Celebrating Intercultural Love Stories Through Our Clients

Charlotte and Duncan found me in September 2023. We hit it off straight away, and I knew it was going to be an enjoyable journey.

We were working on a Full Planning Package for their big day, so we started looking for a venue. We already knew that the ceremony would be held at Charlotte’s regular church, St John Fisher Catholic Church in Perivale. Charlotte and Duncan’s venue must-haves were: in London, close to public transport, separate areas for the drinks reception and the wedding breakfast, the ability to bring in external catering to give them choice, and ideally not too far from the church so that the guests and couple wouldn’t have too far to go.

We looked into a number of venues, but the perfect one for their wedding reception was The Grand Connaught Rooms between Covent Garden and Holborn. Duncan, Charlotte, and Charlotte’s mum fell in love with it as soon as they saw it. Its high ceilings, grand staircase, and central location were perfect—meeting all of their needs and more.

We worked together planning the wedding, ensuring their relationship was reflected, and that Charlotte’s Indian heritage and Duncan’s Scottish/English heritage were honoured in equal measure.

The planning was straightforward, as the couple were decisive and knew what they wanted. They were clear about the vision they had for their day, so selecting the right suppliers to recommend was seamless—it became a matter of matching their ideas with the perfect team to bring them to life.

Fast forward to two days before the wedding, and news broke of repairs to the tube line we were counting on—all while the UEFA Champions League final was happening! That meant both roads and rail would be a nightmare. We rapidly set about organising alternative routes for guests and notifying suppliers so they could look at other options. We had to adjust the timeline to accommodate potential delays. Most of us had planned to use the tube to commute between venues, but when that stopped being an option, we had no choice but to team up and do our best on the roads. It was all going to be fine (we hoped!).

At 7:23 pm the night before the wedding, the MUA contacted the bride to say she was ill and wouldn’t make it! Luckily, she didn’t just leave us in the lurch—she had already found a replacement. While it’s not ideal when you’ve had a successful trial with someone and feel comfortable with them, at least it removed the need for any panic. We got in touch with the replacement, and she was reassuring to the bride. While we could have looked into alternative arrangements, we decided to go with her. There was already another makeup artist taking care of the mother of the bride, so worst case, we still had options. That was it—it was time for bed. We had done all we could, and it was time to relax and let the day unfold.

Wedding Day

The morning of the wedding, the sun was shining. It was a beautiful day. I heard from my bride early in the morning—she was in good spirits and full of excitement. It was going to be a great day.

The bride got ready at her family home, which was a short distance from the church. She had her family and bridal party with her. The groom got ready at their home with his groomsmen. The bride’s morning was expertly captured in photographs by Georgia-Beth Photography and on video by Rewind the Day. The groom’s morning was captured by Georgia-Beth’s second shooter, Claire.

 Getting Ready

The suppliers were busy in action. Florists from Elisana Florist were decorating the church and also the reception venue. Stylists from Forever Events worked on a beautiful arch and backdrop, as well as chair covers and tablecloths. The catering team from Souper Food Catering arrived and set about their prep work. My team and I busied ourselves setting out place cards, putting away the drinks provided by the couple, organising the signage that had been beautifully made by Tomarty Stationery, and receiving the deliveries due that morning, such as the cake and some gifts. Everything ran to plan.

Ceremony

It was time for me to leave the reception venue and head to the church for setup and organisation ahead of the ceremony. There were a few items I needed to take from the venue that were required at the church, so I gathered everything together and set off. I noticed the confetti wasn’t there, but I hoped it would be among the items already at the church.

After battling the traffic, I arrived at the church in good time. The flowers were beautifully in place, and I got on with the final preparations. I searched for the confetti—but no luck! I contacted the maid of honour, but she was unable to locate it. As a last resort, we asked the bride where it had been packed, and she was reassuring when she said her mum had it, so not to worry.

It was time. The groom and groomsmen arrived, buttonholes were pinned on, and guests began taking their seats—a beautiful mix of colourful saris and guests in their formal ‘Sunday best’. The bridesmaids arrived, followed by the mother of the bride, and then the radiant bride herself in a classic car. The priest commented jovially that he’d never had a bride show up on time. I let him know it was because he’d never had a Weddings by Sherene bride!

Everyone was in place, ready to make their grand entrances. The groomsmen and bridesmaids were lined up. The bride was out of the car, and I asked Mum where she had put the confetti so I could have it ready for the end of the ceremony.

“What confetti?” Mum said.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll take care of it.”

The ceremony ensued. I controlled the music for the bridal party and bride’s entrance with her father. As the ceremony was in full swing, I knew I needed to rectify the AWOL confetti. My car was blocked in, so I couldn’t take it—but I knew there was a supermarket not too far away. I ran as fast as I could, bought bunches of red and white roses and a basket, and ran back.

It had been about half an hour, so there were 15 minutes before the couple and guests would exit. I enlisted the help of the parents of the children’s choir, and together we pulled the rose petals and filled the basket. Just in time! The basket was full, and we were ready for guests to take a handful of confetti ready for the big confetti shot.

The proceedings were done, and it was time to make our way to the reception for chilled Prosecco and some delicious canapés. We had organised a coach for the family. The bride and groom left in their car for two—for their first journey as husband and wife.

The Reception

The drinks reception was lively, full of chatter and catching up. Once the couple completed their pictures, they mingled and enjoyed being amongst their guests. Everyone was treated to a delicious three-course meal they had pre-selected. The evening flowed as well as the drinks.

The bride changed into a stunning lehenga. The cake was cut, the bouquet was thrown, and it was time for the dancing. First, the bride danced with her dad to Father and Daughter by Paul Simon.  

Then came the first dance—the couple twirled around the dancefloor to Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli, all played by professional DJ Ben from Bass Entertainment. The dancefloor opened, the guests flooded on, and the party continued into the night.

What a wonderful celebration of love. What an amazing day it had been.

If you would like to leave your big day in capable hands then reach out and lets see how we can work together.