Victoria and Serezha were friends for years, part of the same circle long before anything turned romantic, and Serezha eventually proposed on the oceanfront in Bali. When it came to the wedding, they knew exactly what they wanted: “bright, dopamine-filled, playful, and a little bit wild.” Victoria photographs weddings for a living and Serezha works in marketing and events, so a traditional look “was never really the goal.” What they built instead was a day centered on two giant swans, necks curved into a heart big enough to stand inside.
Fomina Yulia photographed the day at Good Marine, on the Don River, with Lu Flowers on the florals and Valmal Films on the footage. A good share of that team traveled in from other regions, because, as the couple put it, “having the right creative team mattered more to us than simply choosing whoever was closest.”
The Ceremony
They chose their venue for one reason above the rest: it let them keep every part of the day outside, “the ceremony, dinner, lounge area, and cocktail bar all under the open sky.” So the aisle runs straight down the middle of the dinner, between tables already set, toward the swans.
The color did not stop at the aisle. “The guests embraced the color concept too,” Victoria and Serezha wrote, “which made the whole celebration feel even more immersive and cohesive.”
Traditional rituals were mostly left out in favor of their own. The rings came down the aisle with Mickey, “the fluffiest member of our family,” a Shiba Inu with, as they put it, “the very important job” of delivering them.
Our Musical Choices
The Swans
The two swans were custom-made for the wedding, and they do triple duty: ceremony backdrop, focal point for both dinner tables, and photo set, so the room never changes scenery between the vows and dinner. Mounted in front of a blush draped pavilion, the pair is big enough to read from the far end of a long grass aisle, and the heart between the necks is cut person-sized, so two people standing inside it look framed from every seat.
Decor was the one thing they refused to compromise on, “a real wow factor” that would “become an important part of the experience.” If you want to draw from this one, take the logic rather than the birds: choose the single object you would stand inside, make it big enough to read from the last seat, and aim the whole room at it.
The Reception
Dinner happened on the same lawn as the vows, with no move indoors and no room flip. Lu Flowers kept the arrangements low so guests at the two long tables could talk across them, and the cocktail bar had a story of its own: drinks inspired by their friends and, in the couple’s words, “shared stories.”
With this much color, the yellow satin is what holds the tables together, and everything layered on top stays small. The best piece is easy to miss: a palm-sized pair of swans at each place setting, necks curved into a heart, the altar shrunk down to something a guest can hold. To make it your own, take the biggest thing in your room and repeat it in miniature at every seat.
Editor’s Picks for Swan Decor
Want to incorporate swans into your day? Here are a few fun ways!
The dessert table went full retro: red and white stripes, fruit in footed silver bowls stacked on chartreuse glass-block risers, and trays of pink and yellow jelly shots lined up like candy.
Tortodel made the cake, “a pink castle” in the couple’s words, with striped piping, rope-rosette borders, and a sugar turret at the corner.
Our Favorite Memory
There were two moments that really stayed with us. The first was exchanging our vows — we went through the full spectrum of emotions, from tears to laughter. The second happened toward the end of the evening, after the final speeches, when everyone started hugging each other. It was such a simple moment, but it felt incredibly warm and genuine.
The Looks
For the ceremony, Victoria wore a strapless ivory satin ballgown with a boned bodice and a gathered skirt that turns well, a sheer veil, a white satin bow in her curls, pink floral earrings, and a thin pink choker with a small heart pendant, the kind of detail that disappears from the aisle and lands in every close-up.
Look two is the dancing dress. Long puffed sleeves, a square neckline, pink satin ribbon run along the trim, and under it black-and-cream cowboy boots with a pink heart on each shaft and silver cutout inlays (we found one pair on Depop if you are a size 9!). Swapping strapless for sleeves after sundown is practical; the boots are the part that says the second half of the night belongs to the floor.
Shop These Fun Statement Boots
The boots Victoria wore are sold out, but we found a few similar fun boots made for dancing.
Victoria and Serezha wanted the day to “feel alive,” and in the end they called it “bright, free, a little crazy, and very, very much about love.” Asked what they would change, they said nothing at all.
And their advice for anyone planning right now:
Our Advice
Don’t underestimate the importance of a great creative team and the atmosphere you create. For us, investing in the decor and choosing vendors we genuinely trusted made a huge difference. But most importantly, listen to each other. The wedding should feel like the two of you, rather than somebody else’s idea of what a wedding is supposed to look like.
Congratulations, Victoria and Serezha! All the best from GWS.
Wedding Vendors
Photography: Fomina Yulia // Venue: Good Marine // Event Design: Lu Flowers // Wedding Planner: Arina Kaverina // Florals: Lu Flowers // Videography: Valmal Films // Catering: Cupcatering // Cake: Tortodel // Officiant: Anton Kornienko
