What will define the weddings of 2027? Not simply what they will look like, but how they will feel, taste and even smell?
On Monday morning, The Wedding Edition gathered some of the most influential names across its venue and hotel partners, shaping modern celebrations for an intimate breakfast and industry trends talk at Pavilion Club in Knightsbridge. Bringing our 2027 Little White Paper (in association with our Little White Book) to life through the people creating the weddings, fashion and experiences setting the agenda.
Overlooking Hyde Park at 64 Knightsbridge, Pavilion provided a suitably stylish setting. The private members’ club occupies a handsome former bank, transformed into four floors of beautifully considered interiors with an atrium bar, restaurant, members’ lounges and a rooftop terrace looking directly across Hyde Park. A meeting point for London’s creative and professional worlds, it regularly hosts conversations, dinners and cultural events, making it a natural home for a morning dedicated to what comes next.
Guests arrived from 9.30am for detox juices, coffee and breakfast of granola and yoghurt, fresh fruit and miniature pastries before taking their seats for the main event.
And it was quite the panel.
Hosting the conversation was Sabrina Percy, joined by one of British fashion’s leading designers, Emilia Wickstead. A London Fashion Week fixture whose beautifully precise silhouettes have become instantly recognisable, Wickstead has dressed some of the world’s most high-profile women and today encompasses ready-to-wear, bespoke and bridal, designed from her West London atelier.
Representing the world of fragrance was Emma South of Jo Malone London, bringing her expertise on scent, memory and the increasingly important role fragrance plays in creating an atmosphere around a wedding.
Then came the people responsible for making extraordinary celebrations happen. Matthew Shaw, founder of Sauveur Studios, is one of the go-to names for exceptional private parties and weddings, producing celebrations for some of the world’s most discerning clients. With a background that began in theatre design, his approach puts guest experience at the centre, creating immersive events where every touchpoint has been considered.
Holly Congdon of Lettice Events brought the food and hospitality perspective, drawing on the company’s work creating highly personal menus and memorable event moments, while Louisa Preskett-Mobbs of Maison Margaux represented the transformative power of the table, from linens and tableware to the carefully sourced artisan pieces that can completely alter the mood of a room. Together, it was a panel that represented virtually every layer of a modern wedding: what we wear, eat, smell, see and, ultimately, remember.
The conversation began with one of the clearest shifts identified in The Wedding Edition’s research: the rejection of the cookie-cutter wedding.
Personalisation is moving far beyond initials on napkins or bespoke stationery. Matthew spoke about encouraging couples to ask one simple question throughout the planning process: does this represent us? The most interesting celebrations are increasingly designed from the guest experience upwards, with each decision contributing to a wider journey rather than simply following a familiar wedding formula.
For Emilia, individuality is increasingly expressed through what brides wear. More than 63% of respondents to The Wedding Edition’s white paper said they planned to wear more than one outfit, opening the conversation around the new wedding wardrobe: multiple looks, clever accessories and pieces that transform throughout the day. Alongside versatility came a return to exceptional quality and thoughtful design, with Emilia discussing the idea of creating modern heirlooms that balance romance with technical excellence.
But perhaps the most compelling theme of the morning was the move towards the multisensory wedding.
Emma explored scent as one of our most powerful links to memory and how fragrance can now be threaded through an entire celebration: from scent fittings and fragranced invitations to bath oil on the wedding morning, fragrance misted over a veil, candles filling the venue and engraved bottles gifted to guests.
Holly turned to taste, exploring how wedding dining is moving away from formality and towards storytelling. Menus can reflect a couple’s history, the season and the provenance of ingredients, while details such as plantable menus that grow into wildflowers allow a little piece of the wedding to live on long afterwards. Conscious catering and the industry’s increasingly sophisticated approach to food waste also formed an important part of the discussion.
Louisa looked at how tablescaping and design can completely change the atmosphere of a space, while Matthew returned to the bigger picture: where couples are choosing to celebrate in the first place. Unconventional venues were the highest-ranking trend in the report, selected by 37.9% of respondents, reflecting a shift towards spaces chosen for the feeling and experience they can create rather than simply their traditional wedding credentials.
The morning closed by looking towards AI, technology and the increasingly informed client. Yet, for all the talk of what is coming next, the overriding message felt refreshingly human.
The weddings defining 2027 won’t be those that follow every trend. They will be the celebrations that know which ones to take, which to leave behind and how to turn them into something unmistakably personal.
Because the new measure of an exceptional wedding is surely this: does it look, feel, taste and smell entirely like you?
With special thanks to:
Host – @theweddingedition_
Location – @pavilion.club
Host – @sabrinacpercy
Panelists – @emiliawickstead @emiliawicksteadbridal, @holly_congdon @letticeevents, @louisapreskett @maisonmargauxltd, @emma_jomalonelondon @jomalonelondon, @mattybshaw @sauveurstudios
Photographer – @jamesmasonphotography
Invitation – @thestyledwritingco
