Birgitte and Anthony met when they were teenagers, but didn’t stay to fall for each other until a lot later in life. They went to a theatre with mutual friends, and sparks started to fly. “The theme for our wedding was forbidden love”, Anthony told us. “This is because our love was a little secret in our early days. We we didn’t want anyone to know about it from day one so we had a lot of secret dates.”

This manifested in red velvet drapes, wax-sealed envelopes, pearl chains and sensual images projected on big screens. They worked with FERMfeest, who planned and executed their vision perfectly. They handled everything from the logistics to the décor, the cake, the flowers and the catering.

The two-day event started with an intimate ceremony. The bride wore a suit and it was super quick. Then, on the second day, they had another ceremony led by Elephant in a Room, that was much more personal and emotional. “We didn’t have a traditional ceremony like other weddings,” they said. “He had constructed the whole thing without us knowing anything (or not too much). Because of this, it was a very emotionally intense ceremony. And in the background we had Sarah Neyrinck who played some amazing live music, to make it all work together and providing that extra layer of depth.”

The venue was transformed into something between a cabaret set and an underground members club. Crimson fabric wrapped the space from ceiling to floor while silver trays, vanity mirrors, pearls and piles of red sweets sat amongst the tables. Guests found the seating plan hidden within the drapery, while sensual visuals flickered across giant screens throughout the evening. Even the florals rejected tradition. Instead of carrying a standard bouquet, Brigitte held a hanging floral arrangement suspended from pearl chains.

Creating the right atmosphere was just as important, every detail was designed to heighten the experience. Before dinner, guests’ hands were misted with rose emulsion. Food arrived through clouds of dry ice, referencing the misty night the couple first met. They also did a second ceremony, but in a very unique way. “Ours was divided in 4/5 moments throughout the whole day. Building up from the start of the day up until after the desserts where we gave each other the rings around a bonfire. We did it this way because we’re both not big fan of sitting down for 1.5 hours and having nothing to eat or drink. So we cut it up so that everybody had the opportunity to enjoy our the amazing food and drinks they had made.”

Despite the scale of the wedding and venue transformation, Birgitte and Anthony handed almost complete creative control over to their planners, and had zero stress. “FERMfeest was our biggest expense because they provided a total package,” they explained. “95% of our wedding came in house from them. They arranged flowers, dressed up the venue, made the food, staff,… Literally almost everything. It couldn’t have been easier for us.”

Before guests arrived, the couple were given a rare moment alone inside the finished venue to see everything and take photos. It became one of their favourite memories from the day. “The moment we arrived at the venue and we were all by ourselves for a short while was amazing,” Birgitte said. “We opened the doors to the venue really had the time to let our jaws drop and be amazed by the beauty that was created for us. We were alone for a half an hour and just enjoyed each other in a setting that was created for us.”