Top wedding specialists on everything that is new and exciting for the new crop of luxury clients
Funke Bucknor-Obruthe, Zapphaire Events on experimenting with colour palettes:
With a stellar career spanning over decades, Funke has established herself as a pioneer event planner in and out of Nigeria. The 2018 DWP Congress Advisory board member shares with us spring weddings from her home country, where kaleidoscopic colour schemes are an integral part of the wedding. We spot bright spring-friendly palettes, making a steer turn from the popular pastels of last season such as neon pinks, purples, yellows, oranges, blues and greens. Juicy bursts of colours teamed with pops of gold and crystal add just enough balance to the powerful ambience.
Evelyn Mills, Marriage Maestros on keeping traditions relevant for millennial clients:
Over the last 15 years, Hong Kong based Evelyn and her team of seasoned maestros have become renowned for creating some of the most stylish and sophisticated celebrations in the region. She talks to us about the millennial twists on the rich and detailed Chinese wedding traditions that extend beyond the modern touches to the Kwa wedding dress. From the tea drinking ceremony with both the families to the dowry exchange tradition, to the combing of the bride’s hair for 99 strokes the night before the wedding… Millennials are looking for shorter and quicker versions of the rituals to avoid their guests from being excluded. They also prefer holding all events in one place instead of different locations as traditionally dictated. She also tells us that Bali and Vietnam remain the preferred locations for Chinese destination weddings because of the ideal vendor services.
Cristina Verger, Cristina Verger Event Planning on natural altars:
If you’re having an outdoor ceremony, take cue from NY based luxury wedding planner, Cristina Verger who is making the case for ditching the ornate altar you may have in mind and instead letting nature serve as your backdrop. “Alt-altars” are a major trend for the year ahead, and it’s pretty easy to achieve. Forgo a fancy stage or structure, go back to the basics and simply let the surrounding scenery shine (no bells, whistles or flower arches necessary). Cristina tapped the trend of excess foliage at wedding for her clients Briana and Chris organised at the Winvian Farm outside New York, where using the natural greenery to her benefit, Verger recreated a stylish yet cozy environment for the couple.
JoAnne V. Brown, Celebrations LTD on making the most of local resources:
Known as the “miracle worked,” JoAnne V. Brown is a Cayman Islands-based planner who has a particular appreciation for exploring and utilizing exotic destinations for their rich resources. At the wedding of one of her clients in the islands, she creatively integrated local flora into the wedding décor. She tells us that, “to create the feeling of a family gathering, the ceremony was kept elegant and simple. Lush exotic greens intermingled within the bride’s bouquet and a custom handmade three-tiered chandelier made of moss, woven willow, Italian ruscus and cascading amaranthus added organic charm.”
Aseel Al Ansari, Weddings and Events Company on why Art Deco is here to stay:
Bahrain based Aseel Al Ansari is one of the Middle East’s go-to wedding planners who is known to combine equal measures of grandeur and comfort with personal touches that couples desire on their big day. Merging her modern Arabesque influences with global references, she creates awe-inspiring décor instillations that not just make amazing backdrops but also stand as an example of fine workmanship. We love her Art Deco finishes with a classic black-and-gold palette heightened with lavish accents and some gilded glam. Geometric décor continues to be a major trend this season—use it to your advantage with arches or diamonds as a ceremony backdrop or hanging centerpiece to evoke the strong, bold lines of the period à la Aseel.
Liz Taylor, Taylor Lynn Corporation on the colour of the year:
Since Pantone named Ultra Violet the colour of 2018, the regal hue has been slowly taking over the wedding world. Incorporating the year’s chicest colour into your big day’s palette isn’t exactly simple, as violet hues are not the subtlest of shades, but if done right, it can elevate your entire ceremony. Much like the work of UK-based celebrity wedding planner, Liz Taylor who recreated the National Trust Park in Wiltshire into a Moroccan marquee overlooking a lake in a National Trust park, using the right combination of purple hints, paired with luscious reds, golds and darker plum shades.
Sebastien Centner, Eatertainment Events + Catering on themed menus:
Rather than serving as an afterthought, the wedding menus are now becoming an inspiration point for the entire day. New-age couples such as Stephanie and Matthew from Canada who worked with Eatertainment’s Sebastien Centner to create a multi-national themed food menu— base their menus on shared food experiences using flavours and cuisines to communicate their story as a couple. Sebastien shared his experience as, “Planning the menu for the wedding was one of the most enjoyable parts of the process, paying tribute to the three countries that played a role in both their lives (Canada for Stephanie, the UK for Matt and the US where they met). It allows you to have fun creating the menu, whether it’s a British candy station or bangers and mash passed as appetizers.”
