Pompom Wedding

This was our first Pompom wedding and it was amazing! The couple had been the greatest of fun to work with over the months leading up to the wedding and the fun continued in spades over the weekend.

The couple had chosen to put their marquee up on the lawn by the house and to have a second for shade on the lower lawn. Dorset Party Marquees arrived early on Thursday morning to set to work. and it was not an easy job as the ground was incredibly hard but by mid afternoon it was all up and only the finishing touches to put in place - ie pompoms!

These had been made in their hundreds by both families and threaded into garlands by the bride and groom the night before, They were laid out in lines so that Ed and his gang of helpers could haul them and some giant paper lanterns, into place at the top of the marquee without them all getting tangled.

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

Meanwhile the bride and her Aunt fluffed up boxes of tissue paper pompoms ready to decorate the Capri tent on the lower lawn where huge amounts of vintage china, shelving, signs etc were being unloaded ready for assembly the following day.

Work started on decorating the ceremony chairs with multicoloured paper fans and the bride’s uncle filled small Kilner jars with Cassis ready to put on the tables as favours for the guests.

The following day, friends and relations descended on Shillingstone house ready to help put everything into place. Colourful shelves made by the Groom’s father and stepmother out of crates and planks were screwed together and vintage china arranged in mismatching sets - not for tea but for Prosecco! They had been collecting the china for months.

The gin bar materialised by the entrance to the lower lawn with mixers and metal baths of beer and a rustic bar was set up in the main marquee by Southern Mobile Bars from Blandford - southernmobilebars@gmail.com/0772916927

The catalpa tree was turned into a photobooth with a large selection of props and frames painted in bright colours hanging from the branches. Great trailer loads of plants arrived to decorate the aisle for the wedding the next day. They were left in the shade of the yew hedge to stay as fresh as possible.

Pompons of all sorts were tucked in everywhere, even on the steps!

Meanwhile, New Forest Bell Tents were setting up their village in the outer walled garden under a brilliant blue sky - https://www.newforestbelltents.co.uk

The family work-party laboured late before leaving - some to rest and some to party.

The great day dawned and the groom and his friends - some a little the worse for wear - returned to set out the last minute finishing touches.

The chairs were brought out from the Capri marquee onto the lawn, and set in rows ready for the ceremony. Plants went on logs all down the central aisle and a notice was put out to welcome guests, plus umbrellas not for rain but for shade. Glass jar lanterns, painted with the Worker Bee symbol of Manchester where the Bride’s family come from, were hung among the flowers.

Signs appeared outside the marquee to show guests what time everything was going to happen and where they should sit for the wedding breakfast and the groomsmen put out rugs and mats for relaxing on the lawn.

The band, Dexter, who had come all the way from Cheshire, started to set up in the Marquee and Jo, from Martha and the Meadow, arrived to finish the flowers on the gazebo that Emma had started the day before - She only had to come from the village! Once the table cloth and chair seats were in place the gazebo was ready for the ceremony.

Dexter - https://www.dexterband.co.uk

Martha and the Meadow -https://www.marthaandthemeadow.com/

Meanwhile, Carl, from the Perfect Pig , was setting up his ovens and filling the picnic baskets full of delicious goodies ready to set on each table for the wedding breakfast. This was to be followed by a barbecue and salads if guests had room! http://www.theperfectpig.co.uk/ / Carl@theperfectpig.co.uk

With the hampers in place, the marquee was ready to receive guests. The bride and groom had taken so much trouble with favours, menus etc, even the children had games by their places.

Guests began to arrive and head for the gin bar in the shade of the catalpa where they were greeted by drinks of every sort and an amazing selection of fruit.

Dexter’s Acoustic Set started to tune up by the Gazebo, ready to play during the ceremony. Guests were shepherded to their seats where they were offered bags of confetti. Some immediately made use of the umbrellas left at the end of the aisle, to keep off the sun.

The bride looked amazing, as she stepped out of her car, dressed in a white gown with a lace bodice and a huge skirt which flounced round her as she walked. On her head she had a circlet of bright flowers, echoing the flowers in her beautiful bouquet. (Both also made by Emma from Martha in the Meadow). She was accompanied by four lovely adult bridesmaids in shades of blue and purple and a divine young page and tiny bridesmaid in blue and white.

She went into the house to see the registrars in the dining room before coming out to pose for a few photographs by the front door.

Soon it was time for the bridal party to walk, down under the catalpa tree, to the gazebo where the groom was waiting.

The ceremony that followed was a lovely combination of formal and informal moments.

As the bride and groom came back down the aisle, they were pelted with real flower confetti. They were quickly surrounded by congratulating friends and family in the Capri tent where drinks and tea were being served. A time to show off her personalised sneakers!

Some guests took the time to sign the couple’s bench, while others tried out the photo-frames hanging from the catalpa tree. The photographer took the chance to take more incredible photographs, some more formal than others. Darima Frampton took all the photographs in this blog, except those marked SH, which are in house. - https://www.darimaframpton.com/ The couple had also hired a videographer to take pictures -  digitalbohemiaweddingvideography.co.uk

With the wedding breakfast ready to serve, the guests moved into the Marquee to find their places. A delicious selection of cakes, made by family and friends, had been laid out for guests to sample, including one with the couple on the top, made out of sugar paste.

The bride and groom entered the tent to a standing ovation. The meal that followed looked delicious and it was some time before clapping and cheering announced the start of the speeches.

With speeches over the guests spilled out to the lawns to relax in the sun or try the lawn games or even try out the tractor.

The bride and groom set off to have more beautiful photographs taken in the gardens.

As evening drew in the band began to play and the bride and groom burst into the tent to start their first dance.

Dancing continued until midnight with the night warm enough for guests to continue to relax outside and the Bee lanterns were moved for extra lighting near the marquee. At the witching hour, some guests departed in taxis or in the bus that had been hired to return them to their B and Bs, others wended their way through the fairy lights to their tents in the glamping field. The bride and groom retired to their bridal bell tent in the walled garden.

On Sunday morning, Carl returned to cook the campers breakfast and serve some much needed coffee. Some of the guests took this to eat on the lawn and two girls took up residence in the gazebo. Later much clearing up took place but many hands make light work.

The couple were incredibly generous in leaving their vintage china, pompoms and photo booth props behind for other couples to use - see suppliers list on the website - and some of the pompoms now adorn our Indian Style Bell tent.

It had been an amazing weekend - dotty, colourful and above all enormous fun!

Great feat of Organisation

This was an amazing feat of organisation, as the bride and groom only had four months to plan their wedding, not made easier by the choices given to the couple re the siting of the marquee! This was only finalised a few days before the wedding. Shaun from Affordable Marquees was very laid back and quite happy to wait.

https://affordablemarquees.co.uk / Tel. 01963 33798. Mob. 07932141622.

The final decision was to erect the marquee in the field in front of the house and it looked magnificent. Shaun and his team arrived on the Wednesday to start their work as their Petal Marquee takes two days to put in place.

The bride’s mother delivered hand made ivy garlands to hang in the marquee by the groom and his bride to be. They arrived wrapped in sheets. Shaun relieved her of these and set off across the lawn looking like a Turkish carpet seller - sadly I did not have my camera with me.

Friday did not bring the usual band of helpers. The groom quietly worked away in the dining room assembling the table plan (his pride and joy I’m told), place settings and favours which his bride and sister-in-law to be had made for the tables - the tent was too draughty and everything kept blowing away! The
favours for the guests, in gold striped paper sweet bags, contained tea bags from Char in Winchester and a pack of Moores Dorset Biscuits.  

In the afternoon the marquee began to fill up as the bride and groom set out their beautifully designed props – a table plan based on their favourite sailing destinations, a vintage picnic basket for cards from well wishers and a large blank mount for guests to sign and send messages of good luck.

The walls were soon adorned with signal flags and Andrew Meeks from Meeks Catering arrived to set up his kitchen behind the marquee and to start laying out the tables for the next day.  Andrew took some time out to take a couple of lovely photographs of the house and marquee. (www.meekscatering.co.uk)

He was joined by Dorset Farm Party with their rustic bar which was arranged at one end of the marquee. They also brought a load of hay bales which were scattered about on the lawns and beside the marquee for guests to relax on. (www.dorsetfarmparty.co.uk)

Meanwhile, New Forest Bell tents were putting up a tent, ordered by one of the guests, in the outer walled garden where it would later be joined by several private tents.

Behind the scenes, the bride was dashing around the countryside collecting a car full of buckets of the most beautiful seasonal flowers from Lizzie at Puggs Meadow Flowers. The bride’s sister and a family member remained at home in the cool arranging the flowers in Vesuvian urns for the table decorations. These were brought over in the evening to store safely overnight, in the cool of the porch at Shillingstone House, nestling beside the marble bust in his wedding hat ready for the next day. These were beautiful and looked stunning on the tables - a huge success considering that, as the bride said, neither had ever been trained in flower arranging.

07813945313 / www.puggsmeadowflowers.com

Saturday brought the groom to arrange his carefully folded napkins, favours and table names in place.  We moved the flowers from the porch and the tables were set to go.

With the props cleared from the dining room, there was a bit of a rush to get the chairs set out for the small ceremony taking place at 11.30.  We just got everything ready before the registrars arrived!

The couple were having a very small civil ceremony in the house before leaving a little later for a larger blessing service in the village church.

The bride arrived in the most wonderful little Nissan Figaro which she has owned for many years.  She looked stunning in a lace dress with three quarter length sleeves and a long train.  She had had her hair done by Amazing Face and Bridal Hair and Make up Dorset who later sent photographs to our Facebook page - www.amazing-face.co.uk . She was accompanied by her sister in pale blue and her mother in pale pink, both looking amazing. Lizzie from Puggs Meadow also supplied the bridal party corsages and hair flowers.

As the dining room was full of guests, the bride saw the Registrars in the hall.

With the small ceremony over the couple and their guests celebrated with champagne on the lawn but it was not long before the bride leaped into action to make sure everything was perfect in the marquee. 

The Wedding Cake – from Marks and Spencer – had its small line of signal flags arranged on top, spelling
“Just Married” . The tables were checked and tweaked and rugs were laid out on the hay-bales by the fire-pit at the side of the marquee ready for the fire later in the evening.

Soon it was time to set out for the church.  However, there were issues with arranging the seats to allow the bride, her mother and others to all fit into the car’s tiny interior.  This involved the bride, ready for the church, nearly standing on her head to pull leavers to take the roof down.  Once again, I wish that I had had my camera.  I did manage to get a photograph of them all setting off down the drive.

While the couple were at the church, we moved the big buckets of flowers, we had placed at the foot of the front steps, to the entrance to the tent.  We had to fix them down as the wind was once again getting up.

After being treated to a sea of confetti as they left the church, the bride and groom returned to Shillingstone House in their tiny motor. Drinks and canapes were then served by Andrew Meeks while the Stomping Boondocks serenaded the guests as they chatted. https://stomping-boondocks.co.uk

Informal group photographs were taken by the house, including one of everyone shot from an upstairs window. With their guests relaxing on the lawns, Jason Perkins took the couple away to take photographs in the grounds. All the amazing photographs shown here were taken by him except those marked with SH which are in-house.  www.jasonperkinsphotography.co.uk

Andrew Meek’s wedding breakfast of barbecued meats and a selection of puddings looked and tasted delicious and the sudden onset of rain in the middle of the meal did not dampen the spirits of the guests.  We had to rush out and get someone to put down the roof of the little car!

Speeches over, the guests dispersed to explore the grounds and or relax in the evening sun. As darkness settled, they returned to the marquee to cut the cake which had now gained a frill of flowers on every layer.

Time for the Stomping Boondocks to tune their instruments and start the ceilidh. The bride and groom took to the floor for their first dance,  Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me to the End of Love”. Then, with the help of the Band Leader calling out instructions, the party reeled with gusto until a break for sparklers and toasted marshmallows around the fire pit was called.

The party continued to reel until Midnight when the music stopped and guests made their way to taxis or to the glamping field to collapse into their tents.

Rain came in over night and it was still wet when it was time for brunch. Nothing daunted the campers gathered under the shelter of the great ash tree by their tents to set up a barbecue. Soon a delicious smell of bacon wafted across to us in the house .

Sadly, it was time, only too soon, to start the great clear up and for the bride and groom to set off home to Winchester. It had been an amazing weekend. Getting everything together in four months, whilst both working, had not been easy but as the bride said afterwards “Whilst the build up was hectic we couldn’t have had a better day. I’m so glad we got married at Shillingstone, it was absolutely perfect ”

The bride and groom later sent a beautiful card.

Thank you so much for making our wedding day at Shillingstone such a fabulous experience. Shillingstone is a beautiful house, we, along with all our guests, remarked how special you made the venue and gardens for us.

We would love to come back and visit you in the summer! All our thanks, Ros and Ben

First Wedding of the Year

Collins Marquees arrived early on Thursday morning to set up their pole tent. They have been before and are a very helpful and efficient crew. They lined the pole tent and strung tiny lights from the roof and kindly twisted the wedding couple’s faux ivy down the poles which was very effective. (Collins Marquees - 01202-882-301 - www.collinsmarquees.co.uk )

It was another cloudless hot day and the garden was feeling the strain of a severe lack of rain but was still full of colour with the roses still in full bloom.

As the marquee went up, the bridal couple worked tirelessly in the heat getting props ready for the setting up the following day. These included a table plan made from old vinyl records which caused a little despair as one of the records warped and melted in the heat. The groom showed great skill in calligraphy.

The following day family and friends arrived help with decorations. They brought a wonderfully happy atmosphere with them.

Bowls were lined with sliced oranges in the shade of the catalpa tree and filled with flowers before being stored in the cool of the porch. These proved to be a clue to the colour theme of the wedding day. The beautiful flowers inside were arranged by a friend of the family who also created some much larger arrangements for the top table etc.

A flower wall was delivered ready for the photo-booth - see the competed booth later in the blog. (David Bessant - 07952 513696 - www.11-11.events ) Tables were laid, with vinyl records in the centre to mark the numbers. Each place had a selection of sweets in an orange voile bag, ready to eat after the wedding breakfast.

A board of photographs was put up on one of the tables in the tent and on another jars containing sweets for the guests the next day. The caterer, a family friend, set up her catering tent and began to fill the chiller trailer with food and drink. ( www.country-coolers.co.uk )

Later the disco arrived (Andre Shenoi 07971 5874890 / andre@shenoi.co.uk) to set up his equipment, while the groom, who plays in a band, and his fellow musician arranged their instruments on the stage. (They had hired their sound system from Complete Music and Sounds - 07813078998 / https://www.completemusicandsound.co.uk )

The band started to tune up and play big time but sadly , as they were very good, we had to curtail this as we had not warned the village that there would be music on the Friday night at well. The groom stayed late into the night sitting in the marquee finishing the video that he had prepared for the next day.

Saturday dawned and another baking hot day. The groomsmen and friends came to finish the photo-booth and two huge screens were delivered to show the groom’s video. (Modus Visual Communications - 01202-399-609 - www.modusvisualcomms.co.uk )

A friend came to finish off the wedding cake that she had made. This proved problematic as it was too high to fit the shelves of the chiller trailer. We plundered our wood store to find a suitable plank to make a new shelf and the cake was installed and decorated.

The caterer and her helpers worked tirelessly at getting the salads ready to go with the Hog Roast being provided by Dorset Porkers later in the day. Lawn games were set out on the grass.

A very smart rustic bar arrived and was quickly stocked with an amazing range of drink including the ingredients for some special cocktails for the day, including three reflecting the couple’s home towns (The Liquid Inn - 0795 261888) https://www.theliquidinn.co.uk/about-us

Finally the flowers were placed in the centre of each table and the decorations were complete..

The bride and groom were getting married in Ferndown and they stopped off on their way back to Shillingstone to have photographs taken in the avenue at Crichel.

While they were waiting for the bridal party to arrive, guests mingled on the lawns where they were served delicious canapes.

Dorset Porkers had set up their hog roast on the lower lawn ready to serve at 4.30 and the crackling was looking perfect. ( Dorset Porkers - 01258-839-115 - http://www.dorsetporkers.co.uk/ ) and the caterers put out their salads - all was ready to for the Wedding Breakfast to start.

Time moved on - where were the bride and groom?! Luckily they arrived in time to greet their guests and move swiftly in to the marquee to have their wedding breakfast. The bride looked stunning in a tightly fitting lace dress which exploded at the bottom in a froth of lace and net. Her Bridesmaids were all in orange, as had been suggested by the decorations, and they looked amazing.

Great bursts laughter came from the tent as the speeches were made and guests were shown photographs of the bride and groom on the screen that had been installed earlier.

With their delicious meal over and speeches made, everyone gathered on the lawn for a group photograph taken from an upstairs window. The bride and groom then went off to have photographs and videos taken in the grounds while their guests played croquet, hoopla and Jenga on the lawns.

All the amazing photographs, except those marked with SH, were taken by the talented photographer, Kasia, from Peppermint Love photographs. ( https://www.peppermintlovephotography.com/wedding-photographer-dorset-uk/ ) ( https://theweddingvideoguys.co/wedding-videographer-dorset)

The couple returned to cut the cake which had been carefully carried into the marquee, under the worried gaze of it’s creator, still on it’s board which was now shrouded with a piece of orange voile, hastily found in the house!

As the light faded, the band struck up and the couple took to the floor for their first dance. Later in the evening the bride and groom both came up on the stage to sing and play to the delight of their guests! With the floor full and the band alternating with the disco, the party went on until it was time for the couple to leave on their honeymoon. They left between lines of flaming sparklers and the cheers of their guests.

With still an hour to go before midnight the guests continued to party to the end.

The next day family and friends returned to tidy up ready for the marquee to come down on the Monday. It had been a wonderful weekend, filled with laughter.

Family Triumph!

This was a wedding where all the family were involved and worked incredibly hard to get the show on the road - particularly the bride’s mother!

Ernest G Hart arrived on Thursday to put up the marquee which was new and spotlessly white. Harts have been in the marquee trade since 1944 and make their own marquees. Luckily they had a powered drill for putting in the stakes as the ground was incredibly hard after all the sun we had had. (www.ernestghart.co.uk / enquiries@ernestghart.co.uk /01258 881047 )

The marquee was very large and the groom and John from Harts can be seen below making the final decisions about it’s position on the lawn.

The marquee was unlined but John and his team strung yards of bunting, made by the bride’s mother, from the roof.

Friday brought a raft of helpers and vintage lampshades were hung in the catalpa tree and beautiful ribbon strings, made by the bride, were tied to the back of the chairs laid out for the ceremony the following day. More of these were hung in the marquee.

The families had grown pots of plants and extra ones were bought from  Island Garden Nurseries, Upwey, Weymouth. These were placed round the marquee and the Gazebo transforming the latter into an amazing flower bower with hanging basket added to the eaves - www.islandgardencentre.co.uk~

Huge buckets of flowers were collected from 'Holes Farm Flowers' which is part of a consortium called Flowers from the Farm. They were amazing. A few more came from Happy Blossoms (www.thehappyblossoms.com) The family arranged the large ones in enamel buckets and watering cans from our in-house collection which perfectly fitted the vintage theme. Smaller ones filled decorated jam jars - some ours and some decorated by the bride.

(Susan Hole - sjmhole@gmail.com - https://www.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk/members/holes-farm-flowers )

The wedding breakfast was going to take the shape of a cream tea and the families had been collecting vintage china and cake stands for many months. This was all laid out on long tables in the marquee.

An enormous amount of trouble had been taken in choosing favours for the guests and gifts for the children and these were arranged by each place.

Every type of drink was available from wine on the tables to a Gin bar with a huge selection of mixers, a table of draft craft beers, fresh juice and elderflower cordial and a Slush Machine which was hugely popular in the heat. (Slush Machine Hire - 07592554955 - www.slushymania.co.uk

Tables were set up to hold the sweet display and a book put ready for guests to sign the following day.

The attention to detail continued outside where the couple had organised some wonderful signs - a pallet one with the timing of events showing as little alarm clocks set to the appropriate time - made by a friend, Mel, who sells through her facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/MadeByLisseeBee/- and some chalkboard signs created by the Groom’s former Art teacher - https://www.facebook.com/bespokechick

Getting all this right took time and trouble and it was late before the family left to go home.

Saturday dawned and the caterer, Julia’s Kitchen, laid claim to the catering tent and started to assemble the cream tea and lay out the cakes made by friends and family. (www.therealfoodcookeryschool.co.uk) Drinks were made up using the wonderful fresh water tap made by the bride’s step father, Phil, and kindly donated to us to use for future weddings.

The groom and his friends arrived to complete their last minute “to do” list. Rugs were put out ready for the cool of evening and extra throws appeared at the entrance to the tent.

Tables were given their labels and a sign welcoming everyone to the wedding arranged by the front door. Chairs were checked and the final flowers put out at the beginning of the Aisle.

Hay-bales delivered by Vines Close Farm had vintage tablecloths were thrown over them to protect ladies’ legs from the prickles. (https://vinesclosefarm.com ) and

Finally a map of the world showing the table plan was put in place by the entrance to the tent and everything was ready to go!

The bridegroom went into the house to see the Registrars and then was shooed out of sight before the arrival of the bride.

She arrived with her mother looking amazing in a tight bodiced, full skirted gown by Brides with Curves with her hair flowing down her back in ringlets. Her bridesmaids looked lovely in gowns in shades of pink.

Outside the front door was the couple’s Dalmatian dog, Pixel, waiting patiently to join the bridesmaids who were to follow the bride and her mother under the Catalpa tree and across the lawn to the gazebo.

The photographer rushed from the house to be in place to take the a picture of the groom as he saw his bride coming towards him. She is a friend who they had met in Thailand and who lives and works in Austin, Texas, and had flown over specially. She was the greatest of fun and thought nothing about throwing herself on the ground to get the best shot. She took all the fantastic photographs not marked with SH which are in-house - https://creatrixphotography.com~

The sun shone as the bride and groom took their vows, with rings presented very proudly to them by a small ring bearer dressed in blue shorts and braces.

With the register signed, they walked back down the aisle being pelted with homemade dried flower confetti which had taken eighteen months to make!

Ceremony over, the guests chatted on the lawns while formal photographs were taken, before everyone headed into the marquee for their delicious cream tea and speeches.

Delicious food finished it was time to relax.

With their guests happily relaxing, the bride and groom went to have more informal pictures taken in the grounds including one taken down a multicoloured slinky!

As the bride and groom returned to their guests, mouth-watering smells rose from beside the marquee where Dorset Porkers had set up their hog roast for the second time this year and guests queued up to get their roast pork and all the trimmings - dorsetporkers.co.uk~

The band and disco struck up as the sun went down and the bride and groom danced their first dance. They played to a full dance floor until Midnight. Such a good time was had by everyone that they forgot to light the sparklers so carefully put ready. ( https://www.tailored-entertainment.com › one-big-reunion-band-surrey )

Midnight brought the end to the music and weary revellers followed the fairy light trail to their tents or taxis, with the bride and groom collapsing in exhaustion in our Indian Themed Bell Tent in the Walled Garden.

The next morning brought clearing up, a breakfast of croissants and two huge buckets of flowers for us to use in the house. All the hard work really paid off and it was an amazing, happy weekend. As Jenna, the photographer said “ Rebecca, I knew where you were because I heard you laugh” and it was a frequent wonderful laugh.

We were left with a lovely reminder as the lawn was still sprinkled with confetti!

Wind you say ??? What wind???

Wind you say ??? What wind??? - these were the words used by the Dorset Registrars on the post they sent to our Facebook Page on the day of the wedding.

This couple had known from their first visit that the only place they wanted to say their vows was in the Gazebo on the lawns of Shillingstone House, looking out towards the Dorset hills. BUT now their dream was threatened by Storm Lorenzo coming with forecasted winds of 65 mph.

Hasty talks took place between the Registrars and ourselves - in the case of disaster, the celebration would take place in the marquee with the couple re-taking their vows in the house afterwards. Read on…..

Marqco Marquees arrived on Thursday to put up a huge Capri marquee on the lawn in front of the house. Extra attention was given to it’s moorings and a soakaway was established on the lawn where several of the rooves joined. The couple had hoped to have all the sides open for their reception but were given strict instructions to keep the sides tightly shut unless the wind subsided.

( https://www.marqco.co.uk/ )

We blocked off the path from the lawn to the camping, as the huge oak overhanging it was swaying dramatically and dropping some small but dangerous branches and twigs. The gale had already blown the top off a small cherry tree in the camping area.

Friday brought many family members and friends to help decorate the inside of the marquee. Tables were laid, presents put out for the children and perfect hessian bows were tied on every chair, even the knives and forks had their own hand made hessian bag - all created by the bride’s mother.

Great bunches of flowers were arranged in lace edged jars on the tables and even round our wheelbarrow which was filled with bottles ready for the next day.

Easels were put up for the Table Plan and Welcome Board ready to be put in position the next morning. A white painted ladder was placed near the entrance for guests to hang the instant photographs that would be taken on the day.

Lawn games were unpacked ready for Saturday, weather permitting, and cake stands made from sliced logs arranged on the buffet tables. The family worked late making sure everything was ready to go outside the following day once the wind had hopefully dropped.

Saturday dawned and the sun shone but the wind was still very gusty. John from Marqco Marquees came over to check that everything had held tight over night.

The groom and friends arrived to finalise the arrangements - a long list! And the bride’s mother put the finishing touches to the wedding breakfast, setting out the most delicious looking cakes on the cake stands, along with platters of cheese and biscuits.

Cream teas were added to plates for the guests after the ceremony and hotplates were put ready for the main meal which was collected by the groom’s father from The Fantastic Sausage Factory - 07854817279 www.thefantasticsausagefactory.co.uk

Finally, it was decided that it was safe to put the chairs out on the lower lawn for the ceremony and set the welcome board by the front door - the wedding would take place outside!

With their many duties completed the groom and his friends drifted off to the campsite to change, followed by Rik Sorbie, the photographer who took all the fantastic photographs not marked with SH which are in-house - https://www.riksorbiephotography.co.uk - 07969223845

On the lawns guests were arriving and the groom checking in with his best man to make sure of perfect timing before making sure everyone was seated for the arrival of the bride.

The bride arrived, dressed in the most beautiful sculptured lace and satin dress which fitted her to perfection. She came into the house to see the registrars and to have some photographs taken in the dining room before leaving on her father’s arm to cross the lawns to the gazebo. We had to time her passage under the Catalpa Tree to coincide with a lull in the wind which was still gusting at times. She was proceeded by her family, with her mother and sister in glamorous dusty pink dresses.

The wind continued to blow, and towards the end of the ceremony the registrar gazed nervously to the skies as it began to drizzle but nothing daunted the couple or their guests but vows taken the bride and groom retired to the dining room with their witnesses to sign the register as the wind was blowing the pages outside.

The rain did not last long and soon everyone was out on the lawns having group photographs taken before the bride and groom set off into the fields and gardens to take some more informal pictures. Mean while the bride’s father agonised over his speech on the front steps.

Photographs taken everyone retired to the marquee for tea and speeches before taking their chances with our resident Tyrannosaurus Rex!

It was soon time for the first dance to the sound of DJ Alistair Thomas -

07989935080 - https://www.addtoevent.co.uk/dj-ali-thomas - some guests soon joined them but with the weather now lovely many guests continued to play lawn games and chat outside.

Supper was served and the night drew in. Darkness did not deter the guests who continued to play twister on the grass outside before forming a triumphal line of sparklers for the happy couple to run through.

The groomsmen took a break to go to the fire pit lit by the groom’s eldest brother but dancing continued until midnight when the couple left to follow the strings of fairy lights to their bell tent in the walled garden.

Morning brought sleepy guests from their tents to have breakfast and tidy up before everyone wended their way home, leaving only confetti scattered on the lawn to remind us of a wonderful weekend.

Climber's Wedding

With the bridegroom proposing 5800m on a Himalayan mountain, with Mount Everest in the background, this was a wedding with a climbing theme.

Abbas Marquees arrived at 8.00 in the morning to start putting up the marquee. The size and shape of it meant a certain amount of manoeuvring had to take place to fit it onto the lower lawn and still have room for a catering tent. Luckily the bride and groom were getting married in a local church which meant more space available.

The marquee had an amazing clear span entrance hall which we had not seen before. The team worked for 11 hours under a baking sun to make sure everything was perfect before they left and brought with them more electrics that I had ever seen before! They also put up a canopy on the main lawn to give shade to the guests at the reception - www. AbbasMarquees.co.uk - 01749 890909

Friday bought many friends and relations to help set up. This was very much an outside wedding and games were arranged on the lawn and slackline and swing were strung between the trees - insured by the couple themselves!

Pallets were a feature of the wedding and the couple had made them into sofas with chairs from old cable reals. These were scattered on the top and bottom lawn and under the awning. On the steps between the lawns trainers sprouted plants.

Much work went on in the marquee - Himalayan Prayer Flags flew from the ceiling to remind the couple of their climbs in the Himalayas and tables were moved into place and laid by the caterers. The bride used to work for the caterers as a baker in their Bakery and had helped out at weddings in the past so Sarah and her staff from Indulge Catering really joined the ranks of family for the weekend. (M : 07733 255027 / T : 01747 854370 - http://www.indulgecateringandevents.co.uk/ )

Flowers were arranged by Jen Babb, a friend of the Bride - wonderful vases of sunflowers, many of which were grown by the mothers of the Bride and Groom. These were then placed in the porch to keep them cool until the next day. Napkins each had a sprig of lavender and a clothes peg with their name laid on top and the final touch, the table names each showing a picture of a place visited on their trip to the Himalayas were place ready for the next day.

This was very much a wedding where children were included - 25 of them - and a special table was laid for them with games and toys to keep them amused. The couple had even hired the village hall next to the church so the children, under the supervision of a childminder or two, could colour and play while the service was on. Many of them arrived at Shillingstone wearing the masks that they had decorated

The clear span porch began to fill up. A table was put in place for a Candy Floss machine - a gift from the Bride’s brother - another put ready for presents and cards and the most incredible pallet erected. Decorated with sunflowers, climbing boots, walking boots and even a pair of ice axes, this became the most original bar we have ever seen.

A friend had drawn a tree ready for finger prints and messages from guests.

Climbing helmets became hanging baskets filled with flowers and an ordinance survey map on an easel became a puzzle for guests to find their table. Each guest had a grid reference against their name which corresponded with their place.

New Forest Bell Tents arrived to set up camp and the couple placed a old fashioned wash stand nearby, ready for campers to use on Sunday morning. We later added a full length mirror which had to be stored facing the shed as the sun was so bright that the reflection would have set fire to the grass. They also thoughtfully supplied a Solar powered power bank for guests to plug in their mobiles or hair tongs. ( 07773 372425 https://www.newforestbelltents.co.uk )

The family stayed quite late fixing the final photographs to the photo wall and making sure that everything was in place before heading off for a family dinner.

Some guests stayed Friday night as well and took responsibility for plugging in the Cooler Van when it arrived in the evening. Sadly, some of the salads already in place fell off the shelves as it came over the bumpy field but in most cases cling film saved the day!

The wedding day brought another hot, bright blue sky. Sarah and the caterers arrived in full force, finalising the table settings and getting the food prepared. We brought the flowers from the porch and arranged them on the tables.

The wedding cake, made by a friend, was put in place . It was perfect- climbing boots on each layer and crossed ice axes on the top! The detail was amazing.

We hung Himalayan Prayer flags on the path to the camping and across the top of the Walled garden path as the bride did not want anyone accessing the wedding tent.

Everything was set, ready for the guests to arrive.

Guests were greeted in the car park with more Himalayan Prayer flags and the most wonderful plastic ducks arranged on the water trough by the exit - two large ones dressed as the bride and groom and swimming in the water their family to come!

Canapes awaited them on the lawns, including some Nepalese Momos which were especially ordered in, as favourites of the bride and groom, from our wonderful Blandford restaurant - Namaste Gurkha (namastegurkha.co.uk / 01258 450769) These were served on boards, custom made for the couple.

A table had been put under the canopy for drinks and champagne had been put on ice in a Shillingstone metal hip bath.

The bride and groom arrived in a magnificent dark red Jaguar V8 and posed for pictures in front of the house before joining their guests on the lawns. The bride wore the most beautiful fitted wedding dress which showed off her slim figure to perfection. Her veil was held back with lace flowers which matched the straps and lace detail on the bodice and veil. At the church she had had one adult and two small bridesmaids. The groom looked equally magnificent in full dress kilt complete with Sgian Dhu.

While guests tried out the lawn games and tested their skills on the slackline, Greg Thurtle from TP Photography took the official photographs and a group shot from an upstairs window. Greg took all the fantastic photographs in this blog apart from those mark SH. His pictures of the children and close up, informal ones of the guests were wonderful but sadly I cannot include these here. (www.thurtlepower.com / 07834 490393 )

Formal pictures over, guests moved into the Marquee for the delicious spread that Sarah and her team from Indulge had prepared with such care. The Bride and Groom made their official entrance as Mr and Mrs Sutherland to huge applause.

While speeches were made the children began to filter out onto the lawns where they played beautifully. Speeches made, the guests explored the grounds and the bridal couple had more photographs taken in the Walled garden and the White Walk. These were beautifully informal, with them eating candy floss and practising their “twosome reel” for the first dance.

As the sun began to go down they made their way to the field in front of the house where they tried out the slackline - not easy in a wedding dress.

Music started to rise from the tent and the bride and groom wandered back over the lawn to cut their cake and dance their first dance to the sound of Leo McAllister and his band - a family affair as Leo is the groom’s brother in law. To cut the cake they used a dirk rather the normal knife.

Later in the evening the band was joined by Phil King’s disco which specialises in the 60's 70's & 80's which we love to hear! (Tel: 01258-456-650 / kingbros@hotmail.co.uk )

Dancing continued until midnight when taxis arrived to take guests away and campers wended their weary way to their tents.

Morning brought Sarah and her staff at the crack of dawn to tidy the tent and get breakfast going - delicious smells of bacon and homemade croissants filled the air. Sarah took a breakfast tray up to the wedding tent for the couple to wake to.

Later in the morning more guests arrived for lunch - again cooked by Indulge - many of them older friends of the bride who had not come to the wedding.

It seemed a pity to bring the celebrations to an end but clearing up done, the time came for goodbyes and talk turned to the honeymoon in Borneo that was soon to come.