Onar curates immersive worlds shaped by story, setting and intent.
Onar Events is a London-based boutique wedding and events studio redefining modern celebration through a poetic blend of imagination, precision and emotional depth. Founded by Leonidas Trapotsis, Onar offers a distinctly contemporary vision of luxury that feels as soulful as it is striking.
The name Onar comes from the ancient Greek word for dream, a fitting reference for a brand built on translating intangible ideas into beautifully realised experiences. Leonidas approaches event design as a sensory language, where vision, emotion and atmosphere are carefully composed to create moments that feel both effortless and unforgettable. Rather than simply planning events, Onar curates immersive worlds shaped by story, setting and intent.
Born in Greece and now based in London, Leonidas brings a global perspective informed by travel, culture and a lifelong fascination with beauty hidden in plain sight. With an academic background in management, marketing and international trade, alongside deep experience in hospitality and family-run event businesses, his work is grounded in both strategy and intuition. Logistics, data and structure sit comfortably alongside creativity and custom-led design, reflecting a growing shift within the wedding industry towards experiences that are as intelligently executed as they are emotionally resonant.
At the heart of Onar is a belief in originality and conscious creation. Leonidas is unapologetically guided by his own visual instincts, favouring individuality over imitation and depth over decoration. His aesthetic is fluid rather than fixed, drawing inspiration from art, fashion, architecture and the nuances of different cultures. This approach aligns closely with the broader move in weddings towards highly personal, narrative-driven celebrations that feel curated rather than conventional.
Personality plays an undeniable role in the brand’s appeal. Leonidas is both analytical and free-spirited, organised yet open to spontaneity, bringing clarity and calm while leaving space for joy and surprise. His love of languages, travel and storytelling adds further richness to the experiences he creates, allowing him to connect deeply with couples and translate their stories with sensitivity and style.
Ultimately, Onar Events speaks to a new generation of design-conscious clients seeking more than spectacle. It is about meaning, emotion and intention, shaped with confidence and imagination. In Leonidas’ hands, dreams are not only envisioned, but designed with purpose, elegance and heart.
Onar means “dream” in ancient Greek. When you begin a project, how do you translate something so intangible into a physical, visual world?
For me, the idea of a “dream” is not something abstract or distant. It is usually rooted in memory, emotion, cultural references, or personal aspirations. My role is to listen carefully and identify the layers behind what clients are imagining — how they want to feel, how they want others to feel, and what atmosphere will best express that.
From there, I translate these insights into spatial concepts, material choices, rhythm, and sensory elements. Structure and creativity work together: research, logistics and planning create the framework that allows imagination to take physical form. The result is not simply a visual world, but an environment that feels coherent, intentional and emotionally resonant.
Your work balances strategy and emotion beautifully. How do data, logistics and intuition coexist in your creative process?
Strategy and emotion are interdependent in my work, but they are not automatically harmonious. If emotions are allowed to lead without clarity, they can easily become opposing forces that distort decision-making. My role is to listen carefully to emotional responses — from clients, collaborators, and the environment itself — and treat them as valuable information. I try to observe them objectively, understanding what they reveal rather than reacting to them impulsively.
Data and logistics provide the structure that allows this emotional information to be translated into meaningful direction. They help define context, feasibility, timing, and human behaviour within a space. Intuition then becomes a form of synthesis — an intentional instinct shaped by personal experience, professional exposure, and cultural awareness. It helps me sense how people will move, connect, and respond within an environment.
In this sense, strategy, emotion, and intuition exist in a kind of symbiosis. Each element influences the other, and balance must be continuously recalibrated throughout the creative process. The aim is to design experiences that feel emotionally resonant while remaining grounded in thoughtful planning and clear intention.
In an industry often driven by trends, how do you cultivate originality and maintain a distinct creative voice? How do cultural sensitivity and personal identity influence this process?
Trends are not something I try to escape or resist completely. They are reflections of how society, culture, and the event industry evolve over time, so it is important to observe them with awareness and objectivity. Ignoring them entirely can mean missing valuable insight into how people gather, celebrate, and express themselves.
At the same time, originality does not come from simply following what is popular. It comes from understanding the individuals or brands behind each event and shaping an experience that feels authentic to them. My role is to listen carefully to both the wider cultural landscape and the personal narratives of the people I work with, then interpret these influences in a way that feels considered and distinctive.
Cultural sensitivity and personal identity play an essential role in this process. Every place, tradition, and community carries its own emotional language, and acknowledging this allows design to move beyond aesthetics into meaningful expression. Rather than working against trends, I see originality as the ability to synthesise different influences — societal, cultural, and personal — into experiences that feel relevant, intentional, and uniquely grounded.
If your events were styled like a fashion collection, how would you describe the Onar aesthetic this season?
I find the fashion metaphor very natural, particularly when I think of designers like Alexander McQueen, whose shows were immersive experiences shaped by personal narrative and structural intention. This approach reflects how I see events — not as seasonal statements, but as evolving expressions shaped by context, emotion, and place.
I am drawn to environments and architecture, to layering materials, textures, and contemporary forms with elements of heritage. My focus today is not necessarily less on decoration, as they shape the outcome of an atmosphere, but it definitely puts emphasis on creating a more holistic atmosphere and experiential flow — how spatial rhythm, sensory detail, and emotional pacing allow an event to unfold gradually.
While trends can offer insights, the aesthetic direction of Onar is ultimately bespoke and tailored. It is influenced by diverse sources yet grounded in personal identity and thoughtful design, with the aim of creating environments that feel both timeless and deeply individual.
You draw inspiration from travel, culture and small human details. What’s a seemingly insignificant moment that has shaped your work more than expected?
A moment that continues to influence my work comes from growing up between two very different but complementary worlds. I watched my grandfather and mother create bespoke garments with patience and precision, while my father, as an architect, approached space with structure, proportion, and flow. At the time, these experiences felt separate, but later I realised they shaped how I understand design — as something both deeply personal and carefully constructed.
Travel and professional mentorship have expanded this perception, allowing me to observe how people move, gather, and express identity across cultures. Yet it is often the small human gestures — the intention behind craftsmanship, the quiet logic behind spatial design — that stay with me most. They remind me that every event, like a tailored garment or a thoughtfully designed building, should feel considered, balanced, and uniquely shaped by the people and the moment.
What’s the first non-negotiable element you look for when deciding whether a couple or brand is truly aligned with Onar?
I don’t believe alignment is defined by a single quality or a perfect checklist. It is usually a balance of elements — trust, curiosity, openness, and respect for the process — that come together in different proportions. What matters most to me is the willingness to engage honestly and the potential to build a meaningful collaboration over time.
Whether I am working with a couple or a brand, I try to sense if there is space for dialogue, growth, and shared intention. Alignment is not about having identical perspectives from the beginning, but about being able to navigate the journey together with clarity and mutual understanding. When that balance exists, the creative process becomes more fluid, and the resulting experience feels genuinely considered and personal.
You speak multiple languages and move fluidly between cultures. How does that influence the emotional tone of the experiences you design?
That is very generous, but I would not describe myself as multilingual, but I am always curious to learn new languages and ways of communicating. What has shaped me more than linguistic ability is curiosity — a continuous desire to understand people, environments, and the nuances that exist within every culture.
Having experienced different cultural contexts through living and travelling has made me increasingly aware that culture is never singular. Even within the same background, individuals interpret traditions, celebrations, and identity in very personal ways. This awareness encourages me to approach each project with openness rather than assumption, asking questions and listening carefully before translating ideas into design. This also requires a critical and mindful approach — recognising that design decisions exist within wider cultural and social contexts. My role is not only to translate, but also to critically assess and ensure it feels respectful, inclusive and considered, especially when working across different cultures, communities or identities.
In practice, this sensitivity influences the emotional tone of the experiences I create. It shapes spatial flow, the pacing of key moments, and the atmosphere guests encounter — ensuring that the environment feels authentic to the people or brand at its centre. I see every event as developing its own micro-culture, one that reflects individuality while still resonating collectively with those who take part.
What’s the boldest or most unexpected creative choice you’ve made for a wedding, and why did it feel necessary?
One of the boldest decisions I made was early in my career while managing a corporate exhibition in Copenhagen. The event had been planned without a full understanding of the venue’s spatial realities, resulting in disconnected panel rooms, complicated guest movement and unnecessary operational costs.
I chose to override the existing layout coming from my senior managers and redesign the flow on site on the spot — restructuring the programme so all sessions took place within a cohesive area, using modular partitions to create smaller, more functional environments. This allowed the experience to feel connected, intuitive and easier to navigate, while also reducing food waste and improving team oversight.
It felt necessary because boldness in event design is not always visual — sometimes it lies in protecting the integrity of the experience. When spatial rhythm, logistics and human interaction align, the atmosphere becomes stronger, and the event can truly perform.
If you could design an event with no brief, no rules and unlimited imagination, what would it look and feel like?
If I were given complete creative freedom, I would begin with a place.
I love my events to unfold in a rich natural environment — somewhere lush, layered and culturally alive. Imagine Greece, Paris, Croatia, all the way to Sri Lanka, Taiwan or Japan, the settings are limitless! I am drawn to landscapes where nature and human craftsmanship can coexist, because they allow experiences to feel both grounding and transformative.
Rather than a single-day celebration, I would design a multi-day gathering that unfolds slowly. Guests would arrive, settle into the surroundings and give them the opportunity to connect through shared moments — welcome dinners, creative workshops, culinary experiences, or gentle explorations of the destination. A combination of active adventures and slower rituals amplifies the sensory discovery. The aim would be to allow each person to engage with the event at their own rhythm.
Aesthetically, the design would embrace a sense of laid-back minimalism in the way space is composed, allowing the environment itself to breathe. Immersion would emerge through intentional maximalism in the experiential layers — moments of sensory amplification, playful modulation of light and shadow, layered textures, scent journeys and the thoughtful use of local materials. These elements would not overwhelm the setting but deepen the emotional atmosphere, creating a balance between restraint and richness. Cultural collaboration would be essential: working with artisans, chefs and makers from the region so that the experience feels rooted rather than imposed.
Spreading the event across several days would allow space for anticipation, reflection and emotional depth. Ultimately, it would feel like a lived experience rather than a performance — intimate, sensorial and meaningful. Guests would leave with a lasting connection to both the place and one another, carrying the experience with them long after the event has ended.
For more information, visit onarevents.com and @onar.events.
Onar Events
