Beautifully organised wedding
Normally I might worry if a parent was taking over the organising of a wedding but this wedding was an exception! The bride and groom had gratefully turned everything over to his stepmother who did the most amazing job - she even arranged all the flowers and made the wedding cake!
The wedding started one day early as Thursday, the day we normally put up the marquees, was forcast to deluge.
Jon from Marqco Marquees came early as he had two marquees to errect - one in the field for the reception and one by the gazebo to shelter guests from sun or rain.
Marqco Marquees - +44 7787 825548 / enquiries@marqco.co.uk / marqco.co.uk
All the great photographs not marked “in house” or “guest”have been taken by Lewis Blackburn Photography - lew_blackburn7@hotmail.com / https://www.facebook.com/LewisBlackburnMedia/
The weather forecast was absolutely correct but Friday brought the sun plus many friends and relations to get the marquee ready for the wedding.
The wonderous stepmother set up her floristry table in the ceremony tent - easily spotted as both she and her daughter were wearing sunflower jump suits to match the sunflowers they were arranging.
The finished vases spent the night in the cool of the porch ready to be taken to the marquee the next day.
A home made crisp wall appeared at the back of the marquee and a basket was set ready for cards and good wishes. Each table had a message from the bride and groom inviting everyone to share their photographs.
The large rustic tables were arranged with two bottle lights on each one. They were not having named seating so glasses were left in groups on the tables and cutlery would be collected with their meal.
The weather forecast overnight was good so the chairs were moved to the wedding marquee and with most arrangements in place, the party, with much hilarity, staged a rehearsal, for the ceremony the following day.
Time to return home.
The following day the groom turned up with his best man and they put the flowers from the porch onto the tables
Drinks tables were set up behind the wedding tent ready for reception drinks and covered with a tablelcloth until after the ceremony.
One big thing was missing - ICE! The two men went off in search and returned some time later with the most enormous amount as they had been given someone else’s order by mistake.
Neal The Chef arrived to set up his catering van in the field. A walkway lined with fairy lights had been put in place the previous day.
+44 7941 306354 / Nealthechef@gmail.com
The Stepmother arrived with the most beautiful layers of cake. With the day forecast to be hot, we placed it in the dining room to keep cool.
We had arranged bright flowers around the gazebo and she added some jam jars of sunflowers which looked perfect.
Guests began to arrive really early and we had to enlist the help of the kindly photographer to move the last of the reception drink from the ceremony marquee to its hiding place under the table cloth by the yew hedge. Seat pads could then be put out and a space made for the quartet to sit and play. Then it began to drizzle!!
Magio Strings - 07837 750 565 / https://www.magiostrings.co.uk / hello@magiostrings.co.uk
Everything was ready, the stepmother had changed in our bell tent in the wallgarden and reappeared looking really chic and the registrars had arrived and were chatting to the groom in the dining room. The photographer had time to take some beautiful pictures of the house and flowers in the borders.
Word was sent that the bride was on her way and the groomsmen ushered guests to their seats to await her arrival. The groom took his place in front of the gazebo.
She was wearing a beautiful white lace dress with a fitted bodice in the front and an amazing cross over at the back - with her hair up, she looked amazing.
Her adult bridesmaid wore a eau de nil satin dress and they both carried bunches of eucolyptus and sunflowers.
The wedding party gathered on the drive and the procession set off as the music began, the family dog, led by the bride’s brother in the front, followed by her bridesmaid and then the bride and her proud father.
Seeing his beautiful bride approaching was an emotional moment for the groom but laughter soon replaced tears as the ring bearer shot down the aisle.
The ceremony began under the expert guidance of Kevin, our wonderful Registrar.
Soon it was time to exchange rings and to be declared husband and wife.
The signing of the register completed, they made their way down the aisle with their friends cheering and clapping on either side.
The couple returned to the house for a short break on their own before leaving through the dining room doors to be showered with confetti by their waiting friends..
The couple chatted with their guests before being taken off to have photographs taken in the fields and grounds
More formal pictures were taken throughout the day.
Many guests, adults as well as children, began to play with the games laid out on the lawn. These had been hired from Dorset Advenure Sports - www.dorsetadventuresports.co.uk / 01202-937-557
Everyone returned to the marquee for the cutting of the cake.
Soon it was time to collect their Wedding Breakfast food from Neal the Chef.
Speeches started towards the end of the meal and caused much hilarity. The groom was profuse in his thanks to his stepmother and she stood to take a little bow!
8pm the disco started to play - Tubsy Entertainment / +44 7751 254385 / i.dj@sky.com / Tubsy.uk /
Time for the first dance.
More games followed their meal with the bride and groom joining in.
Many guests found the photobooth in the gazebo and posed in the mad hats etc that had been left out for them to use.
As the sun began to go down Lewis, the photographer, took the couple for some more photographs, culminating in the most beautiful one of them with the sun setting behind them.
Tubsy kept everyone dancing until the music stopped at midnight when the bride and groom left for their wedding night in the walled garden. It had been the most beautiful calm day.
