It was around this time last year that I first met Daniella and Adam, who were living in Hong Kong and planning a wedding in Tel Aviv. They had planned all along to marry in Israel, however travel restrictions still in place there looked more and more likely to jeopardise their guests’ ability to travel overseas. Getting in touch with me via a recommendation, Daniella and Adam decided they didn’t want to wait any longer and we set about planning their celebrations in London instead. With only 3 months to go, plans for their museum wedding with a relaxed, party atmosphere got underway!
The most important thing for Daniella and Adam was that the whole day felt laid back and informal. Having lived in Hong Kong and faced difficulties travelling back to the UK in the previous two years, the top priority was to have everyone they loved in one room together for a big party. The day began with bridal prep for Daniella at Home House, and the images captured by Paulo Santos here are just stunning. I particularly love the staircase shots!
The beautiful West London Synagogue was the location for Daniella and Adam’s chuppah, and after the ceremony they walked to their venue of choice for their museum wedding party – The Wallace Collection. The venue was chosen partly for its proximity to the Synagogue, which worked wonderfully as the photography and videography on the walk between the two venues turned out beautifully. They also really wanted their guests to experience something different, rather than a London ballroom which is more usual for Jewish weddings in the city. There are yet more fabulous staircase shots from the Wallace Collection, thanks to Wildabout’s floral dressing – such a fantastic feature of the day!
It was decided quite early on that Daniella and Adam didn’t want a formal seated dinner. We were trying to create a party at the museum, so following the drinks reception in the Long Gallery guests were invited downstairs into the Courtyard for dancing and relaxed food station dining. Totem entertained the guests all evening, and roaming bowls were served to allow guests to flow and mingle. To explore more details of Daniella and Adam’s wedding, take a look at our feature on Smashing The Glass.
A museum wedding is wonderful because it’s something unique for you and your guests to experience, but there are a few things to bear in mind;
- Your suppliers won’t be able to access the museum to load, set up and prepare until it closes to the public. At the Wallace Collection access was from 5.15pm, and guest arrival was allowed from 6.30pm. This necessitates an evening celebration, so marrying elsewhere and then moving onto the museum for the reception works best. In Daniella and Adam’s case this worked perfectly, as we could continue the party until 1am and the relaxed flow of the event meant that it didn’t feel too short
- You will also be obliged to use suppliers from the museum’s recommended list, which they put together because they trust these vendors to work mindfully of the valuable objects and works of art around them. In some cases this is difficult, but in the case of The Wallace Collection all their suppliers were highly rated, delivered an excellent service and were exceptional to work with
If you are planning a Jewish wedding in London or Europe and would like some expert assistance to pull your plans together, whether those plans are traditional or completely unique, get in touch. We are now booking for 2024, and have late 2023 availability for our ‘lighter’ wedding planning service, Elegante Piccolo.
With thanks to the wonderful team of suppliers mentioned within the blog, along with: Philip White for videography; Galia Lahav and Jimmy Choo for bridal styling; Dior and Turnbull & Asser for groom styling; Rachel Singer-Clark for bridal makeup, Rocket Food for catering; Options Great Hire for furniture; Delta Live for production.
