For Petra Sekhar and Wilfred Belsey, romance began in the most unlikely of circumstances: a Smurf, an ’80s marathon runner and a night out at Anuba. The pair had spent years in each other’s orbit at Oxford University, where they both studied philosophy, politics and economics. Belsey, a year her senior, had even been assigned as her ‘college dad’—a role that, according to Sekhar, he was less committed to than the title suggested. It wasn’t until Sekhar’s third year, when Belsey returned to Oxford for a visit, that their acquaintance took a romantic turn. “He slotted into my life so quickly that before I knew it he felt like an extra limb,” Sekhar recalls.
The proposal, seven years later, was no less playful in spirit. A private boat sailing through the waters off Lazarus Island became the setting for an afternoon that brought together all their favourite things: a private chef, Aperol spritzes, a meticulously curated three-hour playlist and a scrapbook of memories from their time together. There was a brief moment of panic when Belsey nearly dropped the ring into the sea, but all was forgiven when even a pair of e-foils appeared, as though on cue. It was an occasion that captured the essence of their relationship: thoughtful, adventurous and with just the right amount of irreverence.
Eight years after their first meeting, Sekhar and Belsey celebrated their union across two weddings. The first, held in Kuala Lumpur in December 2025, honoured family tradition at the the shree lakshmi narayan mandir where Sekhar’s parents had married over two decades earlier, bringing together loved ones from the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. For their second celebration in Spain, the couple had a distinct mood in mind. “Our vision for Spain on the other hand was purely an embodiment of us: weird and wonderful,” Sekhar shares.
After considering more than 50 venues, including a dramatic Menorcan quarry whose romantic possibilities were ultimately thwarted by logistics, the couple found their match in Vestige Son Vell. Set amid sprawling Mediterranean gardens, the restored 18th-century manor offered an idyllic retreat in the Menorcan countryside. With its elegant suites and expansive grounds, it was the perfect setting for a village of sorts, where 100 of their closest friends could come together for a weekend of revelry.
Bringing their vision to life was wedding planner Opi of Open the Door Events, who embraced the couple’s vision with equal enthusiasm. She assembled a creative team that included Joy Zamora and Paramonova for photography and videography; Casa Protea, who interpreted their brief for “weird, wonderful, non-wedding flowers” with a sculptural, tree-like installation; Chora Practice, who created a dramatic sweep of chartreuse fabric cascading from the building towards the aisle; and No Naked Design Studio for stationery. The more unexpected touches were equally delightful. “One standout example of how much she understood us was when she proposed the idea of having our table plan be worn by live models—so silly and perfect,” Sekhar recalls. And for the after-party? Trays of KitKats, a charming nod to Sekhar’s favourite chocolate bar, which also happens to be the subject of one of her tattoos.
The ceremony was a celebration of family and friendship. Sekhar walked down the aisle with her father to a live rendition of Radiohead’s ‘(Nice Dream)’, sung by their friend Ed, while Belsey’s father officiated. Their mothers contributed a Buddhist prayer and a specially penned sonnet. Elsewhere, the festivities reflected the couple’s shared history and eclectic tastes, from Tsingtao beers opened with chopsticks—a nod to their years in Hong Kong—to custom chopsticks and beer-drinking bowls made by their friend Katie, founder of The Merch Club, as wedding favours. Friends Charlie, Wolf and Hannah kept the celebrations going behind the decks at various events throughout the weekend, while their best friends Kam and Clare took on emcee duties. The soundtrack spanned Ice Cube, Frank Ocean and a memorable dubstep rendition of ‘Sweet Caroline’. There were personal essentials, too: a close-up magician for Sekhar and pints of Guinness for Belsey, the latter proving surprisingly difficult to source in Menorca.
“Our vision for Spain was purely an embodiment of us: weird and wonderful.”
Fashion was integral to the celebrations, with Sekhar embracing an unapologetically expressive approach to bridal dressing. “In general, I wanted my bridal wardrobe to be bursting at the seams with joy and humour. I always say that how I describe my style is whatever straight men are confused by. I wanted this in the wedding wardrobe too, pieces that might leave some of my friends and family slightly confused, but smiling.”
For the welcome party, where the dress code encouraged a decidedly more-is-more approach, Malaysian designer Kel Wen of Behati created a statement cocktail dress with oversized bows, realised through a whirlwind of fittings and a remarkable four-hour transformation. For the ceremony, Sekhar turned to Richard Quinn for a sculptural gown with a Madonna-inspired pointed bust and exaggerated hips. When offered a more understated version, she requested even more pronounced proportions. A last-minute veil by Jean Jackson Couture, sculptural Panconesi earrings, a vintage 1920s leopard-print clutch and white Saint Laurent heels—sourced by her uncle in Singapore—completed the look. Beauty remained minimal, with winged eyeliner and a sleek, centre-parted bun.
Belsey had his own sartorial ambitions. “I knew that I would have to do something special to try to match whatever Petra chose. I also thought this might be my only chance to wear a white tuxedo and have my James Bond moment.” Working with Sekhar’s uncle, Savile Row-trained tailor Andrew Chan, he chose a double-breasted white tuxedo with loose, flared trousers. Chilli-shaped cufflinks by Deakin & Francis added a personal flourish, referencing the couple’s shared love of spicy food and their chilli and capsicum tattoos.
For the after-party, Sekhar swapped her gown for a custom ‘I heart WB’ T-shirt, designed herself, with a feathered Cult Naked skirt and white pumps. The following day, she turned to Chet Lo for a custom sheer-white interpretation of his signature spiky knit from the bai sun collection, worn over a matching bikini. Beyond the individual looks, championing Asian designers was especially meaningful to Sekhar. “It was really important to me to have part of my bridal wardrobe be made by Asian designers, as I had spent such an important part of my career with the Vogue Singapore Foundation working with them and looking at ways to support them. And there is just such an insane abundance of talent in Asia I wish I had another wedding for the looks alone!”
“It was really important to me to have part of my bridal wardrobe be made by Asian designers, as I had spent such an important part of my career working with them.”
That same freedom of expression extended to their guests, who were encouraged to embrace their own personal style. Sekhar’s bridesmaids chose their own ensembles, while the wider wedding party took the invitation to dress boldly to heart. Among the standout looks was a belt fashioned from vintage watches worn by Belsey’s mother, with the timepieces set to alternate between Yorkshire and Kuala Lumpur, a nod to the coming together of their families.
Yet beyond the fashion and beautifully considered details, it was the people who made the weekend so meaningful. For Sekhar, who admits to rarely shedding a tear, speeches from her father and sister proved particularly moving. With friends and family from different chapters of their lives gathered in one place, there was a sense of joy that extended far beyond the festivities themselves. “I can honestly, hand on my heart, say there was not a single minute of the wedding day that I didn’t think was absolute bliss,” Sekhar reflects. And for a couple whose lives had taken them across continents, perhaps the greatest gift was simply having all their worlds together in one place.
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For our welcome dinner, I wore a custom Behati dress with Saint Laurent heels and a vintage leopard-print bag from the 1920s
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Wilf opted for head-to-toe Simone Rocha with tabi loafers (oh, how far he has come)
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My cousin Anita and our friend Jai
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Wilf’s mother wore this incredible belt made of watches that she bought on Etsy, with the watches set to alternate between Yorkshire and Kuala Lumpur time
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My sister Tara, wearing Bad Binch TongTong, with our friends Lily and Nat
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My friend Tash, who also very much understood the assignment, with nails that matched her jacket and skirt
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Getting into this dress was a team sport
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My hair and makeup were done by the gorgeous Marina Grikun
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My Saint Laurent wedding heels. I had to get my uncle to bring them from Singapore to Malaysia, as they were the very last pair available in my size. Thank you, Uncle Simon!
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I wore a Richard Quinn dress that I had loved for years, ever since I first saw Jodie Comer wearing it on the cover of British Vogue in 2023
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My sister, Tara, helping me with my veil
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My gorgeous bridesmaids: my sister Tara, my cousin Anita and my best friends Clare, Jess, Josh, Lucy and Olivia
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More of my gorgeous bridesmaids
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The worst boy band you’ll ever meet (Wilf’s groomsmen)
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Wilf wore a custom suit made by my uncle Andrew Chan
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Wilf’s father was our Celebrant for the ceremony
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My father walked me down the aisle as our friend Ed sang Radiohead’s ‘Nice Dream’ live
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My mother and father at the ceremony
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We walked out the aisle to ‘I Feel Better’ by Gotye
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Kisses! You can see Wilf’s chilli cufflinks from Deakin & Francis (an ode to my love of ‘destroy your insides’ spicy food), along with my Panconesi earrings
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Wilf and I having our first glass of champagne as a (twice) married couple
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Our beautiful families. Both our mothers accidentally colour-coordinated, which was so cute!
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An incredible floral installation by Casa Protea. Our brief was ‘weird, wonderful and anti-wedding’
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It was actually meant to rain the entire weekend. I was lamenting about this to my colleagues, who immediately suggested I get an Etsy witch. All I’ll say is that we ended up having picture-perfect weather all weekend
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Wilf and I walking into the post-ceremony cocktail hour (on the hunt for the magician)
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Said magician, Jose Tejada (having magic at my wedding was always a non-negotiable)
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Lapping up the attention at cocktail hour
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The hotel, Vestige Son Vell, had these beautiful structures called barracas scattered throughout the grounds. They are traditional circular dry-stone shelters found across Menorca
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Top down view from the dinner
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If we hadn’t married each other, we might have married our wedding planner from Open The Door Events instead. She had so many wonderfully wild ideas, including displaying our seating plan on live models
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Our friend Conor trying to identify his seat
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All of our stationery was created by the amazing No Naked Studio, while the bowls (our wedding favours) were made by our dear friend Katie through her new business, The Merch Club
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More table florals by Casa Protea
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Entering the wedding dinner after the ceremony to my favourite song of all time ‘It Was A Good Day’ by Ice Cube
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As an ode to our Hong Kong days, all guests were given a bottle of Tsingtao and a pair of chopsticks, which they had to use to pop open the bottle—a tradition made famous by Tung Po Kitchen, a former regular haunt of ours
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The Barracas got the full projection-mapping treatment throughout the dinner
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My after party look was a t-shirt I custom-made on Etsy and a feather skirt from Cult Naked
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Dancing to the rather excellent band, Roameo
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Anyone that knows me knows that no wedding of mine would be complete without KitKat
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Recovery day at Son Vell
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