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.