The bride's sister was married at Shillingstone last year so it was wonderful to welcome the family back. A very different style of wedding but just as beautiful.

Western Marquees provided the marquee. The vast windows of their new clear span tent filled the space with light. Containers of flowers and plants arranged by the family welcomed guests at the entrance.

The weather was dicey so the marquee was placed quite close to the Gazebo in case of rain but the sun shone and the chairs were set for an outside ceremony as planned. The simple but beautiful flowers on the gazebo and the baskets on the tables were arranged by Emma from Martha and the Meadow. She also created the bride's bouquet which was made up of the same old rose colours as the table decorations and was stunning. ( https://www.marthaandthemeadow.com/ )

The bride had take huge trouble to get everything perfect on the tables and laid them herself.

Inside the marquee the bride and groom had thought of all their guests with toys for the younger ones. Later the lawn filled with bubbles! Photographs and mementos had been put out with a tray for guests to put their wishes of good luck.

The bride came across the lawns on her father's arm to join her bridegroom at the gazebo.

The Ceremony finished the guests mingled on the lawns with their drinks before sitting down for a delicious Wedding Breakfast cooked by Indulge, a catering company from Shaftesbury. The puddings had been made by the bride's family. (www.indulgebakery.co.uk/private-catering )

The sun continued to shine and croquet was set up on the lawn, with both adult and child-sized mallets provided and there was much happy laughter as the children played with this or footballs in the fields.

As the sun went down, Evelyn and the Vipers started playing a contemporary mix of jazz, swing and modern pop rock which really got the guests up and dancing. Alba the singer has a beautiful voice. The band had offered to learn a first dance song and the groom said their cover of Home was fantastic! ( http://www.evelynandthevipers.co.uk/ )

The evening was warm enough for guests to dance on the lawn until midnight. The party over, many of the guests moved to the camping area. There, settled on hay-bales round our fire-pit, the party continued until 3am! The bride and bridegroom went to their bell tent in the walled garden and their guests to the festival of bell tents put up by Land and Wave from Swanage. ( www.landandwave.co.uk )

Sunday brought glorious weather and the party started again, when, with most of the wedding cleared, they relaxed on the lawn with croissants, and bacon butties cooked up on the barbeque by the bridegroom and his friends, not leaving until tea time.

Thank you so much for sharing your home with us, we had a truly amazing weekend which has made memories we shall cherish forever! V and B

Shillingstone House