The Story So Far

Oliver & I met in February 2015, at the Leicester Square Theatre in London. I had just graduated from 3 years of Musical Theatre training and was working at the theatre a few days a week, and Ollie had recently become tour manager for German comedian Henning Wehn who was about to do a 3 week residency at the theatre. A colleague pointed him out to me whilst he was on stage doing the sound check and he caught my eye! Later that  evening he came over to chat to me and eventually asked me for my number, we met for coffee the very next day and the rest is history!

After 7 and a half years together, Ollie finally popped the question on 28th July 2022 at Kilworth House in Leicestershire. My sister was in a show at the theatre there and we had travelled up to watch her perform. We had a beautiful pre-theatre meal in the orangery, then headed out for a walk before the show started. Looking back, I realise that Ollie’s behaviour was a little strange, but I now know that he was scoping out the perfect spot to stop and pop the question. He settled on Kilworth House’s garden temple, which was beautiful and private. It was a complete shock to me, I really had no idea! I had previously sent Ollie a few hints regarding engagement rings, mostly round diamond trilogy rings but as Ollie would say “he knows me better than I know myself” and he created a beautiful trilogy ring with emerald cut diamonds on a gold band, and for once he was right! He purchased the ring from the wonderful Dovi Fehler, known on Instagram as The London Jeweller.

The Venue

Our wedding was at the legendary Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water. We knew we didn’t want to be too far away from London where my family and many of our friends are based, and as Ollie is from Surrey we decided to keep our venue search in that area. Ollie’s brother had recently become a member of Wentworth and suggested we go and have a look after we’d had a couple of unsuccessful viewings elsewhere. 

The first time we visited we knew it was the one – it was elegant and sophisticated but also laid-back which made us feel totally relaxed there. The views of the rolling fairways of the golf course and the castle-like clubhouse covered in ivy were stunning. There are a handful of hotel rooms in the clubhouse, so our families could stay, which included two amazing suites which myself and my bridal party used to get ready in on the morning of the wedding. 

Wentworth offered us a choice of indoor and outdoor settings for the day which meant we didn’t have to worry about the weather! The majority of the day was spent inside the stylish clubhouse, specifically in the beautiful and grand ballroom which was the perfect location for our ceremony, wedding breakfast and the evening party. Our drinks reception took place on the Ryder Cup terrace, which overlooks a perfectly manicured garden and outdoor swimming pool. It really was the perfect venue for us and the team there were super helpful and truly created our dream day.

The day after the wedding we hosted a BBQ / pool party for our families and a few friends at Ollie’s brother’s house in Weybridge. Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas so we didn’t get to use the pool, but we kept the party going inside with plenty of debriefing, Aperol Spritz and even some more dancing.

The Fashion

Our wedding was at the legendary Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water. We knew we didn’t want to be too far away from London where my family and many of our friends are based, and as Ollie is from Surrey we decided to keep our venue search in that area. Ollie’s brother had recently become a member of Wentworth and suggested we go and have a look after we’d had a couple of unsuccessful viewings elsewhere. 

The first time we visited we knew it was the one – it was elegant and sophisticated but also laid-back which made us feel totally relaxed there. The views of the rolling fairways of the golf course and the castle-like clubhouse covered in ivy were stunning. There are a handful of hotel rooms in the clubhouse, so our families could stay, which included two amazing suites which myself and my bridal party used to get ready in on the morning of the wedding. 

Wentworth offered us a choice of indoor and outdoor settings for the day which meant we didn’t have to worry about the weather! The majority of the day was spent inside the stylish clubhouse, specifically in the beautiful and grand ballroom which was the perfect location for our ceremony, wedding breakfast and the evening party. Our drinks reception took place on the Ryder Cup terrace, which overlooks a perfectly manicured garden and outdoor swimming pool. It really was the perfect venue for us and the team there were super helpful and truly created our dream day.

The day after the wedding we hosted a BBQ / pool party for our families and a few friends at Ollie’s brother’s house in Weybridge. Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas so we didn’t get to use the pool, but we kept the party going inside with plenty of debriefing, Aperol Spritz and even some more dancing.

The Jewellery

Along with my engagement ring, I wore Megan Therese Couture earrings and a matching hair accessory which were very kindly gifted to me by my bridesmaids. The earrings and hair piece are like a work of art with hand crafted clay flowers and real pearls. They were the perfect finishing touch and really elevated my look.

The Bridal Party

My bridesmaids wore beautiful dusty blue halter neck floral dresses from Coast and my bridesmen wore dusty blue suits from Zara. They all looked absolutely gorgeous! I gifted them all a set of pyjamas from my favourite pyjama brand Chelsea Peers plus personalised clutch bags from Katie Loxton and earrings from Silver Rain for the girls and Charbonnel et Walker truffles & Paw Paw lip balm for the boys!

The Tablescape

I really wanted a soft, romantic colour palette for the decor so opted for pale blue, a peachy pink and white. Our flower arrangements were made by my talented auntie who works for Amanda’s Flowers in Richmond. Each table had a beautiful flower arrangement in keeping with the colour palette, pale blue napkins, tea lights in clear ribbed glass holders and pale blue, white and peach tapered candles which were inside glass hurricane holders. I purchased eucalyptus themed table numbers and name place cards from Papier to tie in with the flower arrangements.

Food & Drinks

All the food and drinks were organised in-house by Wentworth and it was truly delicious.

Beautiful canapes including Carlingford oysters which were a big hit with our guests! We served Pimms, fizz and beers for our drinks reception and Picpoul de Pinet and Rioja for the meal. The meal consisted of a Tandoori Tiger prawn salad or a Heritage Tomato and Peach salad starter, Fillet of beef or Truffle Roasted Cauliflower steak for main and a gorgeous Lemon meringue parfait dessert.

For our late night snack we served wood fired pizzas from Fire & Base, which were amazing along with our gorgeous three tier cake and macarons made by Lucy at Vanilla Frost Cakes who has made so many cakes for my family’s birthdays and important events. 

Entertainment

As someone with a history of performing, and both of us being huge lovers of music, entertainment and music were a big priority for us. My wonderful choir, The Adam Street Singers, performed during the ceremony including as I walked down the aisle. This was so unbelievably special and was many of our guests’ highlight of the day and mine too! Another highlight was the surprise singing waiters, organised by my mum! One of the performers interrupted the dinner pretending to deliver a pizza, you can imagine the horror on my face but thankfully they burst into song shortly after and had everyone on their feet!

We found picking a first dance song quite hard and we still weren’t 100% decided until a few days before the wedding. In the end, we went for Rock with You by Michael Jackson (one of Ollie’s favourite artists). We didn’t want anything too slow or too fast so it was the perfect tempo for us to dance too. After the first dance myself, my sisters and a few of my dancer friends surprised Ollie and the guests with a flash mob to the song Be Faithful by Fat Man Scoop, it was absolutely electric and everyone loved it! It was a great way to get the party started.

For the evening we had the all female group High on Heels perform, which included a DJ, saxophone player, percussionist and lead singer. They were incredible and kept the energy up all night. I loved  the fact that you could tailor how many artists you wanted for your day and they totally catered to our music tastes. 

Beauty Regime & Wellness

I found the search for make-up artists and hair stylists tricky, as there are just so many out there. I knew exactly how I wanted to look on the day, I wanted a glowy, soft glam look for the make-up and a sleek bun for my hair, so I searched through Instagram for MUA’s and stylists who had created similar looks, which is how I found my wonderful glam squad Ruby & Gaby. I had trials with both a couple of months before the wedding which I would highly recommend doing!

If I’m completely honest, I didn’t change up my usual regime for the wedding! I have always been quite lucky and never had many problems with my skin, so I decided not to mess with my usual skincare leading up to the wedding just in case something didn’t agree with me. I definitely tried to eat a little healthier and be more active but I didn’t put too much pressure on myself to lose weight.

Favourite Wedding Gifts

We used The Wedding Shop for our wedding gift list which was super easy to use! We did a mixture of gifts and experiences for people to purchase along with a honeymoon fund. A few of my favourite gifts would be a Gluggle Jug, Our Place cookware and a cookery course at Belmond Le Manoir in Oxfordshire.

The Honeymoon

A couple of days after the wedding we headed off on our honeymoon in Athens. We spent 2 nights in the city centre seeing the sights and exploring the city and then headed 30 mins away to Vouliagmeni, on the “Athens Riviera” where we enjoyed beach clubs, bars and restaurants for 4 nights. We are hoping to go somewhere further afield in 2025 but don’t have any plans just yet!

Advice

Don’t sweat the small stuff. So many of my married friends gave me this advice and it’s so true. In the lead up to the day. There may be some hiccups, things might not go exactly to plan, guests might drop out last minute, but usually there isn’t much you can do to change those things so try not to stress and focus on the positives.

Remember it’s your day and should be special and personal to you. Don’t compare your wedding to other weddings or worry about traditions, just do what is right for you and your partner and it will be the most perfect day.

The day goes so fast, really take time to be present and take it all in. We managed to have a couple of moments just the two of us and it was so lovely to just take a breather and process everything.

With Thanks To:

Bride & Groom: – @ocgregorian & @olliejwilson

Venue & Caterer: Wentworth Golf Club @wentworth_club & @doggartandsquash

Dress: Jesus Peiro from Ellie Sanderson Bridal @jesuspeiroofficial @elliesandersonbridal

Shoes: @loefflerrandall

Jewellery: @megantheresecouture

Bridesmaids: Debut London by Coast @coastfashion

Groom outfit: Marks & Spencer @marksandspencer

Florist: Amanda’s Flowers Richmond @amandasflowersrichmond

Stationery: Hannah Louise Stationary & Papier @hannah_louise_stationary @papier

Wedding website: The Knot @theknot

Photographer: Bjorn Knight-Franklin @knightfranklinphotography

Videographer: Jonny Noakes @jonny_noakes

Celebrant: @lucyfergussoncelebrant

Wedding rings: Dovi Fehler @londonjeweller

Makeup: Ruby Baron @rubyloubeauty

Hair: Gaby Goldring @gabygoldringhairstylist

Gift list: The Wedding Shop @theweddingshopuk

Bridesmaid gifts: Katie Loxton, Chelsea Peers, Silver Rain @katieloxton @chelseapeersnyc @silver_rain_uk

Entertainment: @adamstsingers @highonheelsuk @singerssecreto 

Cake: @vanillafrostcakes

Pizza: @fireandbase

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The post Inside: Olivia Gregorian-Wilson’s Elegant Surrey Wedding appeared first on The Wedding Edition.

The Story So Far

We first met fourteen years ago in Chelford, Cheshire, and kept crossing paths. Kate used to be a model, and we’d often bump into each other on nights out in Manchester. It always seemed like one of us was with someone else, so I honestly didn’t think Kate would be interested in me. Kate used to work in a restaurant, and I promoted the nightclub underneath, so I would see her coming in often.

Our relationship started purely as a friendship until one night in Manchester, I saw Kate on a date. When her date slipped off to the toilet, I went over and asked if she was on a date and suggested we go on one instead. That’s how it all began. We started seeing each other in November 2019, but then the lockdown hit, and we couldn’t see each other for a while. Eventually, Kate moved in with me and my Dad. Both of us were furloughed, which turned out to be amazing and really accelerated our relationship.

I had been thinking about getting engaged, and after my Dad passed away, I wanted to do it even more. To find the perfect ring, I asked Kate’s maid of honour what design she thought I should go for. She sent me a design from an Australian designer, Michael Arthur – a pear-shaped platinum ring with a secret halo under the diamond. It was a high import, so I took the design to Hatton Garden, to Beverley Hills Jewellers, and worked with a girl named Kate, it was like it was meant to be! We made a few adjustments to make the diamond sit more flush. 

The engagement was probably the worst kept secret because I was so excited. I wanted to propose somewhere really romantic, not cliché like in a restaurant. I settled on Santorini and got in touch with a wedding planner there. I rented a chapel, arranged for a private chef, and booked a private transfer. The day didn’t go entirely as planned – we were running late, and Kate was stressed because they had put oil in her hair during a massage.

When we got picked up from the hotel, there were two guys in the taxi, and I told Kate they were doing a photoshoot of us around Santorini. Kate wasn’t impressed when we got to a photo spot overlooking the blue domes. As we drove to the venue, I made her close her eyes. We pulled up, and I had the ring hidden in the glovebox. Guiding her down the stairs, “Amazing” by George Michael, her favourite song, was playing. Kate started crying. There was a path of candles and rose petals, and a table set for two with all her favourite dishes for a four-course meal. We watched the sunset, had a dance, and they set off fireworks. When we got back to the hotel they decorated our room with candles and rose petals, making the evening even more special.

The Venue

We always envisioned a destination wedding. We wanted to go away with all of our friends and family and loved the idea of guaranteed good weather. Initially, we looked at venues in Santorini but couldn’t find one that matched our vision. Nothing felt like “us.” So, we expanded our search to Lake Como, the South of France, and Mallorca. We were set on Mallorca for quite a while, but eventually, we started looking back in the UK, hoping to involve our dogs, but nothing felt quite right.

We sent countless enquiries to venues abroad, but most didn’t fit our budget or vision. Many places only covered the cost of the building, requiring everything else to be arranged from scratch. It was frustrating. Then, we stumbled upon Solar da Levada and instantly knew it was perfect. When Kate found their page on Instagram, the pictures were unreal, better than anything we had imagined. Kate set up a meeting with Natalie from Veil and Véu, and we had a call. Natalie and Tania had both got married in Veil and Véu venues and hearing their stories made us trust them immediately. We started the call at 7pm and by 8pm, we knew we wanted to book. It felt like we had known Natalie for years; she felt like a friend.

The venue was everything we dreamed of and more—classic, classy, with a touch of drama. It featured 400 meters of fountains, glass rooms, water running down the ceiling, and natural daylight in the ceremony room. The interior was minimalistic, monochrome, a mix of rustic and modern, with old-school glamour that was cool and timeless. The old chapel was stunning. Our guests experienced different parts of the venue throughout the day: the ceremony, the courtyard for food and drinks, the surprise dining room, and the party on the lake. We even arranged platforms on the water with a DJ in the middle, so we could party on the lake at sunset. A saxophonist added to the magic. The cake cutting with a fire curtain was spectacular. We moved inside for the first dance and then continued the party. 

The wedding was all about utilising the space at the venue. From day one of planning, we envisioned a pre-celebration with all our friends and family under fairy lights at sunset. It was a chance for everyone to get to know each other and break the ice. The vision came to life when we booked a hotel exclusively for three days without even seeing it—we fell in love with the pictures. The night before the wedding, we had dinner in a vineyard with a table for 100 people set under fairy lights, enjoying a three-course meal with all our guests. Everyone was amazed by how beautiful it was.

The day after the wedding, we had a relaxed BBQ and pool party with DJs from the wedding, continuing into the sunset. Originally, we planned for everyone to dress up, but everyone was hungover and preferred to stay around the pool area. We adapted, making it a more relaxed day. All three days were amazing in different ways. We were on cloud nine, with the perfect vibe and a rave in the vineyard until the music stopped. The sunset, house music, and the entire experience were even better than we could have ever imagined.

The Fashion

My first dress was a Ricca Sposa dress from Victoria Lou Bridal in Northampton. It was a a fitted strapless dress with a structured cupped corset, flower lace and matching long sleeves. The bodice had a low back with exposed boning, the skirt was full and had a long train. 

I had a second dress by Rosie Etienne, a mini lace corset dress with a voluminous skirt bottom, 3D hand-placed appliqué flowers and embellished beading.

My shoes, from Lipsy, weren’t the top priority but complemented the outfit well. 

For our “something blue,” one of Chris’s groomsmen’s parents gifted me a beautiful blue evil eye pin to attach to my bouquet and a Hamsa hand for good luck, making it even more special and meaningful.

The Jewellery

Chris gifted me a Christian Dior necklace, and my bridesmaids gave me beautiful matching earrings.

The Bridal Party

Our bridesmaids’ dresses were Pretty Lavish – one-shouldered satin gowns in a stunning bronze colour. All the bridesmaids are tall, and this brand makes long dresses that can be easily altered. From the beginning, I knew these dresses were perfect. They fit so well and were amazing quality.

As for the groomsmen, they all got their own suits and matched with blue Misses Bow Ties. For their gifts, we gave each of them a personalised cigar holder with a cigar cutter and a cigar. The bridesmaids were given necklaces with their star signs on.

Transportation

For our wedding car, we chose a convertible Rolls Royce Corniche with luxurious red leather seats and a sleek silver exterior. 

The Tablescape

From day one we knew we wanted our tablescapes to be classic white roses with babies breath and ivory candles.

Food & Drinks

We had personalised cocktails for the guests, Kate’s was a spicy margarita and Chris’ was ‘Slightly Older Fashioned’.

Entertainment

We wanted music to play a huge part in our wedding day. We had a violinist for the ceremony, and I walked down the aisle to “I’m Kissing You.” For our first dance, we chose “My Destiny” by Lionel Ritchie. During sunset hour, we had DJs and a saxophonist to set the perfect mood. The vibe was like an Ibiza party with electronic house music that was groovy and cool, featuring different versions of old-school classics with a modern twist. 

Beauty Regime & Wellness

We brought my amazing hair dresser and MUA from Cheshire, and they created exactly what I wanted.  

Favourite Wedding Gifts

We didn’t have a traditional gift list because we knew our guests were already spending a lot to come to the wedding. Instead, we included a honeymoon pot on our wedding registry. One of our favourite gifts was a Fortnum and Mason hamper full of wine. However, Kate’s absolute favourite gift was the necklace from Chris.

The Honeymoon

Our honeymoon plans are still to be confirmed, but we’re definitely thinking of a hot, relaxing beach holiday. We’re considering destinations like Bali, the Caribbean, or the Maldives. Right after the wedding, we had a mini-moon in Portugal, which was so relaxing.

Advice

Find a great wedding planner: We loved the venues, obviously that was the main thing, but if you’re planning a destination wedding, hiring a wedding planner like Veil and Véu is a must. When we met Natalie and Tania, we clicked and got on straight away, it felt like we’d known them for years! They’ve both been through the same wedding process in Portugal, which filled us with confidence we could have the most amazing three days. No ask was too much, they made everything we requested happen. We loved the whole process and want to do it all again. 

Trust your gut: Follow your instincts throughout the planning process. If something doesn’t feel right, take your time and don’t settle. It’s important to be confident and happy with every decision you make, so don’t rush into anything if you’re unsure.

Don’t be afraid to take the plunge: Be bold and go for what you really want. We loved every aspect of our wedding because we had the courage to ask for exactly what we visioned. Embrace the process and make the most of every moment—you won’t regret it!

With Thanks To:

Bride: @katebieszke

Groom: @chrisbieszke

Wedding Planner: @veil_veu

Venue: @solardalevada_lagodoscisnes

Main Dress: @riccasposa

Second dress: @rosieetiennebridal

Bridesmaids: @prettylavishuk

Groom outfit: @hawesandcurtisglobal

Florist: @vilaverdeemflor

Wedding website: @withjoy

Photographer: @moisessoaresw_photographer

Videographer: @moisessoaresw_photographer

Makeup: @ameliahuntmua

Hair: @joshuawilliamhair

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The post Inside: Kate Bieske’s Black-Tie Portugal Wedding appeared first on The Wedding Edition.