We wanted to keep the décor simple but unexpected
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Emma Phillips grew up in Darien, CT, and recently completed her MBA at London Business School. Before her MBA, she led growth marketing for high-growth startups in New York and now works at Mastercard. Mark Wang was born in Beijing but spent most of his childhood in New Jersey. He is Senior Vice President of Acquisitions at Davidson Hospitality Group, a hotel management firm, where he focuses on M&A opportunities. Together, they’ve spent the past three years living in London with their two rescue dogs, Timmy and Kai.
Emma has a deep love for contemporary art and could happily spend a whole day lost in a gallery. Mark is happiest with a good pint of Guinness, watching the New York Giants, and relaxing with friends. Together, their greatest joy is travelling — their most recent adventure took them all the way to Easter Island.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Emma first heard about Mark in 2020 through their mutual friend Brooke, who was absolutely determined to set them up. An Aspen ski trip was meant to be their first meeting, but crossed dates — and a torn ACL — meant it never quite happened. Two years later, at Brooke’s wedding in Santa Barbara, they were finally introduced. With all eyes on them, the setup felt a little forced at first — until Emma couldn’t find an Uber to LAX and reluctantly asked Mark for a ride. That two-hour drive changed everything. Nonstop texting followed, and Mark soon flew to New York to take Emma on their first official date. One weekend sealed it, and they never looked back.
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).
Villa del Mar at The Marbella Club was truly the star of the show — the architectural details, the history of the hotel, the seaside setting — it all spoke for itself. We wanted to keep the décor simple but unexpected, layering in sculptural details and using the villa as a journey throughout the night, rather than one static space.
We also wanted the guest experience to begin from the very first moment — the second they opened the envelope. The invitation suite was meant to set the tone for the whole weekend, something that felt a little unexpected and offered a hint of what was to come.
That’s where Marta Amigo came in. The Spain-based artist and designer created a bespoke illustration suite for the weekend, and her work ran throughout everything — from the invitations to the event signage to the napkins — becoming a beautiful visual thread that tied the whole celebration together. The hotel’s rich history gave us such an exciting jumping-off point, and from there we wove in our own personality, including a nod to Rudi’s, our favourite cocktail bar at The Marbella Club, which inspired the entire after-party concept.
And I have to mention the florals — the fountain at the ceremony, draped in flowers and grapes, is an image that still lives in my mind. It was just so beautiful and so unexpected, and it perfectly captured the spirit of the whole weekend.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
Honestly, aside from any excuse to visit Marbella, I loved the ideation — sitting down and dreaming up what the best party we’ve ever thrown could look like, and then actually getting to make it happen with Lucia at Caprichia. There’s something really special about that creative process, and we loved having a creative partner on the planning side to bring it to life.
Finding the entertainment was a particular highlight. We wanted the music to feel surprising throughout the night — like bands were appearing out of thin air. First Brass on balconies during cocktail hour, the Knights Club performing over the pool at dinner, and then an entirely different sound for the after-party with Circus Music. Those moments of unexpected joy were really what we were going for.
My biggest tip? Don’t just plan a wedding — plan a party that feels like you and is actually just fun. When you have the best time, your guests have the best time; they are always feeding off of your energy. And if the budget allows, you’ll never regret booking three bands.
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
We were so lucky with our team. The wedding was planned by Lucia and the team at Capricia, with photography by Taylor & Porter and videography by Paramanova. Entertainment was in the hands of Knights Club, First Brass, and Circus Music — and hair and makeup were by the brilliant Maria Giammanco and Kerry White, both London-based.
A very special mention has to go to Louise at Taylor & Porter. We’d fallen in love with her work from a video she did for a close friend’s wedding — her ability to shoot across both film and digital is just stunning. But beyond the images, it was her energy that made all the difference. She has this incredibly calm, warm presence that puts us completely at ease all weekend. She was exactly the person we needed around us.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
Emma was self-styled across all four days of the celebration, with a special shout-out to her Mom, who has the most impeccable style and helped her pull all the looks together. For the wedding, she wore a bespoke gown by The Own Studio, paired with vintage diamond pearl drop earrings and Neous shoes. Working with Rosie and the team at The Own Studio in London was an absolute dream. For the welcome party, she wore Alaïa — the dress and the iconic heart shoes — and a vintage Reinstein Ross necklace from her mother. The rehearsal dinner called for something special too — a beautiful gown by London-based Chinese designer Huisang Zhang, a nod to Mark’s heritage.
Mark wore a Zegna midnight blue tuxedo with Baudoin & Lange velvet loafers for the wedding and an Orlebar Brown navy seersucker suit for the rehearsal dinner — he also gifted all of the groomsmen Orlebar Brown suits for the pool party.
The bridesmaids were given free rein to choose their own dresses in bold, joyful hues — red, hot pink, yellow, and burnt orange. Emma’s sisters all wore gowns by New York-based Spanish designer Alejandra Alonso Rojas, whose colour choices set the palette for the rest of the bridal party beautifully.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
Mark wanted to surprise Emma — but knew she’d want to have a say in her ring. So he went to a trusted family friend, Andrea Brown at Zwikker and Zacher in NYC’s Diamond District, to create something he thought she’d love — set with a borrowed diamond as a placeholder. After the proposal, the two of them sat down with Andrea to design her ring properly, landing on a stunning old mine-cut cushion diamond in a double-pronged setting. It’s timeless in the best way.
For wedding bands, Mark chose a classic gold band with a hand-engraved inscription — the words of which he’s keeping very much to himself. Emma went for an Art Deco-inspired diamond band set with emeralds and round diamonds in a channel setting. The two sit together beautifully.
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?).
Photography was non-negotiable. Those images are what you get to keep long after the epic weekend is over.
The venue was also our best investment – it felt like we were hosting friends at the secret Spanish villa they never knew we had. It set the tone and backdrop for the whole weekend, and the perfect flow for the wedding night itself, being able to use different spaces throughout the evening.
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
Our private vows, without question. We exchanged them just before the ceremony, tucked away in the courtyard, and it was the most intimate, emotional moment of the whole weekend. It felt completely like us — no pressure, no performance, just the two of us. I’ll never forget it.
And then on the other end of the spectrum — the after-party. Dancing in what felt like our dream club, surrounded by all our favourite people, with the band in full swing and espresso martinis flowing. It was one of those nights that felt almost too good to be true.
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
To us, it means true partnership — as cliché as that sounds, there’s no better way to put it. It’s being there for the other person without keeping score, picking up the slack when they need you to, and knowing that’s always returned without having to ask. Just knowing what will make the other person happy.
And really, it’s the small moments that say the most — lazy evenings on the couch, dog walks through Hyde Park with Timmy and Kai, and a lot of laughing. That’s the good stuff.
LOCATION Marbella Club, Marbella, Spain, @marbellaclubh BRIDE Emma, @emmamillerphillips GROOM Mark, @wang_a_roo PHOTOGRAPHER Taylor & Porter, @taylorandporter VIDEOGRAPHER Paramonova Movies, @paramonova_movies PLANNER Caprichia, @caprichia_weddings_events ENTERTAINMENT Knights Club, @knightsclub.vip; First Brass, @firstbrass.vip; Circus Music, @circus__music STATIONERY Caprichia, @caprichia_atelier BRIDE’S WEDDING DRESS The Own Studio, @theownstudio BRIDE’S WEDDING SHOES NEOUS, @neous BRIDE’S WEDDING ACCESORIES Vintage diamond pearl drop earrings BRIDE’S REHEARSAL DINNER DRESSES Self-styled – Huisang Zhang, @huishanzhang BRIDE’S REHEARSAL DINNER SHOES Jimmy Choo, @jimmychoo BRIDE’S REHEARSAL DINNER ACCESSORIES Heart Earrings – Jennifer Fischer, @jenniferfisher; Vintage four seasons gold bracelet – Jimmy Choo, @jimmychoo BRIDE’S POOL PARTY OUTFIT Sheer Pants – Ferragamo, @ferragamo BRIDE’S POOL PARTY SHOES Loewe, @loewe BRIDE’S PPOL PARTY SWIMWEAR Seafolly, @seafollyaustralia BRIDE’S WELCOME PARTY DRESS Maison Alaia, @maisonalaia BRIDE’S WELCOME PARTY SHOES Heart Shoes – Maison Alaia, @maisonalaia BRIDE’S WELCOME PARTY ACCESSORIES Vintage bracelet from bride’s step mom – Buccaleti, @buccellatimilan; Earrings – Dries Van Noten, @driesvannoten; Vintage necklace from bride’s mom – Reinstein Ross, @reinsteinross BRIDE’S AFTER PARTY OUTFIT Ralph Lauren, @ralphlauren BRIDE’S AFTER PARTY SHOES Amina Muaddi, @aminamuaddi MAKEUP Kerry White, @kerrywhitemakeup HAIR Maria Giammanco, @hairby_maria92 GROOM’S REHEARSAL DINNER SUIT Navy Seersucker Suit – Orlebar Brown, @orlebarbrown GROOM’S REHEARSAL DINNER SHOES Loafers – Ferragamo, @ferragamo GROOM’S WEDDING TUXEDO Midnight Blue Tuxedo – Zegna, @zegna GROOM’S WEDDING SHOES Velvet Loafers – Baudoin & Lange, @baudoinlange GROOM’S POOL PARTY OUTFIT Orlebar Brown, @orlebarbrown GROOM’S POOL PARTY SHOES Loafers – Ferragamo, @ferragamo GROOM’S WELCOME PARTY OUTFIT Brick red jacket, white shirt, and white pants – Zegna, @zegna GROOM’S WELCOME PARTY SHOES Loafers – Loro Piana, @loropiana BRIDE’S SISTERS’ DRESSES Made by NY based Spanish designer – Alejandra Alonso Rojas, @alejandraalonsorojas MOTHER-OF-THE-BRIDE’S OUTFIT Huisang Zhang, @huishanzhang; Ralph Lauren, @ralphlauren
