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
