Rain was not allowed to stop play!
Thursday and Marcqo Marquees arrived to put up a multi pod marquee in the field. Rain was forcast for the following day but they managed to get it up very speedily - too fast for me to take photographs except from a distance!
+44 7787 825548 / enquiries@marqco.co.uk / marqco.co.uk
All the wonderful photographs are taken by Karen from Parkwin Photography unless marked “in house” or otherwise
karen@parkwinphotography.co.uk / https://www.parkwinphotography.co.uk/ / 07855 062885
The following day, the bride and groom arrived with a band of friends and relations to decorate the marquee.
Their village hall had lent them yards of homemade bunting which was strung from corner to corner and set the scene for the pink, white and blue theme.
Tables were covered with white tablecloths and laid with white plates and napkins of a perfect pink. Onto these went a decorated package containing seeds for bees. Pink labels indicated place settings.
Cutlery and linen from Wessex Cater Hire - +44 1794 884566 / info@wessexcaterhire.co.uk /
In the centre of each table they placed a battery powered candle and a photograph of a flower, a different one for each table - the groom is a gardener by trade! To this was added a vase of garden flowers.
Flowers came from Puggs Meadow Flowers - +44 7813 945313 / lizzie@puggsmeadowflowers.com / puggsmeadowflowers.com
With the tables laid and the bunting up, they turned their attention to the last details. The last of the flowers were placed in old galvanised buckets (lent by us) ready to go outside the marquee the following day. A table, scattered with flower petals was put ready for gifts and cards with a guest book for good wishes. Finally the table plan was put ready by the entrance. Time to leave for the wedding rehearsal in church.
The wedding was in a local church. They said that it had been a very moving service.Their dog, Lisa, was waiting for them when they came out!
Some of the beautiful flowers were brought back to decorate the buffet table.
The couple arrived at Shillingstone House in a silver Rolls Royce. Sadly they were met with showers. The groom was seen to raise his eyes to heaven as if asking it to stop but this was not to be. The couple, however, were amazingling accepting, setting the scene for the rest of the day. They had a photograph taken in front of the incredible blossom of our Hoheria, before going into the house past the ancestors with the wedding hats.
Here, the photographer took pictures of the bride and groom and their attendants - her daughter and his two granddaughters. The latter brought smiles to everyone’s faces as she moved her eyebrows up and down in imitation of her grandfather!
The photographs on the stairs really showed off the bride’s beautiful dress - white satin with a lace bodice and a train that flowed behind her. It was perfect for her and she looked so lovely.
Her adult bridesmaids wore grey satin in styles chosen by them. The divine flower girl wore a white organza dress printed with grey feathers.
The beautiful bouquets carried by the bridal party were created by Blackshed Flowers -
0777 34 22 125 / 0785 99 11 817 / info@blackshed.flowers / https://www.blackshed.flowers/ - they also provided the button holes and the dried petals used as confetti and scattered on the tables in the marquee.
With two families united by this marriage, many group photographs were taken in the dining room as well as some lovely ones of the bride by the windows.
Meanwhile guests had been grabbing a drink from the beautifully decorated Horse Box bar set up close to the marquee. -
The Horsebox Bar was from Ginclairs 07838 314735 / enquiries@ginclairs.co.uk / https://ginclairs.co.uk/
…. or making themselves at home in the marquee until they were joined by the bride and groom.
DorsetBBQ then served a delicious meal
hello@dorsetbbq.co.uk / dorsetbbq.co.uk
Pudding took the form of a selection of the most amazing looking cakes and little fruit tarts.
Speeches were greeted with cheers, laughter and emotion.
With the speeches over, the little flower girl returned to the paper and pens provided for her, producing masterpieces throughout the day.
The photographer took a moment to capture some of the flowers in the garden
Showers continued but this did not stop the couple going through to the walled garden for more photographs - umbrellas in hand.
Whilst in the walled garden, they checked out their wedding night accommodation.
Before returning to their guests they showed some of the old station fittings to their grandson - there used to be a light railway here
The light began to fade and the fairy lights went on - just in time to light the flower girl to the loo! She had bravely gone on her own throughout the day.
The couple returned to the marquee to cut their cakes - a delicious looking trio of chocolate, topped with slithers of white chocolate, lemon and carrot, arranged on terracotta flowerpots of different heights which continued the garden theme.
Soon it was time for the party to begin - Tom Corneill began to play and the couple took to the dance floor for their first dance to the the song “Dance like Fred Astaire”
tomcorneillmusic@gmail.com mobile 07525 195158
Then everyone else took to the floor and to the microphone, including the children.
A highlight for the groom was that he had planned for some friends to join Tom in singing She's a Star as a special surprise for Jane.
The party continued until midnight when the bride and groom followed the lights to their bell tent.
The following day brought the sun and over 40 people to help clear up and to have a BBQ lunch. The children set up a drawing table and produced wonderful portraits of the guests including one of Michael and I.
This second wonderful party continued until late in the afternoon when sadly the bunting had to come down - the end of an amazing weekend - a real example of the power of love over the weather.