Incredible flowers for a Beautiful Florist's wedding
Thursday - he sun was shining, the sky a brilliant blue, the borders still flowering despite the summer drought. The grass was brown, however, when Oakleaf Marquees arrived to put up the marquee in the field for this wedding - oakleafmarquees.co.uk / 01258 520345 / info@oakleafmarquees.co.uk /
Some props were stored safely on Thursday but Friday brought the real activity! The bride has a florist shop in Bournemouth – Forever Green = so flowers poured into the catering tent at the back of the marquee! A friend who used to own the shop had flown over from America specially to arrange them.
forevergreenfloristandgifts.co.uk / forevergreenflorist@gmail.com /01202 532664
The bride arranged more flowers in the marquee, some for the front of the top table and more for the trestles.
With great efficiency she had left little post-its attached to everything so that friends and the groom would know exactly what was to happen to it them - eg rugs to be unpacked and arranged on a step ladder outside the entrance ready for guests.
Long trestle tables were laid. Each place had a pink napkin with the guest’s name, appropriately for a florist, written on a leaf. Beside this was a gift of wrapped seeds to plant in memory of the great day plus for certain guests a miniature bottle of spirits as a thank you for their help.
To mark the groom’s interest in cricket, cricket bats bore the names of the guests on each table and more with the date of the wedding were placed by the drinks – the couple were providing drinks and not having a bar.
Soft slippers were put ready for those guests unwise enough to come in stilettos!
Outside, huge vases of flowers were put ready to go on pedestals the next day and flowers were left in the Gazebo to be arranged in the morning to make sure that they did not wilt.
On the lawn, Michael had help putting up a bell tent that we had lent them, to give shelter to the many small children attending the wedding, It was soon filled with toys in readiness. However, I gather that one tired adult guest also spent the night there!
Finally, the chairs from the marquee were arranged on the gazebo lawn ready for the ceremony the next day – there was absolutely no risk of rain.
The following day, the groom and his groomsmen arrived to put out the final touches. Boards went up welcoming guests and showing them the order of the day and a rack of crisps arranged beside the welcome soft drinks.
Glasses were precariously balanced on another step ladder by the alcoholic drinks and there was a flurry of activity in the gazebo. Two large vintage metal jugs were filled with huge arrangements of multicoloured flowers and an arc of flowers was attached to either side,
The bride’s godmother arrived with the beautiful cakes she had made, which she arranged in three tiers.
Soon it was time for the groom to go into the house to see the registrars before coming onto the lawn to greet his guests and direct them to their seats.
The bride, who had made her own bouquet, arrived with her father, looking amazing in a close fitting lace dress with a long train. She was accompanied by 4 adult bridesmaids wearing pale blue dresses with “fishtail” skirts. They quickly made their way into the house to see the registrars and to have photographs taken in the hall.
Now ready to go down to the gazebo, they came, past the ancestors dressed for the day, onto the steps where more pictures were taken.
The procession then assembled before setting off under the catalpa tree to join the nervous bridegroom. A flower girl and boy going first scattering petals as they went, followed by the bridesmaids and then the bride and her father. Two tiny children joined them at the end!
It was a very proud father who gave his daughter to her bridgroom.
The ceremony had two readers and a very important guest - the couple’s cocker spaniel who stole the show as he brought the rings!
With the register signed, the bride and groom made their way back down the aisle before going once again into the house. Their bridesmaids shepherded the guests onto the lawn and into two lines before the couple ran the gauntlet under a hail of confetti.
After circulating amongst their guests for a while, Jon, from Solid Imagery, who took all the wonderful photographs, not marked “in house”, took the couple aside to take some more informal photographs before moving on to more formal group ones.
solidimagery.co.uk / 07801 809706 / jon@solidimagery.co.uk
Icecreams from an icecream van and sweets from a sweet stall kept guests happy while photographs were being taken. (Sweet stall from Forever Green Florists - hired out for weddings - forevergreenfloristandgifts.co.uk / forevergreenflorist@gmail.com /01202 532664 )
and some small guests took lessons in crocquet, undaunted by the size of the mallets.
Not content with just drinking Prosecco, some guests and family sprayed the couple with well shaken bottles!
Hog Roast BBQ and Pizza with Love announced that the Wedding Breakfast was ready to serve and guests made their way to the back of the marquee to collect their plate of delicious food. hogroastbbq.com / info@hogroastbbq.com / 07591 764022 - http://www.pizzawithlove.co.uk / 07974 480911/
Speeches followed and much laughter drifted across the fields.
Meanwhile, Luvwed was setting up on the dance floor, ready for the first dance, where the bride bravely allowed herself to be whirled round and round by her new husband to the sound of a saxophone!
http://luvwed.co.uk / 07872 008828 / hello@luvwed.co.uk
Cake cutting followed
As light faded, more photographs were taken in the gardens
Posh Crepes arrived, positioning their van in front of the marquee and continued serving as darkness settled, giving the party a festival air - 07739 382451 / poshcrepes@gmail.com /
The party went on until midnight when guests wended their way back to their tents or B&Bs – sadly too dry to allow a firepit.
The next day they were refreshed with brunch before taking part in a game of rounders in the field. Again, much laughter!
It had been a beautiful, fun and brilliantly organised weekend.
Not content with supping Prosecco from their glasses, a group of family and friends surrounded the couple and sprayed them with champagne! Other smaller guests contented themselves with croquet.