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If you’re looking for two fabulous venues for your wedding ceremony and reception, then I can definitely recommend two as I’ve recently been to both.
The first one is Hotel Du Vin in Bristol (www.hotelduvin.com), a gorgeously relaxed boutique hotel built on the site of an old sugar refinery, perfect for 2nd time or 3rd time marriages with an intimate, cosy feel. Once you step into the hotel, you don’t feel as though you’re in the centre of Bristol anymore. The décor is modern, but still a little rustic. The food in the atmospheric brasserie bar is out of this world. Mathew had steak and I had the fish. We were too full for dessert, but the waiter convinced us otherwise. It was panna cotta for him and for me, my all time favourite: crème brulee. Capacity ceremony: 25. Capacity receptions: 25. Wedding breakfast’s start from £70 per head.
The second one is the Gherkin (www.30stmaryaxe.com) in the city of London. They’ve just acquired their wedding licence, so you can get hitched looking at some of the most beautiful views of London. The food was exquisite, really exquisite and the sun was shining bright, a perfect day for a working lunch. As a starter I the white cold gazpacho soup – a mixture of almond milk with grapes, edible flowers and a drizzle of olive oil. I then enjoyed a second course of grilled scallops with a balsamic vinegar sauce. Wedding licence: yes. Capacity ceremony: 90. Capacity receptions: 120 seated. Price from £9’000 to hire the top floors from Monday to Thursday with a minimum food and beverage spend of £3’500 for a dinner or £7’200 for a reception. Weekends are cheaper.
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I have so much to tell you. It’s been a very exciting time for me lately; I met one of my all time heroes, yanky flower and party planner guru Preston Bailey (www.prestonbailey.com) – check out the floral dog on the homepage of his web-site, it’s so cute! We were lucky enough to interview him at the Covent Garden Hotel (www.firmdale.com) on Monday 28th April at 4pm. He likes London (only his 2nd time here) and has created some floral peacocks on the Covent Garden piazza as part of their’ Spring Renaissance’ event. Go check them out, they’re still growing! Some of his favourite flowers are orchids and he likes dress designer Rheem Acra and Monique Lhuillier (www.moniquelhuillier.com).
An ex-male model born and raised in Panama, Preston began creating floral arrangements for his Park Avenue clients in NY, before meeting Joan Rivers who asked him to design and produce her daughter Melissa’s wedding. After this encounter Preston was catapulted into the celebrity circuit and has ended up planning parties and weddings for Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas, Oprah Winfrey and Donna Karan.
Preston is a talented individual – he’s able to transform raw space into fantastic theatrical environments and his signature style is: combining exuberance with natural beauty. He’s written three best-selling books on wedding planning available via amazon (www.amazon.co.uk) and is publishing a fourth in the autumn. Will keep you posted.
He also works closely with Sandals resorts (www.sandals.com) for who he’s produced amazing wedding packages that feature beautiful floral decorations. On the evening of 29th March, I was lucky to be invited to a dinner at Luciano’s (www.lucianorestaurant.co.uk) (Marco Pierre White’s empire) organised by the Sandals girls and Preston was there too. The food was divine, I drank champagne, ate sea bream and further enjoyed panna cotta with seasonal rhubarb, was yummie! If you’re looking for a spot to meet up with your chap to discuss wedding plans or a venue to meet his parents for a drink, then I recommend it.
Images: Floral designs by Preston. Sandals’ water lily package, floral elephant, white wonderland and rock and roll themed do.
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The exciting news is that florist Mathew Dickinson (www.mathewdickinsonflowers.com) is creating a garden for perfumer Jo Malone (www.jomalone.co.uk) at the Chelsea Flower show (www.rhs.org.uk/flowershows) this year. The show is on from 20th - 24th May 2008 and if you’re interested in seeing the garden and soaking up some floral and garden atmosphere then pop down for the day.
The garden that Mathew is creating is to capture the very essence of English elegance and reflect the values of the Jo Malone brand: unique, unexpected mix of ingredients and fragrant.
“Discover a space in which to experience delicate textures, tone and scent. Enter the garden and journey through a combination of elegant flowers, shrubs and climbers chosen specifically to inspire and ignite the senses. Rich blossoms, fresh herbs and wild fruits effortlessly infuse the air with fragrance to create a sensorial oasis in which to relax and reflec,” says Jo Malone.
Following show week, the Jo Malone Garden will be donated to Oakleigh School. Oakleigh School, based in the London Borough, of Barnet is classified as a special school which teaches mixed gender children aged 2-11 with disabilities and special needs. The Jo Malone Garden will be moved and replanted by Mathew Dickinson and his team and will provide an outdoor space that the children and teachers may use for many years to come.
Here is an artist’s impression of the garden that will be created by Mathew.
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