Imagine a single destination store in central London for everything from designer gowns and sumptuous venues to choice photographers, food and flowers. Well dreams do come true because The Wedding Gallery – a brand new retail concept in Marylebone – is set to launch in October 2017
The Wedding Gallery is one of those ideas that everyone who’s ever planned a wedding dreams of – a one-stop destination store bringing together leading wedding suppliers in one convenient and luxurious space.
Located in the heart of Marylebone in an amazing (and huge) vaulted area underneath the sumptuous wedding and party venue One Marylebone, this will become a unique wedding retail concept designed to attract couples from around the world.
The team that will realise the vision for The Wedding Gallery is impressive. First up we have George Hammer – London College of Fashion alumnus and the man behind Hammer Holdings and One Events. While his expertise in the wedding and events industry is well known (there are five glamorous One Events venues in the heart of London within the Hammer Holdings portfolio), George Hammer is also a major force in the world of beauty and wellness. He brought The Sanctuary, Aveda and L’Occitane to the UK and founded beauty and hair salon Urban Retreat, as well as working with Roja Dove to create his eponymous Harrods haute parfumerie.
New York design expertise
If that sounds exciting, then just wait until you hear about the retail space. Permanent and open seven days a week, The Wedding Gallery will encompass 20,000 square feet of space and is being designed by Christian Lahoude (formerly lead store designer with Gucci and design director at Tiffany & Co).
The concept behind The Wedding Gallery is to transform what can often be a stressful experience – multiple suppliers, grabbed taxis for appointments, decisions that have to be made there and then – into something calm, considered and pleasurable. Bringing great suppliers into one location will reduce the stress and, say the team, deliver an indulgent and exciting enviroment. Here, the focus is going to be on inspiration and choice, so that means lots of opportunities to compare suppliers and plan things your way.
Wedding shopping plus
Such is the size of the area that there will be ample scope to develop the site beyond shopping. An exclusive wedding industry club is planned, designed to enable suppliers to come together or, for instance, meet clients in the space – particularly useful if you are travelling into London from out of town or abroad and time is limited. There will be a café and bar, an area known as The Library where wedding venues can showcase their properties, and a variety of meeting rooms. Regular trunk shows are planned and – with the venue space at One Marylebone above the permanent shopping galleries – larger special wedding exhibitions and events are a distinct possibility.
Stellar suppliers have already confirmed at The Wedding Gallery, including Elie Saab, Needle & Thread and Suzie Turner for gowns, Rosalind Miller Cakes, florist Rob Van Helden, wedding planners Lillingston, Louise Perry Weddings and Cranberry Blue and gift list company The Wedding Shop.
While these are star names, a founding principle of The Wedding Gallery is to also give space to up-and-coming and local talent – giving brides access to hand-selected and niche specialists they might not come across through traditional shopping routes.
How The Wedding Gallery will work
Entry to The Wedding Gallery will be free of charge and by appointment, but couples will have the option to enhance the experience by booking an appintment with a wedding consultant to guide them through the Gallery and supply follow-on support and a curated ‘edit’ of suppliers who match their taste. Couples will also be able to book a session with a wedding stylist who can introduce them to bridal and groomswear designers that suit their personal style and the occasion. Other consultations will be focused around areas such as bespoke jewellery, wedding gift lists and honeymoon planning.
George Hammer says of this latest London wedding venture: “We’ve spent many years putting on high-end events at our venues and recognised a gap in the market to harmonise the UK wedding industry within a beautiful, permanent space. In all of my businesses we have had a strong focus on the customer experience and we will stay true to this mantra in The Wedding Gallery.”
Absolutely Weddings say – we can’t wait! This is just what every bride and groom has been waiting for.
