A Very Special Wedding at The In & Out

During the winter, The In & Out hosted a very special wedding – that of our very own National Sales Manager, Claire and her fiancé Robert.

The couple knew from the start that they wanted a London wedding. They both love the city, and they wanted a venue that was central and easily accessible for their guests. Elegance was key, with the flexibility to host a drinks reception, a sit-down wedding breakfast and an after-dinner party.

They looked at a number of London Townhouses, but they could not find anything to beat The In & Out for location, size, style and suitability for their celebration. Being so familiar with the venue, Claire could also relax, knowing that they were in safe hands and would be well looked after.

Since Robert’s family is Italian and Claire is British, they brought aspects of both cultures into the food and drink and theming. They also incorporated elegant festive touches, such as mistletoe over the doorways, and the cosy romance of abundant candlelight.

Claire and Robert met while travelling Australia. In commemoration, they named the tables after places they had visited during their adventures, as well as holidays since, and used a vintage suitcase filled with blank postcards in place of a guestbook, with a British postbox for guests to post their messages into.

During the drinks reception, guests enjoyed mojitos and Italian prosecco, with a splash of crème de mure – Claire and Robert’s favourite party drink. To keep guests moving and mingling, the couple decided to offer a selection canapés and bowl food instead of a starter. Their canapé selection included a beautiful lobster ravioli and the thoroughly British choice of fish & chip cones, with a lovely touch – one of her friends upcycled Claire’s wedding magazines to make the cones.

The wedding breakfast offered a mix of Italian and British cuisine, incorporating a range of flavours that the couple love. It began with a beef tasting plate, composed of beef fillet, ox cheek pithivier, and beef shin dauphinoise, served with a red wine jus. The vegetable accompaniment comprised roasted heritage carrots, swede, parsnips, and beetroot. As a pre dessert, guests were treated to limoncello granita, and dessert was a beautiful chocolate dessert with hot pouring chocolate. In creating their bespoke menu, Claire and Robert worked with the chefs to create this special dish, based on their favourite elements from a range of desserts. It worked so well that it is now going to be Ampersand’s signature dessert!

The beautiful granita was made using limoncello from Robert’s home get xanax online village in Italy – adding a lovely personal touch to the dessert as well as (delicious) authenticity.

Claire and Robert included the Italian tradition of bombonnieres, giving five almonds to each guest as a favour. They won a competition on Facebook with an Italian event designer A F Sampieri, with a prize of a table of sugared almonds for the wedding. It was one of the many little touches that the guests loved, particularly the unusual range of flavours such as Nutella, coconut, pistachio, and crème brûlée.

One of the day’s highlights came at the end of dinner when the guests burst into an impromptu version of The Twelve Days of Christmas, which quickly became very animated and very competitive!

Dancing followed dinner, with DJ-ing, dance-floor and a light-up “LOVE” sign provided by Mighty Fine Entertainment. The playlist was excellent and guests loved the focal point provided by the sign and the great photo opportunity it presented.

There was barely a dry eye in the house when Robert and Claire, resplendent in her magnificent Sassi Holford gown, took to the floor for their first dance – a magical moment in a magical evening.

Everything came together, from the beautiful flower arrangements created by Pinstripes & Peonies and the romance of Douglas Fry’s stunning wedding video to the joyful entertainment from magician Sylar, to create a truly memorable wedding for the happy couple. The results speak for themselves – every picture from photographer Kristian Leven captures a perfect moment.

We couldn’t have been more proud to be involved in Claire’s special day in this gorgeous venue.

“It was truly the most incredible day we could have wished for. The team at the Club did the most amazing job – we were all so well looked after. The team let me completely switch off and just enjoy the day – no mean feat! They took everything we wanted on board and absolutely delivered.

The venue was perfect for a winter wedding, and our use of the rooms, along with the Club’s decoration along with candles and the fires, created such a romantic and cosy atmosphere.

I loved how the club was classically elegant to begin with, but the setting was completely transformed by the black LED dancefloor and the LOVE letters that awaited our guests when they came back down for dancing.” – Claire Pastore

If you’re feeling inspired by Claire’s wintery wedding, why not have a look at our winter wedding offers at some of London’s finest venues including the In & Out?