were not themselves. They looked static, and didn’t have any personal touch or sexiness in their look.
CONFETI 27
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How would you describe your individual style? Stylish, simple, sexy with a hint of rock chic.
What has been your biggest achievement to date?
Our Net Ă Porter collaboration, that brings us to an international market.
What bridal trends do you predict for 2015?
I don’t work on trends, but with instincts. I would just say that backless was very popular in 2014. Now I would rather work with sheer details.
Where do you gain inspiration?
From everywhere, there are no limits, from my travels, blogs, magazines, exhibitions, my friends, women in the streets... everywhere. CONFETI 29
Describe your average day.
I come to our showroom at 9.30 with my dog, Cashmere. I work on my emails for an hour, then I always check fashion news on blogs and online magazines while drinking tea. During the day, I love to go on Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration. I always draw something during the day, even if it’s just a sketch here and there. I’ll usually go 30 CONFETI
check on how the dresses in progress at my studio are coming along. Our office is small and like a family so I try to work with all of the team in order to be involved in every part of the company. This means working with our stockists- ordering new fabrics, updating social media, meeting the best artisans from France and Italy, meeting with our press office, the production process,
and finally the brides themselves – these are the most important part and I make sure that I meet each of them at least once during their visits to the studio!
What are you currently working on?
Our next photo shoot for our 2015 collection and our fashion show in mid-September, and one very special new project - but that’s a secret for now!
Do you have a favourite celebrity bride?
Kate Moss and Caroline Bessette Kennedy.
What can a bride expect to receive from choosing a dress from Rime Arodaky?
First a smile when they enter into our world. We try to be like our campaign and culture in the studio, which means positive and cool. Then they will have complete honesty from our team, because our point is to make the bride feel herself, free and beautiful , not someone else to impress people. Finally she will feel beautiful on her wedding day.
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Who would you love to dress?
To dress any women is amazing for me. I already feel so lucky to be able to dress French women, as they are really stylish naturally and effortlessly. But if our dresses start being worn overseas, we’d be super happy too!
What type of dress would you recommend for a destination wedding?
That depends on the destination! For a city wedding, I would recommend something
high-waisted and with structure. For a beach wedding, something flirty, cool.
What advice would you give to a bride choosing her gown?
To be on her own for the first appointments and visit the designers she loves. Then bring two or three people max, so she can choose without being too influenced. The most important thing is to be yourself!
rime-arodaky.com
CONFETI 33
Location, Location, Location
Luxurious Romance THE WORLD’S FIRST SUPER-YACHT HOTEL By Suzannah Bath
The Sunborn exclusive yacht hotel in Gibraltar is the last word in luxury for couples in search of an unforgettable celebration in a truly unique location.
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ibraltar is a prime location for weddings, not only due to its warm climate and beautiful scenery, but also because it constitutes the only location in southern Spain where couples can legally tie the knot. As such, just about all hotels on The Rock have fabulous wedding packages for newlyweds-to-be. The latest addition to this group is The Sunborn, a yacht hotel providing around 15,500 square
Flowers by Stephanie Florist 36 CONFETI
metres of beautifully designed rooms over eight floors and incorporating elegant guest accommodation with panoramic views, restaurants, leisure areas, and events facilities. Equipped to five-star luxury standards, the yacht is tailor-made for its Mediterranean mooring and sits elegantly in Gibraltar’s Ocean Village marina. The hotel makes a fabulous and super-glamorous setting for the most special of occasions. Wedding ceremonies can take place on board the
yacht itself, be it on one of the yacht’s beautiful sun-kissed decks or in its ballroom - the locations are numerous. With plenty of options to suit every size and type of event – from intimate family gatherings to elaborate celebrations for up to 400 guests – it’s a rare opportunity to turn the ultimate fantasy wedding into spectacular reality. There’s space aplenty for weddings on board the hotel
with excellent event facilities, which can be combined for larger events. If you’re considering a large-scale wedding, then the grand ballroom and banqueting hall creates a dramatic setting for special occasions. With 5.3 metre high ceilings and capacity for 400 guests, the room has intuitive lighting that can be altered to suit your colour scheme. It also has four chandeliers made entirely from Swarovski crystals,
Location, Location, Location
CONFETI 37
which are controlled by the boat’s technical team and can be manoeuvred to your requirement. Guests can gather in the yacht’s spacious lobby bar, which serves delicious cocktails shaken by expert mixologists, for a pre-ceremony drink. For those looking for a more laid-back affair, the spacious top-deck restaurant with al fresco terrace is a magical venue. Complete with retractable roof and floor-toceiling folding glass doors, it provides an elegant backdrop for a special gathering – under the sun or beneath the stars, the Sky Restaurant holds up to 400 guests. At the back of the yacht, the relaxed top floor sky bar and sun deck sets the scene perfectly for a memorable cocktail party for your guests. A stay aboard Sunborn Gibraltar offers visitors a rare treat. Inside, the yacht provides all the quality and comfort of a top hotel. Guest suites are light, spacious
38 CONFETI
and luxurious with views of the Rock, sea and marina, whilst public areas are outstanding. To enable guests to make the most of the amazing vistas, each room features sliding wall-to-wall floor-to-ceiling picture windows which flood the rooms with light and, in most cases, open on to a private balcony or terrace area. Elegant, contemporary fabrics and furnishings are used throughout all guest rooms, with bespoke storage and bathroom fittings designed to create a fabulous five-star finish. For the
bridal couple, the hotel’s Super Yacht Penthouse Bridal Suite represents the ultimate in super yacht luxury. This opulent living space spans 74 square metres and occupies a prime sunset and sea-facing position on the sixth deck, with an extensive private terrace with outdoor furniture and sun loungers, plus panoramic sea and marina views where an intimate champagne reception can be held. The penthouse suite
takes the pursuit of luxury to its logical conclusion and is a magical location for newly-weds’ first night together.
Location, Location, Location
The hotel’s culinary team further upholds five-star standards. The restaurant’s skilled international chefs make creative use of the best ingredients to provide signature dishes that change with the seasons. With creative flair, the team will help to create a deliciously unique menu for weddings that will suit all palates and purse strings. Exotic dishes including Carpaccio of Marinated Lamb with Tzatziki, Pan Fried Red Mullet with Black Olive Polenta and Baby Fennel and Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Lemon Custard are just a few of the flavoursome favourites from the yacht’s creative cuisine. However, they are equally comfortable with the classics such as Green Asparagus, Poached Free Range Egg, Wild Mushroom Risotto with Rocket Salad and Truffle Foam and Dark Chocolate Mousse with Salted Caramel. The team is happy to guide you and your guests through a gastronomic experience to remember on your wedding day. The Sunborn Super Yacht provides a unique luxury wedding experience that is hard to create; your fairy-tale wedding is quickly transformed into reality thanks to the accommodating ‘anything is possible’ attitude. Being Gibraltar’s only five-star venue, the hotel has met with a huge demand for weddings and is already taking bookings for Spring 2017. They expertly combine the high-value associated with luxury yachts with a modern five-star hotel atmosphere, complemented by their friendly team who make guests feel at home from the moment they step on-board. This, fused with Gibraltar’s numerous attributes as a brilliant get-away location, makes a wedding on board essential for anybody looking to create a memorable occasion in a truly luxurious setting. To enquire about creating your dream wedding on The Sunborn please contact the on-board wedding planner, Laura Dodson: laura.dodson@ sunborngibraltar.com
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E H T T GE
Classic
Beauty Photography - nanideperez.com Location – Villa Padierna Hair – wood-hairdressing.com Makeup - Nicola McGeorge using Chanel S/S 2014 Model – Carlota Basse Arguello
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he Great Gatsby may have been last year’s box office hit, but this movie’s influence on the world of weddings doesn’t seem to be slowing down. If you want to add a touch of vintage to your big day, what better era than the glittering and glamorous Roaring 20s? Confeti have put together their top tips to show you how to channel Gatsby glamour in your wedding make-up. The Roaring 20s were all about an uber-creamy complexion,
40 CONFETI
so resist the urge to apply bronzer or foundation darker than your natural skin tone. To ensure you’re the fairest of them all, apply Estèe Lauder’s Double Wear Makeup, a 15hour, flawless foundation that stays looking fresh and natural through heat, humidity and nonstop activity. Powder up; flawlessly porcelain skin is distinctively 20s. Deco beauties loved powder because it removes the sheen from the skin, creating the era’s characteristic matte look. In fact they used powder to even out their complexions, much as we use sheer foundations - it was just enough to improve on nature without leaving a heavy look. To get the look, dust RCMA’s Loose Powder over your foundation. This powder softly adheres for a look that will last all day without changing the colour of your foundation.
both top and bottom lash such as Urban Decay’s Glide-on Eye Pencil in Zero and you’re sorted. Pinched cheeks were a 20s must-have to give skin a natural glow. For the most authentic 1920s wedding day look, use a blush with no luminescence or sheen. Dab Benefits Benetine, a rose-tinted lip and cheek stain, on the apples of your cheeks and on your cheek bones. Blend away hard edges, but make sure the colour is still evident, as though you just walked in from the cold. Brows were thin, arched and over-plucked. To get the look, darken and turn eyebrows slightly downwards with an eyebrow pencil that is darker than your natural colour, such as Suqqu Eyebrow Liquid Pen which is water and oil-resistant to last throughout the day without smudging.
We have the 20s ladies to thank for creating the smoky eye, an look that is still a much-loved favourite almost a century later. Dark, sooty eyes were a sultry beauty staple among flappers, as they would use coal to define their eyes. After applying an eye primer, pat Urban Decay – Matte Eyeshadow in Revolver. Use a smudgy black kohl eyeliner on
Finish off your Great Gatsby wedding day make-up with the typical 1920s cupid bow lip. This style, popular among the era’s leading beauties, gave the lip an exaggerated feminine look just in time to lure troops coming home from the war. Flappers favoured rich, flat hues such as deep reds, wines and plums, which provided a stark
contrast to their fair complexions. To get the 1920s cupid’s bow mouth as perfected by the decade’s “It Girl”, Clara Bow it’s best to start by covering lips with foundation to ensure a supersmooth base. Using a dark lip pencil, (MAC Lip Liner in Currant) feather in colour in light strokes following the lip shape. Then, using a lip brush, colour in the lips with a similar shadestick (Chanel Rouge Allure in Pirate.) Complete the dramatic look by setting your hair in pin curls and bask in flapper glamour with this dramatic vintage hair accessory.
Dress - Â Evelyn, vickyrowe.co.uk Hair Accessory - gibsonbespoke.co.uk CONFETI 41
THE
FACTOR
Our resident beauty expert and four brides-to-be share their views on the hottest products to hit the beauty stands. Nicola McGeorge, 32, beauty expert, Marbella
Stella Cristou, 35, Nursery Nurse, Birmingham, UK
Mary O’Shea, 27, Shop Assistant, Cork, Ireland
Kara Taylor, 25, Police Officer, London, UK
DEN 1 ELIZABETH ARam Skin Protectant Eight Hour Cre
Nicola: It’s in the purses of beauty editors and make-up artists worldwide. Created by Ms. Arden herself, this legendary, award-winning cream calms, protects and hydrates skin for up to eight hours; it also shapes brows, restores shine, and smooths cuticles. I suffer from very dry, cracked lips and have been using Eight Hour Cream on my lips every night for the past few weeks. In the morning my lips are smooth and lipstick-ready. Kara: The question should be, “Where don’t I use it?” I love to use this as a make-up product on the eyelids, cheekbones and on the lips as a gloss. You know those little red bumps you get when you shave your legs? Well, red bumps no more! This cream works wonders as an aftershave. I also use it as a body balm for feet, arms, hands and legs.
3 NUDESTIX
Lip & Cheek Pencil
Abby Harris, 33, Secretary, Nerja, Spain
1
2 No. 7
Protect & Perfect Se
rum
Nicola: Seven years after their Protect & Perfect Serum caused mass hysteria in Boots stores, No. 7 has launched a new addition to the line, one that promises to give better anti-ageing results than ever before. The serum is powered by Matrixyl 3000 Plus™, a combination of the most powerful form of Matrixyl, plus a next generation peptide that work together to help restore more youthful looking skin. I’ve been using the serum for about a month now and have to say I prefer it to the original: it feels lighter on my skin and make-up sits better on top Mary: I didn’t want to believe all the hype, (apparently they are selling one tube every 15 seconds) but, damn it, within just a few hours of applying it, it seems my fine lines are already not as pronounced, definitely softer and less visible. Seems No. 7 has done it again!
4 THE BALM
Mary-Lou Manizer
Nicola: If you haven’t heard of Nudestix before and you are a make-up lover you may want to tune in! Nudestix is multi-purpose, easy to use and, best of all, compact and great for life on the go. An extra creamy, soft lip-liner, lip colour and cheek cream all-in-one, offering excellent colour pay-off, coverage and blendability. My favourite shade had to be Soul, a neutral peachy pink, which was beautifully presented in a handy carrying tin with sharpener and mirror inside.
Nicola: Meet Mary-Lou Manizer, a honeyhued luminizer that catches everybody’s eye. This highlighter, shadow and shimmer diffuses light so your skin looks softer and younger while adding a subtle glow. I really liked the texture and feel of the product; it’s finely milled and spreads like butter. It’s also very pigmented, hence you only need a tiny amount to get the job done. I mean, seriously, I have been using it for a month and a half and it still looks like it hasn’t been touched at all.
Stella: The texture is much like a balm and I thought Whisper - a perfect pinky-nude shade - was flattering, blended superbly and cut down on products in my make-up bag. Does not require lining lips beforehand as it serves both as a liner and lip colour. Fun and sassy touch n’ go make-up.
Abby: It gives you such a beautiful glow and makes it look like the light is catching you perfectly all the time. You can achieve different looks depending on how much you use. I also apply it to the my inner corner of my eyes for a wide-eyed look. Everyone should own this – a staple item for sure.
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plastic surgery aesthetic medicine dental aesthetics Oral & maxillOfacial surgery
Dr. Kai O. Kaye - Plastic, Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgeon • Full Member of the Spanish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery SEGPRE • Fellow of the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery EBOPRAS • Full Member of the German Board of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery DGPRÄC • Member of the Colegio de Medicos de Malaga (No.29/2909452)
WINNER of ESSENTIAL MARBELLA
AWARDS
2010 & 2011
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Writing your Vows: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO SAYING YOUR VOWS WITH STYLE
Humanist Wedding Celebrant and CONFETI contributor Natasha Johnson guides us through writing personalised vows to inject intimacy into the big day
T
here is simply nothing more beautiful than hearing couples open their hearts and telling one another how they feel, how they are made to feel and how they pledge to spend their future together. I’ve been marrying couples for seven years now and I love the fact that I still well up when I hear personal vows. I would not have it any other way. More and more couples are now deciding that along with any legal or traditional vows that they will have to say or respond to, they would also like the opportunity to inject a more intimate touch into their ceremony, with their own personal vows. There is something so romantic and so special knowing that you will say vows to your loved one that noone else has ever said before. Vows which are truly unique to you and your partner, that reflect your partnership. Personal vows truly are a beautiful element to a wedding ceremony, however they do not just happen. You have to make them happen. They require thought, preparation and
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means that both you and your partner will have your own personal pledges, with each of you writing what is important to you. Writing your vows individually, does not mean that you cannot know what your partner has written, as many couples write individual vows but work on them together. However, many couples also write their vows separately and wait until their wedding day to hear what their partner has written. A surprise element of the ceremony! Then there is also the option of you and your partner writing and saying the same vow to each other. This means you will both shape the content of your vows together and pledge identical elements to each other. This is where invaluable vow preparation will help you decide on what is best for you both, which in turn will help you when writing the actual vows. planning, so that you can make your vows the best that they can be and the best reflection of you both. Here are my top tips to help you get in the right frame of mind for writing your vows and once there, how to set about writing them!
Set the guidelines Firstly, you need to decide whether you will be writing your vows individually or together. Writing your vows individually
Secondly, once you have decided on how you will be doing your vows, whether individually or together, you will then need to work out with your partner what style of vows
you are going to have, so that you both know how your content will be shaped. Personal vows basically fall into three categories; pledge vows, qualities vows, mixed pledge-qualities vows. In a nutshell, a pledge vow is where you make pledges and promises, a qualities vow is where you say why and what it is that you love about your partner and a mixed vow is where you do both; you say what it is you love about your partner and why they are the one for you and then you make a series of promises and pledges to them. The good news is that once you’ve decided on your vow style, you’ll be just a little step closer to getting them down on paper.
Make time Writing your vows the night before or morning of your ceremony is not really te way to go in ensuring your vows will be the best they can be. I have seen wonderful vows written this way, but it’s best not to risk it with something so important. Why not have a vow weekend? Maybe spend a relaxed Saturday, putting some thoughts together, a few words or sentences here and there or brainstorming ideas. Then get writing, when you feel you have everything you need. You can then use the Sunday, with a fresh pair of eyes, to review what you came up with the day before and if you still like what you have written, then you must be doing something right. The key point here is that vows take time.
Get inspired Sometimes, the best way of writing something for yourself is to see what others before you have done, for some wonderful vow inspiration. Reading and researching other peoples’ personal vows (the internet is a great resource), will really help you to think about what you like and don’t like and what you want to say and don’t want to say. Also, asking yourself some questions and writing down the answers can be a fantastic way of forming your vows. One bride once told me that after noting down the answers to some important questions she found that her vows were pretty much in place and all she needed to do was a bit of finessing to make them ready for the ceremony. What made me fall in love with you? What do I love about you? What things do I love most about you? What annoys me about you? What do we have in common? How are we worlds apart? What have you taught me? What do I think I’ve taught you? Hopefully, these questions will get those creative juices flowing and help you to think of other things, which will be useful for shaping your vows. You may have noticed that one of the questions is ‘what annoys me about you?’ Believe it or not, it is a nice and very realistic element to include in a vow, because it is your way of saying that you know that your partner is not perfect, because nobody is and that you know all the little faults and annoyances but you still want to be with them forever! This is after all what marriage is about, learning to accept each other for all that we are and all that we are not!
One important point for couples to remember is that your vows should sound like they have been written by you! This may seem obvious but sometimes it is not the case. Unless you are the biggest Shakespeare fan, there is absolutely no reason to write your vows like you are a 16th century wordsmith. You must be yourself in order for your vows to sound like they are yours. Do not say things that you do not mean, things that don’t represent you, or things that you don’t want to share. Obviously you want to have honest vows but that doesn’t mean that you need to share everything, some things ought to remain between the two of you, because after all, you need to remember that your vows are going to be said in public, in front of your family and friends!
Have fun It is a fact that vows are ultimately a serious pledge of love and commitment but that does not mean that they have to be serious in tone or nature.
A vow that mixes some serious pledges with some funny light-hearted pledges is often more reflective of the couple than ones that are not. If you are known for your sense of humour or you have something funny (and appropriate) to say about your partner then there should be no reason not to. There really is no such thing as a wrong vow. If you write them from the heart, they will be as they should be and this includes their tone, their content and their length (although generally, one or two long paragraphs is good). So, now hopefully you are feeling the vow inspiration running through your veins and looking desperately for somewhere to write it all down. Good luck!
Another good method is the ‘I love you because…I love you despite…’ approach. Why not think of three examples for each sentence and see what the results are. These could be the building blocks for your vows. Write in your own voice
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Padre Peter, cleric for wedding ceremonies and regular contribuitor to CONFETI Magazine
D
uke Orsino in “Twelfth Night” might well have regarded music as being a prime factor in the nurturing of love, but Shah Jehan, as he sat mournfully gazing across the water at the Taj Mahal tomb of his beloved Mumtaz, placed his faith in more prosaic remedies, and fed his fading libido with all manner of potions and remedies. In fact, he nearly drove himself crazy with strange aphrodisiacs, much to the despair of his courtiers.But throughout history both men and women have placed their faith in various foods and chemicals in order to restore vitality. Even today Italian scientists recommend a glass of red wine a day in order to maintain a healthy sexual drive, and there are, of course, many other remedies to which people have turned over the ages. Sometimes there is indeed a basis for such faith. Pomegranate juice has been proved to raise testosterone levels by up to 30 per cent, whilst oysters, brimming with zinc, greatly assist in sperm and testosterone production, whilst the omega-3 which they contain wards off depression and gives rise to a general sense of well being. The smell alone of almonds reputedly arouses passion and desire in women, but the magnesium and vitamin E which they contain certainly assist fertility. And should a headache threaten to impinge upon a promising liaison, the ancient Greeks discovered that basil was a potent cure. In the popular imagination some foods are aphrodisiac on account of their shape. Bananas, with their phallic appearance, are just such an example. (It is interesting to note that according to Islamic myth, when Adam and Eve were
46 CONFETI
IF MUSIC
be the Food
of Love…
cast out of paradise, they covered their nakedness not with fig but with banana leaves. And figs were Cleopatra’s favourite fruit, into which she popped the odd asp or two.) Avocados, on the other hand, when they arrived in Spain, were considered so obscene in their shape that priests forbade their congregations to eat them. Arriving at roughly the same time, chillies were added to the aphrodisiac cornucopia on account of the fact that the capsaicin they contain heated the blood and boosted the heart rate, thus leading to enhanced performance in bed. When mixed with chocolate, a natural source of serotonin, the result was earth shattering; or so the story went. How many people genuinely benefitted from such a concoction is somewhat doubtful. Equally doubtful is the result obtained by the consumption of animal testicles, but, as in the case of a medicinal placebo, the mind can often be duped to provide the desired effect. It is this question of mind over matter which lies at the basis of love “magic”. The use of potions, charms, spells, rituals and the like goes back to antiquity, whenever one person sought to gain the affection of another by magical rather than direct means. Often such activities were taken seriously, and it was the accusation that Anne Boleyn had used witchcraft in order to entrap Henry VIII that contributed heavily to her downfall. The mediaeval Church was constantly on its guard against such practices. The Malleus Maleficarum (The hammer of witches), a handbook for those concerned in extirpating witchcraft, deals extensively with what was considered to
be basically a feminine activity. Its authors, James Sprenger and Heinrich Kramer, wrote “All witchcraft comes from carnal lust, which in women is insatiable.” They go on to contend that witches received their power through intercourse with the devil. It is for this reason that only too often the use of love magic to ensnare a partner ends in tragedy.Such is the theme of Wagner’s “Tristan and Isolde”, Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’amore”, or Falla’s “El amor brujo”; a theme extensively found in literature. But if many of the love potions produced by witches or “wise women” were fraudulent, there is some scientific basis for believing that such a potion can in fact be produced. This notion is behind many mass marketed perfumes. A study reported in the “Proceedings of the Royal Society” found that people generally like their own body odour, and that this odour plays a more important role in human mate selection than we realize. For this reason it is technically possible to manufacture a “love potion” perfume that can help singles improve their chances of finding ideal mates. This odour is recognized subconsciously. The more pungent smells that emerge every so often in the human body, such as sweat, those due to bacteria or the consumption of certain foods, and other contributing factors, do not impinge upon this recognition. The ingredients used by the witches to lure Macbeth to his downfall in the Shakespearean play of the same name are not entirely fanciful
as one studies some of the spells and charms recorded from the Middle Ages.It is amazing to what lengths lovesick loons went to ensnare their beloveds.One of the most famous ingredients to be found in such love potions is, of course, Spanish Fly. It is a misnomer, although “Spanish flies” are a sub species of the same group of insects. The insect in question is actually a “meloid beetle”. It is sometimes called a “blister beetle” as it contains cantharidin, which can blister the skin, and is sufficiently powerful to remove warts, moles, or tattoos, albeit somewhat painfully. It is actually a poison
which, if ingested in a sufficient quantity, can lead to heart and lung problems, kidney failure, convulsions, coma, even death. The philosopher poet Lucretius (99 BC – 55 BC) is said to have died from an overdose. In small quantities, however, it can be used as an aphrodisiac, although it is now recognised that this is a rather silly thing to do. As it works its way out of the body it irritates the urethra, causing it to swell, thereby causing a lasting and not altogether pleasant erection. It is for this reason that in antiquity it was often used to lace the drink of a bridegroom. Lucretius just took too much!
CONFETI 47
TOP For Planning aMemorable
10 TIPSWedding We talk to Nigel Davis, head of Chez Vous bespoke events based on the Costa del Sol, about his top tips for a wedding that you and your guests will never forget!
Photo by Pierre Richardson
BE CRAFTY You don’t need to buy expensive things to make a statement. Sometimes simple things from the countryside speak more than complicated and costly bling! LIGHTING is key to a goodlooking wedding. Focus lighting only onto the areas where you need light. The football stadium effect will not enhance an elegant setting. Think spotlights on table centres and bars, ambient lighting/fairy lights in the surrounding trees; this is a sure fire way to create a wonderland! BUDGET Make sensible choices, especially at the start when you’ve decided on what to spend. You need to spread out your budget evenly. There is no point in buying those expensive invitations from New York and making the rest of your wedding look low-budget. The job of a good planner is to advise you on where to spend your money wisely; there are a million and one things one doesn’t think about when hosting a party. Don’t be afraid to tell people your budget from the start. There are so many different levels of weddings - some are big budget spectaculars, while other couples want to save a bit for the honeymoon. Whatever the case be open and trust your planner, you can always get a comparable quote elsewhere once you have been given an itemized budget; ask questions. If you’re thinking of cutting items from your budget it is vital that you bear in mind the negative impact this could have on other areas of the wedding budget. What you need to get to the bottom of is value for money and not how cheap something is. Nine times out of 10 you get what you pay for. I recommend 48 CONFETI
keeping a contingency budget of at least 3000 euros for those ‘just in case’ situations. Also insist that your planner gives you a copy of their Public Liability Insurance (responsabilidad), make sure they are a legal entity here in Spain and that their insurance is paid up to date. If you don’t you could run the risk of not only losing your budget entirely, but also finding yourself in trouble with the authorities.
CREATE SURPRISES It’s important to keep your guests entertained. If you have different areas at your venue, keep your invitees guessing. Close off the dinner area and the party area if you can. For example, if you book a solo singer for dinner, have them appear from a balcony or from behind some trees. These small pieces of theatre are the things that guests generally remember… and they cost nothing!
ENTERTAINMENT It is important to book the right entertainment. Think of all of your guests when choosing the music. The older generation will generally leave earlier than the young ones. If you have a band or DJ ask them to play the classics first so that everyone gets to dance to the music that they like. If you bring a band from abroad (your home country, for example) bear in mind that you will need to pay for their transport and their hotels and food. Meeting their technical
requirements – unless they drive down in their own truck – could be as expensive as their booking fee. Drums, keyboards, DJ decks, amplifiers, microphones and speakers will all need to be hired at this end and bands will generally be quite nervous about playing abroad and will more often than not insist on the best and most expensive equipment. Insist on seeing your venue’s music license. If you make excessive noise and an angry neighbour calls the police you run the risk
of your music being turned off completely!
CHURCH SERVICE Regarding church weddings, remember that it is not as simple here in Spain as in other parts of the world. The Catholic Church in Spain can be quite strict. In some parishes you and your partner will need to attend mass and make regular visits before you’re permitted to wed. You are also obliged to attend a marriage course either here or in your own country. If either bride or groom has been married before this will also be a problem. A good wedding planner will help guide you through this stage but be sure to leave a lot of time before the wedding date to complete paperwork, since this is a very slow process!
MENU When choosing your
menu again don’t blow all your money in one area. Choose a caterer which best suits your pocket. Your guests need to be fed and looked after but they are there to see you and not to experience haute cuisine. Don’t forget to have late snacks during the party; carbs are best when there’s alcohol involved as they help everyone sober up or carry on partying!
TIMINGS Make sure you arrive on time at the ceremony. Guests in suits cooking in the sun are not a great start to the day. Being late will also have a negative impact on the rest of the services, especially the caterers. Give yourself plenty of time to get ready and make sure hair and make-up arrives with at least half an hour to spare. Plan your speeches well and be strict beforehand on their length and who will speak when. This is vital to the success of the meal.
WEATHER Apart from its beauty, most people who decide to get married here on the Costa del Sol do so for the climate and reliable weather. Saying that, during the months of April, May and even early June, September and October the night-time temperatures can fall quite dramatically, in which case you will need to leave some budget for patio heaters. Try and go for the pyramid-style ones with the glass tube as the flame will give off a nice effect at night. It can also rain here during these months so a Plan B budget needs to be set aside. Tents will need to be reserved with a holding deposit in advance. During May, June, July and August it is feria time here in Spain, so a lot of the local marquee companies will have their tents booked out, so yours could arrive very late as every other event planner, bar and restaurant will want to book theirs too. September and October are much easier months to book marquees. BE A PATIENT BRIDE Try not to get hung up on the smallest details. Stand back and look at the bigger picture, you will only kick yourself after the wedding day and realize that it was unnecessary. Remember, everyone is doing their best to make your day as special as humanly possible. If something doesn’t work out and your planner/provider is a legal entity you have every right to ask for a refund for the part which was lacking or substandard (and spend it on your honeymoon!) Whether you are religious or not, the day is simply about you and your partner declaring your love for each other and your family and friends are there to bear witness to this and to offer their support to you both for the rest of your lives together. Nigel is head of Chez Vous events, the leading production and catering supplier on the Costa Del Sol for all special events. Send him an email to discuss any wedding requirements you might have info@chezvous.es CONFETI 49
Elegant Asian Affair
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and then he asked me to marry him - my response was a mixture of laughter and tears, and of course, I said ‘Yes!’.
Real Weddings
Bhavesh and Rajvi enjoyed a magical
MEANT TO BE…
We were young, crazy and care free at 17 years old. We knew of each other through friends and in the few times we would bump into each other I would sometimes get a wink and a smile and he would get a little wave back. Who would have known that 17 years later, I would be married to him! Bhavesh and I met again after some years at a fitness centre and we recognised each other straight away. We started to meet up as friends and realised that we shared the same interests however our friendship drifted slowly
when Jake Our love story began in a queue struck up a conversation Sadly for the cashpoint in London! had as he the timing was terrible, ‘Boys just booked a three-month HowOnly’ trip to South America. complete with ever we kept in touch, bills until Jake phone astronomical (much to send me a plane ticket friends on the the annoyance of his America trip,) and suddenly South holiday became our own romantic
their timeless nuptials
at the eternally stylish
fun, family and friendship.
went to Cuba and that was where Bhavesh proposed to me. We were on a tiny island off the south coast of Cuba and on our last night on the island (we were due to fly to Varadero the next day to continue our holiday), Bhavesh had booked us a table at a restaurant. When we arrived, I was surprised to see that he had arranged for us to dine in a private cabana that was beautifully decorated with candles, flowers and white curtains that were softly blowing in the breeze. During our meal, we were serenaded with beautiful Spanish love songs. At this point he told me that he did this for me
Real Wedd
Two years later, we had been well acquainted with each other’s family and friends and we had been on a few holidays together and we were definitely ready to take the next step in our relationship. It was just a case of him popping the question. Last September we
Address Book
At the Water’s Edge celebrated Jake and Laufey
three day celebration filled with
apart and we became quite busy in our own lives but we would call each other now and again over the years just to catch up until one day we decided to meet, enjoying each others company so greatly we began to spend more and more time together before falling completely and utterly in love.
ings
Wedding Dress: Caroline Castigliano
Bridesmaid Dresses:
Reiss
Suit: Reiss Venue: Villa del Mar, Marbella Club Hotel
Villa del Mar.
Photographer: beckysharpe.co.uk
the rest of our and the beginning of in a restaurant lives. Jake proposed a few months in Paris in 2010 then twins hence later I fell pregnant with put on hold our wedding plans got for a little while.
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because he loved me and he just wanted to say thank you for being such an amazing girlfriend and so I still had no clue what he was about to do. It was after dinner when Bhavesh suggested that we go for a walk on the beach. As we walked towards the sea, I was holding on to him and walking with precaution as it was dark with only the moonlight to guide us, and the deck that led to the rocks above the shore had large enough gaps for my stilettos to become wedged in! When we arrived at the beach, the moonlight hit the waves that were rolling onto the sand - we just stood there in awe of the scenery. We held each other tight and reminisced about the amazing times we had been through together over all the years we had known each other. He then suddenly said, ‘Can you see that?’ I turned around to see what he was pointing at, and as I looked down, a light shone on to the rocks where there was a sign that read, ‘Marry Me?’. I then turned back around to see that Bhavesh had got down on one knee! He told me that he wanted to spend the rest of his life and more with me
was sun, My vision for our wedding I really sea, flowers and glamour. outside, either wanted to get married suron a beach or somewhere in the blooms rounded by beautiful
idea of Initially I had a very different thought years earlier I sunshine. About three how I wanted my wedding, were relaxed Jake and I (newly engaged) I wanted more of a hippy beach as soon as I walking down the Marbella drink at feel to everything but go for a changed. front and decided to saw the venue everything restaurant. perfect but The Marbella Club beach The entire wedding was through the most sentiWe then had a little walk I would have to say the knew the speeches hotel grounds and I instantly of mental moments were that I had found the destination villa, of course, the ceremony. and, private and friends my dreams. The hotel’s Seeing all of our family and holds all that they had Villa del Mar is beautiful together and knowing 1950’s. I could the world of its charm from the all flown in from across parties that they all visualise all the glamorous was amazing. The fact in the past and as much as we that took place there enjoyed themselves my wedding; on the cake. that’s how I visualised did was truly the icing timeless. classic, glamorous and
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48 CONFET I
Would you like
We went back to our table where we finished off our champagne, when Bhavesh told me he had another surprise for me! What could possibly be better than this? I thought he may have booked us in for a spa day or he would take me shopping… No. He had booked us both in for a skydive! Fancy being proposed to and then kicked out of a helicopter at 12000 ft... romantic at first, daringly devilish to end.
ALL I EVER WANTED AND MORE…
The wedding planning begun almost immediately after we had returned back to the UK. I had always dreamt of an outdoors wedding, with beautiful scenery and romance. I already knew that this would be the theme throughout. We decided to marry in Spain as we both travelled there often. Spain has always been a destination close to home and close to my heart... the ambience, the people, the laidback attitude, the weather and climate.... we had to get married in Spain!
True Blue
morning, the blessing ceremony in the afternoon followed by cocktails and the reception party into the night. All were outdoors, the weather was amazing and all this infused with the surroundings and the ‘buzz’ our guests came with made it truly the best wedding, I myself, had ever been to, and I still can’t believe that it was my own. I knew I wanted a traditional Hindu wedding with a twist of vintage and regal attire. Dianna from Party People and the team at Beau Rivaaaj ensured that the setting was just that and the planning was impeccable. The mandap was decorated with beautiful fabrics and hanging ornaments. It looked exquisite with traditional but subtle colours. The large pillars surrounding the amphitheatre were draped with beautiful images of Lord Ganesh. For the blessing ceremony, Dianna had stripped away the colours and left a beautiful plain white chuppah that was complemented by the surroundings of the Roman Stone amphitheatre. The ivory and soft pink flowers paired with our outfits made a perfect combination against the sunlight and the greenery.
I wanted a wedding with a difAfter the sounds of the Spanference and I loved the idea of ish guitar and a few champagne davidtoms-weddings.com our closest friends and family all cocktails later, guests were coming to celebrate our wedding ushered to the reception on the davidtoms-weddings.com abroad and also enjoying a holioutdoor terrace surrounded by day at the same time. We decided olive trees with suspended Chito have a three day event, with the nese lanterns and wicker hearts. Michael and first being the Surprises for our guests, and our Melan night. The two day mendhi ie marri celeb second day was a leisure selves, were ‘wow’ factors starting ration day at ed in a elegant family, friend surro the Crowne Plaza s with flamenco dancing, speeches Estepona and son, with unded by their Dexter. golf and spa in the morning, and performances from our loved a pool party in the afternoon and ones to large glow sticks on our a dinner in the evening and the entrance, a live bongo player over last day wasOUR our big a UK DJ spinning the best beats dayY… STOR - with the Vedic Hindu Micha ceremony and then a firework finale. el and I in the met throug ing and h workliving in Marbella, the Real in Estate secto years ago. r about 8 CONFETI 61 property I was working for developer a for a renow and Micha el company. ned Real Estate He was professiona charming, polite and l, kind way about him, had a very of misch with a hint ief After a few in those blue eyes. each other, years of not seeing each other we bumped into again and meet up decided for coffee to tea, and or hence forth in my case good friend became s. We were ing for differe worknt comp then and anies by we chat, laugh would meet up to woes over , tell each other our a ner. Micha bit of lunch or dinel board and was my sound ing confidante. enjoyed each others We really everything company, plicated. was easy and uncom OUR VISIO One day shortly after one of my Spain holdsN… birthdays, my age and the in our hearts a very special (not telling of cours wedd as we have place e) we met normal and all the ladies ing date, given lived here up both to for many turned out kissed’ and things changed, as real treat our son to be ‘we Dexter was years and and also was born. Michael and Melan proved to a an excell Costa del born in the ent be ie Sol Hospi friends and memento for our sion was tal. Our vito share family. Michael our and this proposed special time wedding 2 month later, on OUR MOST with our s the last loved ones. in our lives day amazing MOMENTS TREASURED we wante We knew cruise holidaof an d to get … beautiful It everyo togeth is hard to ne all er and for ring. It was y, with a select just our neare ful surpri moment a wonderand deare one se st from our st to be wedding even start and before we could as each a part of initiation day and every planning our into marrie I was pregn perfect. the wedd minute was addition, d life and However ing, for some ant. when the churc , who had in yet had the h and Julie- I entered not soprano our darlin pleasure, to meet singer beganAnn our g son. Ave Maria singing my heart also dedic melted. We chose She ated Villa Tiberi ing the recep a song to us location o as our duras tion dinne created such wond it is decorated with a very speci r, which for Micha fountains. erful gardens and al memo el ry A simple the funnie and myself. I think scheme colou r of st mome nt when my pale blue just off-white and mother was had to be was select Flamenco perfectly complemened, which dance and doing her cided he simple and Dexter deted our could elegant grandmothe n´t be withou adorned vision. We t his the main r, ‘Abu’ for moment table with crystals even one so and blue her on the he decided to join place cards chose invitations, dance floor! and a stunn all, having seating Above ing plan in the everyone cherish The pale same hues. we love togeth and blue days ultima er for two whole embellished Spanish fans, tely with our made our ding everyt names wedever wishe hing we could have d for and more.
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CONFETI BRIDAL SHOOT
NEW COLLECTION
Rime Arodaky
TREND
er mIVES um S US CL EX
BESPOKE VEN
Writing your Vows On Edge MARIA SENVO INTERVIEW WITH DESIGNER
Jeremy Standle
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LAUNCH OF NE
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G AWARD WINNINBY PHOTOGRAPHY y
Del Mar AT
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PUENTE ROMANO
Luxurious Romance
THE SUNBORN HOTEL
Spain and Gibraltar’s dedicated wedding bible
Maria Swept Away Senvo BY JUSTIN ALEXANDER GOWNS
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Spain, Gibraltar and The Balearics’ dedicated wedding bible
Real Weddings
Love always wins For Sophie and Bart, the decision to marry in Sotogrande was an easy one and they were even able to arrange their wedding to suit the bride’s carefree, bohemian style!
Love At First Sight We met four years ago in Dubai when I joined the company that Bart was working at. After a lot of sneaky glances at each other and a few dates it was clear to both of us that we were serious about each other. One day early on we stayed in bed all day watching DVDs and I actually called my best friend that night and said I’ve met the man I’m going to marry - and four years later we did! Childhood Memories We chose Spain because my parents have had a place in Sotogrande for years. It’s such a magical place; every summer I would spend July and August there as a child and it’s where so many happy memories have been made. When it came to choosing a venue and location we knew right away that Cancha II was the place we wanted to tie the knot. We were looking for a more relaxed feel to the wedding rather than a very traditional English wedding, although they work fantastically well in their own right. We felt that having the service on the polo fields followed by a meal created the perfect atmosphere we were looking for. 52 CONFETI
Bohemian Bride I wanted the bridesmaids’ and my styling to mirror the wedding’s vibe of fun, relaxed and quite bohemian. My wedding dress was the first I tried on – an Alice Temperley design with which I fell in love instantly. To continue the bohemian theme I wore a band of flowers in my hair. I was very lucky that choosing the bridesmaids’ dresses was equally easy; I loved the mint colour and thought it unique. The style of dress I let them all decide for themselves and thankfully with no arguments they all agreed on the strapless one. They all looked beautiful! Dance The Night Away Nigel from Chez Vous was incredible with the entertainment; the company constructed a beautiful stage and seating area, which provided a stunning backdrop for the dancing. We opted for a contemporary vibe when it came to the music. We started with an amazing band called Legal Aliens who kicked off with some modern pop hits. Following this we had a DJ to play uplifting dance music. A highlight for us was the electric violinist, Quike Navarro, who started playing over the DJ. It really provided an uplifting moment just after the band had
kicked the party off. As we’d opted for an evening wedding, to avoid the hottest part of the day, the band kicked off at 11pm and the DJ didn’t stop until 6.30am, so it really was a case of dancing the night away! Al Fresco Love Cancha II incorporates a fantastic Argentinian restaurant on the polo fields so we took guidance from the restaurant itself, which advised us that setting up the tables outside would make for a beautiful scene. Again Chez Vous pulled off the lighting perfectly, hanging some stunning fairy lights and gorgeous chandeliers from the trees over the tables. Being an Argentinian restaurant the steak was a popular choice for our guests; however, the team also made a fantastic herb crusted cod for those who preferred a lighter option. We were so impressed with their presentation and timing, especially considering that they were catering for such a large party. The Finishing Touches I think special touches are so important to make a wedding unique, so I organized a couple
throughout the night. For instance, we played Stevie Wonder’s ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ as we left the ceremony, it was such fun and really got the celebrations started. I’m very fortunate that my brother is the founder of the amazing organic candle and beauty product company NEOM, so the second touch was to gift all the ladies with a mini set of luxury organic bath oils wrapped with a mint green ribbon - the same colour as the bridesmaids’ dresses. Next up, when guests arrived at the wedding they were served traditional pink lemonade in jam jars. I always loved this way of serving drinks and everyone was very keen on these, given how warm the weather was. Our last unique touch was to have empanadas served at 3am, which went down like a house on fire after so much dancing! Dutch Courage There were so many wonderful highlights on the day, it would take too long to list them, but a moment I won’t forget was driving to the wedding with my father. We had decided it would be far more relaxing for me to drive to the ceremony with my dad. So we put ribbons on the car and set off with
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Real Weddings
Address Book Wedding Planner: Nigel Davis, Chez Vous Events, chezvous.es Photographer: Pierre Richarson: pierrerichardsonphotography.com Venue: Cancha II, Sotogrande. asadorcancha2.com Flowers: Florium floriumsotogrande.com Minister: Victoria Rhodes, humanist minister. vickir@mac.com ‘Bailando’ by Enrique Iglesias blaring out, as usual, to get us in the mood. En route we passed a little Spanish bar and Dad suggested stopping for a drink, I said, “But Mum told me not to drink before the wedding” and Dad said, “Just don’t tell”. So we stopped and had a glass of rosé with three old Spanish men, who loved the fact that I had come into the bar in my wedding dress! This is such a special memory as it was the last moment I spent with my dad before he gave me away. The minister saying, “You can now kiss the bride” was another moment I will never forget; truly magical. Message from the Mother of the Bride We were so thrilled and delighted with absolutely everything on the day. Nigel was a delight to work with and took all the pressure
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Cake Maker: Sarah Hudson: casaabelia.com Band: The Legal Aliens thelegalaliens@zoho.com Electric Violinist: Quike Navarro. houseviolinist.com Videographer: Sam Reynard info@reynardproductions.com Hairdresser: Lucy, +34 608 279 921 away, leaving us to relax and just enjoy it. All of his recommendations were absolutely perfect and he delivered a wedding that surpassed our dreams. So for anyone thinking of getting married in this area, our address book is a list of everyone you could possibly need to make your dreams come true. Enjoy your special day!
THE BEST SERVICES FOR YOUR EVENTS
PRODUCTION & CATERING Event Management DJs & Groups Stages & Dancefloors Sound & Lighting Audiovisuals Decoration Chillout Furniture
+34 618 470 339 info@chezvous.es
PRIVATE PARTIES COCKTAIL RECEPTIONS LUXURY PRIVATE DINING WEDDINGS CORPORATE CATERING CHEF & BAR AT HOME
www.chezvous.es
Real Weddings
An Infinite
Love
Vicki and Keiran brought a hint of Scottish style to their Spanish wedding celebration. Eyes Wide Shut Kieran and I met on a blind date. One of Kieran’s colleagues, who was a client of mine at the time, set the whole thing up. After a happy five years together, Kieran took me completely by surprise and proposed to me on a gondola in Venice. The hopelessly romantic setting of Venice was the perfect place for Kieran to ask that all-important question and I, of course, said yes! From Scotland to Spain Kieran’s sister inspired us to get married in Marbella after she chose it as her wedding destination eight years earlier. Weather was also a huge factor for us - Scotland doesn’t often offer cloudless skies whereas the Coast boasts all-year round sunshine. We visited Marbella a few times before the wedding and loved it; everything from the scenery, the lifestyle and cuisine was just spot on. The Costa del Sol was not too far from home for all our friends and family to travel to so this was another factor, which made Spain the ultimate destination for our big day. When we saw the Iglesia de la Encarnación we were blown away - it was stunning. Instantly we knew that this was where we wanted to get married. We chose to host the reception at La Quinta after my parents had previously stayed there on holiday and recommended its unparalleled views of the sea and mountains. 56 CONFETI
Paint the Town Red On the Saturday before the wedding, Kieran and I had our hen and stag parties. The ladies went to Black and White in Puerto Banús, which was lovely and the guys went to the legendary Sinatra’s bar for drinks. We later all met up at Pangea nightclub to party until the small wee hours in this open air venue overlooking the Port. We had a pre-wedding gettogether on the Sunday at La Sala By The Sea, which was the perfect setting for a relaxed afternoon with a touch of glamour. guests enjoyed canapés, paella, sangria and beer while our photographers, Graham and Aileen took some informal shots and footage, which was fantastic to look back on once the celebrations were over. A Vintage Dress to Impress For the big day itself, I wore a Justin Alexander white wedding dress, which had a distinctly vintage feel with its lace fabric. I only had one bridesmaid and she wore a simple and elegant white dress, which perfectly complemented my own bridal gown. We incorporated a subtle Scottish influence into our Spanish wedding celebration so the groom, groom’s men and pageboys all wore thistles and tartan bows. We chose a colour theme of white and navy, which was classic and elegant.
Address Book Wedding Planner – Marbella Wedding Angels marbellaweddingangels.com
Pamper Session We hired the executive suite at La Quinta, which was the ideal space to manage the hair and makeup. My friend Vanessa was put in charge of hair on the day; she created vintage inspired styles, which looked amazing. Travel in Style Guests were piped into the Iglesia de la Encarnación by a traditional Scottish piper, while a horse and carriage took my father and I to the church. I will never forget travelling along Marbella’s Golden Mile with everyone waving and cheering - we felt like royalty! There were lots of locals and tourists waiting on our arrival in the main square where the church was located, which made us feel really special. The ceremony was beautiful and the organist, who was playing on the biggest pipes in the whole of Spain, made it extra memorable.
impeccable service – we couldn’t have asked for more. Party band “Double Cocktail” kick started the party straight after dinner. They kept everyone on the dance floor until 3a.m. We also had flamenco dancers half way through the evening who were superb and even encouraged guest participation, which was hilarious.
Picture Perfect Graham and Aileen did a fantastic job capturing the whole wedding celebration on camera and video. They checked the venues out beforehand and we met them a few times before the wedding as well, which made everything go smoothly on the day. The pre-wedding shoot around Marbella Old Town was
Photographer and Videographer – Graham and Ailleen Mackay, grahammackay.co.uk Spanish Guitarists – Latino twins Florist - Flowers Inc, marbellaflowersandflorist.com Wedding Venue – La Quinta Golf, laquintaresort.com
Following the ceremony, guests congregated on the terrace at La Quinta for some cocktails accompanied by Spanish guitarists The Latino Twins who were fantastic. A Decadent Feast The evening meal took place in La Quinta’s magnificent ballroom. Guests tucked into a quintessentially Spanish dish, jamón iberico with melon, before enjoying a vodka sorbet, fillet steak and a trio of desserts. Everyone commented on the golf club’s attention to detail and
also an extra special touch. We found both Graham and Aileen easy to talk to and we will be forever thankful to them for capturing the day so that we can treasure the memories forever. CONFETI 57
TI CONFEaltar
in Gibr
Real Weddings
Youmy areRock
Childhood Sweethearts
Daniel was my first boyfriend at the young age of 15. We were together for about two years then decided it was best to go our separate ways; we were very young and neither of us was ready to take things to the next stage. Daniel moved to the UK to find work and we both went on with our lives without any contact for 20 years. I started work in Gibraltar and life went on; however I always felt that it was not the end between Daniel and me. Twenty years later, I was still living on The Rock, when I received news that
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Daniel had returned to Gibraltar. I instantly felt butterflies in my stomach and couldn’t wait to see him. After about a week we bumped into each other and...let’s just say the rest is history as we are now happily married with a sixmonth-old son, Oliver. I couldn’t be happier!
A Family Affair
For Daniel and me Gibraltar really was the only place we wanted to tie the knot. It’s where we both grew up and have so many happy memories. It’s also where all our friends and family live, so really
it was a natural choice. Also, there are so many gorgeous spots on The Rock that it would be hard to go anywhere else. We got married in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, which was a stunning venue. We chose to hold the reception at The Island as it’s actually owned by my cousins, so what better than keeping it in the family - a very Gibraltarian value.
Fairy Tale Wedding
Finding the dress took much more time than I had initially expected. I looked in most
Address Book Hair and Make up - Richard’s Salon at The O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel - rbyeats@gibtelecom.net Photographer - Giles - giles@ surgemedia.co.uk Church: The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Gibraltar Wedding Venue -The Island at Ocean Village orlando.yeats@theisland.gi Dress - All Things Nice at Ocean Village bridalgibraltar@hotmail.com
boutiques in Gibraltar and southern Spain and finally found my ideal dress in a small boutique in Ocean Village. It wasn’t even as if it was designed in a style that initially appealed to me, but once it was on I fell in love with it. I wanted my bridesmaids to feel as fabulous as I did, so I let them choose their own style. My only request was that they all choose tones of blue, as this was in keeping with my theme. The theme itself was fairies; I have always loved fairies so I thought
there couldn’t be anything better for the big day. I used fairies as centrepieces at the reception as I thought I would go for something other than flowers. The décor at the ceremony itself was more traditional, as I wanted to channel an old-fashioned theme here, which of course included having my father walk me down the aisle.
Heavens Open
One of my favourite moments of the wedding was arriving at the reception in a Jaguar and seeing
all our guests waiting for us and taking photos as we got out of the car - I felt like a celebrity! I was so concerned prior to the wedding, as two days before it had poured with rain all day and I really couldn’t think of anything worse than a wet wedding. I had contemplated a couple of Plan B options if the worst case scenario did come about, like arranging to have the photos done on another day or getting umbrellas for all our guests. But when I woke up on my wedding day and the sun was shining brightly I knew I
had someone looking over me, that made a great start to my wonderful day.
If I had to do it again, I would change…
I wouldn’t change a thing! Everything went so smoothly and it really was one of the best days of my life, second only to the birth of my son. My one piece of advice to future brides is just to relax and enjoy it, what will be will be. What really is important is who is waiting for you at the end of the aisle and your future together. CONFETI 59
Real Weddings
Endless
Amour David and Emilie Richardson celebrated their love in a French inspired wedding in Sotogrande
The French Connection David and I are high school sweethearts. When I was 14 my family and I moved to Sotogrande from France. I met David in Sotogrande and we started dating when I was 16. David is from Gibraltar and I am French. We both attended university in different countries and used to meet every summer. We lived together in London for a few years before David proposed in 2009 in Gstaad, Switzerland while on a skiing holiday with friends. This was a very romantic but unusual proposal on a ski-lift with beautiful views of the Swiss Alps. Three years on, David and I are now the proud parents of a one year-old boy called Matthew.
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Sotogrande Setting We wanted to get married in Sotogrande because this is where we met and our story started – and all our friends are from there! We chose the San Roque Club as it is a fantastic and beautiful venue, a typical Spanish setting with warm colours and a great atmosphere. Parisian Style I opted for a simple and elegant dress from Pronovias Paris and added a bolero for the church. I wore pearl earrings and pearls in my hair and added a bow in my hair for the evening, made by a Parisian milliner. I had seven bridesmaids who all live in different countries so I decided it would be easier for them to wear an elegant black dress of their choice. I gave them all a modern pearl necklace with black bows so they all had a matching item, plus a bouquet. For the ceremony lilies were attached to the pews using white bows and we had also added round bouquets with white flowers at the alter. The ceremony was held in English by a priest from Gibraltar. I was very lucky to have my students from Sotogrande International School Choir sing at the church. Led by Susan McGill, they sang beautifully in both English and French. This was an especially emotional moment for me! For the decoration of the venue we choose grey, silver and white to match our wedding invitations. In the centre of each table there was a tall shiny Eiffel Tower decorated with flowers and candles. Each table had different street names from Paris and Gibraltar. As a special touch we added little hearts with the word “Bonheur” pegged on each guest’s glass holding the
menu and we also decorated the table with dragées (almonds covered with white sugar and given in France as favours.) The white, grey and silver dragées were in a teardrop shaped box labelled with our names and the date of the wedding. The guests’ names were displayed on a large white canvas, with a design that matched our bespoke wedding stamps that we had used to send our wedding invitations. We decorated the canvas with black and white photos of Paris and Gibraltar. To co-ordinate and organize the event, we asked our friend Sean Acris to help us with planning.
The Real Food of Love Following some original Spanish tapas, which we enjoyed in the courtyard, we moved on to the golf course side of the venue for a unique flamenco horse dancing show. Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious four-course dinner and had ordered vanilla and chocolates cupcakes as our wedding cake. The cupcakes, made by Sarah Hudson of Sarah’s cakes, were displayed on a stand and decorated in white, grey and silver to match our theme. As a special touch we had champagne delivered form France labelled with our names and the wedding date. We also made our own logo where we mixed the outline of the city of Paris
with the outline of the rock of Gibraltar. The logo was added on bag holders that we also gave to our guests as favours. Favourite Moments Our favourite moment was the ceremony; we loved the atmosphere, the exchange of vows, the choir and the involvement of our ushers and bridesmaids that made our day so special. The flamenco horse show was a truly unique and unforgettable moment, where David and I had to dance some flamenco with professional dancers and their trained horses.
If I had to do it again, I would change… I would probably have the dance floor outside in the patio instead of inside the venue. This would have given more space to add chill out areas and candles lights to make it even more magical! Advice for future brides getting married in Spain Plenty of time is needed to sort out paperwork especially if you are French, marrying a Gibraltarian and getting married in Spain.
Address Book Wedding Venue: The San Roque Club, San Roque – Spain Church: Nuestra Señora de la Merced, Sotogrande Choir: Sotogrande International School Choir, led by Susan McGill Photographer: Juan Carlos Teuma Flowers: Florium, Sotogrande San Roque Flowers: Areka, Pueblo Nuevo Dress: Pronovias, Paris Rings: Cohen and Macias Jewelry Shop, Gibraltar DJ: Nacho, San Roque Club Cake: Sarah Hudson: Sarah’s Cakes, Sotogrande Car: Mercedes Benz 500 SL Hair: Romain Dominique Salon, Panyagua, Sotogrande Make up: Kate Waldron Wedding Gift list: Corte Inglés, Marbella Website: marions-les.com CONFETI 61
Real Weddings
Crazy in Love The Beach House owners Guy and Lucy McCrow had a dreamy white wedding at their own restaurant for a day that was close to their heart Our Story We got together in 2002 having met the year before. At the time Guy’s sister and my brother were dating and we got to know each other through their relationship. Foolish Love In 2010, Guy proposed to me in Dubai in a lovely restaurant called Pier Chic. As anybody that knows Guy will tell you, he doesn’t take life too seriously and is a bit of a joker, so the proposal, of course, was not without a bit of buffoonery! I knew that Guy was going to propose at some point during the holiday so, when he told me we were going to Pier Chic on what was the penultimate night of our holiday, I guessed the time had come. We arrived at the restaurant and sat down at our table where a bottle of champagne on ice was waiting for us, which was lovely. The meal progressed - the proposal, however, did not. At various intervals, Guy would say, “Lou, I have something very important to ask you...” (I waited nervously with bated breath), “...could you pass me the pepper?” As you can imagine this was repeated over and over again with different requests. After our meal, Guy asked for the bill and I sat back in my chair, furious, with arms folded; I could not believe that he had not ‘popped the question’ to me. As we walked down the long pier back to land, Guy stopped me and very romantically presented me with a box and 62 CONFETI
finally asked if I would marry him. I was tempted to push him in the water but decided to accept instead! Home Is Where The Heart Is We chose to get married in Spain as it holds a great significance for us; we got together in Spain, we have our business here – The Beach House Restaurant - we also had our three children here, Zac who is six and twins Toby and Ollie who are four. We chose our restaurant as the venue for our wedding as there isn’t a better place in the world. Not only is the food unsurpassable and the location stunning, but we have an incredible team working with us and we wanted them to be a part of our big day. Natalie, Ilko, Jeff, Lukasz, Ronnie and their respective teams worked so incredibly hard for us to make it our dream day.
A Dress Fit for a Queen My wedding dress was made for me by a designer called Clinton Lotter in London. The gown I chose from his collection was called ‘Katherine’ and it was the design that Clinton submitted for consideration by Kate Middleton. It was a French corded lace gown with a silk jersey slip and was exactly the style that I wanted. My bridesmaids Alex, Emma and Keely wore dresses by Lela Rose as did my flower girls, Izzy, Maisie and Darcey. The colour theme was ‘firecracker’, which looked stunning against the backdrop of the blue sea and sky. The flower girls’ dresses were ivory. A tailor in London called Marc Wallace made Guy’s suit for him. Guy’s best men were his brothers, Sam and Josh. Floral Fancies Hannah Freeman-Reed, a florist from London who now lives and works in Spain, organised the flowers. She has provided flowers for many prestigious events around the world, often working for high profile, celebrity clients. Hannah worked hard to source some very unusual and beautiful flowers from far-flung corners of the globe including
Holland, Ecuador and Columbia. Her design for the arrangements was sensational and wonderfully modern. The flowers were my favourite part of the decoration, without a doubt. They made a real statement and looked stunning. Our three lovely dogs made an appearance too for the photographs and Hannah had made each of them a beautiful flower garland to wear. Animal Lover Silvia Kessels from Marbella Parties did a wonderful job of decorating the restaurant and it looked beautiful. Silvia was also able to arrange some of the entertainment such as a stilt walker who greeted our guests, a caricaturist, a magician and my favourite part of the day - an authentic Andalusian horse show. I am an animal lover so I had to invite some to the wedding! Have Your Cake and Eat It The cake was made for us by Cake Couture Marbella and was so elegant, covered with peonies and lily of the valley. It was delicious too – we chose two different flavours for the layers raspberry and chocolate.
Life’s A Party In terms of music and entertainment, Quike Navarro and the Hamilton String Quartet played during the ceremony, then Felix performed during the champagne and canapé reception before Masquerade Duo accompanied the meal. We arranged for iRock, a band from England, to come and play after the meal. The photographer was the amazing Jeremy Standley who is just so talented and the videographers were Emotion Moments.
Laugh It Off If I were to get married again, I would make sure that I didn’t run through a plate glass door the day before! I was rushing around like a headless chicken and ran straight through a closed glass door at the Beach House. The glass door exploded on impact and it was very frightening. My nose took the brunt of it so I had to spend a good few hours on the sofa with ice packs, which luckily meant I avoided any bruising. There was a bit of noticeable swelling – not a good look on your wedding day!
Address Book
Photography: Jeremy Standley, jeremystandley.com Wedding Cake: Cake Couture Marbella, cakecouturemarbella.com Dress: Clinton Lotter, clintonlotter.com Venue: The Beach House Restaurant, marbellabeachhouse.com Entertainment: Quike Navarro & Masquerade Duo Videography: Emotion Moments, emotionmoments.es CONFETI 63
Real Weddings
Kiss
SEALED WITH A
Louise and Andrew’s wedding was a truly international affair
The Love Boat Andrew and I met in 1996, while working in the casino on-board the SS Atlantic cruise liner sailing around the Bahamas. Our departure from port had been delayed due to Hurricane Bertha, so we had our first date at the Atlantis hotel, Nassau. It was very romantic. Shortly after moving to Suriname in South America we met up with friends for a rumtasting evening when, out of the blue, Andrew felt the time was right to get down on one knee and ask me to marry him. After I accepted his proposal we celebrated till dawn and sat by the side of the huge wide river and saw the sun come up, giggling to each other about what we had just done. It was a lovely time. Our life together was very much on the move, travelling 64 CONFETI
and working around the world and our children Sophie, born in 1999 and James, who came along in 2003, arrived before we managed to arrange the wedding.
We moved to Spain in 2003 so it was natural to arrange our wedding here and have all our family and friends fly in to this beautiful part of Europe. We therefore arranged three days of celebrations.
Solid as The Rock Friday was the marriage ceremony at The Dell in the Alameda Botanical Gardens in Gibraltar, which was followed by champagne and canapĂŠs at the Molly Bloom area of the gardens, which was the perfect setting while the photographer conducted the photo shoot. The coach (that had already been arranged to bring everyone from Marbella to Gibraltar in case we lost anyone en route!) then took the guests on to a champagne reception at the Caleta Hotel followed by a wedding breakfast in Nunos Terrace, a restaurant overlooking the beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea. We stayed the night at the hotel as this is now a legal requirement for marriages in Gibraltar. Marbella Blessing After looking at various venues in and around Marbella for the Saturday blessing of the marriage ceremony, which was conducted
Sunday involved recovering from the night before, but getting ready for the final day of celebrations which was at Heaven Beach, Estepona for champagne, paella and a brilliant flamenco show.
by Father Peter Cavanagh of San Pedro Christian Church, we agreed that El Campanario Golf & Country Club in Marbella was the perfect venue. The oriental gardens, fountains and beautiful array of flowers were the perfect setting to celebrate such an important day.
Favourite Moments My favourite moment of the weekend was walking over the bridge, listening to ‘From This Moment On’ by Shania Twain and looking down over the bridge to see Andrew waiting for me and finally becoming Mr. and Mrs. Behan, Also, on the Saturday after the blessing ceremony had finished, turning around to see all our family and friends sharing and witnessing our marriage.
As we were celebrating over three days I wanted to have a different style and theme for each day. On the Friday I wore a simple Greek style dress and Sophie, my daughter who was bridesmaid, wore a dress in a similar style and colour, which was perfect for the ceremony. The colour scheme was cream with fresh flowers from Lola’s Florist. Saturday morning arrived and we left the Caleta Hotel and luckily crossed the border with no major delays to make it back to El Campanario Golf & Country Club in Marbella in time for the blessing of the marriage which was to take place in front of 80 family members and friends. For this ceremony I wore a beautiful cream and lace fishtail dress while my daughter wore my beautiful gold wedding dress which I had bought 16 years before, but had never got around to wearing, due to our work commitments and travel. We had the train of the dress made into ties and handkerchiefs for the groom and best men, who were our son James and old friend Graham, to make everything match and bring something old into the equation. The Dream Team Nicole Schneider and Carmen Vazquez Flores, directors at El Campanario, worked tirelessly to make sure everything was perfect and their attention to detail was noticed by all. The food and service was both professional and well prepared. The red velvet three- tier
wedding cake made by Warren Jasper was to die for! Michelle Hastwell from Gorgeous Event Decoration worked tirelessly with the decorations and coordinated perfectly with the El Campanario team to make sure that the organisation on the day ran to perfection. Michelle and Carmen made El Campanario look magical with all the candles around the pool, in the gardens and on the tables and, as the sun went down, it all looked beautiful. Jo Nugent sang through the blessing ceremony, which was set up on the putting green and again - beautifully - during the wedding breakfast. She only finished just before the cake was cut and the speeches took place. Then came the amazing Jackie Brown Band - the atmosphere changed from a serene wedding breakfast into an electric vibrant dance floor where no one could remain sitting down for long and we danced the night away until the early hours.
If I had to do it again, I would change… Both Andrew and I asked each other if we would change anything but we can truly say, hand on heart, that we would not have done anything differently as it was just perfect and being able to involve our children was lovely. It was all very emotional, memorable and only 18 years in the planning!
Address Book Photographer: Christopher Hulme, flickr.com/hybridchoky Videographer: Alejandro Roviralta, alejandroroviralta.com Wedding venue: El Campanario Country Club, Club@elcampanarioresort.com Entertainment: Jackie Brown band, Jackiebrownband@hotmail.com Decoration and organization: Michelle Hastwell, info@gorgeouseventdecoration. com Flowers: Lola’s florist, Lola@lolasfloristas.com
If anybody is thinking of getting married in Spain, I cannot think of a better place to make all your wishes and dreams for your perfect day come true.
Wedding singer: Joanne Nugent, notjustjazzwithjo.com
As so many friends travelled to Spain from all parts of the globe to be here with us we decided to spend time with them, as Spain is already a beautiful place by the sea with great beach bars, restaurants and nightlife, so we are staying here and delaying our honeymoon till next July, when we will be travelling to South Africa.
Dresses and suit hire: Eventos MJ in Cancelada, eventos-mj@hotmail.com
It was truly worth waiting the 18 years!
Transport: Coach to and from Gibraltar, blandstravel.com
Cake: Warren Jasper, Littlelolascupcakes@yahoo.co.uk
Wedding planner: Jeanette Obytz, Gibraltar weddings, medweddings.com Hotel in Gibraltar: The Caleta, conf.banq@caletahotel.gi
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Real Weddings
MAKE
your Heart SING
Mike and Shelley married in a Scottish inspired wedding at the majestic Marbella Club
Going the Distance Mike and I met in Sketch Bar in Mayfair, London. I was out for dinner with my best friend and Mike was out with clients. He approached me after dinner at the bar and before we knew it, we were having a great night out together with both sets of our friends. I never thought anything would materialize from it as he was living in New York at the time. He was travelling a lot between New York and London with work and the next time he was in town, he asked me out for a drink. We had a great night together and both instantly felt something really special. It became apparent in the early stages that we both had strong feelings for each other. The only problem was that we lived in different countries! We then embarked on a whirlwind romance between London, Scotland and New York. Lots of travelling and holidays were planned and it turned out to be the most exciting year of my life. At the end of it Mike proposed in Dubai At New Year and we moved into our first home together in London. 66 CONFETI
It was a fantastic holiday and we celebrated our engagement for the entire week with lots of fizz and a bit of sparkle. Our romance really was like a fairytale. We both knew from very early on that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with each other and we were married that following year. We are very similar people and it just works. Vintage Glamour I have holidayed in Marbella since I was a little girl with both family and friends so it seemed the perfect place to get everyone we love together. Our guest list covered all corners of the globe, from New York to London to Scotland to Kenya. We decided that so many people would have to travel for our nuptials that we could choose anywhere in Europe to get married. We love the sunshine and we really wanted that laid back vibe that you can only get in Europe. As I walked down the aisle at the Marbella Club in the gorgeous sunshine with the trees blowing in the wind, I knew we had made the right decision. We chose the Marbella Club as our wedding venue as I love oldfashioned glamour and we knew we could wholly trust the hotel. Marbella Club is an institution
in Marbella and I felt that lovely vintage glamour vibe throughout the wedding day. I recall sitting at the wedding meal, my brother-inlaw turning to me and saying that it was all so gorgeous he felt he was either dreaming or in a movie - we loved it. The Villa del Mar was just stunning on the day and beyond what we expected. Marbella Club´s dedicated Wedding Coordinator, Ana Petkovic was amazing to work with. She has become a good friend and she made our whole wedding planning experience so enjoyable. A Bit of Bling My dress was a couture gown by Suzanne Neville. I knew the shape I wanted and Suzanne designed it specifically for me. I wanted something simple, timeless and elegant and I hope that I achieved that. I loved my gown but I did not love transporting it from London to Spain on a small plane! I really wanted a summer vibe at the wedding and for everything to be light and neutral. My bridesmaids wore white sequined cocktail dresses and I thought they looked amazing. My mum wore a white evening gown with lots of beading. The flowers were also all white; we had lots of hydrangeas, orchids and roses with an abundance of crystals.
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I love anything simple with a bit of bling and that theme occurred throughout the wedding. There were lots of diamantes, twinkling lights and hanging crystals. The team at L&N Flowers were our florists and they just blew me away - they were a pleasure to work with and everything was beautiful on the day. Our floral arch at the ceremony was exactly what I requested and more stunning than I could ever have imagined. I remember taking my vows and seeing the crystals and the hanging orchids blowing in the breeze and thinking, “Wow, this really is how I hoped everything would be today!” My sister’s mother-in-law decorated the fountain and prepared our bridal bouquets. She is a fantastic florist in Scotland and it was nice to involve her in the preparations. The people at L&N were so accommodating and let her use their workshop to prepare everything. Eat, Drink and Be Merry The wedding meal was delicious. So many of our guests said that the canapés and our wedding banquet was the best wedding food they had ever tasted. We started with a cold tomato and mozzarella soup, followed by lobster and king prawn salad, then fillet of beef and Oreo cookie 68 CONFETI
cheesecake with Bailey’s ice cream for dessert. The service and presentation by Marbella Club on the day was exceptional. I even enjoyed the experience of our menu and wine tasting before the wedding (despite the fact I thought I was going to burst at the end of it!) The canapés and food was all so delicious that we struggled to finalise the menu. Our cake was made by Omaya at Marbella Cake Couture and she did a fantastic job. We even took some of the cake to the Maldives on our honeymoon so that we didn’t miss a mouthful. We cut our wedding cake at midnight to fireworks and Pavarotti’s rendition of ‘Nessun Dorma’. Our guests were all given sparklers and a glass of champagne. We were all very excited and it was a special moment and, thankfully we have lots of wonderful pictures recording that memory. Wild for the Night Entertainment was really important to us. We both love to dance and to socialize so we wanted to create the most fun party to celebrate our marriage. We had a classical guitarist and a bagpiper during the ceremony. I am a very patriotic Scottish girl and there was no way I was getting married without a bagpiper! I even said I
would fly a pipe band over if I had to. However, Ivett from Marbella Entertainments saved the day and arranged for the Gibraltar pipe band to play for us. We combined the Scottish and the Spanish element by having a classical guitarist play during the ceremony as well and for the cocktail reception a classic Spanish tunas performed. During the meal an old friend and the wonderful crooner, Mark Connor, from Marbella both sang for us. Mark has sung at various of my family’s favourite Marbella hang outs over the years and we loved having him there on our special day. He started off with swing and then moved on to some old Motown classics. The dance floor was on fire the entire night. The Gibraltar pipe band performed again during the evening. This was a very special experience for the Scots abroad and something different for the rest of our guests. Ivett at Marbella Entertainments arranged the Costadelics, the pipe band and fireworks. Everything was top class and she was a lovely person to work with. After the cake and fireworks, we had a DJ and a sax player performed. We discovered them at Nikki Beach and they were great. It brought a disco vibe to the latter part of the evening and again, everyone loved it. Favourite Moments There are too many favourite moments to mention. Our ceremony was definitely very special - the venue, the flowers, our minister, the sunshine and my lovely husband were all just perfect. All our guests looked so happy and relaxed and it was a
Address Book Venue: Villa del Mar, Marbella Club, marbellaclub.com Wedding Planner: Dianna Cunningham, Party People Marbella, partypeoplemarbella.com Entertainment and Fireworks: Marbella Entertainments, marbellaentertainments.com Photography and Videography: Nani and Antonio de Perez, nanideperez.com Flowers: L&N Florists, infloraldesign.com Make Up: Liza Mayne, domayne.ne
very memorable moment. One of the most poignant moments for me was arriving at Villa del Mar with my mum and bridesmaids. The doors were closed and the bagpipes started playing ‘Flower of Scotland’; it was so special and emotional. All the guests knew from the pipes that I had arrived and they said it was very exciting.
When the doors opened at the Villa, everything looked beautiful - I saw Mike and all our guests and it was like a dream. I will also never forget the fun of the evening reception. The dancing, the music and the fireworks. I loved looking around and seeing our guests mixing and dancing. Everyone looked so happy and like they were having such a good time. If I had to do it again, I would change… I wouldn’t change a thing! There were a few hitches but that’s the magic of your day. We had the pleasure of working with so many lovely people and everything was our version of perfect on the day. We will never regret our decision to get married in Spain; for us, it was the dream day. Hire the professionals Book photographers Nani and Antonio Perez as fast as you can! They are wonderful people. I loved having Nani around on the day. She made me feel a million dollars and I have so many precious photos that I will treasure forever. CONFETI 69
Real Weddings International
The Wedding of Any Year Ian Radford, Chairman of the majorly successful Sala Group, and his long-term partner, Claire Strutton pulled out all the stops for a beautiful British summer wedding with their closest family and friends.
One Day at a Time
I had been living in Marbella just over a year when Ian and I were introduced at a work related meeting. At the time, I didn’t know many people in Marbella but I knew straight away that Ian and I would be good friends, and we were. Those first few years weren’t particularly easy; as a single parent I was working all day and going home in the evening to look after my son. I wasn’t sure if I was even going to stay in Spain but Ian was one of the few people who made my day brighter. He has an infectious giggle and even though I joke that he has Angry Tourette’s, you won’t ever meet a kinder, fairer person. He was one of my best friends for the two years before we became a couple and most definitely kept me sane!
A Blissful Ignorance
As I usually work all summer, Ian always plans a weekend away for us so I don’t feel like 70 CONFETI
I’ve completely missed out on the holiday season. Two years ago he told me we were going to Madrid for our weekend. Ian’s terrible at lying so I wasn’t convinced. I was almost certain that we were actually going to watch the Euros in the Ukraine which were going on at the time and he just didn’t want me to complain! I kept asking him what I should pack as I didn’t want to take clothes for a boiling hot weekend in Madrid and end up being freezing cold in the Ukraine. When we landed in Madrid, I was relieved; when we stopped outside a transit gate going to Venice, I was ecstatic!
City of Love
The beauty of the architecture in Venice and our airport transfer to the hotel in a classic wooden Riva boat meant that by the time we got to the room, I just ran inside and started bouncing up and down on the bed with happiness.
Do Everything In Love
Neither of us had been married before and, at our age, there are fewer and fewer occasions when everyone you love and value can be together and just have a good time. With that in mind, we planned our wedding more as an event. With friends and family travelling from all over, we wanted to make it worth the effort for them, a memory they would never forget - just a fun, lovely time. For the day before the wedding, we organised a trip to Royal Ascot and the day before that Ian and his friends played golf at The Buckinghamshire, with the rest of us turning up later to watch England play in the World Cup.
Childhood Dreams
It sounds crazy, but when I look back, a proposal was not anywhere on my radar. We opened the champagne in the room and I walked out onto the terrace, blabbing as I went, “Oh baby, look at the view! This place is amazing! This room is amazing! This is my perfect weekend! You are amazing! You know me so well! We are perfect for each other!” When I turned around to see what Ian was doing, I heard him say, “I think so too.” He was standing right next to me with an open box which contained a ring. I burst into tears and mumbled, “You wallyhead.” Once I had stopped crying, he told me to look inside the ring; it was engraved with the words, “My Beautiful Wallyhead, I love you.” If somebody else had told me that story, I wouldn’t have believed it. Ian told me he had a trip planned on a gondola for the following day but at that very moment everything was just perfect.
As a little girl I used to ride my bike past Fulmer Church because it was at the end of my mum’s road. It probably sounds odd, but if our wedding had been anywhere else it just wouldn’t have felt real. We met the local vicar and booked the date. Ian would have preferred a Spanish location, so I knew he was agreeing to a U.K. wedding to make me happy. I wanted a homely place where everyone would be comfortable and Stoke Place has that lovely old, country house kind of feel. On the first day when we came down for breakfast and everyone was casually sitting around chatting as though this was their own house, I knew we had got it right. Coming back from Ascot on the Friday and having a BBQ in the garden cooked for us confirmed this.
In the Nick of Time
I never had a particular style in mind for my wedding dress - in fact, I bought the first one I tried on! On a quick weekend over in the UK with Ian’s sister Nicola and my cousin Sasha, I called up the local bridal shop in Beaconsfield, anticipating no problem in securing an appointment for the one day I was there. It turned out the store was holding a designer day which had been booked for over a year in advance. The lady on the phone was very gracious but she actually choked when I said the wedding was only three months away and I had not yet tried on a dress. “Get here in 10 minutes before we open and we will squeeze you in,” she said. I dragged Nicola out of the shower with wet hair and we made a dash to the shop. The sales assistant picked out four dresses for me. Ian had given strict instructions that - as my dress sense is terrible - I was
not to make the decision on my own! I later found out that Nicola and Sasha had been texting one another opinions on each gown while sitting next to each other in the shop. As it happened, we all agreed that the first dress was the best and, since designer Suzanne Neville was there that day, we were able to customise it a little.
Beautiful Buds
Flowers and my family have a long running history so I knew that it was always only ever going to be white and green colours. We had beautiful phalaenopsis orchids, hydrangeas and delphiniums. The flowers were stunning. I guess they dictated the simplicity of everything else. The men and
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Real Weddings International
bridesmaids wore champagne shades and the venue was white with delicate touches of detail everywhere, including personalised love heart sweets and M&Ms in the favours boxes. The vicar was hilarious and set the scene for the day. During the service, he said that divorce was not an option, you make these promises and you make it work. Murder, he joked, was an option, but not divorce. He had everyone in hysterics and it meant that we all listened to every word he said; I think he made a few converts that day!
Best of British
Next door to the church is a lovely old country pub so, after the service, everyone walked straight next door for Pimms, beer and food before being picked up by an old red double decker bus to take them to the reception. When we arrived a steel band was playing in the garden, there was also a bouncy castle and a blow up candy-floss and hot-dog stand to keep the kids occupied. 72 CONFETI
A Little Party Never Killed Anybody
We then went in for the wedding breakfast; La Sala signature act Masquerade Duo performed and were fantastic – many of our guests told us it was the first wedding reception they have been to where people were dancing during the starter. Alexander O’Neal also performed later on in the evening; his singing accompanied our first dance. It was lucky that Alexander is such a seasoned performer because the Masquerade Duo was a hard act to follow. We had a DJ for the remainder of the night but hardly anyone was interested in dancing once the photo booth had opened!
Effortlessly Elegant
There was no definitive theme really - we just stuck to what we like: quality, understated elegance and lots of enjoyment.
In the Spotlight
Every moment of the day surpassed anything I could have dreamed of, it was unreal. I
still get goosebumps from the flashbacks! Definitely at the top of my list of favourite moments is arriving at the altar, winking at Ian and seeing him grinning back at me. I also loved it when Masquerade called me up to sing. I had planned it before but then didn’t get the time to rehearse. On the wedding day itself I was relieved I hadn’t confirmed it because I woke up with a sore throat. I had however forgot to tell Masquerade, so she suddenly called me up to perform in front of everyone. Horror turned to pure joy when half-way through the song ‘That’s What Friends Are For’, I sang the line, “...and if, I should ever go away, then close your eyes and try to feel the way we do today and then if you can remember...” to look up and see all of our friends and family with arms around each other, standing up, standing on chairs, standing on anything, singing to each other the words, “...keep smiling, keep shining, knowing you can always count on me, for sure, that’s what friends are for, for good times, for
bad times I’ll be by your side for ever more, that’s what friends are for.” It was an incredible moment for me as not everyone in the party normally gets along but, for that moment, everyone was together and happy.
If I had to do it again, I would change…
The obvious answer – I would make sure those people who couldn’t be at the wedding, were able to attend. Apart from that, not a thing.
Address Book Venue – Stoke Place, stokeplace.co.uk Photography – Studio Rouge, studiorogue.co.uk Dress – Suzanne Neville, suzanneneville.com Shoes - Freya Rose, freyarose.com
Listen to your Heart
I would advise future brides to show more gratitude to the people who are helping you and stay true to yourself. Do what you want, not what you think will keep everyone happy - oh yes, and always keep the supply of food and drink coming!
Flowers – Zoe @ Flowers Inc., marbellaflowersandflorist.com Entertainment – Masquerade Duo & Alexander O’Neil
Family Time
We managed to steal four days, just the two of us, in Paris before heading off with the kids to USA.
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Real Weddings International
Love
FROM SCOTLAND
Romana and Reece combined family tradition with an element of the new for a unique day of love. Our Love Story Reece and I met 11 years ago at a friend’s house in Glasgow. There was an instant attraction; I loved his sense of humour and his whole outlook on life. I’ll be forever thankful to my friend for introducing me to the man that would later become my husband. Scottish Pride We chose to hold our big day in Edinburgh because we are both Scottish but also the city exudes a grandeur and beauty that few others can match. I couldn’t have thought of a more perfect setting for our wedding. Reece and I got married at the Prestonfield House Hotel, which is just charming and, we think, the most glamorous hotel in Edinburgh, which has more than its fair share of luxurious establishments. Nestled just below the famous Arthur’s Seat, Prestonfield is the perfect mixture of opulence and comfort and it was a magical place for us to tie the knot. Family Tradition Father McManus married the two of us. He holds a special 74 CONFETI
significance for our family because he married my parents and both of my sisters at the Marbella Club and Hotel Puente Romano. It really meant a lot to have him involved with my celebrations as well. White Wedding I kept the colour scheme for the wedding very classic and elegant. We had the ultimate white wedding! I arrived at the hotel in a white Range Rover, wearing a dress designed by Carolina Herrera. The gown was made of pure silk and featured a bodice adorned with a swirly rose pattern. My bridesmaids wore white and champagne knee length dresses and carried white bridal bouquets. A Golden Decision We chose Greg from Sol Wedding as our wedding photographer and filmmaker – this was one of the best decisions we could have made. I knew Greg’s work from my sister Shana’s wedding at Villa del Mar at the Marbella Club. He is so passionate about capturing every single special moment and his attention to detail is second to none. We were delighted with the photos and wedding film afterwards.
Address Book Photographer & Videographer: Solwedding, solwedding.com Hair Styling: Ashley McKay Make Up: Rosie Fraser, rosiefrasermakeup.com Dress: Carolina Herrera, carolinaherrera.com Flowers: Flowers by Maxwell, flowersbymaxwell.co.uk Cake: Gordon Buchanan
A Stunning Setting If I had to pick my favourite part of the day, I think it would be spending the day at the wonderful Prestonfield Hotel. On the evening, as all of our loved ones were dancing and chatting, I remember thinking this is how
I dreamed everything would be. That was an amazing feeling after so many months of planning. Speed of Light If I were to do the whole wedding again, I would definitely dedicate more time to the photography
and film in order to capture every precious moment. I would also try to stress less and just enjoy every second of my big day. The day passes so fast and once it’s over, the photos are the only memory you have.
Money Matters My advice to other brides who are getting married would be to establish a budget right from the start, although bear in mind that this amount will most probably be exceeded as the planning takes hold. Hiring a wedding planner is also imperative; it takes all the stress out of the event so that you can just enjoy the moment. CONFETI 75
Real Weddings International THE TABLES
are Turned
Award winning British bridal designer Charlotte Balbier and her partner Edward Bedford celebrated their marriage in December 2013 in the idyllic Shropshire countryside. At the recent White Gallery bridal exhibition, Features Editor Amber O’Shaughnessy snatched a bit of time with the famous designer for an exclusive chat about her big day.
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Creating Wedding Fashion is your daily business as a bridal fashion designer. Nevertheless, was it something special for you to create your own wedding dress? I created a couple of dresses for my big day. The day dress was a silk organza full ball gown skirt with a deep French lace trim. The bodice was fitted and boned with a sheer tulle neckline and threequarter sleeves. The train was cathedral length with diamante buttons all the way down. The dress had a zip fastening and an oversized hand-tied bow. The gown was a traditional ivory wedding dress. The evening gown was a small A-line skirt with godet fit and flair. I used French lace fabric with a small spot tulle over a soft champagne satin. The evening gown was fitted to the natural waist with a pearl and diamante beaded belt detail. Both these gowns will be in my 2015 Iscoyd Park collection, the day gown is called ‘the Charlotte’ and the evening gown ‘Iscoyd Park’. They will be in boutiques from May 2014 onwards. How difficult was it to design your own dream dress? Did you know from the beginning what you wanted and how your dress should look like? Designing my own wedding dress was one of the hardest things I have had to do. It took me well over a year as I changed my mind several times and had over 15 gowns that were ‘nearly the one’. The two gowns that I ended up wearing I designed only a few months before the actual wedding. My evening gown was very last minute as I found the lace only in mid-October and it was love at first sight. I designed the gown around the lace and luckily it all turned out perfectly. I did have some just in case stand by evening gowns though too! What was the most important point for you regarding your bridal styling including hair, make-up and accessories? I wanted a timeless, elegant look that was very feminine and stayed true to my style and personality. I have always adored Grace Kelly’s look on her wedding day as even today her gown and overall wedding style still looks relevant and beautiful. In my own way I wanted to create this so in years to come I will look at my wedding dress and styling and it will still look modern and fresh but, most
of all, elegant. For bridal hair and make up I am a great believer in always staying true to yourself and just looking the very best version of you. I had the best team working on my look on the day so I knew I was in very safe and capable hands. For the day accesories, I am friends with the very talented Freya Rose. Freya invited me down to London to her shoe boutique in Islington and together with my Mum and Freya we chose the perfect shoes. For the jewellery I kept it very simple – just a few rings. As a surprise on the day, my partner Teddy sent to me (via my godson) a beautiful diamond bangle that was made to match my wedding and engagement rings. It complemented my look perfectly. For the evening I had some gorgeous Jimmy Choo shoes and jewellery. For the day, I had a full length cathedral silk veil that was a bespoke design by Joyce Jackson. After the ceremony I removed my veil and wore an Amanda Wyatt hairband that was an Art Deco inspired design made
to complement my ring. I also had a marabou fur wrap that I borrowed from my grandmother. Your Mum is a wedding dress designer as well. What did she say, when she saw you as a bride? My mother was obviously very proud to see her only daughter walking down the aisle on her wedding day. She looked absolutely gorgeous in a silk-satin dress with black spots bought from a small Cheshire boutique that flattered her triangular shape; she felt wonderful in it. Did she support you during the design of your wedding dress or is the dress completely your own creation? My mum was such a great help and support as she gave me guidance and direction when I had many a meltdown about my bridal dresses! I knew my bridal dress was the one instantly though; it just felt right when I put it on. Your wedding dress is now part of your collection. Every other bride can buy it. Is it no problem for you to share your dress with other women, CONFETI 77
because most brides want to have a unique dress? We decided to put the two dresses in the collection because they have gained such an overwhelming response. I am more flattered that brides would love to wear the same wedding dress as me for their big day. It’s a massive compliment and I am glad I can share it with so many brides. The decoration at your wedding has been a dream in pink and gold. Please tell us a little about the special features and about what was the most important for you. If you look at the Charlotte Balbier
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logo I have a love for pink and golds so Teddy had to take a step back on this and let me have my way. The colours are part of the Charlotte Balbier signature style. The floral arrangements comprised masses of nudes, blush, peach, pink and ivory coloured blooms to create a real wow factor. The abundance of flowers was really impressive. Which flowers did you use? What was the reason to choose these flowers specifically? How much has it cost? We chose to use a local company called Red Floral Architecture
because they are experts in flowers. Red Floral are amazing because they specialize in wedding styling and this helps to emphasize the overall theme of the wedding and show a venue in all its glory. Red Floral transformed the marquee into a magical wonderland, dressed with chandeliers adorned with flowers, as well as walls of mirrors and hundreds of candles. Having so many props amongst the wedding flowers can enhance the overall theme of the flowers. “We chose flowers based on Charlotte’s signature style. We filled the marquee with blooms in
her favourite colours of pink and gold. The arrangements received an amazing response, they make such an impact en masse.” Florist, Mat Hepplestone. The flower girls and bridesmaids also looked so beautiful! What was the idea behind their look? On the day there were eight adult bridesmaids and two flower girls. For each bridesmaid I designed a different bespoke gown. I
wanted each bridesmaid to wear a gown that was the perfect shape for them: their figure, style and personality. Every gown was midnight blue and created from chiffon fabric but each design was very different. They all wore midnight blue marabou fur wraps. Each maid also wore a pearl and diamante cuff by Amanda Wyatt. They wore midnight blue lace shoes with matching lace clutches, dyed to match the gowns. I wanted the adults to look
glamorous, stylish and red carpet ready. My inspiration was old Hollywood glamour, Oscars style. The two flower girl dresses were designed by me, the flower girls wore pure shot silk fabric with a tulle overlay. Like me, they had a sash with an over-sized hand-tied bow. They were completed with a little frill shoulder detail, marabou cape with pom-poms, little bows and white bunny bears in their hair instead of flower bouquets. They both wore shoes by Rainbow Club, I wanted them to look like little fairy-tale princess and totally adorable; they most certainly did. Has there been a special theme for your wedding? The theme was glamorous golds, pinks, metallic and ivory hues. Did you plan any surprises for your wedding guests? We tried to make the wedding unique; every guest was handed a kissing bell when arriving at church. The kissing bell had a little poem attached so guests knew what to do with them. We also
had two baskets of vintage cotton hankies for guests’ happy tears. When leaving the church, guests were handed fresh pressed flower petals to throw. At the reception we had our own unique cocktails blended up called The Buster Bear, dedicated to our dog. This was a chocolate, creamy style cocktail (he’s a chocolate Labrador).Then the The Tilly Woo Woo, which referred to my parents’ dog. This was a take on the classic woo woo cocktail. Where did you get your wedding stationery from? We chose to order our stationery from Rose & Ruby paper Co. as she does amazing work. Rose created all of our wedding stationery with the gold and pink blush hues of the wedding in mind. We had our own crest C&E that was on all stationery such as the save the date cards and printed envelopes, invites, RSVP cards and Order of Service. Rose & Ruby cared about all the little details and the wedding stationery all looked fabulous. CONFETI 79
Where did you get all the ideas from and did you plan your wedding completely alone? I will be honest in that the styling was very much my own vision, all the guests and suppliers said it was very ‘Charlotte Balbier’. Teddy absolutely loved every detail and I am lucky as he loved the colours I chose. For me it’s all about the detail and I planned every single detail to be executed perfectly. All the guests loved that from the moment they arrived at the church they were greeted with surprises and looked after well. I like to ensure that people who are guests of mine or ours, whether it is work or pleasure, are always looked after. I tried to think of everything so every guest felt special. 80 CONFETI
What was the best or most beautiful part of your wedding? For me, it was the church and the vows. Also, the look on the guests’ faces when they saw the marquee - that was priceless! The DJ set by Graeme Park was fabulous, as well as having all the people I love share our special day. Would you do everything in the same way again or is there something that you might have done differently in retrospect? Everything on the day was absolutely perfect. The whole day was captured by Polly Alexandre Photography who is absolutely amazing. Her work is top-class. “Charlotte and Teddy were a dream to work with, involving me in the
planning of their day right from the start. I explained that for the best possible bridal preparations images, light, high ceiling locations with pale walls work best. The ceremony was set for noon which allowed plenty of light for photographs even in December. It also allowed the couple to have a relaxed day with plenty of time to spend with their guests. Charlotte also trusted me to lightly direct where/how things happened on the day, for example when I brought her out into a beautiful hallway in her dress for the first time with the bridal party lined up to see her. It made for a breathtaking moment and was obviously a great photo opportunity.” Polly Alexandre, Bridal Photographer
Your personal wedding tip for all brides.. I’d advise that the first thing to do is get a wedding planner and a well-known one with a good reputation and experience in the industry. Only use a professional photographer like Polly Alexandre to make sure your wedding day is captured in the best possible way. Do your research and work with the best suppliers in the business. Pinterest is a great source of inspiration. I’d also advise brides to buy their wedding dress at least six to eight months before their wedding to allow time for all the alterations to be done. Charlottebalbier.com
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outique
eauty
fter two years of planning I finally walked down the aisle in June and the day was everything I had hoped for. My husband - I still can’t believe I can now call him that - had been putting up with a total bridezilla for the past few months, so I really wanted to spoil him with the honeymoon; his dream has always been to sail around the Caribbean. However, with the summer months being more prone to hurricanes we decided to put off our trip until later in the year. To tide us over I booked us a surprise mini-moon to London. London is one of our favourite cities in the world; I don’t think there is anywhere else like it. As we stepped off the train at Liverpool Street Station, we bumped into a large group of women who were dressed like adult Victorian dolls. They were frantically looking for a missing member, who we later found by the escalators and pointed in the right direction. She seemed amazed that we knew who she was looking for! When we finally headed outside,
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hundreds of brightly coloured roller-bladers whizzed by, closely followed by a traditional marching band. I sighed with contentment - I was back. The total craziness, the feeling that you never know what’s going to happen next and the fact that there’s always something new and exciting going on is what I love about London Town. Our five-star boutique hotel hotel was only a stone’s throw from the station, meaning we would be located right in the heart of the City. Bang on the City/East End border, a hop from clubby Shoreditch, a skip from Spitalfields Market and a jump into Liverpool Street Station. Could it get any better than this? An original London railway hotel, Andaz Liverpool Street is housed in a beautiful red-brick Victorian building dating back to 1884. Inside, though, it transforms into a 21st century masterpiece with 267 modern guest rooms and seven restaurants and bars. Andaz combines traditional elegance and luxury with a thoroughly modern sense of
Sarah and Michael review the Hyatt’s five-star luxury boutique hotel, Andaz Liverpool Street during their mini-moon in the city of London.
style, its grand columned interiors picked out by sharp contemporary furnishings, art and design. It won a prized TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2014. Even checking in is a unique experience. There isn’t a traditional reception desk, but black-clad staff
walk around the lobby and check you in by iPad. I sat in the comfort of the minimalist Andaz Lounge, complimentary beverage in hand, mesmerized by the installation art work (think huge white balls floating up and down) while the hubby took care of the practical stuff.
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We had bagged an upgrade thanks to Mr. iPad man, so our suite was cool and spacious, with interesting furnishings and lighting scheme. Eames chairs and Jacobsen lamps enhanced the colour palette of black and grey with pops of colour, while the sumptuous bathroom featured a fast-fill tub, separate shower, heated towel rail and an actual proper hairdryer. I loved the addition of cotton yukatas in preference to towelling robes and the numerous free services, such as local calls, wireless internet and healthy mini-bar - the cold lemonade on a hot day was great - were also appreciated. As it was late and we were not in the mood to travel far we decided to eat in the hotel. Decisions, decisions, decisions. We had to choose between British fine dining in London’s highly-reviewed 1901 Restaurant & Wine Bar, authentic Japanese cuisine in Miyako, a brasserie grill menu in Eastway, traditional English pub fare in George or the new Catch
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Champagne Bar & Lounge. We settled on the latest addition to London’s social scene, Catch Champagne Bar & Lounge which offers a refreshing new place to meet, relax or party the night away in the heart of the bustling city. As it was a Friday night the place was buzzing. Styled in a seamless blend of traditional and contemporary design, the intimate new lounge bar lends itself as the perfect start or finish to an evening or simply a setting to relax and unwind. You can indulge in an extensive list of over 70 champagnes and speciality Bellinis with a diverse menu of light bites, sharing platters and signature charcuterie boards served from the bar’s centrepiece vintage Berkel slicer. I warn you now, do not be deceived by the terms ‘light bite’ and ‘sharing platter’. Thinking it would be tapas style we ordered four sharing platters; it was enough to feed a whole family. Whoops! The food itself was simply delicious and it seemed such a shame to waste it, simply because our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. We managed to find our way back to our room in the early hours and slipped into a happy drunken coma, With very sore heads we headed down for breakfast the next morning to the 1900. It is a fabulous experience, not to be missed. Set in what was once the Great Eastern Hotel’s original ballroom, you can order à la carte or dive into the extensive buffet. Staff are very solicitous and catered to each of my other half’s very particular needs. After a hearty meal we were off to discover the joys of this magical city. Our lasting impressions of Andaz Liverpool Street? Global in scale while local in perspective, Andaz delivers an innovative hospitality experience, blending personal preferences with attentive and uncomplicated service. This unique collection of hotels reflects the personality of each locale and is dedicated to creating natural and vibrant living spaces where travellers can indulge in their own personal sense of comfort and style. No request was too much, from asking for directions or a reservation confirmation for dinner. The hotel is as unique and as exciting as the city in which it’s situated. Andaz Liverpool Street london.liverpoolstreet.andaz. hyatt.com CONFETI 85
MOMENTS
EVENTS unforgettable with
H
MYSEVENTOS
iring the services of a wedding planner like MysEventos is the perfect solution for all your organizational needs. We will guide you from the earliest days (catering, venue, decoration, inspiration) until the big day, when we will be there for you, coordinating all the details so that the event is just like you had dreamed. Trust and confidence is the key MysEventos has wide experience in organizing all kinds of private events and celebrations such as beach weddings, birthdays and anniversaries. Just tell us what your idea is and we’ll take care of everything. The first thing we do when a customer wants to throw a party, celebrate a wedding or any other event is to draw up a checklist. We make a note of a few details, such as the chosen date and place and number of attendants so that, during this first interview, we begin to arrive at an approximation of all their needs. That’s when we get down to work and the magic begins! Next step: defining the plan. We will prepare alternatives that suit your ideas, preferences and budget. This will save you a lot of time which, after 10 years of experience, we can confirm is the thing that our clients appreciate the most. We also offer a friendly, personalised service capable of dealing with any unexpected situation. During this phase we build a close relationship with our client, which is one of the keys to a successful event.
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Once everything is decided, the countdown begins. We have chosen and hired everything. This is the time to supervise and coordinate all the teams and suppliers - nothing is left to chance. We follow our own strict script and, thanks to our ability to react quickly, we close the door on unexpected issues. And finally the big day. The wedding day is here and all you will have to do is enjoy a special day with your family and friends. This is a unique moment you will never forget. We will take care of every single detail while you have fun and enjoy the day with your guests.
Some couples think that hiring a wedding planner like MysEventos will increase the costs of the wedding, but it won’t - we organise the whole wedding for free.This is thanks to many years of experience, during which we have reached commercial agreements with our suppliers. We bring them new business and they give us a commission on the
price, which does not affect the client in any way. We take care of everything. You just enjoy your day.
Tel:+34 952 604 020 / +34 690 811 362 myseventos.com
News from the Rock
TI CONFEaltar
in Gibr
Gibraltar Botanic Gardens Launches Tours For couples looking to wed in Gibraltar this marks the perfect occasion to check out the beautiful botanical gardens on The Rock, a popular location for ceremonies and post-wedding photographs. All tours will include a complete walk around the Botanic
Bottoms Up: The Gibraltar Wine Festival
Gibraltar’s 2nd Wine Festival will take place on the 9th September at the Chatham Counterguard. With suppliers coming from all corners of the globe to promote 88 CONFETI
their wines, brides and grooms to-be will be able to sample a varied selection large enough to suit all palates and budgets. There will also be live music, a BBQ and talks by vineyard
owners and suppliers! Last year attracted more than 3000, with more predicted this year. The festival is the perfect occasion for couples to choose their tipple for their big day!
Gardens and will highlight plants and features of interest. Tours will take place once a month and will be led by a variety of experts on the gardens; an unmissable activity for couples considering the Botanic Gardens as the backdrop to their wedding day.
Flor ValentĂn C.C. Centro Idea Ctra. de Mijas km 3,6 ES - 29650 Mijas - SPAIN
www.florvalentin.es
Let Flor Valentin design the bouquet you always dreamt of!
janne@florvalentin.es
T: +34 951 311 086 M: +34 669 061 234
Photos by Anna Gazda - limelight.pl
49, Governor’s Street, Gibraltar | +350 200 71335 info@orchidevents49.com
TI E F N O C altar
The Rock Hotel To Reveal Renovations!
in Gibr
The Rock Hotel is undergoing a major upgrade and has recently revealed to CONFETI that the hotel will be ready for action in October 2015! Offering arguably one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Gibraltar, weddings are an important part of the Rock Hotel’s calendar – so we can’t wait to see how the hotel will look. The new look Rock Hotel will include new bedrooms and suites, reception area, sun lounge, restaurant, lounge bar, gymnasium, and an events room with a private terrace overlooking the bay, making it a truly ideal spot to tie the knot!
Beautiful Cupcakes On The Rock!
What makes the perfect cupcake? Free-range eggs, no preservatives and high-quality natural ingredients go into the freshly baked sponges, which are lovingly hand-baked and decorated from scratch each day at The Crafty Cupcake in Gibraltar. The Crafty Cupcake team bakes delicious cakes for all occasions. Made-to-order, the boutique bakery based on Castle Street will
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create cupcakes to suit whatever requirement you might have: wedding cupcakes, hen party cupcakes, even engagement cupcakes! They stock only products from companies who care for the environment. From cupcake to craft kits, candles to natural skincare, they have something for all occasions and budgets!
Photo by nanideperez.com
A trusted name along the Costa del Sol, Liza has developed her reputation based upon her exceptional artistic skills and extensive experience in the fashion and beauty industry. Her portfolio includes, Beauty, Bridal, Editorial, Music Videos and Celebrities. Every bride´s vision of what she should look like is uniquely her own. With over 10 years in the business, Liza will make you look and feel like you have always dreamed of on your wedding day. She provides a personalised service, which means going that extra mile to give her clients a professional finish every time. Liza Mayne is…
…Redefining
Beauty
Contact: liza@domayne.net - www.domayne.net Liza Mayne *Hair & Makeup Artist*
Liza Mayne Prof
sional Make Up A
t
Confeti Local News Drink and Be Merry
It’s quite simple; there are three reasons why every couple should look no further than BWS for supplying the all-important wedding booze.
what they will drink at the wedding and ordering alcohol in plastic bottles if wedding caterers are using glass jugs to serve drinks to guests.
Sale or return: if you over order on supplies (out of fear of running out, God forbid) BWS is happy to accept returns at a charge of just 10%.
Unrivalled reputation: BWS
Expert advice: you should consider BWS your alcohol mentors for the duration of your wedding celebrations. They will advise on the amount of drink you will need based on the number of invited guests and timescale of the celebrations. They can also provide valuable cost saving ideas such as asking family and friends
A Perfect Partnership
works with all the leading wedding planners on the Coast. This year alone it is involved in188 weddings and boasts over 1600 different alcoholic items, all of which can be replenished daily. See, we told you you’d be mad to overlook BWS for the ultimate wedding knees-up! Beers, Wines & Spirits Tel. 952 373 233 info@bwsdrinksdistribution.com
It’s exciting times for Marbella Entertainments who have recently announced their partnership with top UK events management company Events4u.co. Marbella Entertainments’ eleven years experience on the Costa del Sol is immense. The management team and highly skilled technicians are experts at creating amazing events for any type of occasion such as Weddings, Corporate and Private functions. So when Events4u.co, one of Sussex’s top event management companies, approached Marbella Entertainments with an offer to manage all their events in Spain, it felt like a natural progression. Clients will receive our expert advice, first hand knowledge, one-to-one liaising and a strong relationship with beautiful locations and venues. Their motto is “Great events require more than just attention to detail. In order to build a lasting successful brand, we create our events with heart and soul”. With all your event needs at the tip of their management fingertips, it really is time to get in touch with a member of the highly professional team. info@events4u.co +34 627 467 492 +44 1903 256565 (UK)
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AIRPORT SHUTTLES
MÁLAGA & GIBRALTAR
PRE & POST WEDDING EVENTS TRANSPORTATION
SIGHTSEEING TRANSFERS HEN & STAG PARTIES
+34 951 279 117 | www.simply-shuttles.com | info@simply-shuttles.com
TRANSPORTATION
The Costa Del Sol Transfer Company
Pre-book your Airport Transfer • Excellent all-inclusive rates • English speaking drivers
DIRECTORY SPAIN & GIBRALTAR
W | jeremystandley.com
E | info@jeremystandley.com
Cakes
Kurt Kettner-Borough: +34 952 817 099/ +34 637 408 194 weddingministerspain.com
Cake Couture: +34 693 379 397; cakecouturemarbella.com
Padre Peter: padrepeter1@gmail.com
Costa Cake Design: +34 952 426 287 / 678 863 387, costacakedesign.com
Entertainment
Debbie Sheridan: +34 952 964 103 weddingcakesspain.com
Delidelicius: +34 628 817 040, delidelicius.com Marbella Cake Design: +34 634 302 514; marbellacakedesign.com Sweet Things by Fi: +34 697 228 088; sweetthingsbyfi.com Catering
BWS: +34 952 373 233 Chez Vous: +34 618 470 339; chezvous.es FiestaSol: +34 952 898 746; fiestasol.com Purple Pepper: +44 (0)203 371 1766 +34 670 636 063; purplepeppercatering.com
www.dolcesitges.es
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1DJ1 Disco Tech & Events: 1dj1.com D & Co Live: +44 (0) 2033711766 +34 670 636 063; dandcolive.com DJ Dave Hixson: davehixson.com DJ Nigel Davies:+34 697 931786 chezvous.es DJ Ryan Fuller: +34 674 882 402/ +44 772 935 2287
Marbella Entertainment: +34 627 467 492 / +44 1903 256565 Events4u.co. Marbellaentertainments.com Quike Navarro House Violin: +34 650 066 718; houseviolin.com
The Legal Aliens band: +34 631 536 410 / +44 795 898 4656 thelegalaliens.jimdo.com Fashion & Accessories
Celebrants
Anthony Diamonds: +34 952 588 795/+34 609 529 633; anthonys-diamonds.com
Costa Church: + 34 952 808 605, costachurch.com
Aruna Seth: +44 (0)208 773 7859; arunaseth.com
Humanist Wedding Celebrant: malagaminister.com
Browns: brownsfashion.com David Fielden: davidfielden.co.uk
Freya Rose: freyarose.com
Health & Beauty
Monique Lhuillier: moniquelhuillier.com
Julia Roder: +34 678 521 108; juliaroder.com
Fiesta Sol: +34 952 898 746; fiestasol.com
Net-A-Porter: net-a-porter.com
Aphrodite Beauty: +350 200 62422, aphroditebeauty.gib@ hotmail.com
Jon Segui: +350 540 21289 jonseguiphotography.com
Granada Weddings: +34 958 521 875; granadaweddings.com
Olivier Laudus London: +44 208 374 1239; olivierlaudus.com
Eli Lynch Professional Makeup and Hair Stylist: +34 651 518 935
John Green: +350 560 00190 johnpv.com
Hour Weddings: +350 580 09685 hourweddings.com
Florists
Golden Tarts: +34 952 811 820; goldentarts.com
Nani & Antonio de Perez: +34 615 314 446 / 615 252 174; antoniodeperez.com vimeo.com/antoniodeperez deperez.com
Med Weddings: +350 580 08355; medweddings.com
Owen Farell: +34 670 664 341 / +35 387 268 2832; owenfarellphotography.com
Orchid Events 49: +350 200 71335; orchidevents49@gmail.com
Sol Wedding: +34 952 934 478; solwedding.com
Party People: +34 952 812 580; partypeoplemarbella.com
Gibral Flora:+350 20042655; gibral-flora.gi
Flor Valentin:+34 669 061 234; florvalentin.es Stephanie Florist: +35 020 041 688; stephanieflorist.gi The Flower Shop : +35 020 040 488; theflowershop.gi Zoe Strutton: +34 952 907 986; flowersinconline.com
Luscious Lashes: +34 634 276 302 Lavish Hair and Makeup: +34 622 192 507 / +34 645 342 549; hairandmakeupbylavish.com Liza Mayne: +34 677 633 987: domayne.net
Ocean Clinic: +34 951 775 518; oceanclinic.net Reflections: +34 902 325 324; reflectionsmarbella.com
General
Talia Giraudo: + 34 605 275 407; thoroughlygorgeous.com Tunde & Loredan Serban: +34 633 092 739
Photography Fireworks: +34 955 716 335; pirotecniablancapaloma.es Gibraltar Botanic Gardens: + 350 20072639; gibraltargardens.gi Gibraltar Leisure Centre kingsbastion.gov.gi +350 20 044 777
Gibraltar Tourist Board: +44 2078 360 777; visitgibraltar.gi Hot Of The Press: +34 952 930 392; hotpgreen.com KDS Money Exchange: +44(0) 20 3598 2925 Simply Shuttles: +34 951 279 117; simply-shuttles.com
Sound & Lighting Agata Jensen: +34 633 921 231; agatajensen.com Blaise Photography: +34 661 590 968 /+44 844 414 8367; blaisephotography.com Boda Kids: +34 952 109 287; bodakids.es Elite Booths: +44 0581 010 496 eliteboothsuk.com
Jeremy Standley: +34 607 717 565; jeremystandley.com
Chez Vous: +34 618 470 339; chezvous.es Stationery
MysEventos: +34 952 604 020, myseventos.com
Tarifa Weddings:+34 687 659 574; tarifaweddings.com White Wedding Days: +34 600 946 118; whiteweddingdays.com The Weddings Company: +44 (0)203 371 1766; theweddingscompany.co.uk WCS Bespoke: +34 956 61 04 74 +34 607 49 48 02; wcsbespoke.com
Made With Love: +44 1457 838 838; madewithlovedesigns.co.uk Save My Date: +34 620 33 72 87; savemydate.es Wedding Lists Patricia Darch Interiors: Gibraltar: +350 216 77776; Sotogrande: +34 956 615 350; patriciadarch.com Zankyou: +44 8458 677 856; zankyou.com Wedding Planners
Chez Vous: +34 618 470 339; chezvous.es
Photo by nanideperez.com CONFETI 95
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DIRECTORY Venues El Cortijo del Estrecho: +34 956 679 897; elcortijodelestrecho.com
La Sala Private Dining Room; +34 952 812 836; lasalabanus.com
TikiTano: +34 952 798 449; tikitano.com
Estrella del Mar Beach Club: +34 951 053 990 beachclubestrelladelmar.com
La Meridiana del Alabardero: +34 952 776 190; +34 618 236 778 lameridiana.es
Villa Del Mar: +34 952 822 211; marbellaclub.com
Cortijo Del Marques:+34 958 34 00 77 / +34 678 334 884; cortijodelmarques.com
Le Papillon: +34 952 834 113; restaurantepapillon.com
The Courtyard Marbella: thecourtyardmarbella.com
Mons Calpe Suite: +350 200 79 478; monscalpesuite.com
Videography Boda Kids: +34 952 109 287; bodakids.es Nani de Perez: +34 615 314 446 / 615 252 174; antoniodeperez.com
Del Mar: +34 952 820 900 puenteromano.com
Mosaik: +34 952 929 467; reservas@mosaikmarbella.com mosaikmarbella.com
El Oceano Beach Hotel: +34 952 587 550; oceanohotel.com
Nikki Beach Marbella: +34 952 83 62 39; nikkibeach.com
Wedding Boutique
Gran Meliรก Don Pepe: +34 902 144 440; gran-melia-don-pepe.com
PYR Hotel: +34 952 817 353; hotelpyr.com
Hour Wedding Boutique: +350 58 009 685; hourweddings.com
H10 Estepona Palace: +34 952 790 040; h10hotels.com
Sunset Beach Club Hotel: +34 952 579 400; sunsetbeachclub.com
Manila Novias: +34 952 778 707 / +34 686 268 177; manilanovias.es elisamarbella@hotmail.com
Hacienda La Herriza: +34 951 068 200; laherriza.com Hacienda Las Fuentes: +34 952 584 248 / +34 677 530 633 haciendalasfuentes.es Holiday World Resort: +34 952 579 757; holidayworld.es
Tamisa Golf Hotel: +34 952 585 988; hoteltamisagolf.com
Sol Wedding: +34 952 934 478; solwedding.com
Santos y Eva Novias: +34 952 900 189; santosyevanovias.com
The Caleta Palace: +350 200 76501; caletahotel.com The Rock Hotel:+ 350 20 073 000 rockhotelgibraltar.com
La Cartuja de Cazalla: +34 951 193 446 / +34 617 271 024
mariasenvo.com Ellis: Delicate handbeaded flower detail meets a sheer chiffon back creating a bohemian take on an elegant look. CONFETI 97
LoveLove Love
This
The Real Flower Petal Confetti Co. was established in 1997, after Charles Hudson saw petals fall from the bouquet he was carrying for his wife like the prettiest and most natural confetti the world had ever seen. The Wyke Manor Estate is now the British centre for real flower confetti, and hundreds of thousands of petals are hand picked each summer for weddings. Celebrities including Madonna, Catherine Zeta Jones and Olympic champion Jessica Ennis have all used this company’s petals for their big confetti moment, as well as the royal princes William and Harry, who bought the petals to throw over Charles and Camilla at their wedding. Real Flower Petal Confetti is characterised by its unique beauty and ability to biodegrade as naturally as blossom.
confettidirect.co.uk
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Supplying beers, wines and spirits
to your wedding venue THE ONLY DRAUGHT SUPPLIER ON THE COAST THAT OFFERS A
7 DAY A WEEK DELIVERY SAME DAY DELIVERY even on a Sunday!
NEXT DAY INSTALLATION Once deciding to use BWS for your draught products we will arrange to do your install the very next working day.
PRICING We can oer excellent prices and discounts on all our products, making some of them the cheapest on the coast.
TEL: 952 373 233 info@bwsdrinksdistribution.com CALLE MANUEL FRANCO CUBEIRO 28 POL IND EL PINILLO TORREMOLINOS
VILLA DEL MAR
An enchanted setting for the most illustrious of weddings. Set amongst swaying palm trees overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the dreamlike Villa awaits you.
Marbella Club Hotel· Golf Resort & Spa· Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n · 29602 · Marbella (+34) 952 82 22 11 · www.marbellaclub.com