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.

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Written by Caroline Salt On

A Glorious Informal Wedding

Another glorious August day, blue skies but brown, rock-hard lawns.  DP Marquees did manage, however, to get the pegs in for their traditional two pole marquee and it look magnificent on the lawn in front of the house. Most of the sides were windowed so that guests could still see the big border and the view to the hills.

They provided three tables and parasols for the ha-ha side of the tent which were much in use on the day and all the benches for the ceremony.

01258 452539 / info@dpmarquees.com / dpmarquees.co.uk

Friday brought many friends and relations to finish off the decorations and catering arrangements started the day before.

A catering gazebo was put up by the summer house and filled with drink, plates and cutlery and Josh set up the most amazing bar that he had made from pallets – what would be do without them?!

DP had lined the inside of the marquee and hung a vintage ladder between the two poles.  This was lit with huge light bulbs and greenery was added by the couple. To finish, they wound ivy round the poles and placed a small eucalyptus tree at the bottom. Very simple but very effective.

The trestle tables were laid with white cloths and long runners of hessian edged with lace.  Similar strips were tied to the back of every other of the French Bistro Chairs that they had chosen.

This was very much a home-made wedding and the flowers were arranged by friends in green glass bottles and jam jars which the bride had decorated by winding hessian string round the tops.

Brown raffia mats were placed on each place with the cutlery and napkin tied up with hessian string and a piece of lavender. Children were well catered for with pencils and colouring books set out to amuse them and each guest had a brown wrapped bag of pic-a-mix sweets!

Lastly candles in wrought iron holders were placed on the tables (for decoration only!)  The final effect was really beautiful.

They were having a free bar so this was stocked ready for their guests and jam jar mugs, each with a name on it, were place ready for Pimms the next day.

Games and an enormous ball were put ready for fun on the lawns the following day as well as a crate for cards, an easel with photographs of the couple and another pallet showing the order of the day. The joy of the heatwave meant that props could be safely arranged outside without a chance of them getting wet!

Camper vans were manoeuvred into place by the stables and the guests who were camping put up their tents ready for the following night.

The wedding day dawned and the groom, his best man and his groomsman arrived looking very smart in matching chinos and blue jackets and mercifully no ties as it was already extremely hot.

They checked that everything was perfect and hung little jam jars of flowers on hooks down the aisle.  More were placed in front of the gazebo and on the table inside. The Star Jasmine was in full flower at the back and the scent was glorious.

The groom went into the house to see the ministers from the Storehouse Church in Dorchester who were marrying them, and then posed for some wonderfully informal pictures before going down to the gazebo to receive his bride.

She arrived in a bright red car decorated with ribbons accompanied by five adult bridesmaids, two little flowers girls and one page.  One of these, plus one smaller were the couple’s own children.

The bride looked really beautiful in an organza dress with an off the shoulder fitted bodice and lace detail and sleeves.  Her bridesmaids wore cross-over tulle dresses in a pale pink. They all carried bunches of white flowers by Jessie from West Dorset Wedding flowers in Dorchester.

 https://westdorsetweddingflowers.co.uk /07740 981765 / jessie@westdorsetweddingflowers.co.uk /

The party assembled by the catalpa tree waiting for the signal to progress.  The bride was given away by her father and proceeded down the aisle by her attendants.

Ceremony over, they made their way back up the aisle only to be ambushed by the bridesmaids and the groom’s father with boxes of confetti at the end!

Before the guests left the gazebo lawn, they were all coaxed with difficulty into o a heart shape to a group photograph taken from an upstairs window.

While guests tucked in to the welcome drinks and canapés, Chris Whitefield, who took all the amazing photographs, not marked “in house”, gathered groups together more formal pictures.

01305 812219 / http://www.chriswhitefield.co.uk

The bride and groom then went into the field for some lovely informal shots before entering the marquee as a married couple.

Time for the most delicious meal to be served served – all produced by the bride’s best friend who used to run Dorset Porkers.  Speeches followed.

And then the cutting of the most amazing cake! Shaped like a chocolate crown topped with a selection of chocolate treats, it was made by Sarahs Cake Company - https://sarahscakecompany.co.uk / hello@sarahscakecompany.co.uk

Afterwards guests spilled out onto the lawns to relax in the sun or in the shade of the parasols or to explore the gardens

More wonderful photographs followed with the bridesmaids - again really informal and fun.

Then a few more on their own…..

As evening drew in, music began to rise from the marquee where wedding DJ Ian David had set up his equipment. Time for the first dance

https://www.alivenetwork.com/bandpage.asp?bandname=DJ%20Ian%20David / 01782 740839

The party continued until midnight when guests departed to their B&Bs or to the tents in the grounds. The bride and groom retired to their bell tent in the Walled Garden, accompanied by their two children, both dead to the world!

The end of a wonderful, beautiful relaxed day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
























 

 

 

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Written by Caroline Salt On

Beautiful postponed wedding

This was a wedding which had been postponed twice due to Covid but it was hugely worth waiting for – a truely golden celebration.

In House

Thursday brought brilliant blue skies and All Seasons Marquees to set up their frame marquee in the field.  They also put one Chinese Hat at the rear for the caterers and another on the big lawn ready for the singer.

+44 7580 121046 / sam@allseasonsmarquees.com / allseasonsmarquees.com

The Bride and Groom started to bring decorations etc ready to put into the marquee when it was finished.  The bride was hugely organised, especially amazing as she had a small baby to look after, and produced a floor plan of where everything and everybody needed to go which was very useful.

Taken at a pre-wedding shoot in the gardens by
Darren Lovell Photography https://www.darrenlovellphotography.co.uk

Friday brought friends and relations to help set up.  The weather forecast was good enough to risk putting the chairs ready for the ceremony. The groom’s mother brought silk white wisteria which the bride’s sister wound round a garden arch at the end of the aisle and on the front of the gazebo. She also arranged all the flowers in the marquee. It was the first time the bride had seen her for 3 years as she lives in Australia. Large white hydrangeas, bought in Poole Market that morning were placed at the foot of the arch.

Golden sunflowers were arranged in glass vases ready to go down the aisle the next morning, and more filled two big churns, lent by a friend of the bride and yet more in white enamel buckets, lent by us, at the bottom of the Ha Ha steps.

To continue the golden theme, Whitestem arrived with little lemon trees to place in the centre of each table.  The end of the marquee was one huge clear span and in front of this they arranged an enormous arch of sweet-smelling jasmine.  The lemon trees spent the night in the cool of the great oak next to the marquee. Whitestem - https://www.whitestem.co.uk / +44 7985 613572 / debbie@whitestem.co.uk

Tables were laid, with a slice of wood in the centre ready for a lemon tree the next morning.  Real lemons circled these and little bottles of limoncello were put by each adult place. The bride and groom fell in love with the lemon trees on holiday on the Amalfi coast where they also discovered limoncello! Glasses were filled by folded navy napkins.  The whole effect was so simple and so effective.

Two green gazebos were put up at one end of the lawn for shade and lawn games - borrowed from a friend who was a great support on the day - Another white gazebo was put out for the welcome drinks.

Everything was ready for the following day.

10am and the caterers, Dorset BBQ drove into the field before taking up position behind the marquee.  hello@dorsetbbq.co.uk / dorsetbbq.co.uk  

The groom and his ushers turned up at about 11.30 to check last minute arrangements.  They positioned the sunflowers down the aisle , they looked particularly good against the drying grasses, and set out everything was ready for the welcome drinks. 

Magic mirror booth set up their flower wall in the marquee,  https://www.magicmirrorbooth.co.uk/ 07929 050487

Soon it was time for the groom to meet the registrars and for the first guests to arrive.  Some went straight up to the camping area to put up their tents but others mingled on the lawn.

2.00 and the horse box bar arrived to set up in front of the Marquee – Paddock Bar –https://www.thepaddockbar.com /  07557 809 856 | 07427 600 396 – They quickly laid prosecco on the lawn ready for the after ceremony drinks.

All was now ready for the arrival of the bride and the ushers began shepherding the guests down to the lower lawn.

The bride arrived with 2 adult bridesmaids both dressed in navy blue.  She looked absolutely stunning in a heavy lace dress with a fitted heart-shaped boddice.  Her hair was loose and she and her bridesmaids carried bunches of sunflowers.  The one exception to this was the littlest bridesmaid, their 5 month old daughter who was a ball of frills!

Paperwork over, they lined up by the Catalpa tree – The bride was being given away by her mother and father. Signal given, the guests rose to greet her and the procession moved off towards the gazebo and the waiting groom.

Ceremony over, the bride and groom went straight into the house where they waited in the dining room for their guests to be organised into two straight lines leading away from the dining room windows.  The bridesmaids gave out packets and cones of confetti and when everything was ready the bride, groom and daughter made their way down the steps and set off through a storm of confetti.

This finished, the ushers moved the chairs from the ceremony lawn back to the marquee and guests began to take their welcome drinks of prosecco and tuck into the canapes which had been made that morning by the bride and her bridesmaids!

Lee Rasdall Dove started to play his guitar and sing to the guests - https://www.leerasdalldove.com/ - which gave a lovely background to the reception.

While the guests mingled, Darren Lovell – who took all the wonderful photographs not marked “in House” – gathered guests into groups for formal / and not so formal photographs – not easy as the sun was very bright - Darren Lovell Photography https://www.darrenlovellphotography.co.uk

Then into the marquee for the Wedding Breakfast which Dorset BBQ served to guests at their tables.  The meal finished with speeches greeted with much laughter and cheering.

Leaving their guests to explore the grounds or try their hands at the lawn games, the Bride and Groom went with Daren to have more photographs taken in the gardens.  With no rain for months, the grass was beginning to lose its greenness but Daren used this to full advantage, taking some amazing pictures in the long grass of the camping lawn.

7pm and time to cut the cake before taking to the dance floor for the first dance – the couple had made a playlist and it was one of these tunes that they chose. 

For music later in the evening, they had engaged the Mother Ukers – a Band, who play songs from all decades on their Ukuleles (which seemed take many shapes and forms).  They arrived to set up by the dance floor and started to play around 8pm and continued until 10.00 when the playlist was used again.  The dance floor was packed - +44 7936 376457 / contact@motherukers.com /motherukers.com

More food was produced at 10.00 by Pizza Dragon who had managed to manoeuvre themselves into position opposite the paddock bar.  As darkness fell, with lighting shining through their red gazebo they looked very festive - http://www.pizzadragon.co.uk/ /+44 7895 597724 / ThePizzaDragon@hotmail.com

The party continued until midnight but with the bridal couple retiring a little earlier with their sleepy daughter who seemed to have enjoyed every moment of the celebration.

It had been an amazing day – beautifully planned but very relaxed.

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Written by Caroline Salt On

Luck Shone on this couple!

Luck shone on this couple!  They had longed to have tipis for their wedding but they were hugely more expensive than a marquee BUT the day before set up Oakleaf Marquees rang to ask if they would swap their Clear Span marquee for tipis – no hesitation – YES!

It was cloudy when Oakleaf arrived to set up in the field, the first cloudy day for a while as you can see by the state  of the lawn!

It is fascinating to watch tipis go up – such a simple structure but very heavy and not without a few hazards.

 Oakleaf Marquees - https://www.oakleafmarquees.co.uk / 01258 520345 / info@oakleafmarquees.co.uk – they also provided the benches for the lawn.

Friday and the decorating began.  First the chairs went down to the bottom lawn where they were laid out ready for Saturday’s ceremony but minus their seats which were piled into the Gazebo, just in case it rained which was luckily very unlikely.

Whitestem brought their beautiful scented jasmine arch for the front of the gazebo and placed two olive trees at the start of the aisle and two at the end – very simple but very effective and the smell from the jasmine was incredible - Whitestem Real Trees - https://www.whitestem.co.uk / 07985 613572 / debbie@whitestem.co.uk

Tables were laid with a hessian runner over stiff white damask cloths from 365 Linen Hire -  01722 333444 / 365linen@gmail.com / www.365catererslinen.co.uk –

The mismatched vintage china and cutlery was produced by the caterers Sunflower Kitchen - sunflowerkitchen.uk / phoebesearle@gmail.com / lavshastie@gmail.com/ 07984156307 / 07810837286  - who also laid the tables.

A wooden slice in the centre of each table held a candle – for decoration only – and bunches of flowers, some in bottles and some in a jam jars – a jar of sweets on each place completed the arrangement - the whole effect was very smart but equally very relaxed.

Sunflower Kitchen set up in the catering marquee at the back of the tipis and laid out a table out on the lawn for canapes the next day.

A long table was set outside the tipi with photographs of the the bride and groom and a book for guests to write their messages to the couple.

The flowers were moved into the cool of the porch overnight, in the care of the ancestors - who were already wearing their wedding hats. Flowers provided by Blackshed Flowers - 07859 911817 / info@blackshed.flowers / https://www.blackshed.flowers who also provided the buttonholes and the bride’s bouquet.

The Fizzy Pheasant brought their bar into the tipi and arranged two huge barrels and a heavy wooden counter on the lawn ready for drinks after the ceremony.

The following day the groom and his friends put all the cushions onto the chairs and placed a packet of confetti and an order for the day on each one.  A welcome notice ready for their guests went to the top of the steps  and they moved the flowers from the porch into the tipi.  We finished off the gazebo with chair covers and a cloth over the table and added pots of white dahlias to the front.

Soon it was time for the groom to finish dressing and see the registrars

……..and then patiently wait for his bride to arrive.

Sunflower kitchen dressed their canape bar with pots of herbs and laid out their wares and very tempting they looked!

The guitarist, who was to play as the couple came down the aisle, started to tune up.

Guests began to arrive and were shown to their seats and before long a classic open topped purple Triumph Stag made its way to the front door.  Owned and driven by the bride’s father it was an amazing sight.  Incredibly the bride emerged without her hair style blown away. 

 She looked stunning in a very simple white dress with spaghetti straps and an embroidered bodice sown with beads.  Before going down to the gazebo she had some photographs taken on the stairs of the house where her train was shown to perfection.

Her bridesmaids wore matching teal dresses with draped bodices drawn in by a diamante arc at the waist.  They looked lovely with the dresses suiting all three.

The bridal party lined up and on the nod from the registrars, the guitarist started playing and they wended their way down under the Catalpa tree, bridesmaids first and then the bride with her mother on one side and her father on the other.

Service finished and register signed the couple, full of smiles, made their way back up the aisle in a shower of confetti.

They circulated amongst their guests for a while as they enjoyed canapes and welcome drinks before it was time for formal photographs including a group one taken from an upstairs window.

Then leaving everyone to chat and relax, they went off with Daniella Marinos and her assistant to have less formal pictures taken in the gardens.  Daniella took all the wonderful photographs in this blog except those marked “in house”. Daniella Marinos Photography - 07720 230977 / daniellamarinosphotography@gmail.com / www.daniellamarinosphotography.com

They even found time to practice their first dance!

5pm brought a summons to the tipis to start the wedding breakfast.  It smelt and looked delicious and was served on more vintage china.

There was no cutting of the cake as this took the form of a huge pile of brownies, sprinkled with fresh fruit and rose petals!

The meal finished with speeches and the laughter and cheers was probably heard in the village. At the end the couple were presented with a photograph of the groom taken on his stag night which was cause for more laughter!

Guests spilled back out onto the lawn, some to sit in the shade of the gazebos and some  to explore the gardens.  The bride and groom went off to have more photographs taken.

A van drew up into the field and the Carterello band unpacked their kit onto the dance floor.  As the light faded they tuned up and the couple took to the floor for their first dance which looked very polished and ended with the groom lifting the bride right off the floor!

07789 934698 / russparkermusic@gmail.com / www.carterelloband.com

The lights from the tipi looked incredible in the darkening night as did the lights from the Big Bang Pizza who had quietly set up their stall in front of the tipi.07521 413720 / bridget@bigbangpizza.co.uk / www.bigbangpizza.co.uk

The party went on until midnight when guests left either to go back to their B&Bs or to follow the fairy lights to their tents in the camping field.  The end of an amazing day – non-stop laughter and fun.!

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Written by Caroline Salt On

Fantastic Family Wedding

With large numbers of one of the groom’s family attending it was a really lovely child friendly wedding.

Wednesday brought Shaun from Affordable Marquees to the field in front of the house - Tel. 01963 33798 / Mob. 07932141622 / affordablemarquees@hotmail.co.uk / https://affordablemarquees.co.uk/ - An old stager at Shiillingstone House, Shaun and his team quickly started to put up his “Petal” Marquee.  With a small team, Shaun likes to take two days to complete.

Friday brought campers and helpers.  Tables were laid with precision – the groom in charge of decorations had a very definite vision in mind and they looked amazing even without the flowers which were added the following day.

Each guest had a beautifully wrapped gift, tied with a black ribbon, and a sparkler on their place. The gift contained chocolates and were made by Nicky at Choc18 in Westbourne / https://chocol8.co.uk/ There were no place markers yet as the grooms wanted guests to choose their seats. The beautiful table markers and the place markers that were waiting for guests by the door were drawn by Amy, a family friend - https://www.instagram.com/amywrites__/ +44 7715 439018 / amy.writes@hotmail.com / amy-writes.co.uk

Shaun had left ropes to enable New Street Flowers to hoist their circles of eucalyptus and gypsophila into place on the outer poles and to twist a garland of the same round the central pole.  They looked so smart.  New Street Flowers - shop@newstreetflowers.com /newstreetflowers.com

Early on Saturday morning, Linen and Lace crept in to dress the chairs in the marquee and to drape the gazebo with lengths of white voile.  It was quite a task as there were over 200 chairs! Linen and Lace - 07989 502235 / enquiries@linenandlacehire.co.uk / linenandlacehire.co.uk

Later in the morning New Street Flowers returned to add two lovely arrangements to the voile drapes on the front of the gazebo

In the marquee they placed a selection of white flowers in little bottles on the tables.  The final effect was extremely sleek, and understatedly chic.

Before they left they put the button holes and bridesmaids bouquets in the shade of the porch.

Pop Up Photobox arrived with their photobooth equipment, a large selection of wonderful props and some huge light up letters for the dance floor- 07946 429066 / info@popupphotobox.co.uk / popupphotobox.co.uk

The catering tent filled with the most amazing display of cakes of every sort – all made by one of the grooms and his mother the night before!!! His mother had been baking scones all day on Friday.  The Groom even made the wedding cake which was decorated with more white gypsophila and eucalyptus

One of the grooms and his friends carefully carried the chairs out to their places in front of the gazebo ready for the ceremony.. They also laid out the lawn games that they had brought.

With the welcome sign up, also drawn by Amy, everything was now ready for the first groom to go into the dining room to see the Registrars.  Paperwork finished he went down to the gazebo to await his husband to be.

New Street Flowers

The latter arrived in style with 13 bridesmaids dressed in shades of dark and pale blue!  The young bridesmaids had wands instead of bouquets which they loved! Photographs taken and registrars seen, the bridal procession assembled by the front door. Signal given, the music started and the groom and his mother, proceded by his bridesmaids started to make their way down to the gazebo.

The ceremony was beautiful and included a reading by one of the bridesmaids. The sun was so hot that serveral guests sheltered under the shade of umbrellas!

Ceremony over, guests spilled onto the upper lawn for drinks with A and D Mobile bars, who had set up by the marquee, doing a brisk trade!  Chairs were carried less carefully back so I quickly tweaked the backs ready for the wedding breakfast!

admobilebars.com / info@admobilebars.com /o7969052649

This took the shape of the most magnificent “brunch” with the cakes being joined by delicious sandwiches etc from Butterfingers and Sandwich Bar from Poole.. The Grooms got a standing round of applause as they entered the tent as Mr and Mr Frazer-Hurst.

01202 661152 / sales@butterfingerssandwichbar.co.uk / butterfingerssandwichbar.co.uk

While guests were eating, Blossom and Bounce set up the most elegant Bouncy Castle, not a word I would have thought you could apply to a bouncy castle!  The two staff members stayed throughout the afternoon to maintain safety - Blossomandbounce@outlook.com / blossomandbounce.co.uk

Their meal and speeches finished the guests came out into the sunshine and got stuck into the lawn games or chatted and explored the grounds as the children bounced and bounced!

Some tried out the photobooth props with hilarious results! The booth took double photographs one dated one for the guests to take home and one for the grooms to keep as memories.

The photographer, a family friend, took a group photograph and several other formal and not so formal pictures - including one of the grooms with an old family spaniel who attended the ceremony.

  • The rest of the photographs were either taken by us - marked in house - or by other friends or relations

And some went to finish putting up their tents in the camping area - quite a Canvas City! The bell tents were provided by New Forest Bell Tents - +44 7773 372425 / info@newforestbelltents.co.uk / newforestbelltents.co.uk

Soulstar Music arrived to set up on the dancefloor and as the sun began to go down, they began to play.  What wonderful music - as you can see by the thank you from one of the grooms! - Soulstar Music info@soulstarmusic.co.uk / soulstarmusic.co.uk

Round the back of the marquee, Hog Roast BBQ were setting up their stall ready for the evening meal. - info@hogroastbbq.com / 07591764022 / https://www.hogroastbbq.com/- it was delicious and proved very popular with guests with a long queue snaking out of the marquee.

The grooms took to the floor for the first dance before cutting their cake.

Just before 11pm the guests spilled out of the tent to watch the fireworks that one of the grooms had set up in the field. Due to the rain shower a little earlier damping the fuse, they took a little time to light but were well worth it!!

The party contined to midnight when guests retired to their tents, camper vans or B&Bs - sadly the grass too dry for a fire pit.

The next day much clearing up took place and we were very kindly given the remains of the wedding cake and some of the fairy cakes to take round to the Homeless in Bournemouth where they were greatly appreciated.

It seemed very quiet once everyone had gone – it had been a wonderful celebration and a huge reward for all the hard work that had gone into its planning.

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Written by Caroline Salt On

Tepee Wedding with a Glastonbury Air

This was a wedding where the couple had huge faith in their belief that Shillingstone House was the venue of their dreams!  They lived in Bristol, got married in a church just outside Bath and then everyone drove for an hour to reach us!  Thank you for your faith.

Thursday brought Buffalo Tipis to the field, all the way from Corsham- 01225 585586/ hello@buffalotipi.com  /http://www.buffalotipi.com/.  They looked magnificent when finished.  Simon also provided cane furniture for guests to relax on and some magnificent huge barrels, as well long tables and chairs. 

 Friday brought the decorations and many friends and relations to help put them up. 

The couple had arranged for Simon to hook up a pulley for them to attach a huge wooden ring for flowers.  Bunches of eucalyptus and silk flowers were attached at intervals before it was lifted to the ceiling of the tepee.

More flowers were arranged in huge milk churns and a selection of vintage metal containers and placed on either side of the entrance.

Tables were laid with a line of shells and dried flowers down the middle.  Each place had the guest’s name cut of wood and two stems of lavender – Lavender being the Bride’s new name.

This theme continued in the big pots of lavender placed on either side of the walkway from the tepees.

Long strings of photographs of the couple were pegged round the sides of the tepee and jars of sweets and boards ready for cakes and cheese appeared on side tables.

The barrels were heaved out onto the lawn ready for drinks the next day along with some more garden chairs for relaxation.

Tom from the Vintage Bar Co arrived to set up a rustic bar - 07775 067707 (Tom)/01483 320075 /
info@vintagebarcompany.co.uk /vintagebarcompany.co.uk

Lastly a white painted pallet was placed ready for guests to find their tables which were marked on votive candles holders.

Everything ready for the next day, the bride and groom left for their church rehearsal in Bristol.

Saturday and the sun was shining.  The Groom’s father plays in a Gypsy Jazz band and his fellow bandsmen arrived to set up under a gazebo on the lawn so that they could practice before the arrival of the bridal party.

Manouche Jazz Quartet / 07775 916863 / manouchejazz.co.uk

Lisa Notley arrived with a beautiful wedding which she set up at one end of the tepee – three layers of white butter cream, decorated with real pink roses.

07818 201074 - lisa@lisanotleycakedesign.co.uk - lisanotleycakedesign.co.uk

Caviar and Chips had arrived early to set up in the catering tent and be ready for Guests as they began to drift in and come round onto the lawn for drinks and canapes.  Caviar & Chips / 07500 791002 (Jo)/
jo@caviarandchips.co.uk /caviarandchips.co.uk

Suddenly there was a chugging sound on the drive and up came a vintage Morris Minor.  Out of the back squeezed the bride and groom, not an easy feat with tip up seats and a wedding dress!  They quickly went round to join their guests.

The groom’s mother and cousin came into the dining room to assemble two incredible cakes. She is Danish and this was a Danish delicacy called Kransekake .  It took a lot care, as it was very fragile, to carry them out to the tepee, especially as the journey involved two sets of steps.

While guests socialised, James Darling, who had come all the way from Cornwall, took some formal photographs on the lawn before whipping the bridal couple away to take some more informal ones in the gardens.  James took all the amazing photographs not marked “in house”. 

https://jamesdarlingphotography.com / 07799 674826 info@jamesdarlingphotography.com

 Soon it was time for the couple to join their guests for the delicious looking wedding breakfast, swiftly followed by speeches – much happy laughter and cheering.

James Darling used some of this time to take some wonderful drone pictures of the house.

 Speeches over, guests returned to the lawns to chat or to explore the walled garden but as the sun went down they returned to the tepee for the cutting of the cake – done with difficulty with a sword as the groom had been in the navy.

We switched on our fairy lights and they lit flares along the bottom of the Ha Ha well out of the way of guests. It looked very magical

 Two Doors Down, a band from Hampshire, had set up their kit on the stage and they began to tune up but it was not long before the bride and groom took to the floor for their First Dance.Two Doors Down – 0845-094-1911/ www.tailored-entertainment.com / info@tailored-entertainment.com

Guests took advantage of the photobooth set up in the tepees - with some hilarious results!

Fantastic music continued until midnight when the couple left to spend their wedding night at Ansty close by - Wooden Dorset Eco Retreats – Ansty - https://www.dorsethideaways.co.uk

The Brides amazing Aunt took charge of the camping party but sadly rain made the lighting of a fire pit impossible.

 

The party did not stop there, with the lovely Aunt producing the most amazing spread of pastries for Brunch the next day, washed down with Brazilian coffee ordered from our coffee tenant here at Shillingstone - Martin Carwardine & Co. /https://www.lovecoffee.co.uk/01934 853800 /

Sunday night brought a huge storm with the most incredible lightening show which lit up the sky like daylight so the wonderful weekend went out with a bang!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 






















 

 

 

 

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Written by Caroline Salt On

Festival Wedding!

What a wedding! Very organised but with a wonderfully laid back, festival feel to it.

The weather was a little overcast when Coastal Tents arrived on Thursday to putting up their beautiful sailcloth tent in the field, where if the sun comes out as promised, the couple will be able to have all the sides open with views to the hills on one side and to the gardens on the other.

The couple had seen it at the Open Day that Coastal Tents had held with us last year and fallen in love with it - Coastal Tents - 01929 505005 / info@coastaltents.co.uk / coastaltents.co.uk

Friday, and the sun is shining.  So much to do!

Incredible, homemade, lawn games appeared on the lawn which began to look like an old fashioned fete.

Inside, silk flowers and ivy joined a row of vintage tea pots in white birdcages along the roof of the marquee.  The bride’s mother has a vintage hire company which always helps!  Simply Love Vintage (Simplylovevintage.com)

Bunting was hung everywhere – round the lawn games, round the inside of the marquee and on either side of the Gazebo.  Huge trouble had been taken to make and source decorations.

 Even the trees were adorned with declarations of love.

Sawn tree branches were placed in front of the Gazebo to mark out the aisle for the ceremony the next day, each one tied with a hessian bow.  The Groom’s mother and her best friend quickly covered the wooden structure with hanging baskets and pot plants in wonderful bright colours – a hint of the wedding theme.  Some they had brought from home and some bought locally.  It looked amazing.

Inside the marquee was a hive of activity as well.  Tables were being laid.  Each place setting had the knives and forks wrapped in a hessian band tied with a red ribbon. 

Red glass candle holders surrounded a circle of sawn wood ready for flowers the following morning arranged in yet more vintage tea pots.   A Menu showed the salads on offer for the Wedding Breakfast.  Children had their own menu and a bag of goodies to amuse them during the meal.

 A side table held a vintage suitcase ready for cards and another a collage of pictures of the couple with a mount large enough for guest to use for their good wishes.  Flip flops were ready for guests foolish enough to come in stiletto heels.

A distorting mirror was put ready to amuse the guests – great to know that I am not really quite this wide.

The Bride’s uncle and his husband did a wonderful job arranging great buckets of flowers ready for the centre of each table.  These were placed in the porch overnight to keep them cool and moved the following day to the shade of the catalpa tree.

Some guests were camping on Friday night so tents were put up and Honeybells erected three Bell Tents for those who did not have their own.  The glamping village was beginning to take shape. Our bell tent up in the walled garden ready for the wedding night. https://www.honeybells.co.uk / 07817 672502

 Saturday brought the groom and his groomsmen to move chairs from the marquee to the Ceremony lawn.  By now each one had a hessian sash, gathered in with a strip of lace and a brightly coloured silk flower tucked into bow.  Once the flowers were in place on their logs, it looked beautiful.

 Outside the tent an easel appeared showing the order of the day and inside another with the table plan beautifully laid out.

 With flowers on every table, everything was in place.

Time for the groom to get ready and see the Registrars and then to go to the Gazebo to await his bride. 

 She soon arrived with her parents and six adult bridesmaids, all dressed in burgundy but in differing styles chosen to suit them.

The bride looked amazing – her head was circled with a coronet of bright flowers and she carried a bunch of the same colours.  By contrast her dress was very traditional, full skirted with an incredible bodice of lace with a back of embroidered net – she looked incredible.Dorset Floral Studio | Martha & the Meadow | Flowers ...https://www.marthaandthemeadow.com / Pascali Gowns, Poole / pascali.co.uk

Having seen the Registrars, the wedding party assembled by the catalpa tree, before making their way down to the gazebo where the bridegroom was waiting.

 The wedding was doubly blessed by a handfasting ceremony carried out by Ellie Brooks –https://www.wildflowerceremonies.co.uk/ hello@wildflowerceremonies.co.uk.

 Formalities finished, the bride and groom were showered with rose petals as they came down the aisle.

Whilst the guests were treated to Pimms or homemade rhubarb gin and ginger ale in vintage tea cups, the bride took her place with fellow members of the Sound of Soul Choir 07869136399 /  soundofsoulbournemouth@yahoo.co.uk /

But the bride did have time to try her hand at catching ducks

Chairs were returned to the marquee and soon it was time for Tempting Street Eats to start serving their delicious street food - an amazing salad bar to accompany their grilled meat, fish and vegetarian/vegan offerings, followed by wicked puddings! 01329 530529 / info@temptingstreeteats.co.uk /  temptingstreeteats.co.uk

Food finished, Guests returned to the front of the house to try the lawn games and much laughter filled the air.  Paul Underhill, who took all the amazing pictures not marked “In House”, whipped the couple away to take some informal photographs in the gardens. Dorset wedding photographer Paul Underhill - 01202 937529 -

The bar - The Foal and Pheasant https://foalandpheasant.co.uk / 07837 455832 / hello@foalandpheasant.co.uk– was kept busy round the back of the marquee and everyone tried their hand at the Switswoo Photobooth – switswoo.co.uk / 07507289389 / hello@switswoo.co.uk

Soon it was time for more delicious food! - https://www.crossfirecooking.com -  wood-fired pizzas, followed by a selection of cheeses and chutneys.  Speeches followed before the couple cut their three tiered wonder of a cake - Vegan Biscoff and salted carame for the bride, chocolate and hazelnut and lemon and elderflower - fromthecaketin@gmail.com / www.fromtecaketin.co.uk

As the sun began to set, Paul took them off into the fields for some more photographs – such a beautiful light.

 Quinns Quinney, a Dorset Skiffle Band, had set up earlier and they began to warm up ready to play the first dance as the couple returned to the marquee.http://www.quinnsquinney.co.uk / quinnsquinney@hotmail.co.uk

Then this amazingly talented bride took to the stage to play her saxaphone with the band!!

As darkness settled, the red tea lights glowed in the night and gave the tent a warm glow.  Festivities continued until midnight when the party moved to the glamping ground where they gathered round the firepit to chat until ready to retire to their tents for a few hours sleep.

 

The celebrations did not stop there as a barbeque brunch was served on the lawn the next day, accompanied by the sound of Lee Rasdall-Dove and his Acoustic music. Lee Rasdall-Dove - https://www.leerasdalldove.com


Clearing up had to happen eventually but it had been an amazing weekend.  Unsurprisingly, the couple spent their honeymoon at Glastonbury!

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Our first deferred wedding of 2022 –  and one hugely worth the wait!

This was our first deferred wedding of 2022 - well worth the wait! Even the garden celebrated their patience, with the alliums echoing the colour theme and the roses still in full flower.

The couple had chosen to put their marquee in the field rather than on the lawns.  Dorset Party Marquees had asked if they could put the marquee up a day early so, they arrived on Wednesday.   The weather was glorious so it was a hot task.

http://www.dpmarquees.co.uk/ 01258 452539/ info@dpmarquees.com

The couple had put a lot of thought and effort into gathering their decorations – some made by them and some brought in. 

In the marquee, a beautiful vintage suitcase, surrounded by an amazing array of coloured sunglasses, was put ready for their cards, jigsaw pieces awaiting messages of good luck were set out on a table, and a board displaying the table placings was arranged by the door.

Friday brought Athena from Lovingly Styled events arrived to help the bride style the Marquee.  She tied voile to the backs of the chairs, helped arrange flowers and laid out a large selection of games on the lawn. https://lovinglystyled.co.uk

Huge light up letters – D&B – appeared behind the dance floor which was soon covered in masses of pale pink, blue, purple and white balloons.  The smallest bridesmaid later found these the most wonderful game. More light-up initials were put ready to go outside on the day.

 https://lightup-letters.co.uk/ Tel:- 01202 073074 / Mob:- 07841 098206 / Email:- info@lightup-letters.co.uk

 With great faith in the weather overnight, a pallet with the order of the day and a vintage ladder full of beautiful things were placed on one side of the steps to the lawn and a half barrel filled with rolled up blankets went on the other.

 Hay bales were hauled onto the lawn and arranged in a beautiful serpentine shape, and the bride’s brother parked his vintage grey Fergie outside the marquee.

The tables were laid, each with a hessian runner across the centre and a jug or teapot of British Flowers in the centre placed on a slice of wood.  Each place had a miniature bottle of liqueur or vodka etc.  with the children getting bags of sweets.  The flowers were later stored in the porch of the house under the watchful gaze of the Ancestors.

Flowers supplied by Katie Priestley at The Dorset Flower Co - 07506 986393 / info@dorsetflowerco.com/ https://www.dorsetflowerco.com

 The Bar manoeuvred their horsebox trailer into position in front of the marquee and got ready for the onslaught of guests the following day.  The bride is very keen on riding so was thrilled to have a horsebox

bar.http://www.vintagetippletrailer.co.uk/ 07805 136840 /vintagetippletrailer@hotmail.com 

Saturday brought Carol from the Willows in Shillingstone to put the finishing touches to the tea she was laying on for the Wedding Breakfast – it was a veritable feast of cakes and sandwiches – and all laid out on beautiful Vintage China provided by her.  http://www.willowsbandbdorset.co.uk / 01258 861167 / enquiries@willowstearoomdorset.co.uk

Athena returned to put the flowers in place on the tables and check that everything was perfect and a sweet cart and big wheel of treats arrived from Something Sweet Cart Hire - https://sweet-cart-hire-somerset.business.site/ @somethingsweetcarthire

The wedding cake was delivered – made by the bride’s Aunt – and was put in pride of place in the marquee – three layers of butter icing, covering three different layers of cake, lemon drizzle, chocolate and Victoria sponge - decorated with leaves and resting on another log slice but this time carved with the couples’ initials. A Masterpiece!

The bar returned to open up and lay out the welcome drinks

Taken by the Vintage Tipple Trailer

The couple were getting married in Langton Long Church outside Blandford, where the bride’s parents had also held their wedding.

They arrived at Shillingstone House in a tiny pale blue VW Beetle with their bridesmaids following in a VW Camper Van, both from Dorset Dub Hire.  Both were beautifully decorated with flowers which Dub Hire had co-ordinated with the bride’s colour scheme

https://www.dorsetdubhire.com /    07771 561594 / enquiry@dorsetdubbers.co.uk

She looked amazing in a figure-hugging dress of satin with a sculpted top and fish tail train.  The bridesmaids all had matching draped dresses in pale lilac apart from the tiniest who was in white and stole the show!

Photographs were taken – all the amazing photographs in this blog were taken by Kirsty Hardiman –

www.kirstyhardimanphotography.co.uk / khardimanphotography@gmail.com or by Katy Stroud who works closely with her -  https://www.instagram.com › katystroudphotography .  In house ones are marked.

The couple went onto the lawns to mingle with their guests before coming back into the house to have some formal ones taken on the stairs and in the dining room.  More were taken on the lawn, including a group one from an upstairs window.

 Tea beckoned and everyone retired to the tent to eat the huge array of cakes and scones.  Speeches followed with much laughter issuing from the marquee.

 As the guests began to drift back out to try their luck with the lawn games, Kirsty took the couple off into the gardens for some more informal pictures.

 

Soon it was time for more food!!  Julien Else, from Stalbridge, had set up his hog roast to one side of the marquee and Claire from Posh Crepes had driven Humphrey her Citroen HY van to the other.  Queues quickly formed outside both and both were declared delicious! Trade at the bar did not stop either!

https://www.elsefamilybutchers.co.uk/ 01963 362276 / info@elsefamilybutchers.com

 https://www.facebook.com/poshcrepes/  poshcrepes@gmail.com / 07739 382451

 Guests explored the gardens and some put up late tents in the glamping field before being summoned back to the marquee for cake cutting and the first dance.  The bride even fitted in another session with her hairdresser, Victoria Nightingale!

Instagram @victorianightingalehair / www.victorianightingalehair.co.uk/

 Music from DJ Richard at Pure Wedding Entertainment began and played on until midnight when silence fell, the DJ and the Bar left and guests retired either to their taxis or their tents to sleep the night away - everyone too exhausted to chat round the Fire Pit!

https://pureweddingentertainment.business.site/

https://www.facebook.com/pureweddingentertainment/

 It had been an amazing day!  Beautifully organised and as a result very relaxed and filled with fun and laughter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 


 

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First Hand Fast Blessing Service.

This was our first Hand Fast Blessing service.  The couple were married in New Zealand, pre Pandemic, but the bride was determined to have a celebration here in Dorset, complete with the wedding dress she had dreamt of.  Planned for 2020, cancelled again in 2021, their patience paid off.

Friday brought the bride’s family to help with preparations. The bride had chosen the gate to the HaHa as the site for the ceremony. The weather did not bode well for the following day – so unfair as it was very hot and sunny all week.

The groom had constructed a wooden arch and this was put in place between the rose beds before being decorated with flowers by the bride and her mother. More flowers were arranged ready to go down the aisle. The theme was peacocks and the flowers echoed this in purple and green.

The bride’s father arrived with a trailer full of haybales which were heaved onto the lawn and laid out in rows ready for the guests to sit on, just in time before the celebrant arrived for a run through of the service.   Those taking part in the ceremony were given a demonstration of what they would need to do as the ribbon tying is quite complicated.

The following day the bride with friends and family came over to put out the final touches.   

The bride had provided sheets to lay over the bales to protect the ladies’ legs from prickly hay and  these needed putting in place along with the final flowers on the arch and down the aisle. Everything was ready bar the tablecloth for the celebrant’s table which we had held back as rain threatened.

Guests began to drift onto the lawn.  These were close friends and family as a larger party was being held in the village where the couple and their families live.

With everyone seated, it was time for the bride to arrive.

She looked amazing in an Edwardian style lace dress which suited her perfectly.  Her bridesmaids were dressed in dark purple or green dresses and were accompanied by two younger girls in white tulle carrying wonderful wands with a peacock on the top instead of a star.

She made her way into the house to have some photographs taken with her bridesmaids.

Everyone then gathered in the dining room to wait for the processional music to start. Carefully making her way down the steps, with the help of her father, she made her way across to lawn to her bridegroom. 

The ceremony was beautiful and went off without a hitch although some people found it harder to complete the ribbon tying than others!

Just as the service was finishing it began to drizzle but guests were not put off and hurried to the drinks gazebo for a cold glass of bubbly. 

The bride and groom went to have a few pictures taken - THEN it began to pour!!

Everyone fled to the dining room where group photographs were taken and more drink drunk!  A very different end to day from the one planned but very festive.

As guests began to leave to go to the reception,  a shining blue Rolls Royce with white upholstery arrived to take the bride and groom – owned and driven by a local friend, it was organised as a surprise for the bride – she was thrilled.

The Couple will return as they want to take the photographs in the ground that the weather made impossible – watch this space!

Here we go!! It was a lovely evening with a beautiful sunset promised, a month later that the couple came back to take the photographs they had wanted in the gardens and the bride’s uncle took some beautiful fun shots, starting on the lawns.

Before moving on to the Walled Garden and the Camping lawns.

And finishing in the field.

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Written by Caroline Salt On