Dress: Three Floor c/o, Heels: Topshop old but similar, Earrings: Swarovski c/o, Clutch: Lulu Guinness c/o, Cuff: Old but similar, Sunglasses (seen below): Claire's c/o
Last week Oli and I attended the Grange Park Opera and had THE most incredible time. When we were first dating Oli took me to the Grange Park estate, which is close to where he grew up, and the sheer SCALE and beauty of the place completely took my breath away. Since then we have spent many occasions perusing the grounds, spending the Summer admiring the lush nature and the Winter admiring the estate for its romantic grandeur. From the outside it is difficult to imagine how adorned the building's interiors are - we have tried to peek through the windows before - and now that we have had the pleasure of seeing the inside up close I can confirm it is quite simply stunning.
Read on for my account of my first ever Opera . . .
What to wear?! The Opera is definitely a formal affair. I saw many ladies in elegant silk evening jackets teamed with opulent trousers - not quite so many dresses as I was expecting. You could wear a floor length hem but a mid length gown is totally appropriate too and jewellery is a MUST. The Opera drew a creative crowd and so the colour pallets on display made for great people watching; in particular I was style crushing on a woman in a deep fuchsia jacket and great dramatic jewels - she embodied the ultimate mediterranean woman which reminded me of my Italian Mama when she dons her finest.
For me, I had planned on wearing this Karen Millen number (now on sale!), but in the end it FELT like an evening for this powder blue Three Floor dress which I have been saving for a special occasion. My earrings are Swarovski and I L-O-V-E them! For the guys, tuxedos were the order of the evening, Oli wore a classic black tux, but a lot of men also wore white jackets which looked super swish. I think Ols has got his heart set on a white one for next year.
Around this time of year there is a lot of speculation about heels on grass - the polo, the races, weddings - I wore my most towering stilettos and was OK. It definitely requires a bit if balance but it is doable, aim to put your wight on the ball of your foot and minimise walking time.
An embellished flat would be my choice of alternative, these J.Crew flats have 40% off right now.
SHOP
Dressing over, on to the running order . . .
3.30pm - grounds open for guests to enjoy cocktails and canapés. We hand our picnic to one of the Grange Park staff for the interval. Walk around the Grange Park grounds and bask in the beauty of the gorgeous location. Begin to check other guests out!
5.20pm - call for first half. The theatre sits 550 people which I am told is a relatively small amount, the performance feels epic yet intimate, and we watch Peter Grimes which is a tale about a fisherman who is embroiled in a suspected murder. The orchestra was phenomenal and Oli and I particularly enjoyed the chorus line.
6.27pm - interval. This was SO much fun. Having given our picnic to one of the bar staff on our arrival, we discovered that our food was waiting for us on a table in a large marquee where all other guests were too. It was such a pleasure to see everyone in their tuxedos and gowns enjoying yummy food which they had brought, and cracking open a few bottles of wine (you can bring your own!) Ols and I packed a healthy dinner of lentil rainbow salad, salmon and roasted veg - and balanced it out with champagne! You can order a picnic instead, or dine in the mansion, see details here.
8.07pm - call for 2nd half. This is slightly longer than the first, and I enjoyed it even more, there is a clever scene where a building is opened up to reveal a boat which Oli and I both loved. The set for Peter Grimes was out of this world.
9.49pm - end opera. The second the lights went down the whole room erupted into applause, more applause, and then some extra loud applause for good measure. Some of the characters got a particularly large ovation, my favourites were two 'naughty nieces' who were hilarious.
10pm - backstage tour and piano recital. Myself, Oli and a few others had the honour of visiting the backstage area of the theatre after the Opera. We felt so lucky to be able to stand on stage and gets the 'actors view' - there were even a few cast members regaling guests. We had a glass of champagne and walked through the gorgeous Grange house which felt, and looked, like a Venetian palace with semi-ruined interiors and walls draped with silk paintings.
Opera Visit Summary
As a complete Opera novice I had THE most magical first time with Grange Park this season. It is so fun to engage in something completely left-field of what Oli and I would normally do in our free time, and an occasion to properly dress up is such a pleasure. It is super romantic to go as a couple to the opera, but equally I think it would be really fun with a big group of friends as you can have a huge picnic together. We have already been raving about it, and next year we are planning a big trip.
Grange Park is an easy journey from London so it is doable to visit the Opera and head home inane evening - the nearest rail station would be Winchester. If you have the time though I would advise staying in the nearby town of Alresford and making a mini break of it. There is SO much to do in the pretty town, gorgeous cafes, shops and pubs. The Woolpack is a beautiful local hotel with a short taxi ride to Grange Park.
Thank you so much to the gorgeous team at Grange Park Opera for having us as your guests. Under 30's can get tickets for £30 - we will definitely be getting in on this deal next year!
Over 30's it is worth ringing the box office to see which deals are on, details at the bottom of this page.
Have you guys been to any special events yet this Summer? Would you like to visit the Opera too? And importantly what would be your dream Opera attire?!
Hope you guys have kicked off an ace week!
Love,
MB x
Hope you guys have kicked off an ace week!
Love,
MB x
