An Arabic and Persian wedding at St Ethelburga’s London

1. Honouring Arabic and Persian traditions

For Nadia and Amir, the priority was clear; they had already booked the venue and caterer, and they wanted expert guidance to bring their vision of a seamless blend of their Arabic and Persian heritage to life, using this blank canvas venue. They booked my  Vision Partner service, and I worked closely with them over 6 months to ensure every tradition was given the space it deserved.

The heart of the day was the traditional Persian ceremony, led by a Haji. Central to this was the Sofreh Aghd—a tradition with over 2,500 years of history. The "Sofreh" (spread) is a beautiful, ornamental cloth laid out with symbolic items, each representing a quality the couple hopes to carry into their new life together. One of the most moving moments was the "showering of sweetness," where happily married female relatives ground sugar cones over a fabric held above the couple’s heads. It was a ceremony defined by deep emotion and ancient rhythm, set against the venue’s stunning stained-glass windows.

For the evening, the Persian wedding sword dance, or "Raghseh Chagoo" (knife dance), was conducted as a lively, traditional performance where a dancer (in this case, the bride's brothers) playfully holds the wedding cake knife hostage, dancing with it to tease the couple. The groom must bribe the dancer with money to get the knife, symbolising his commitment and willingness to overcome obstacles for his bride. It was fun to watch.

2. The art of the room "triple flip"

While the day felt serene and effortless for the guests, the logistics behind the scenes required absolute precision. St Ethelburga’s is a beautiful but intimate dry-hire space, which meant my team and I had to prepare the same area three separate times: for the ceremony, the wedding breakfast, and finally, the evening reception.



Managing a "triple flip" in a heritage building requires a high level of orchestration. We curated a team of specialist suppliers who understood the pace required, ensuring that as the guests moved to the courtyard for harp music and canapés, the interior was transformed without a hitch.

3. A wedding design rooted in nature

To complement the intricate architecture of the venue, the design was kept intentionally natural and relaxed. We opted for a palette of ivory, soft browns, and organic greens.

• The Tablescapes: Long tables in a U shape were lined with foliage garlands and an abundance of candles to create a warm, intimate ambience as the London sun set.
• The Feast: The evening transitioned into a magnificent Persian feast, followed by a high-energy dance floor where the DJ masterfully blended Arabic, Persian, R'n'B, and English tracks.

4. The value of the "emotional safety net"

Multicultural weddings are joyful, but they are also complex. Nadia and Amir said that having me and my team on board "took all our stresses away." My background in counselling allows me to support not just the couple, but their families, ensuring that everyone feels at ease and respected throughout the transitions of the day.

As Nadia and Amir kindly shared:

"Natasha was the ULTIMATE on the day... she pulled it off without a hitch and everyone commented how at ease she made everyone feel, leaving us, our family and friends to enjoy the day. She really felt like a friend."

When my team and I lead the vendor management and the "heavy lifting," it allows you, the couple to remain entirely present. Nadia and Amir’s day was the epitome of a chic London wedding—soulful, stylish, and flawlessly executed.

A delightful review

Here is the full Google review from Nadia and Amir - "The best wedding planner, EVER!
Not quite sure where to start to say all the amazing things we have to say about Natasha and Pearline Events, who helped plan our wedding and made our vision come to life, exceeded all expectations, so we’ll just start by saying a huge THANK YOU!

We will forever be grateful to Natasha for making things happen at an often tricky to deal with (but oh so beautiful, made more beautiful by Natasha) venue (St Ethelburga’s in the heart of the city of London) so if she can do that, I am pretty sure she can tackle anything!

Her professionalism and passion were clear from our first consultation with her, and as soon as we hung up the call, we both said WE NEED HER, and I’m so glad we went ahead and booked her, so if you’re hesitant, don’t be, just make that call. I will absolutely be recommending Natasha to anyone who even utters “engagement”, “wedding”, or “party”. Everyone needs Pearline Events in their life.

She helped source crucial suppliers at a dry hire venue, listening to our requests and providing us with various options to choose from, all of which met our requests, and therefore still felt really personal to us, whilst adding her own touches of creativity. Natasha did so much vendor management in the run up to the wedding too (managing photographers, make up artist, caterers etc.) and that just took all our stresses away.

Natasha was also the ULTIMATE on the day, having to prepare the same spacethreetimes for the ceremony, wedding breakfast, and evening reception. She pulled it off without a hitch, and everyone commented on how amazing she had been, and how at ease she made everyone feel, leaving us, our family and friends to enjoy the day. She really felt like a friend, and supported us throughout the day, making sure we were hydrated and checked in on (thank you N!).

Once again, make that call, and get her on board as soon as you can. You won’t regret it. 5 stars doesn’t feel enough! Thanks again to the whole of the Pearline Team"

Dreaming of a fusion wedding?

If you are planning a wedding that requires a delicate balance of cultural traditions and complex logistics, my team and I are here to act as your strategic partner.

Book your discovery call to discuss how we can bring your wedding vision to life.

Natasha x

The Wedding Supplier Team -Photographer  Hannah Bain Photography   Catering  Persian Palace  Hair and Makeup Lipstickandcurls  Dress- TheOutnet     Venue -  St Elthebrugas     DJ DJMRBeckz    Harpist Imogen Emmett      Second Photographer - @timpennellsphoto