Blue Sky Flowers

Crossing the divide

Back in February of this year, I was contacted by a bride to be in the States who was getting married in Mayfair. Sibyl and I shared many emails before we actually managed to speak but we were able, by the power of the great wedding vibe, to understand each other and gather together a pretty powerful look for her wedding in June at Dartmouth House

This beautiful mansion in the heart of Mayfair is home to the English Speaking Union but also plays host to many weddings and parties throughout the year. If the weather is fine, it is possible to take advantage of the lovely secluded courtyard but otherwise there are several wonderful, character-filled rooms in which to entertain guests

The dark wood panelled Churchill Room is a fantastic space for the ceremony from which the party can move downstairs to the red-walled Revelstoke Room for drinks before alighting on the delicate features of the two interconnecting first floor Drawing Rooms

These rooms can be used together or separately, decorated in the same pale blue tones, they welcome almost any colour theme – except yellow perhaps. But then I have a problem with yellow in most places!

Following on from the pure white Hydrangea and Peony in the ceremony room, Sibyl wanted a dark red theme to the wedding flowers at the reception and we decided to set the flowers off with a dark red organza runner down the length of the long table

The silver vases worked really well with the gleaming cutlery and the tall silver candelabra were the perfect finishing touch

Lights, camera, action . . .

Or in my case – lights, camera, no battery!  I can finally share some photos from a few recent weddings where my camera was less than useless. But thank heaven for wedding photographers.

In January, David Hares at www.contemporaryweddings.net photographed Claire and Simon’s wedding at The National Liberal Club.  Claire chose a beautiful selection of purple and dark red Roses, Anemones, Ranunculus and Lisianthus with glossy green berried Ivy to complement the rich, clubby decor in the Dining Room with mirrored silver vases to set off the venue’s candelabra.

The National Liberal Club shares the same building as One Whitehall Place and The Royal Horseguards Hotel just west of Northumberland Avenue.

A very central venue with fantastic views over the Thames, it doesn’t have the grand high ceilings of the Gladstone Library upstairs at OWP but is still a very commanding and dramatic place.