We’re back on the blog with another destination wedding to brighten up the chilly winter months! This time, we’re having a natter with Simika to find out all about her Instagram-worthy destination wedding in Budapest. I adore travelling and I adore working with brides on their wedding make-up, so it really is an honour to be a part of a destination wedding.
You will always get a UK-based trial with me prior to your wedding abroad to ensure we have created a bridal make-up look that you love. I have years of experience of working in various countries with a variety of climates to manage, so you can relax knowing your bridal look make-up will be perfect, no matter what the weather may be.
If you’re considering a destination wedding in an exotic location, to Simika’s celebration will definitely inspire you…
Stunning, Sparkling, Fairy Tale…
Simika, tell us a little bit about your wedding day!
“Our wedding day was the most romantic, perfect day spent in the heart of Budapest. We chose Budapest as my grandfather was from there and it is one of our favourite cities in the world. We planned for it to be a luxurious affair, making the most of the incredible city and its views to share with our closest family and friends. Seventy of our closest friends and family flew out to have a truly Hungarian day! We didn’t have a theme but instead chose everything that had a direct connection to us and what we love and to completely reflect us as a couple. Our colour scheme was soft, complementary colours – navy, blush pink, whites, creams. We wanted our décor to reflect the romantic city and so sort of inadvertently chose a ‘fairy tale’ theme.”
Why did you choose Liz Patey MUA for your destination wedding?
“I was lucky enough to attend a wedding where Liz was the MUA for the bride. After this, I followed her work on social media and her work was absolutely beautiful. After having a very unsuccessful trial with a local MUA in Hungary, I knew that Liz and her impeccable work were the only choice for my wedding day. I am so glad I asked her!”
Tell us about your bridal look?
“I wanted my hair to be very simple as my dress was very ornate and I wanted it to be the centrepiece of the look. I went for a slightly volumized chignon bun with soft curls framing my face. I had a lovely Swarovski crystal hairpiece at the top of the bun, with the same curls and designs as my dress. For me, it was about enhancing my everyday make-up look and turning it bridal. I still wanted to look like myself and not like I was ‘made up’. I went for a very typical bridal look with soft colours. I couldn’t get married without lashes so this was important for me as well. Thankfully, Liz was able to create a look that included lashes without being over the top. We worked together to create something that I would be comfortable wearing any day, not just for my wedding.
I chose a gorgeous gown, “Freesia” by Maggie Sottero. It was an A-line dress with an illusion sweetheart neckline. My favourite part was the swirls of pearls and Swarovski crystals all over the dress. I chose navy blue shoes as my “something blue” and the Ted Baker “Peetch” heels were perfect. My bouquet was a really lovely soft collection of florals. I had blush and white peonies, rhododendrons, roses which were interspersed with lamb’s ears, eucalyptus and greenery. My jewellery was all reflective of the designs in my dress and I wore teardrop earrings (to match my ring!) and a tear drop bracelet.”
How did you decorate your ceremony and reception?
“We were lucky enough to have beautiful views and locations so we didn’t need much decoration. Our amazing decorators lined the aisle with white rose petals and we had a floral arrangement on the ceremony table with the same flowers on my bouquet. For our reception, our centrepieces were again floral arrangements reflecting my bouquet. We had small vases with candles which were perfect for the evening. The seating plan was written on a beautiful tall mirror. Our reception had one important addition which was the remembrance table. Here, we had photos of all the loved people in our lives who couldn’t be with us on the day.”
What did your guests eat and drink?
“As we were in Hungary, we wanted the menu to be traditionally Hungarian! Our guests had five courses: Shrimp with pomelo and lemongrass pesto, traditional Goulash soup, pork cheek with Shiitake mushrooms, BBQ steak medallions and salted caramel apple tart! Our wines were paired by our waiters to each of the courses and we had two whites (chardonnay and Riesling) and two reds (Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon). All our wines were local and we were treated to delicious Sparkling wine all night. Our guests had access to the open bar including standard spirits as well as traditional Hungarian ones – Unicum and Palinka!”
How did you keep guests entertained?
“We had a late afternoon wedding (4pm start) so we didn’t feel the need to have a lot of entertainment. After the ceremony, our guests had a cocktail hour on top of the Fisherman’s Bastion overlooking the Danube. For the reception, the views back across the river were breathtaking enough. After the meal, we had an amazing DJ who helped us party long into the early hours of the morning!”
What was your favourite part of the day?
“Apart from marrying my husband, my favourite part was getting to be a true princess for a day!”
Do you have any words of advice for future brides and grooms?
“Take time during the day to just be with each other. Everyone wants to talk and have a drink and dance with you, but the most important thing is that you enjoy it with each other. Every hour, find your newlywed and just have five minutes to be with each other enjoying the day!”
Wedding Suppliers Involved:
- Timea Vargas-Kovacs – Wedding Planner
@hungarianweddingscom - Fisherman’s Bastion (Halaszbastya) – Ceremony Venue
@halaszbastyaetterem - Spoon The Boat – Reception Venue
@spoontheboat - Dupla Expo – Photographers
@DuplaExpo - Sunny Wedding Films – Videographers
@SunnyWeddingFilms - Norbert Brotya – DJ
@WellWedDj - Flora Kosch – Florist & Decorator
@flowers-by-flora-kosch - Marangona – Cake
@marangona.hu