Sarah and Alex

Afternoon Tea at The Dorchester, London.

Sarah and Alex’s post-nikkah-ceremony tea party was exquisite. The bride’s sister-in-law and brother asked me to paint them as a surprise wedding gift.

The backdrop for this scene in the world-renowned and ultra-luxurious, five-star hotel features an existing mural of guards riding through Hyde Park on horses, especially created for the hotel in 1947.

I wanted to portray the couple’s love story - that even though they’re surrounded by such splendour, they’re aware of only one another - that look of pure affection between them - they could be anywhere on earth and it couldn’t matter.

Sarah was resplendent in her gorgeous multi-colour gown - I thinned down Titanium White paint and brushed it over deep colour to create a chiffon effect for the shawl and some parts of her dress.

I love the colour scheme the room lent to this painting, by the way of light from the window, lamps and candles.

As someone whose blood-type is tea-positive, I was in my element here and wholly agreed with Henry James’ apt words “there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”