The 'most expensive' gypsy wedding ever: Traveller bride, 21, ties the knot at the Dorchester with 350 guests, 3 dresses, bible verse party favours...and a bill of up to £250,000 for her parents
The 'most expensive' gypsy wedding ever: Traveller bride, 21, ties the knot at the Dorchester with 350 guests, 3 dresses, bible verse party favours...and a bill of up to £250,000 for her parents
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A bride who tied the knot in lavish style at The Dorchester has pulled off what appears to be the UK's most expensive Traveller wedding to date. Louise Durant, 21, and Billy Maguire, 22, celebrated their union in a winter wonderland wedding at the luxurious Mayfair hotel - where room hire can start at £10,000 - surrounded by 350 guests from around the UK. The bride, whose family is from the Traveller community, said the festive nuptials, which took place in December, were 'more than a dream come true'.
'It was beyond my wildest imaginations,' she told MailOnline. 'The day started amazingly and just got better and better. It was perfect.'. The family had been saving up for two years, and indeed no expense was spared to create the perfect magical occasion. Louise's parents couldn't confirm how much exactly the wedding set them back, but said it was well over £100,000 - and didn't baulk when figures of around £250,000 were mentioned.
Those in attendance at the five star venue on Park Lane - which has been visited by the likes of David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor - were treated to glittering décor with flowers as white as snow, festive candles, icy blue lighting and an elegantly-trimmed Christmas tree. The azure dancefloor, which featured a glitzy disco ball gave the illusion of an ice rink for the happy couple to enjoy dancing on, while each table was adorned with snow globes and Christmas cracker party favours containing Bible verses.
Friends and family compared the beaming bride to a 'princess', who was the image of glamour in a structured ivory gown, while followers on social media likened the celebrations to a 'royal wedding'. Horse-drawn carriages, commemorative snow-globes and a huge disco ball - these were just some of the ornate decorations at Louise Durant and Billy Maguire's winter wonderland wedding at Mayfair's luxurious Dorchester Hotel - where room hires can start at £10,000.
The wedding festivities included a stunning church ceremony as well as a glitzy reception at the Dorchester. Glamorous guests donned colourful outfits and equally striking fascinators to the occassion in Mayfair. The bride's hair was teased to achieve a voluminous up-do, accessorised with a glitzy tiara and sheer veil. Pictured in a second striking ensemble. Another outfit from the wedding celebrations saw the stunning bride, Louise, in a sparkly silver outfit.
Those in attendance a the venue - which has been visited by the likes of David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor - were treated to glittering décor with white as snow flowers, festive candle, icy blue lighting and a festive Christmas tree. The bride, whose family is from the Traveller community, said the festive nuptials, which took place in December, were 'more than a dream come true'. The dress - by Eleni Bridal Couture of North London - featured a corset-style bodice embroidered with lace detailing, and long sleeves which puffed at the shoulders.
Louise, 21, and Billy, 22, live in Yorkshire and had been together for four years before deciding to tie the knot. Festivities on December 14 kicked off with a bang as four ex-London double decker buses picked up guests from their hotel, the Hilton on Park Lane, at 11.30am and took them all to St John's Church in Hyde Park. Louise's dress - by Eleni Bridal Couture of North London - featured a corset-style bodice embroidered with lace detailing, which fanned out into a sweeping skirt, and long sleeves which puffed at the shoulders.
The bride and her 12 bridesmaids were taken there in a horse-drawn carriage from The Dorchester. She entered the church with music from the London Fanfare Trumpets who had dressed for the ceremony to look like Coldstream Guards. The service was an hour, and then guests were taken to The Dorchester for the wedding breakfast and the evening service. Starters was a mushroom soup with pastry on top, while the main featured a festive Christmas turkey dinner. To finish up, desert was sticky toffee pudding with the couple's initials and the date of the wedding written in chocolate sauce.
The bride's hair was teased to achieve a voluminous up-do, accessorised with a glitzy tiara and sheer veil. Some 350 guests from all around the UK made their way for the romantic festivities - which the family has been saving up for for two years. Festivities on December 14 kicked off with a bang as four ex-London double decker buses picked guests up at the Hilton at 11.30am and took them all to St John's Church in Hyde Park.
The azure dancefloor, which featured a glitzy disco ball gave the illusion of an ice rink for the happy couple to enjoy dancing on. Each table was adorned with snow globes containing photos of Billy and Louise, white shortbread biscuits in the shape of a dove, and Christmas crackers which contained a verse from bible and a chocolate in. She held onto a bouquet with white roses and other plants which weaved around for the perfect floral ensemble. Pictured, yet another bouquet from the stunning day.