Inside George and Tiffany’s intimate El Fenn wedding
It took three months for George Stopczynski and Tiffany Mediana to start talking. But once they did, they never stopped. They were both a term into a Master’s degree at King’s College London when a mutual friend introduced them in January 2019. “The next day we were sitting one apart in a lecture and just kept leaning over to talk to each other,” says George. “We went on our first date five days later.”
Fast forward three-and-a-half years and George was planning to propose to Tiffany on holiday in Montenegro.
“It’s hard to pin Tiffany down and I knew there would be a lot of pressure if I planned just one moment to ask her to marry me,” says George. “And so, I organised a few things for us to do and decided to ask whenever the moment felt perfect.”
“I’m glad I did. On the first night for instance, I’d booked a vineyard for sunset but we left early after getting bitten by insects. In the end, I proposed on our hotel balcony at sunrise. It was really simple. But the timing just felt right.”
Tiffany, who owns fashion brand Space&, is Indonesian, while sustainable financier George is English. The couple live in Singapore and so, with a relationship that crosses continents and cultures, the big question was where to get married?
The couple opted for a traditional ceremony in Bogor for 250 people, plus another wedding in Singapore for 700. But they also wanted a smaller, more intimate, wedding with their closest friends.
“We were one of the first to marry amongst our friends and wanted to create something really memorable,” says George. “We love Marrakech because it has so many layers of culture and history, and is also a really fun place.”
“Plus the personal, creative buzz of El Fenn is unique, the location ideal and there are so many spaces in the hotel that you can do things with. But for us, being at El Fenn was mostly about the team – they were always around and the whole three days had a very personal, almost family feel.”
Working with Marrakech event planners Philocaly Weddings, their three-day Moroccan celebration kicked off at sunset on a Friday with welcome cocktails and canapes on the El Fenn rooftop.
“We’d given our friends a long list of suggestions of things to do and knew a lot of people had arrived a few days earlier to see the city,” says George. “So, on the first night, we wanted to keep it really relaxed and give them something light to eat but not a sit-down dinner. It gave everyone a chance to either meet for the first time or catch up.”
The next morning was left free for guests to have breakfast at their own pace before an afternoon ceremony in the Orange & Lemon courtyard.
Eight bridesmaids wore deep carmine velvet gowns in a variety of shapes custom designed by Indonesian-based Aksu, while Tiffany was in beautifully draped silk by Danielle Frankel. With eight groomsmen in black tie, George decided on a white tuxedo. As he waited underneath a towering flower arch, Tiffany walked down the aisle accompanied by a violinist playing ‘Salvatore’ by Lana del Rey.
“It really felt as if I was seeing Tiffany for the first time,” says George. “She looked so beautiful. The ceremony was incredible.”
Champagne was then served in the Colonnade courtyard which had been transformed into a Moroccan lounge with cushions, carpets, and candles. Dinner for 80 was served upstairs at two long tables on the colonnade and guests then went back down to the pool area for the afterparty. To kick things off, George and Tiffany, who’d changed into her own custom Yefta Gunawan, poured a champagne tower before a DJ played into the early hours.
Sunday was spent relaxing before the wedding party travelled at sunset to the Agafay desert for drinks, a tented dinner, and entertainment including candle dancers.
As the sun set over the hills, George and Tiffany celebrated their new life together.
“For me, the farewell party in Agafay was truly unforgettable; from the music to the beauty of the setting was where we could all share a moment we will remember forever,” said Tiffany.
“Hearing our friends talk about how great a time they had was so fantastic. It’s so important to me to have everyone enjoy themselves and we really did want to create a unique and special occasion for everyone.”
Photography courtesy of Bernadeta Kupiec

We kept all the decoration simple because the El Fenn backdrop is so gorgeous.

Beautiful El Fenn hibiscus martinis
Dress of dreams

Our beautiful bridesmaids

Keeping in touch

George and that perfect Moroccan light

Drinks before dinner in the Moroccan lounge.

Maximum candelabra drama for dinner

Ready for the afterparty

Dancing underneath starry skies and palm trees