This is the story of “The Elysian Palm,” our Prohibition-era, Tiki-meets-Art-Deco wedding, told the way we’d tell it to you over a Dirty Martini.
Some couples dream of a five-course dinner with assigned seating and a long list of speeches. We dreamt of something else entirely: a night that felt less like a wedding and more like the best bar night of our lives – one where, almost incidentally, we happened to say yes forever in the middle of it.
The Morning: Cello, cocktails and a sunny square
The day started quietly at the registry office in Zurich, where two close friends played cello and sang our favourite songs, a real goosebump moment. The second we stepped outside, two bartender friends were already waiting with freshly stirred Dirty Martinis for our first toast as a married couple. From there, we wandered over to Münsterhofplatz for a relaxed apéro in the sun with our guests. Casual, warm, and blessed with perfect weather — exactly how we wanted this day to begin.
The Vision: No seating charts, no script
From the very start, we knew we didn’t want a traditional sit-down dinner. We wanted movement, freedom, and an atmosphere where guests could roam, mingle, and lose track of time. Given that we live and breathe the bar world, it was obvious that food and drinks would be at the heart of the concept.
The Concept: From colonial tiki to 1920s elegance
Once we found our venue – a greenhouse tucked among palm trees – the concept practically wrote itself. The jungle flair and rattan chairs immediately screamed colonial Tiki bar to us. From there, we elevated that laid-back tropical feel into the glamour of the 1920s, landing on a full speakeasy theme.
Speakeasies were born during American Prohibition: hidden bars behind unmarked doors, where a whispered password opened the way into another world. We leaned into that: velvet, muted tones, feathers, pearls, sequins and hats set the dress code mood, while the groom (no stranger to organising speakeasy pop-ups around Zurich) brought real insider know-how to the table.
“The Elysian Palm” – Building our own bar brand
Every proper bar needs a name, and ours came together quickly: The Elysian Palm. It merged the greenhouse’s palms with “elysian”: a nod to paradise and pure joy. We even designed our own logo: a palm tree framed under a starry sky.
The Invitation: Secrets, wax seals and glitter
We wrote the invitations in the mysterious tone of a 1920s speakeasy letter, keeping the venue location secret until the day before, revealed only via electronic message. The “password” for entry doubled as a soft seating guide, grouping friend circles together without rigid table assignments.
Instead of a strict dress code, we wrote a short mood-setting story to let guests imagine the night and dress however they felt comfortable. Every envelope also held a sprinkle of biodegradable gold glitter (a little surprise for the bride’s glitter-loving heart), sealed shut with gold wax stamped with our palm logo.
Setting the scene
The greenhouse’s plants and rattan chairs already nailed the Tiki-bar mood. Instead of big round tables, we filled the space with dozens of small bistro tables for an intimate, conversation-friendly layout. More than 60 tablecloths were hand-sewn by the groom’s mother in beige linen. No stark hotel white here, just something that blended naturally into the greenery. We borrowed oversized Persian rugs for warmth, and spent weeks collecting wine bottles to repurpose as candle holders. One wall was dressed with vintage botanical illustrations of plants and birds, with our palm logo woven subtly throughout.
It’s the small things that matter
We wanted the bar atmosphere to be unmistakable, but never loud about it. Custom patches were embroidered onto the staff aprons. The bartenders had their own little ritual: a custom ice stamp branded every large clear-ice cube with our logo, just like you’d see at the world’s best bars. The ice itself came from Nice Ice, a small producer in Lugano known for premium clear ice. Even the drink coasters carried the branding. And the menus? Tiny 3D viewfinder cards, which looked like binoculars, revealing with each click another page of the bar menu against vintage palm illustrations, straight out of childhood nostalgia. And quite naturally, these menu cards also fit perfectly into a jungle theme and were meant to evoke our guests’ explorer curiosity, just like that of jungle researchers.
Getting Dressed: Three looks, one bride
The groom had his suit tailored in Zurich, deliberately timeless enough to wear long after the wedding. The attire was upgraded with the finest accessories to bring it in line with the 1930s era: a fine gold vintage watch chain in Victorian style on the vest, a gold palm tree brooch from a Geneva brand to pick up the motto again, a self-designed customized hat, and a walking cane from family possession dating back to the 19th century. The bride found her dream gown in a Great Gatsby collection: love at first sight, even though only a sample piece remained in Spain. One store in St. Gallen worked miracles to get it to Switzerland and tailored in record time. For the civil ceremony she wore a white strapless jumpsuit from the hip of which an elegant silk veil playfully draped around her legs. For later in the night, a third outfit took over: a custom, sparkly, dance-ready custom-made party dress.
Too many guests? Solved with a second wave
Even after multiple rounds of trimming the guest list, we couldn’t fit everyone we wanted for dinner. The solution: split guests into “dinner guests” and “party guests,” the latter arriving from 10:30pm, still in time for the cake cutting and our wedding dance. Around 30 extra people joined our 150 dinner guests later, and the room simply came alive all over again.
The Food: Bar snacks, not banquet plates
Also no classic wedding menu here. We wanted food you’d order on a great bar night: quick, fresh, and varied enough for every diet. Three food trucks delivered exactly that, served restaurant style à la carte dinner over almost four hours so guests could eat whenever they liked. Santaco brought their famous tacos, Büffel Bill served ethically-sourced burgers, and Thai Moving Noodles – crowned Switzerland’s best street food – even brought a midnight snack.
Cheers: The drinks programme
A speakeasy wedding demands cocktails that go beyond Aperol Spritz. We brought in bartender friends from well-known Zurich bars, each crafting signature cocktails (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) made fresh in front of guests — served in proper Highball, Tumbler and Pony glasses from a specialist glass rental. In total we had seven curated: “Milk & Monsoon”, a non-alcoholic coconut milk punch by Wolfgang Bogner (Tales Bar). “Honey Moonshine”, a short cocktail by Rodrigo Zimmermann (Schnupf), “Figment in the Afterlight”, a highball with fig leaf soda by Anthony Kunz (Kronenhalle Bar), “Oat Standing Fizz”, a Ramos Gin Fizz variation by Armin Azadpour (Lupo Bar), “Night Manager”, an old fashioned inspired drink and “Cheow Lan Mist”, a carbonated Thai inspired highball by Sarah Madritsch (ex Igniv Bar Zurich), “Jeanny in a barrel”, a Brandy Crusta variation by Ivan Pepe (ex Bar 63 & miro) and finally “The Coco Cabaret”, a twist of a Pina Colada by Wolfgang Mayer (Widder Bar). For wine and Crémant, we kept it local, sourcing directly from a childhood friend of the bride’s near Lake Constance.
The Entertainment: There wasn’t one
No games, no long speeches, no forced agenda – just music, drinks, food and conversation flowing freely between old friends and new acquaintances. That looseness ended up defining the entire evening.
“Declare You Husband & Wife”: The evening ring ceremony
We saved the ring exchange for the evening so that everyone – not just registry office guests – could be there. A close friend led the ceremony, weaving in answers we’d written about each other beforehand.
From one ring to two: Our upcycled wedding bands
Our wedding rings carry a story of their own. The ring(s) began life in 1999 as a merchandise “Lord of the Rings” gold ring, complete with its famous inscription, bought by LofR fan Dani. A jeweller laser-removed the engraving and split the gold into two new bands – two-thirds for the groom, one-third for the bride – set with vintage diamonds. The engagement ring is equally unusual: designed by the groom in Art Deco style and set with pallasite peridots, one of the rare gemstones that actually come from meteorites.
The Typewriter Storyteller
The groom discovered a young writer from England who crafts stories on an old typewriter: a perfect fit for the analogue 1920s spirit. He surprised the bride by booking her for the night. She sat slightly apart, observing, chatting with guests, and typing her impressions live. The finished story will be sent to guests along with our thank-you card.
The Illustrator
A second surprise from groom to bride: a talented fashion illustrator from Vienna sketched guests throughout the night in the style of classic 1920s fashion drawings – elegant keepsakes that will also accompany the thank-you cards.
The Magician
Staying true to our “no entertainment” concept, we hired a magician who drifted through the crowd performing intimate close-up street magic. Small, surprising moments scattered through an elegant night.
The Cake
The bride had one clear vision: a cake with a “floating” tier, as if a layer were magically missing. After a few disappointing tastings, Corina from Pan de Miel nailed both the look and an incredible range of flavours – so good that guests who normally skip dessert went back for seconds. Cupcakes from the nationally-known Tinzicakes (carrot cake, the groom’s favourite) and homemade cake pops from the maid of honour rounded things out.
Rocket Man: The triple surprise first dance
True to form, even the first dance broke tradition. Choreographed by a former Zurich Opera House ballerina (a full-circle moment for the bride, a former ballet dancer herself), the dance was kept secret even from the parents.
Instead of a slow waltz, it was a full-blown show routine – and it hid two more surprises. The bride began in a short robe, which she dropped to reveal a fringed glitter mini dress, sending an audible gasp through the room. Then the groom revealed his own surprise: a colour-changing fibre-optics, light-up blazer delivered from Las Vegas, perfectly timed to Elton John’s “Rocket Man” – launching the party into high gear.
Swing is in the air: The music
After scouting several bands, Gipsy swing outfit “Swing de Paris” from Winterthur was the obvious match – both musically and visually. After midnight, the mood shifted: DJ Tonda (of electro label “Kuchenfabrik,” resident at Hive) took over with danceable electro beats, a refreshing break from the usual 80s/90s wedding playlist.
Sustainability, woven throughout
We kept material waste low wherever possible. Invitations came on blank botanical fold-out cards guests could repurpose later. Instead of disposable cameras, guests got access to a shared photo site – up to 15 photos each, revealed only the next day, film-roll style, to preserve the surprise without the waste.
Bye-Bye: The favours
We questioned whether give-aways were even necessary anymore, so we made sure ours would actually be used. A mother-daughter chocolatier duo from St. Gallen created individually wrapped pralines from upcycled cocoa shells, flavoured with Franciacorta and dusted with gold. And because the groom is known for his patterned socks, we designed our own organic cotton pair: palms, a parrot perched on a martini glass, and our wedding logo. Weeks later, photos of “Elysian Palm” socks are still rolling in.
Every detail (from the ice stamps to the upcycled rings) grew out of our love for bars, our past pop-up adventures, and a lot of trial and error.
If you’re planning something similarly tailor-made and want to talk concepts, we’d love to hear from you.
Cheers — Dani & Jean
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