Flora Vesterberg Celebrated Her Fifth Wedding Anniversary at an Art Museum on the Stockholm Archipelago
Flora Vesterberg and Timothy Vesterberg celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary in September at the contemporary cultural center Artipelag in Sweden. “Our celebration took place over the National Day of Sweden,” explains Flora, who is an art historian and philanthropist and the second cousin, once removed, of King Charles III. “My parents and godparents kindly hosted an aperitivo the evening before. [And then,] the following morning, we led our guests around the galleries Thielska Galleriet, Galerie Storm, and Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde.”
Flora and Timothy were introduced by Alexander Danielsson, who served as best man when they married in 2020. “I met Alexander whilst living in Paris for a Sotheby’s internship,” Flora says. “He studied with Timothy at the Stockholm School of Economics and eventually introduced us in London a few years later. The three of us then joined other Scandinavian friends in swimming in the Serpentine early on weekday mornings. Timothy and I fell in love and became engaged within six months.”
Timothy proposed in The Queen’s Temple, a quiet pavilion close to the Serpentine in London with a ring designed with Hancocks in St. James’s. “It is a lovely pear-shaped Victorian diamond set in a contemporary band with a meaningful Swedish inscription.” They then held a private ceremony in September 2020 at the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace, before hosting a larger wedding a year later once pandemic lockdown restrictions had eased.
For their fifth-year anniversary, they decided to gather friends and family together for a special celebration, now that the pandemic is firmly in the rearview mirror. To do so, they chose Artipelag, which was designed by the Swedish architect Johan Nyrén on Värmdö Island along the Stockholm Archipelago, for their venue. The location was an easy decision due to Timothy having grown up in Sweden, and the fact Flora is studying for a PhD at The Courtauld focusing on Scandinavian art. “We always feel calm in nature [when we’re there],” Flora notes. “My father, James Ogilvy, is the landscape designer behind Ogilvy Landscape, and so I knew that he would also feel inspired by the wildness of Värmdö Island. Timothy and I both have very loving and supportive families, and so it felt special for them to be in Stockholm with us.”
Earlier this year, Flora received a late-in-life autism diagnosis and wrote a personal essay about her experience in British Vogue. “Although it’s been a challenging process, it’s also been clarifying and allowed me to approach this celebration more thoughtfully than our wedding,” she explains. “Timothy and I planned this event ourselves, because we intended for it to feel intimate with only 40 guests. Our family and friends all helped us throughout the weekend. My close Swedish friends Frida Gustavsson and Petrina Hesketh were very helpful with recommendations and accompanying me to fittings. Led by Axel Broström, our ushers from our marriage blessing in London resumed their roles to usher our guests from Hotel Diplomat to our boat moored nearby on Nybroviken Harbour.”
The couple sent out their invitations through Paperless Post, but Flora’s father, James, also printed copies of the Siv Andersson poem “Till Brudparet” as a memento for their guests. “It was read by my sister-in-law Emmy at our wedding as well as whilst celebrating our fifth anniversary,” Flora remembers “From an autism perspective, I knew that being somewhere familiar in nature would make it feel like a more manageable experience. I struggle with my sensory responses to color and sound and so the cool-tones and calm of the archipelago were soothing.”
The couple worked with photographer Robert Fairer to document the weekend. “He was incredibly diligent and thoughtful as he captured every aspect of our celebration in Stockholm,” Flora says.
For her dress, Flora worked with the British couturier Phillipa Lepley to create a bespoke piece, five years after they collaborated on the wedding dress that she wore for her marriage blessing. “It was inspired by the Stockholm archipelago and was designed to move as fluidly as its waters,” Flora explains. “The soft blue slipper satin was reflective of their subtle tides—and that of the blue skies above.”
“Flora’s wedding dress was closely in thought whilst creating this classic piece in,” Phillipa explains. “The hand-worked embellishment is subtle, muted, and very personal. The pale blue slipper satin dress features fine hand embroidery that thoughtfully incorporates elements from Flora’s wedding dress—specifically orchids, jasmine flowers and leaves, with the addition of sweet peas which hold special meaning for Flora. Further personal touches include star-shaped stephanotis flowers referenced from the Ogilvy tiara, which Flora wore for her marriage blessing. The intricate hand work on the dress includes couture embroidery techniques such as tambour stitch, satin stitch, and delicate crystal beading, adding to its simple and subtle appeal.”
Flora re-wore the Jimmy Choo Love 65 shoes, originally in ivory satin, that she wore for her wedding ceremony in 2020 and her marriage blessing in 2021. “I worked with The Seam to dye them to match the pale blue slipper satin of my bespoke dress,” she says. “It was the perfect solution, because I could trust that they would be comfortable whilst exploring Artipelag on Värmdö Island.”
Her jewelry was a subtle nod to the pearlescent embroidery of the dress. Timothy had designed a delicate eternity band with Hancocks for their fifth wedding anniversary, and Flora wore this with her wedding and engagement rings as well as luminous pearl drop earrings.
Her friend Irene Forte helped her prepare her skin in the lead up to the event, while the Swedish make-up artist Fredrik Stambro worked on her beauty for the big day. Swedish hair stylist Linda Shalabi then styled her hair to embrace a windswept journey.
Meanwhile, Timothy wore a midnight blue suit from Richard James Bespoke on Savile Row. His Swedish tailor Stefan Furenbrink also created the morning suit for their marriage blessing in 2021. Flora’s father James and brother Alexander also wore Richard James.
For florals, Värmdöfloristen created a subtle arrangement of ivory sweet peas and freesias. “The former are meaningful to us and the latter were seasonal,” Flora explains. “Our floral arrangements decorated the rooftop at Artipelag and then our guests kindly helped us to transition the vases onto our dining tables so that they could complement our view of the archipelago.”
During dinner, Flora’s brother and father led the speeches. “They spoke eloquently,” Flora notes. “And I was very moved when my godfather Stuart offered us a Gaelic blessing.” After speeches and dinner came to an end, guests walked back through the trees and boarded the boat to return to Hotel Diplomat. “Our evening at Artipelag ended with everyone getting on the boat moored beneath the forest and navigating the Stockholm Archipelago at twilight,” Flora remembers. “The boat fell silent as we passed through the canals and blossoms on surrounding trees brushed past us. It anchored in Nybroviken Harbour as the sun was finally setting close to midnight, and our guests then walked back to Hotel Diplomat and said goodnight. It was a heavenly ending to our evening.”
Photo: Robert Fairer1/63Flora and Timothy beginning their evening in Stockholm. Flora wore a bespoke dress by the British couturier Phillipa Lepley.
Photo: Robert Fairer2/63“I designed this specific evening dress with intent for Flora’s fifth wedding anniversary," Phillipa Lepley explains. “Flora’s wedding dress was closely in thought whilst creating this classic piece in the softest blue slipper satin.”
