It was time to send out a formal invitation which was created by a wonderful and prestigious company, Cutture stationery. They created the simply most beautiful bespoke invitation I have ever come across. Cutture is specialist laser-cutting service, producing hand-finished pieces that are works of art.

They created the invitation in a forest green shade with a vintage gold accent and added the volume series as a backdrop which featured Somerley, there were figures dressed in 1930s attire mingling amongst the entertainment too. There was a hidden pocket at the back of the invitation for added details of the venue, dress code, accommodation and transportation on a deco illustration on the paper. Additionally, there was unique calligraphy by Babooche Calligraphy, an artist and creative company that offers various calligraphic art.

The ink was written in antique gold which stood out dramatically on the forest green envelopes. It was truly regal. Somerley kindly offered to loan us their family heirloom, a signet symbol of the Somerley Crest. The traditional wax-sealed stamp imprint was used to seal the envelope which made it rather somewhat, princely.

Arrives in style

It was such a glorious day, the sun was beaming down on the ground, illuminating the picturesque scenery. It resembled a painting of a Capability Brown landscape. Cruising along in a classic Morgan Motor down a long sweeping driveway with the view of Somerley from afar, representating a true British aristocratic lifestyle. It was time to check-in at Somerley for a long weekend of partying.

An intimate number of guests arrived at Somerley early to check-in prior to their stay and they were given a full makeover by a group of talented hair and make-up artists from Gustav Fouche.

Country Retreat Look

To create a country retreat look, I am wearing luxury British brands to represent a country lifestyle. A wool flat cap from Lock & Co. Hatters (formally James Lock and Company Limited) is the world's oldest hat shop, the world's 34th oldest family-owned business and is a Royal warrant holder.

I wore New & Lingwood’s wonderful collection including, the jacket, cashmere roll neck and suede loafers. Prince of Wales fine woollen trousers (find a similar one from Gieves & Hawkes) and not forgetting the sophisticated vintage-style luxury luggage suitcase and accessory brand, Globe and Trotter, established in 1897. Handcrafted in England for all world travellers, a popular style from back in the day that’s been reinvented into the 21st Century.

Let's get ready...

Gustav Fouche is a well-known hairstylist. Together with his team, they worked their wonders on the guests and entertainers transforming them into alluring 1930s ladies and gentleman. The guest were then introduced to their bedroom with a personalised named key ring with emerald tassel. Each of the bedrooms had such different character, plush furnishing, chintzy fabrics, antique ornaments and they all came with an astounding view of the grounds.

There was extra special attention to detail as each room contained a bucket of Laurent-Perrier champagne along with a personal note, a box of Charbonnel et Walker chocolate, a small flower arrangement and a personalised initial embossed pillowcase from Tielle Love Luxury on the bedding for each guest. This brought a welcoming homely ambience to start the weekend celebrations in style.

Dress to impress

With an hour away of the Soirée, I dressed up in a regal velvet smoking double-breasted jacket in a hue of forest green which was a real statement piece and a head-turner. It was very comfortable to wear along with the shirt and a bowtie from Turnball & Asser whilst paired with Gieves and Hawkes dinner trouser and with a pair of Jimmy Choo tasselled loafers and spritz myself with a dash of Floris Vert Fougère to complete the look. I felt very spiffing indeed.

The venue in itself had numerous principal rooms which Rula and I created a journey to and from and there was a story to be told within each room. The guests started their journey on the long driveway where they got to see Somerley all lit up, with several flambeaux stands and flames lighting up the drive beaming up to the sky. Once the guests arrived at the grand portico it was flooded with hurricane candlelight lamps and a dazzling vintage Morgan Motor was parked up on the estate looking perfectly poised. A glamorous high-end cabaret and couture duo act greeted the guests to start on their fully immersive experience. These spectacular ladies, J’adore La Vie wowed all of the guests in their show-stopping couture outfits, dripping in an abundance of pearls, feathers, sequins, wearing long satin opera gloves, statement headpieces adorned with ivory feathers and dramatic feather fans. They portrayed such drama at their dressing table with vintage props and were such darlings to all guests upon their arrivals.

Both the inner and outer hallways were filled with plentiful gold palms, a grand feather centrepiece which echoed the aura of the 1930s. Scented candles and 1930s pieces added to the atmosphere. These complemented the matching gilded cornices, the antiques and the furnishings on display.

The front of House staff together with security had to kindly inform guests that all use of their mobile phones and cameras were prohibited until 9pm. I wanted to keep the atmosphere as authentic as possible as technology did not exist in the 1930s. I also wanted to keep it technology free for media purposes. Being mobile phone free allowed the guests to have a truly immersive experience and a wonderful time socialising and watching all the performances in the exquisite setting of a stately home.  This all made the guests feel like they were attending something quite exclusive - and they were!

The models from Snapshot Staffing provided an entertainment experience as they all looked perfectly splendid in their 1930’s attire transporting everyone back in time feeling like they were in a period movie. They greeted guests, took care of their outerwear and lead the guests in their dazzling outfits, long dresses, opera length gloves, black tie tuxedoes, faux fur, dickie bows and exquisite jewels to the sophisticated The Rollinson Bar, which is known as the East Drawing Room.

The bar was filled with plush furnishing, a deco lamp table and a glossy gold bar where several of vintage 1930s cocktails were served up by talented mixologists, it was Not Just A Cocktail. Josh the owner invented classic cocktails which were popular back in the thirties, such as French 75, Mary Pickford, Side Car, Bee’s knees, Elderflower Gimlet, Shirley Temple, Whiskey Sour and a custom-made cocktail that was representative of The Rollinson, containing ingredients made up of Grey Goose Vodka, Martini Vermouth, Blue Curaçao, Fresh Orange Juice, Sugar, Fever-Tree Soda - totally irresistible.

Let's drink darlings...

All of the cocktails were served with premium spirits and wine - Grey Goose, Sipsmith, St Germain, Mirabeau en Provence - Pure rosé and Foile sparkling rosé, Bacardi, Cointreau, Rémy Martin Cognac, Westland Distillery Whiskey, Martini Vermouth, Fever-Tree and Laurent-Perrier champagne. The cocktail menu was written in beautiful vintage calligraphy by Babooche Calligraphy which was striking with a gold leaf foil that reflected the illusion. There were boxes of Charbonnel et Walker's delicious almonds which are coated in milk chocolate with an Anglesey sea salt and cocoa powder dusting scattered on tables in the bar to tempt guests whilst waiting for their cocktail. The cocktails were served with a bespoke black napkin embossed in gold print, ‘The Rollinson Bar’ and with a sleek black drink coaster with ‘R’ initial on it to give it a more personal touch. It was designed by a company called Celebrations Packaging which offer bespoke packaging services and the quality of the napkins felt like fabric.

Most of the furniture and props were exclusively hired from Options Great Hire where you get to hire small or large items, such as chairs, tables, lamps, glasses, tableware and they pretty much have everything at your request. I was pleased to see many of the old school pieces which perfectly fit the era as most venues do not include furnishings due to them being fragile and priceless so it is a great option to hire and safeguard these irreplaceable furnishings.

The Champagne Tower

The grand reception room as known as the Soirée had a golden dance floor to draw in guests with copious champagne coupes on the round centrepiece that formed a champagne tower. Such champagne coupes were filled up with Laurent-Perrier Champagne pouring down like a gentle waterfall. There were two handsome waiters standing aside offering guests a glass of champagne to start their evening aperitif. The sounds of the jazz echoed in the background, played by a lively band - Flash Mob Jazz which brought jazzy sounds to please the guests creating such a joyful atmosphere. Some of the guests started to dance, tapping their feet, hips moving, hands waving which set the scene as guests being to socialise.

Theatre de le Banquet 

The clock struck at twenty past eight and the guests all received an announcement as the waiters opened the vast polished doors to reveal the grandest room of all at Somerley, The Picture Gallery. The room was transformed into Theatre de le Banquet where a glorious feast sat atop an extravagant and long dining table. It was a feast for all of our eyes and everyone was overwhelmed in terms of where to start.

The 2nd Earl’s principal interest was to display a vast collection of art with a magnificent Picture Gallery adorned with multiple priceless oil paintings.  Although the 2nd Earl began collecting his paintings from 1816 onwards and acquired the majority of the works by Reynolds most notably from the Marchioness of Thomond’s sale in 1821, it was a few years before he made the decision to add the Picture Gallery to Somerley House. The guests and myself found ourselves in arguably one of the most beautiful settings in England and in an authentic moment that no one could stop talking about it.

A Grand Affair

The evening emblazoned opulence with overflowing flowers which adorned a gold painting offset with asparagus fern with an accent of burgundy and nude roses and a pale pink spray of roses. The same designs dressed the long table and caught the reflection of the crystal candelabras with burgundy taper candles fit for a positively regal affair. There was a luxury scent of Jasmine and Musk candles in the air provided by the luxurious and oldest British perfumer, Floris. The creative florist designer, Russell, Claire and the team from Blomster Design Flowers effortlessly spent all morning creating and rearranging numerous flowers arrangements for each room which certainly brightened up everyone's mood as flowers are one of the best therapies. Russell paid attention to detail ensuring that delicate flowers were in keeping with the 1930s era.

The table was covered with a large forest green taffeta to create a dramatic and flowing look, whilst allowing the guests to walk around the table freely. There were many mouth-watering dishes which were inspired from a 1930’s menu, which included Hampshire game en croute, confit chicken & leek, Hampshire cheeses, whisky smoked chalk stream trout, pea & broad bean scotched eggs and many more to mention. The catering company, Ginger Catering Company knew how to please the guests and it was absobloodylootely spiffing!

The Showstopper 

You couldn't see a space on the table as everywhere was full of props, food name holders, delicious food, elegant tableware, crystal candelabras, grand flowers, bespoke napkins. And of course, not to forget, this was another showstopper that caught everyone's attention. There was a four-foot celebratory statement cake which was positioned in the middle of the table for all to adore. This cake was filled with emerald hues that represented the popular colour during the thirties, filled with gold accents, flowers, fancy edible jewels which came in several flavours in each of the tiers. This ranged from pink champagne and strawberries, luscious lemon and vanilla ripple. Elizabeth Cake Emporium is recognised as one of the best luxury wedding cake purveyors in the world. Fortunately, the guest got to enjoy the samples and they ohh’ed and ahh’ed during each of their bites. Elizabeth also made some elegant editable biscuits which were far too pretty to eat.

The Waltz 

The sound of the piano echoed throughout the vast gallery, the sensational music played by a dapper pianist, Okiem. He serenaded us with the classical waltz whilst the charming dancers waltzed and glided around the centre table in between the guests, it was the most theatrical of shows. Oh, how I loved watching the waltz, they were swirling around like no one could see them. The elegance of the lady's dresses swooshing, flowing and creating the most beautiful of silhouettes whilst the guests stood in awe and immensely enjoyed the performance.

It was like being transported into a magical 1930s dream.

The Speech 

As the music faded away, I delivered my speech in the grand soirée room with two fabulous J’adore La Vie ladies standing beside me and I signed away my speech from my journal. The crowds were filled with laughter, love and tears. I mentioned my upmost gratitude to Rula and countless suppliers, brands and guests for their support and thanked everyone for their attendance which ended in a roar of cheers and claps.

The Rollinson Dance 

As soon I stepped foot onto the dance floor, boom, the music started and famously played, “Puttin’ on the Ritz”. Such dashing dancers from Sergio and this team at Carte Blanche Production lead me back to some of the thirties moves, such as the Charleston. I only practised my dance moves a few hours back before the actual surprise performance. I adored the reaction on guest's faces as they watched us dancing, swirling around, back and forth and with a final lift I was sat up high on the dancers’ shoulders whilst everyone was cheering away. The dancers continued to dance the night away and showed off their impressive thirties dance performances to impress all of the guests and the dancers invited the guests to join them afterwards.

As soon as the dances came to an end, the duo pair, J'adore La Vie made a reappearance in different costumes. They were wearing long fur coats and underneath they revealed outfits covered in millions of sparkles. Their attire was full of exquisite gemstones and dazzling sequins with a long cigarette holder in each of their hands. J'adore La Vie teased the audience with their sensual moves and left guests eager to dance with them.

A talented team behind Burlison created the most beautiful video production with sensational footage of the 1930’s soiree. They ensured that they kept themselves well-hidden and dressed like one of the guests without the guests realising who they were. And so, they were fortunate to follow the immersive experience throughout too. 

Pose Parlour 

There were many more rooms to explore and the guests had the opportunity to wander around and enjoy the staged Pose Parlour in the West Library with a charming photographer, David Wheeler Photography. He encouraged the guests to pose like 1930’s golden Hollywood stars in their heyday with a traditional backdrop and with glorious props such as original 1930 magazines and gramophone. Think Marlene Dietrich, Jean Harlow, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire and Bette Davis and the guests got to experience what it was like to be in that era. Don’t slouch, neck up, chin on hand, head backwards… action and shot! Some of the guests retreated and found themselves sat down and unwinding with a cocktail in hand, enjoying the surroundings whilst Matthew G Lawrence, the Artist, quickly and naturally drew some portraits of the guests with fine chalks, vintage paper all wrapped up with a velvet ribbon for the guest to take home as memento of their night.

Theatre De Sucre

Meanwhile, the guests curiously wondered why there weren’t any puddings at the Theatre de le Banquet. Suddenly, another room was revealed and the guests found themselves in Theatre De Sucre, revealing the land of sugar. The table had an opulent fruit tower, adorned with flowers and numerous large urns with grand flowers arrangements sitting proudly which was organised by a skilled florist, Blomster Design Flowers. There were heavenly scented Rose De Mai candles wafting throughout the room by luxury parfum house, Roja to make for a perfect companion. 

There’s always a room for pudding, and we can’t go wrong with Sugar Box desserts. The array of picture-perfect puddings which were carefully crafted to represented a 1930’s scent, flavour and vision. The guests were curious why there was a perfume looking atomiser with a tassel attached sitting on the table. The staff gently guided the guests and demonstrated how to use the perfume bottle and they all ended up having a quick spritz of mouth flavour to freshen up their palette. There were two flavours, elderflower and rose and pear and cardamom mist. Countless of puddings galore and carefully arranged to create a flowing sensational experience and a journey that take you back to your childhood memories. From emerald jelly dressed with gold dust, rose rice pudding, apple and cinnamon crumble, rhubarb and custard, chocolate coconut crunch and the guest were certainly spoilt for choices.  Sugar Box is renowned for its wildest sugar creations and sugar fantasies come to life in the form of couture desserts and puddings and left the guest feeling truly satisfying.

It is time to dance the night away

Back to the Soirée room where the guests started to get into their real dance moves, listening to a trio of gorgeous ladies from Belle Noir singing away. The whole stage was produced by a wonderful gentleman, JJ from Eight Ray Music & production who had organised the whole spectacular stage with perfection. Belle Noir was looking all snazzy in their sparkling dresses, which were styled by The Honourable Isobel Kershaw from The Stylist London. The stylist curated several outfits for the singers, waitresses and dancers ensuring that they all looked in keeping with the theme, era and at their best. The party continued on like there was no tomorrow.

The End

As soon the party was about to end, the music died away into the distance, empty bottles, blowing out of the candles and the light soon dimmed away. The guests and suppliers all had a favour placed out for them to take home, a small box of Rose and Violet chocolate from Charbonnel et Walker for them to enjoy. We bid our farewells, wishing the guest a safe journey back home and the chauffeur whisked some of the guest and suppliers back safe journey back to London. The following morning, I awoke with a smile on my face, oh was it all a dream? It was all a dream. A year of planning and hard work was worth waiting for!

I hope you enjoyed reading this immersive article as much I have enjoyed writing it. It was a wonderful once in a lifetime experience and I want to thank all of the wonderful suppliers and brands who participated in this wonderful event. It was the bee’s knees!

There's an opportunity for you to create your own special event and or the wedding of your dream. I have created a long list of suppliers and brands for you to reach out directly to and I hope this special event inspired you.