Gilda's Tryst: Dancing The Night Away, Shireen's Wedding Images

Very belatedly, but better late than never, I have now added to our blog, as promised to a few people, pictures of my wedding party at the Bluebird in Chelsea last year!

Lots of the Gilda's Tryst team and plenty of friends and family were sparkling away in Gilda's Tryst designs on the night (see Amanda looking amazing in our Queen of Mercia Lapis Lazuli Necklace in these pictures!)

We danced the night away at the Bluebird on the King’s Road in London. I love the feel-good glamour of the 1930s, and picked the Bluebird as it’s an amazing big art-deco space - originally built as a garage for Bluebird Cars in the 1920s. We started the party with cocktails as well as Champagne and Canapes, and then after a delicious dinner the Shirt-tail stompers, a phenomenal Swing Band that Rafa (my husband) and I love, played - and got every wedding guest young and old on the dance floor for their entire set until the DJ took over. It was an amazing party.

It was also a very cross cultural celebration. I’m from the Middle East (Palestinian) although I grew up mostly in London. Rafa is from Puerto Rico. Ours was a long distance relationship (we spent two years meeting in London, Puerto Rico or New York every few weeks) and our wedding party at the Bluebird was a big celebration not just of us getting married, but of us finally living in the same city! We had done the legal ceremony in Puerto Rico, with just a few family friends. We paid tribute to our very big cultural mix in the music – we had the Arabic Bridal Dance ‘Zafeh’ as we cut the cake, and lots of classic Arabic music and Salsa late into the night.

All my jewellery and my clutch were Gilda’s Tryst and my dress was Amanda Wakeley (I had wanted something that felt very much like a glamorous 1930s evening gown more than traditional bridal dress – it had a halter-neck, very low back. My shoes were Gina. We used Jamie Aston for the flowers – I love how in speakeasies and hotels of the 1930s and 1940s they used to use palm trees indoors, so our flower decorations were a combination of Kentya palm tree and white phalenopsis orchids.

Shireen,
Gilda's Tryst co-founder & designer