When Kirill Sevastyanenko was visiting his friend, who was a student at the University of Pennsylvania, he was introduced to Victoria Sutherland on the doorstep of her apartment. “Before leaving at the end of that weekend, I made sure that I had asked Victoria out,” he smiles.
After eight years together, Kirill proposed on a boat in the Aegean Sea. “We were returning back to the Amanruya beach club around sunset and were sitting at the front of the boat, when Kirill surprised me by proposing, and I surprised myself by crying!” she laughs.
The natural choice for their wedding was Spain, where the groom-to-be’s 91-year-old grandmother resides—ensuring she could be part of the celebrations. “Kirill’s family love Seville and we were drawn to the uniquely Andalusian beauty of both Palacio de las Dueñas and Casa de Pilatos and were fortunate enough to be able to hold events in both iconic locations during our wedding weekend,” Victoria explains. “The blend of renaissance, mudejar, and gothic architecture in Seville felt symbolic of the blend of Kirill and mine’s Russian and Scottish backgrounds coming together, and we incorporated traditions from both families into the weekend.”
Madrid-based planners Paola de Herrera Soriano and Graziella Bernar Fernandez de Luz of A-Tipica were central to realizing the couple’s vision. And photographers Sergio Sandoná, assisted by Nicola Tagliabue, and Couche Studio lensed the multiple events—the former covered the rehearsal dinner through the wedding reception, and the latter attended the farewell brunch.
For her bridal wardrobe, Victoria called stylist Cynthia Cook Smith. “As lovers of fashion, film, and details, we had tons of fun searching for special pieces together that would feel elevated and tell a cohesive story,” the bride shares.
Together with the Monique Lhuillier team, Cynthia and Victoria customized a long-sleeved, off-the-shoulder lace wedding dress. “I have always loved lace and felt it was appropriately intricate for the setting given the carvings in the arches of the main courtyard in Casa de Pilatos,” the bride says.
On the day-of, Victoria got ready with beauty expert Eva Villar, who gave her a natural bridal look. The bride completed her look with a bespoke cathedral-length Monvieve veil with a blusher and juliet cap. And Patricia Voto of One Of used the same lace to create a beautiful bridal fan.
The groom looked handsome in a bespoke Brioni tuxedo with Stubbs & Wootton velvet slippers and Marlo Laz “Buena Suerte” cufflinks that Victoria gifted him.
On September 7, 2024, the Eastern Orthodox ceremony was held in the Praetorium Hall of Pilatos. “As my father and I walked down the aisle to ‘Eternal Source of Light Divine,’ I was definitely nervous but felt calm by the time Kirill lifted my veil at the altar,” Victoria reveals. “We were all smiles by the end of the ceremony!”
After cocktail hour in the garden of Pilatos, everyone was ushered to the main courtyard to find their seats at one long table, decorated with greenery and white florals by Verde Oliva. The newlyweds shared a first dance to “I Only Have Eyes for You.” “I survived Kirill’s enthusiastic lift at the end of our routine and found myself laughing with the very kind—and generous!—cheers of our friends and family,” Victoria recalls.
A delicious dinner by Alfardos concluded with strawberry pavlova, espresso martinis, and Scottish tablet that Victoria’s parents brought from St Andrews. “One of my favorite parts of the evening was looking around the table during dinner and soaking in the moment where so many we loved were all together,” the bride reflects.
Later on, Kirill changed into his Sutherland tartan kilt, and Victoria put on her Monique Lhuillier white silk sheath dress with One Of’s Tess Gloves and a Marlo Laz aquamarine choker. “We hit the dance floor with friends and family till 4 a.m.!” the bride exclaims of the fête with DJ Guy Preston. “The espadrilles we handed out to guests on the dance floor were a hit!”
