Orlagh + Tom by Westbrook & Grace

An intimate dinner party surrounded by everybody we loved, bathed in candlelight

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

Orlagh works in immigration law, and Tom owns his own data consultancy, but our passions lie outside of work. We’re both into fitness – Tom is obsessed with the gym, and Orlagh is a qualified pilates instructor. We live life on the edge and jump when an exciting opportunity arises – we recently moved to Barcelona, which was a decision made over drinks, and hopefully this is how we continue to live life together long into our old age.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We met at Uni in a dirty dive bar; it was raining, and Orlagh approached Tom because he had an umbrella, but Tom thinks that was just an excuse to shoot her shot. A few years after Uni ended, it was Tom’s turn to make his move when he posted a Snapchat story saying “Orlagh looks hot” on New Year’s Eve when he saw her living it up in Dubai – it was a rogue choice, but it worked. Six months later Tom was in Dubai, and the rest is history.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

The location and venue did a lot of heavy lifting, as Villa Grabau is beyond stunning; this gave us the freedom to prioritise the experience and ambience. Orlagh’s vision was an intimate dinner party surrounded by everybody we loved, bathed in candlelight, so it felt like Beauty and the Beast. We skipped most of the florals, ordered every candelabra in Lucca and kept artificial lighting to a minimum. The outcome surpassed our greatest expectations, and credit goes to our planner Ludovica for executing our vision perfectly.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

Pass – planning isn’t our strength; we had moments of panic leading up to the wedding, but hopefully this consoles people feeling the same way because I promise you when it’s done you’ll wish you could go back to do it all over again. Also, get a good wedding planner; you won’t regret it.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

Ludovica from Villa Grabau – a saint with a lot of patience and somebody who knows how to throw one hell of a party.

Nathan (Westbrook & Grace) – the brief was to be candid and blend in, and we had many guests asking who our friend was, so I’d say mission accomplished. And not to mention the photos themselves – perfection.

Our content creator Palma (WedAmore) captured the vibe perfectly, was incredibly fun and allowed Orlagh to put her phone away as she knew she was in safe hands. We will cherish those behind-the-scenes moments forever.

Our DJ Lixxy (@wethegirlies) – music has always been important to us; as long as we’ve been together, we’ve partied together at festivals. We didn’t want a traditional DJ, so we imported a cool girl from Hackney who absolutely delivered, and even kept the party going at the pool day.

Our florist, Gabriele Barsotti – when we said we didn’t want many flowers, we were worried how that would go down with a florist, but he was so excited to execute the vision and my word, did he deliver. The candle arrangement was pure art and was the talking point of the wedding.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

Orlagh’s dress (her third one, by the way) was a brand new release by Kyha Bride, an Australian brand which arrived 1 week before the wedding, which caused a lot of stress, but it was perfect – a mix of drama, simplicity and elegance. Orlagh’s main advice here is to get the dress that makes you feel like you, rather than what other people expect you to wear and don’t feel pressure at the bridal shop.

Tom’s tuxedo was custom-made in Barcelona by Señor; many thanks to his tailor Antonio. Our main advice here is to go black tie; getting to see all of your loved ones dressed to the nines is a genuine treat not to be missed.

Final note – get the evening dress, something you can twerk in, and make it dramatic.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

Our wedding rings were custom-made by Sant in Barcelona, a family-owned jeweller which we highly recommend. Orlagh had something very specific in mind that she wanted which we couldn’t find anywhere, and they turned it around in a week and were genuinely impeccable.

What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).

Prioritise the experience for the guests, especially at a destination wedding.

Non-negotiables for us were an open bar across all 3 days and an amazing DJ; we wanted our guests to walk away from it feeling the love they deserve, and we wanted to make sure people’s memories were of a party they’ll never forget.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

We had a moment after the aperativo before heading to the evening dinner where all our guests had moved over to be seated at the tables, and it was just the two of us left sat on the lawn for a quiet moment. The morning had been a whirlwind, and we got to sit together and just soak in what was going on around us. We sat and talked about how lucky we are, shared some private thoughts together and told each other how much we loved each other. It was a few minutes of calm before we walked into our dinner to the tune of “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits and carried on the party of our lifetimes.

What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?

Being married felt like an inevitability to us – we’re best friends, and we take on all the highs and lows together as a partnership. Marry the person you want to wake up next to every day.