It’s not everyday you get to be part of a destination wedding, let alone the opportunity to photograph one. So I was very proud when they asked me to capture their special day. I’ve known Andrew & Beth for many years and I’m pleased to call them good friends. Knowing their love for all things style/fashion/music/travel etc, this was always going to be an epic wedding with elegance and sophistication!

The wedding was held at the Pavillon de Paris, an idyllic setting just a stones throw from the river Danube. Their wedding featured:

• Welcome cocktails on the night before in Budapest’s 360 bar.
• A lovely outdoor ceremony before their close family & friends (and a random dog that barked in celebration!)
• The chance for guests to see more of the city on a Danube boat cruise.
• A random sax player who serenaded the newly-weds on the streets of Budapest.
• Traditional wedding breakfast of; Gazpacho soup & Mangalica pork.
• A mix of emotional speeches with lots of love and laughter.
• Salsa first dance (who knew Andy had these moves in his locker!?)
• From Salsa to an evening of twerking to trap, drum and bass and techno!
• The after party in the Ruin Bars. (where we got well and truly ruined!)

Here’s Andrew & Beth’s Budapest Wedding Photography highlights and some info & advice from the newly-weds.

How long have you been together/Any stories about how you met?

We met in 2011 at a pub quiz at the Nelson and Railway in Kimberley. Bethany was brought along by her sister Hannah, who had recently started dating Andrew’s best friend Chris.

We had a long-distance friendship for a year as Andrew left the UK to work as a teacher in Malaysia. Bethany retrained as a teacher and joined him in 2013. Since then, they have moved to work in Shanghai.

Any stories or tales from the proposal:

Andrew proposed at the Grand Hyatt in Shanghai, known as the ‘Bottle Opener’. He made a photo album of their relationship, with the ring hidden on the last page.

The plan had a few hiccups along the way! Andrew managed to show Beth a photo of the ring by mistake when they were looking at his phone together! The concierge also arrived at the door of our room with a dozen roses *before* the meal, which spoiled the surprise somewhat!

Reasons for choosing your venue:

We wanted a private, secluded and unique setting for our day. We decided to do a destination wedding since we have worked internationally for many years and didn’t feel tied to our home town of Nottingham.

Budapest ticked all the boxes as well-connected city, not too far from the UK, with reliable summer weather and lots to see and do for our guests. We chose a restaurant with a shaded garden area, close to the Danube River. We utilised this for a river cruise to break up the afternoon and treat our guests to something special.

Colour scheme/theme/style:

Our style is minimal and classic. The setting included lots of leaves, old stonework, dark wood decking, iron furniture and clean simple white table settings. We kept to that theme with our invitation stationery, table settings, and the flowers were muted pastels with lots of green leaves.

Any special thoughts/memories from the day:

The whole day was a dream! A little escape from reality in which we indulged those who play a big part in our lives.

The setting in Pavillon de Paris was simply magical, and really helped us feel cocooned from the real world for our special day. Starting the ceremony at 1.30pm was a great idea, and meant that the day never lulled or dragged. It was a wonderful blur of happiness and love.

Any advice for couples planning a wedding:

If you’re interested in a destination wedding, hiring a planner is well worth the investment. Be sure to manage the flow of information to confirm bookings and keep track of loose ends to ensure things are arranged in an organised way.

We both have large families so had some dilemmas over the guest list. Our best advice is to stick to people who are a big part of your life and around whom you can truly be yourself.

For us, tradition goes out of the window, so focus on things (in terms of time and budget) which will make you both happy. Cut the things which don’t get you closer to the goal of an amazing unforgettable day which you’ll treasure forever.

Supplier details

Venue: Pavillon de Paris, Budapest – http://www.pavillondeparis.hu

Wedding Planner: Ildiko Molnar – http://myweddingplanner.hu/about/

Dress: Alfred Angelo (dress designer) / The Wedding Centre, Atherstone (shop)

Suit: Jack’s Tailoring @ Shanghai South Bund Textile Market

Cake: Arranged by Ildiko (planner)

Decor & flowers: Odudesign – Odudesign@gmail.com

Boat hire: Rubin Group – www.rubingroup.hu

Thanks for viewing Andrew & Beth’s Budapest Wedding Photography highlights. Please do spread the love with a like/share/comment for the newly-weds. If you’re looking for a Destination Wedding Photographer drop me a line with your wedding date or arrange a time to pop into the studio for a chat!

Finally, (you’ve got this far!) Please leave a short message below for Mr & Mrs Lowery 🙂