Thursday 7 June 2012

THE QUINTESSENTIALLY WEDDINGS AND WEDDINGS4MEDIA BASH! All the photos and gossip from our summer social

Some parties are about making an impression, networking and forging new friendships, others about pure unabashed fun - and some are a happy marriage of the two. On the 24th May, Quintessentially Weddings hosted a soiree in partnership with Weddings4Media that must surely fall into the latter category.
With some of the starriest wedding industry personalities, suppliers and media all mingling over mean cocktails (thank you, Snow Queen Vodka and Sparks & Ashton), ravishing canapes from
D & D London's newly launched catering creatives Cinnamon Candy,  and cake so good, we almost couldn't bear to share it from Little Venice Cake Company we simply can't wait for the next one. Decked out with the prettiest flowers from favourites Pinstripes & Peonies, decor from Notonthehighstreet.com - hello, pom poms! - chic furnishings from Velvet Living  - and Cinderella in the building if the glittering shoes from Aruna Seth dotted about the place in mismatched pairs were anything to go by. If the late afternoon sunlight pouring through the French doors of our 29 Portland Place ballrooms didn't dazzle, plenty else did.

We were lucky enough to have the luminous talents of Aneta Mak on hand to capture all the action, and look forward to meeting those who couldn't make it - and our lovely readers - at a bigger soiree soon. Oh, and a BIG, adoring thank-you to all those sponsors who made it happen. We couldn't, and wouldn't have wanted to do it without you superstars.

Without further ado, please see all the photos from the evening...all photos kind courtesy of Aneta Mak.

Sneak peek of the cover of our forthcoming tome - Here comes the Guide!

Hard to believe that somewhere in there lurks QBride...


Staggeringly pretty flowers from Pinstripes & Peonies adorned the fireplaces and dotted the contemporary yet totally timeless furnishings from Velvet Living

A pretty pair: Aruna Seth's shoes made for twinkling decoration
Very little stands between me and a gourmet 1970s party food throwback - such as these delectable cheese straws by Cinnamon Candy. Silvered votives from notonthehighstreet.com
As I said, clearly Cinderella had been in the building...and a very chic, hipster Cinderella at that! Thanks Aruna Seth for lending us these lovelies.

Cakes both oh-so-pretty and scrumptious from the Little Venice Cake Company decked the sweets table (surely one of the most welcome additions to weddings from across the pond?!)

Dreamy cocktails from Sparks & Ashton muddled with Snow Queen Vodka kept the party sparkling with a cocktail list that included Death in Venice, a tangy hit of Campari, Prosecco, orange bitters and a citrus twist, a mean riff on a Champagne cocktail with angostura soaked sugar cubes, a dash of brandy topped off with Prosecco, Queen's Martini - all Snow Queen Organic Vodka, Noilly Prat vermouth and caper berry that was as knock-out as it was refined. And the piece de resistance, our very own Quintessentially Weddings cocktail To have and to hold of Snow Queen Vodka, orange liqueur, a dash of lemon juice and Victorian pink lemonade to finish.

Guests snapped up canapes from Cinnamon Candy that included horseradish blinis topped with avocado mousse and grilled shrimp and goats cheese toasts topped with sunblush tomatoes and pesto foam. The verdict? Heavenly. We may have just found our new favourite wedding caterers!

 Below: sweet rosebud initials and pom poms from notonthehighstreet.com put the finishing touch to the space.

Our very own Sophie Fleming chats with Tammie Raven and friend from the Little Venice Cake Company

Lauren of Wedding4Media delivers a corking welcome speech despite nerves...(wonder how many more speeches these ballrooms will see now we're all licensed up!)

Anabel earns her stripes with a charming introduction to all things Quintessentially Weddings.
The wonderfully talented Janet Mohapi Banks and Chanelle Segerius-Bruce




Lucia Silva of State of Grace rocking an original dress (what else?) and making us all envious with how breezy and cool she looked. And anyone who can pull shades off indoors? RESPECT.
One of our favourite wedding wordsmiths, the aptly named Emma Woodhouse of The Wedding Reporter fame shares some smiles with Victoria Ayres (a September bride twin of mine) and our dear New York export, Jessica Seal.
Could she be any lovelier or radiantly talented? Nope - it's Reverie magazine and Forever & Ever Events weddings supernova Mary Lee Herrington and friend...
The big reveal...QBride (me!) catches up with Natalie Jones of The Ritz - who was, incidentally, wearing the most fabulous print frock.

Quintessentially Weddings' Caroline Hurley (we suspect) places a bet with James Lord of Love & Lord weddings on whether they can resist a second tipple...
 Jane Sturgess of Home House with Janet Mohapi-Banks



The legendary Paul Antonio chats to Nina of Neville McCarthy
 The team behind Quintessentially Weddings in an all-smiles sandwich: Abbey, 29 Portland Place manager Georgina Bentley-Leek, our new wedding planner Naomi Paul, me in fit of giggles, Klara and Dusty. So looks like a scene from Bridesmaids, no?

And to all of those who couldn't make it or I didn't get to share a cocktail with, next time beckons!

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