A celebration of cultures at vibrant ceremony in Westminster

5 Min Read

Emotions were high at this beautiful wedding at Carlton House Terrace in Westminster. Combining both their Russian and African heritage, Sasha & Nkem planned a celebration that was truly unique down to every single last detail. From the exquisite Russian dolls adorning the tables to their dazzling Nigerian outfits for the reception, the whole day was full of special touches, fun vibes and so many smiles.

Read on to discover their top tips on where to spend and save when it comes to your big day and find out how they are still enjoying their wedding gifts a year later.

How did you two meet?

We met at a work event.

What's your favourite thing to do together?

We love watching football together, though we support different teams. I am a Chelsea fan, while Nkem loves Arsenal. Travelling is something we both really enjoy and one of the most memorable trips for us was a month spent in China, learning Mandarin in Beijing and embracing the new culture - we had the time of our lives! One of our favourite memories from the trip was climbing the Great Wall of China, eating hot pot with baby octopus and learning calligraphy!

a smiling groom in a black suit and a red tie

What was the best thing about the wedding?

Everything! It was perfect - really the best day of our lives! I guess some of the highlights were our wedding ceremony in a beautiful Music Room of the Carlton House Terrace (very emotional) and our African entrance - we surprised our family and guests by changing into Nigerian outfits and turning up to a fun afrobeats song - the emotions were priceless!

What tip would you give other couples planning their wedding?

I would say that research is key! First, it is about creating a vision in your head and then finding the venue, the dress, the shoes, the flowers that will turn it into a reality.

Focus on doing it the way YOU want - too often couples get pushed into doing things the way their family / friends / media advises, but I believe the wedding day is your special day and your wishes and opinions should take priority, so you can enjoy it to the fullest and don’t have regrets afterwards.

It is definitely worth spending money on a good photographer and videographer, because the day goes so quickly and once it's over, it's all the photos and videos that will take you back to your special day for the years to come. On the other hand, cake may be something you can save on, because you only get a handful of photos with it and then it's cut and eaten very quickly.

bride and her bridesmaids on a staircase

a groom and his groomsmen toasting on a staircase

Tell us all about your honeymoon!

We chose to go on honeymoon a month after our wedding and thinking back, it was a great decision (based on advice we got from our married friends). The first few weeks after the wedding were all about receiving congratulations, going for celebratory dinners and processing all the memories of the big day plus sorting out photos and video. So once all the buzz wore off a bit, it was good to go on a honeymoon and create new memories.

We chose the Philippines as our honeymoon destination and we really loved it. On top of the beautiful white beaches, warm ocean, delicious food and swimming with the dolphins and tortoises, what really impressed us was the Filipino people. We have never met such kind, generous, smiling and happy guys, who were fantastic in customer service and ensured we had the time of our lives.

What has surprised you most about being married?

Personally, being married gave me a big boost of confidence which is something I didn’t expect. The added confidence came from the knowledge that I have someone who will always have my back, no matter what.

What's one thing you did before you got married and are glad you still do now?.

We enjoy going for walks and it is something that we still do. Though now it's the 3 of us - we had a baby girl 10 months ago!

flower bouquets and a russian doll on a table

What's your favourite gift list feature on Prezola?

I loved that we could set up different funds to which people could contribute - like Honeymoon fund, Kitchen renovation fund etc.

What were your favourite brands on Prezola?

My favourites are The White Company (I love their towels), LSA (beautiful vases) and Nespresso (morning coffee is a must for me).

What gift were you most excited to get?

One of my favourite gifts was Mr and Mrs Smith gift vouchers from a few of my friends, which we used for a romantic getaway in Paris for our one year wedding anniversary, staying at the luxurious Hotel Les Dames Du Pantheon. It was amazing to enjoy our wedding gifts even after a year!

Tell us all about your Prezola delivery day!
The day after we were back from our honeymoon all the gifts arrived beautifully wrapped - it felt like our birthday or something! It is definitely more pleasing to get the gifts that you really wanted - so we were very happy with our delivery!