‘MY FAVOURITE MEMORY? TWO FAMILIES COMING TOGETHER’
PARTY PLANNER PEREGRINE ARMSTRONG-JONES TELLS ok!’s CLARE FISHER ABOUT ORGANISING THE BECKHAMS’ WEDDING
‘they invited me to wembley and i met victoria backstage. we immediately hit it off’
Planning and delivering the celebrity wedding of the century is no mean feat. So when David and Victoria Beckham were looking for the perfect person to bring their unique vision to life, they decided party planner to the stars Peregrine Armstrong-jones was the only man for the job.
The wedding was 14 months in the planning, and brought together the work of over 40 suppliers with a very handson Victoria regularly calling Peregrine to discuss the finer details. ‘It’s very easy to work with David and Victoria because they knew exactly what they wanted and were extremely decisive about everything,’ Peregrine tells us when we meet him at his London office, which is covered in thank you notes from clients and celebrities who he has planned events for over the years.
‘There seems to be an endless fascination with David and Victoria,’ he adds, highlighting the fact that the eyes of the world were on the wedding and Peregrine’s work on that sunny
July day in 1999.
But unflappable Peregrine, who runs Bentley’s Entertainments and is Lord Snowdon’s half-brother, took it all in his stride and along with his team has subsequently planned more parties for the Beckham family.
‘The point of a party planner is to make a wedding feel effortless and enjoyable – if that doesn’t happen then you have failed,’ he tells us matter of factly. Bentley’s Entertainment have organised weddings for Zara Phillips, Elizabeth Hurley and Elton John as well as parties for fashion designer Valentino. Here, 20 years on, he offers a fascinating insight into planning David and Victoria’s Irish wedding extravaganza…
How did you come to work with David and Victoria? They very kindly invited me to Wembley where the Spice Girls were performing and I met Victoria backstage. We immediately hit it off and she called me the following day to tell me she’d chosen to work with me for her wedding.
How much work went into planning the big day?
We planned it for 14 months. David and Victoria were really involved from the beginning and we worked very closely with them. They gave me clear direction about what they wanted and they were wonderful to work with and very professional. Our team guided them and I think they were grateful for the reassurance of professionals, but our direction was totally provided by the bride and groom. Did you realise how much attention the wedding would receive? We all knew there was going to be a huge amount of attention, possibly because of the surrealness of the day – what the couple wore, their costume changes, the guest list and the location.
Did anything go wrong on the day?
It is inevitable that unexpected hiccups will happen on the day but it is the job of the wedding planner to ensure that these little things are fixed and go unnoticed.
And your favourite memory? Two families coming together as one. David and Victoria really are a lovely couple and wonderful role models.
How did you start out in the party planning business?
I initially wanted to work in farming and studied at the Royal Agricultural University. A friend ran a local discotheque so I started playing music at university balls and eventually local weddings. I got dazzled by it all and knew I’d found my calling. Now I work all over the world! We’ve planned weddings everywhere from mountain tops to desert islands, boats and fjords.
What are the key ingredients for a good party?
Choosing the right venue – not too big and not too small. The lighting is crucial and everybody should have a drink in their hands at all times! FOR MORE ON PEREGRINE’S WORK, VISIT WWW.BENTLEYS.NET.