Category Archives: Destination Wedding

Stylish Events Celebrates 20 Years in Wedding Planning

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I am so excited to let you know that this month we are celebrating 20 years of planning weddings for our wonderful couples.

I launched Stylish Events at the National Wedding Show in February 2002 and our first wedding was for lovely Hannah and Giles in September that year at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Stylish Events very first wedding for H&G at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle

My goodness how the wedding planning industry has changed over the years!

Wedding Planning was still very new to the UK at that time and there were very few wedding planners. There was also no social media in those days!

To celebrate our 20th Anniversary, we have created a little video to highlight our journey in the wonderful world of weddings.

A huge thank you to the amazing couples who have trusted us with the most important day of their lives. We will never take your trust for granted. I wish I could include you all in this video, but then it would be hours long!

In 2009 lovely Gemma became our first intern and since that time we’ve had so many interns. I have loved having you all on my team and could not have done it without you!

I would also like to thank the fantastic venues and suppliers we have had the pleasure of working with over the years for helping us create these weddings.

A special thank you to the photographers for providing the images in the video: Kate Nielen, Adrian Neal, John Nassari, Simon Carr, Francis Carlisle, Ann Kathrin Koch, Craig Mitchell, Sergio De Riccardis, Nick Redman, Colin Ross, Paula Broome.

Here’s to the next 20 years!!!

Love, Dominique

Are Destination Weddings in England the Latest Wedding Trend for UK Couples?

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My name is Chloe and I am so excited to be at the start of my 4-month internship with Dominique at Stylish Events.

Today I wanted to chat about the growing trend of UK couples choosing to have a “destination” wedding in our amazing country – ENGLAND!

Now you might be thinking, if I want a destination wedding why not go abroad?

Well, there are many advantages to having a destination wedding in England and here are some ideas and tips if you’re thinking about it.

Cost for your Guests to Attend
Travelling by train or car is easier and probably less expensive for the majority of people rather than flying to another country (this might differ for family and friends already abroad). This means that more of your guests might be able to attend the wedding.

It also becomes a lovely extended weekend for your guests, compared to a five or six-day mini holiday some guests just might not be able to do.

Transport of your Decor Items
Decorations can travel safely on the ground rather than in the air or on the sea, leading to less worry about whether they will arrive in one piece or arrive at all!

Licensed Venues
Having a wedding abroad might mean you will need to have a Civil Ceremony in the UK before your wedding day, depending on which country you choose.

In England, we feel that we are spoilt for choice for licensed venues, and if you choose to have a Civil Ceremony at one of these venues then you will be legally married on the day of your wedding.

The Weather
Now of course, there is the weather factor……

Having a beach wedding or a party by the pool are huge factors as to why couples want a wedding abroad. Our English weather can be unpredictable but you might be lucky enough for the sun to shine beautifully on your big day.

England has some lovely beaches in places like Brighton, Bournemouth or Cornwall and your wedding weekend could start off here!

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Brighton Beach, picture courtesy of Bettie Rose

I really love the idea of having a destination wedding in the UK, with 3 days of celebrations!

Day 1 – The Party the Night Before
Having a UK destination wedding allows you to have a party the night before your big day.

Keep things casual by having a selection of your favourite food and drinks. Hiring food and drink carts are very popular for parties and are making their way into the wedding world too.

If you want to be fresh (no hangovers!) for your wedding then you could hire a coffee cart, or if you like a drink or two you can hire cocktail, prosecco, wine or beer vans.

couple truck

Picture courtesy of Gold Coast Tipis

For those with a sweet tooth, like me, then you can hire dessert carts with ice cream and doughnuts!

There are so many varieties to choose from so I have listed a few of my favourites from 2019’s best food vans in London according to Add to Event.

humble crumble

Picture courtesy of Add to Event

Having a get together the day before the wedding is a great idea as it gives you the chance to catch up with friends and family. This then takes the pressure off mingling with everyone on the wedding day and you can really just relax and enjoy it without worrying if you have spoken to everyone!

Day 2 – The Wedding Day
Of course the big day of your destination wedding will be your Wedding Day – a day you have always dreamed of and hopefully exceeds all of your expectations.

To make this feel like a destination wedding, why not celebrate some parts of the day outside?

Your drinks reception could be based in a beautiful garden with your favourite cocktails you would usually have on holiday (for cocktail inspiration read our blog on Choosing a Signature Cocktail to Perfectly Match Your Wedding Style).

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After the ceremony you could head outside again for more drinks and have fun for all ages with life size games such as Jenga, Chess or Connect Four!

In the evening you could have a BBQ and enjoy a display of fireworks, before heading back inside to dance the night away! There will be no feeling of sadness as the day comes to an end because you will have the “After Wedding” celebrations to look forward to the next day.

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Day 3 – Brunch the Day After the Wedding
To extend your celebrations a little longer enjoy a well-earned brunch with your close friends and family.

If you are still looking to party then make it a bottomless brunch with unlimited prosecco or once again a selection of cocktails!

Long banquet tables with low florals are a trend for 2019 and seen on a lot of social media recently, so you won’t be short of ideas!

Wedding at Castello Orsini, Italy.
Wedding at Castello Orsini, Italy.
Wedding at Castello Orsini, Italy.
Wedding at Castello Orsini, Italy.
Wedding at Castello Orsini, Italy.
Wedding at Castello Orsini, Italy.

Bring the inside out with some sofas and casual tables in the garden area to really make you feel like you are abroad! Pop up a gazebo with a grazing table for a selection of nibbles – it could involve an antipasti style to make you feel like you are in Italy, or a selection of wine and cheese boards to replicate France.

This chilled day will be a lovely time to reminisce about the weekend and thank everyone for coming to your English destination wedding!

Who would not want their wedding to last as long as possible? I know I would!

I hope these little tips and ideas inspire you in some way to make your wedding everything you have always dreamed it would be.

Best wishes

Chloe

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Romantic Wedding at a stunning, fairy-tale Castle in Italy – Nicola and Daren’s Wedding

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It was a complete honour to organise this 6-Day wedding for Nicola and Daren at Castello Orsini in Nerola, Italy in July 2018.

We first met Nicola and Daren through Daren’s mother Jeanette, who is herself a renowned photographer. From the very start they knew exactly what they wanted their wedding to be – a fabulous adventure in a fairy-tale castle somewhere in Italy, surrounded by family and friends. They wanted to create a wedding that their guests would remember forever. 

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They asked us to be involved right from the start of the planning and before anything had been booked! Having this time to find the perfect venue was so important to them and so there followed our 18 month adventure together. We spent 6 months researching every possible castle in Italy, and I really do mean every possible castle – from the North to the South, from the East to the West,  we searched and searched and searched. 

For anyone who knows Italy well, there are a lot of beautiful castles – or Castellos as they say in Italian – so this was quite a search!

Map of Italy from Wikipedia

After some time, we had narrowed it down to 3 castles – one in Tuscany about an hour from Florence; one in Lazio about an hour from Rome; and one in Ischia, which is a small island off the coast of Naples. So, in July 2017 Nicola, Daren and I set off for 4 days in Italy to view the venues, spend some time in each region, sample the food and wine and enjoy the atmosphere of each location.

From the moment they saw Castello Orsini they knew – and so did I – that this was the place. They simply loved it. The Castello is stunning, the people who work there are so lovely and the location is breathtakingly beautiful. It ticked every box on their wish list.

Castello Orsini, images courtesy of their website

We also met their wedding co-ordinator, Nathalie, who was delightful. Nothing was ever too much trouble and she cared about the wedding as much as Nicola and Daren (and me). She was with us every step of the way and made fantastic suggestions for everything. I will never forget working with Nathalie and I am so grateful to have had her with us to plan this wedding. I can only pray we will work together again some day soon.

Once we had the venue, my team got to work to plan the wedding over the next 12 months – exactly how Nicola and Daren wanted everything to be. We loved being involved in all aspects of the planning – from arranging the Legal Ceremony in Italy, to the flights and accommodation for over 100 guests, to selecting the perfect wedding suppliers for the three main events – the Welcome Party, Wedding Day and the Brunch Party the day after the wedding. There were also dinners in the local village and various events each day, including a day trip to Rome, spa treatments and a wine tasting. There was a lot to do!

Planning a 6 day event in Italy is not an easy task, but with a Bride and Groom who are warm, generous and know what they want, it was a joy from start to finish.

The details and styling of the Welcome Party in the gardens of Castello Orsini

The details and styling of the Wedding Day

We will never forget this wedding – it was one of the most complex and detailed we have ever planned. It’s always such a pleasure to work with couples who are beautiful – inside and out. This was the most wonderful wedding in a magical castle. So many happy memories. ❤️

This epic wedding would not have been possible without an amazing team:

Stylish Events Team: Dominique, Lucia and Ilaria
Venue, Catering and Cake: the fantastic Nathalie at the team at Castello Orsini
Photographer: Nick Redman
Florist: Eva Ludmila Srovnalikova and Antonella My Wedding in Rome
Video: Thomas and Gianluca, De Lorenzo Wedding
DJ: Daniele Camarda
Band: The Martin Bell Band
Lighting and Sound: SAV Teknology
Hair: Sam Goode
Chairs: Preludio Divisione Noleggio
Invitations and Favour tea lights: Intricate Creations
Menswear: Stephen Williams, SW Tailoring
Bridesmaids Dresses: Maids to Measure
Bridal Gown: Vivienne Westwood

“From the moment we met Dominique we knew our dream wedding in Italy was safe in her hands. Dominique and her team worked so hard in getting every last detail of all the events to perfection.

Dominique also had the gigantic task of flying out our guests on different days and they all made it for the long weekend without a single hitch. They not only helped with the wedding, they also booked coaches to and from different airports, day trips for our guests and even managed to get the local Pizzeria to open only for us and all our guests in the local village. 

Nothing was ever too much for the Stylish Events team. Dominique was so patient with all our guests queries and questions and everyone told us how lucky we were to have her involved. We will be forever grateful to Dominique and her team for turning our dream wedding into reality.” 
Nicola & Daren

Unless otherwise stated all photographs in this blog are by photographer Nick Redman

Real Destination Wedding – Alisha and Brian’s Cool Caribbean Wedding

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This week we wish to celebrate the wonderful wedding of lovely Alisha and Brian at the Rose Hall Hilton Resort, in Montego Bay, Jamaica in July 2012.

A_B-weddingparty

This is a wedding we will remember forever. A special couple is a very special place. We first met Alisha and Brian in 2011 when they asked us to help plan their wedding in London. Over the next few months, their plans changed and 18 months later we were in Jamaica together for a wonderful adventure.

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70 family and friends from the UK joined them for a week of celebrations at the Rose Hall Hilton Resort and they shared their emotional and heart-felt vows in a 7th Day Adventist Ceremony in the beautiful Garden Gazebo on the grounds.

Vows

After the ceremony Alisha and Brian were driven via golf buggy to the Reception at the Private Club, where they were greeted with the traditional confetti shower.

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A_B-confetti

Alisha had a great sense of style and knew exactly what she wanted for her wedding day. So, together Alisha and Dominique designed every aspect of the wedding and just about every thing for the wedding (from the styling, table decor and printed materials) was bought in the UK and transported to Jamaica – in our suitcases!

Decor

Dominique realises how was lucky she was to be asked by Alisha and Brian to travel to Jamaica to oversee the wedding and ensure that it was exactly how they wanted it to be. It was a great honour to be involved in this very special wedding in a magical place.

Here she is relaxing by the beach the day after the wedding 🙂

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Alisha and Brian have also remained close friends and it’s been lovely to see their family grow over the years. We loved this wedding and it has a special place in our heart and will be remembered with great joy and happiness.

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“We would like to thank Dominique and her team for organising such an amazing wedding in the Caribbean, we can’t praise you enough for all the work you have done. You are now a lifelong friend of both of us.”
Alisha and Brian

 

Elegant Italian Wedding in Tuscany – Emma and Manuel’s Wedding

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Emma and Manuel designed an elegant wedding in beautiful Tuscany in an historic castle, Castello di Modanella.

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120 guests travelled to Italy for a 4 day event and enjoyed the wonderful food and wine of the region.

As well as the wedding arrangements Dominique was involved in the travel, accommodation and the many events over this dream week.

This event was a joint venture with the fabulous Italian wedding planner, Giulia Bono (www.giuliabono.it).