Wedding Planning by Alicia Keats | Photography by Lucida Photography
As seen in Wedluxe Magazine
I was thrilled when Fiona and Binh came to me and told me that Fiona absolutely loves peonies – as they are my favourite flower as well! I knew straight away I would love planning this wedding. Fiona had a favourite image of peonies on her phone, which inspired their overall wedding theme.
We worked hard to bring Fiona’s peony dream to life… over 10,000 peonies were used for their wedding! On the morning of the wedding, as the flowers were dropped off, buckets and buckets of peonies lined the hallways… and smelled like heaven. Fiona and I could barely contain our excitement as we saw row upon row of the stunning flowers lining all the hallways – it was beyond anything we were hoping or dreaming for 🙂
Evan from Flowerz had so many wonderful ideas, and together with Art of the Party and Upright Decor, created stunning displays. There was a beautiful flower arch as a back drop for the ceremony, filled with peonies. Each window of the reception room was framed with custom sheer blush drapes topped with a peony border. Fiona wanted to create something that made the space unique. This had never been done before in the venue… and we used over 2,000 peonies for it!
Fiona’s bouquet had over 65 peonies and was hand tied with a satin ribbon. It was huge (and heavy!) There was also a peony arch at the entrance to the Ballroom, and guests couldn’t help but stop and take photos under the arch as they entered.
Phoebe of Love by Phoebe created a handpainted ornate vase on canvas, and then Evan added real peonies to the painting, which was a great conversation piece. Fiona and Ben also had a customized monogram for their stationery, which they designed themselves.
Fiona wore three dresses throughout the day; her first wedding dress was a customized dress by Vera Wang, with heels from Louboutin. She looked stunning with her hair and make-up done by the talented Margaret Lai.
As well as decor, food was also a big priority for the couple. Fiona and Binh wanted an elegant dining experience for their guests, and dinner was served on four long tables, with gold and crystal goblets for each guest. Gold vases filled with peonies lined the center of each table. We also offered a midnight Chinese buffet for guests.
The cake (by Cake by Nicole) was custom-made with a sugar petal ombre detailing, blush pink satin ribbon, and a single fresh pink peony on the top tier… it was beautiful.
Famous Players kept the dancefloor full throughout the night, and we handed out fresh handmade cotton candy from PetitePuf… which was a hit!
Each guest went home with a custom-made (peony-scented) candle, with the couple’s monogram printed on gold foil labels created by Love by Phoebe. And of course, an armful of peonies to enjoy after the day!
I was so excited to help Fiona plan the peony wedding of her dreams. The entire wedding was beautiful from start to finish, and I loved seeing Fiona’s peony vision come to life.
With love,
Alicia xoxo
