All About You: Wedding Inspiration from Maybourne

Where will you tie the knot? What will you wear? Which flowers will you choose? A wedding calls for countless choices. But one key decision comes above all others: how do you want your wedding to feel? Deciding the overall vibe sets the tone for everything that follows, whether you want something intimate with your nearest and dearest or a glitzy bash with everyone you love under one roof.

How do you decide what’s right for you? Those in the know recommend beginning by thinking what will best suit both of you. ‘When I meet with a new couple, I try to get an idea of what they want their wedding to be like from what kind of people they are,’ says luxury wedding planner Tom Crouch, who spent nearly four years organising nuptials at Claridge’s. ‘Are they extroverts or introverts? Do they like the spotlight or not? All of those personality traits come into it.’

Glamorous, blowout weddings with hundreds of guests remain popular. But insiders have noticed a rise in more intimate ceremonies. ‘Post-Covid, more couples are leaning to smaller, intimate weddings with close family and friends, but at a very high level, with carefully curated menus, premium wines and elevated experiences,’ says Corporate Director of Sales - Celebrations & Groups at Maybourne. ‘This allows us to create truly personalised celebrations. At the same time, we host plenty of big, lavish weddings. So it really comes down to each couple and their vision.’

This is a sentiment shared by Victoria Dubin, whose events company recently put together a wedding at The Maybourne Beverly Hills: ‘It’s never about following a formula, but about making thoughtful, intentional decisions and sharing what brings you joy with your guests.

For our couple, everything centered around a celebration in California, their happy place, where so many of their favourite memories were made, and where they wanted to create new ones.’

‘The Maybourne Beverly Hills provided the perfect setting: immediately transportive, timeless and cinematic, with an Old Hollywood sensibility, yet at the same time relaxed, warm, and inviting. Nestled in the heart of Beverly Hills, the outdoor terrace unfolds like a hidden garden, framed by palms, sculpted hedges and overflowing planters. The drama of it all was overlooked by Beverly Cañon Gardens. Under the California sky, surrounded by friends and family, the celebration felt immersive and deeply personal, a true reflection of who they are.’

The venue you choose naturally plays a major role in deciding the size and feel of your wedding - though some are flexible enough to accommodate a range of ceremonies. ‘At Claridge’s, you can do anything from an intimate wedding of just four people, all the way up to 240 people in the ballroom,’ says Tom Crouch. ‘I’m planning my own wedding in the ballroom and I couldn’t be more excited. What’s amazing about that space is it’s designed for a party. The arrival process, the drinks reception, that entrance into the ballroom: everything about it feels grand and elevated.’

Larger weddings lend themselves to more of a party vibe. That was a key focus of Sherluxe beauty director Jennifer George’s wedding when she got married at Claridge’s in 2019: ‘We decided on 150 guests. The good thing about that number is it becomes a real raucous party, but people can still opt out, sneak off, sit out the dance floor, head outside for a ciggy - without it suddenly looking empty, or them feeling like they have to take part.

‘We wanted our wedding to feel vibrant and fun rather than too classic or stuffy. So, despite having a black-tie dress code, our flowers were colourful, and we had a multicoloured balloon cloud over the tables, and a brass band instead of a singer.’

Want to go all out? Consider a full hotel takeover, as one pair did at The Maybourne Riviera. On a cliffside in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, overlooking Monaco and the French Riviera, the hotel provided a truly show-stopping venue for a grand event.

‘What really set this wedding apart was the scale, exclusivity and impeccable service,’ says Emma Gold, founder of GSP Events, who organised the celebration. ‘With 275 guests, the couple wanted more than a traditional party venue. They were looking for a unique property they could take over entirely. It allowed us to create a truly immersive experience, such as transforming the lobby into their very own nightclub. Every space and every moment felt personal to them and their celebration.’

At the other end of the spectrum, smaller events can feel delightfully intimate. British-American fashion designer Harris Reed wanted a more traditional, less showy wedding. ‘I always had a dream of walking down the Chelsea Town Hall stairs, then ending with a magical dinner at Claridge’s, which happens to be my favourite place on earth,’ he says. ‘A lot of my life is very loud, very crazy, in the best way: big fashion shows, big moments. So it was important that my wedding was as small as possible.’

Reed and his husband Eitan Senerman had just twenty guests for the dinner at Claridge’s in 2023. ‘It was our dearest friends and family,’ says Reed. ‘We really wanted our guests to feel they were sharing one of the most intimate moments that two people can have together. There was a lot of raw emotion, and we wanted to feel comfortable being unapologetically ourselves. When you have fewer guests, it’s really special, because you're sharing it in such close proximity with people close to you.’

‘The best bit? An impromptu after-party in their suite. “I've always loved a little after-party,” says Reed, “so being able to go upstairs after dinner for whisky, cognac and a cheeky late-night dessert was so fun. There was dancing; there was storytelling. It’s just so beautiful, the moments you can have with your friends in a private setting.”’

‘Whatever the size or vibe, it’s crucial that your celebration feels uniquely “you”. What really makes a wedding stand out, whether it’s big or small, are the personal touches,’ says Tom Crouch. ‘Napkins embroidered with quotes from your text chats, your favourite song as you walk down the aisle, or even your dog turning up - those are the things that make it feel personal. And that’s what your guests will remember.’