Our First Amazing Wedding of 2024!
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS, UNLESS MARKED “IN HOUSE”, ARE TAKEN BY ANDREA SIMS PHOTOGRAPHY
Andrea saved the wedding! The bride’s chosen photographer backed out the week of the wedding. The bride was having her nails painted by Andrea in readiness for the great day. When Andrea heard the devastating news she anounced “I take wedding photographs!” Disaster over and the photographs are amazing.
andreasimsphotography@gmail.com / andrea_s_photography
The sun was shining and the sky was an incredible deep blue as Jon from Ernest G Hart arrived to put up their pole tent on the lower lawn. Luckily, the Catalpa Tree had at last come into leaf and gave shade for the team to take a rest.
Ernest G Hart - www.ernestghart.co.uk / 01258-881-047 / hartsmarquees@btinternetcom
Once the Marquee was up, they turned their attention to the canopy needed to shelter guests from the heat during the ceremony. The couple had chosen to exchange their vows on the dining room steps. The poles had all been repainted in shiny white for the occasion
On the camping/glamping lawn Devon Belltents were busy putting up the biggest Bell Tent city we have ever had! 71 people slept on Saturday night with several sharing a tent.
The tents were beautifully appointed with bright coloured linen, rugs and lanterns.
07988 693747 / info@devonbelltent.com / devonbelles.co.uk
We had a crisis with our Wedding Night Bell Tent as it came out of winter hibernation stained with mould but a friend came to our rescue and lent us another one for the summer.
Friday brought Friends and Relations to help decorate the marquee.
Garden flowers were arranged in an assortment of jars and placed down the long trestles, along with table names showing the cities the couple had visited together. Each place had a packet of wild flower seeds to plant as a memory.
The couple had all beverages covered! Drinks were to be free with beer and spirits laid out on tables along side tea and coffee and cold water. The vintage tea and coffee cups were loaned by us.
Cards were put ready for guests to pen their good wishes to the couple and paper balls were hung from the sides of the marquee. Finally jars with tea lights joined the flowers on the tables and smaller containers with battery lights found their place by the cards. Such care had been taken to make everything fresh and beautiful.
All was ready until the final touches the following morning.
Saturday morning brought the groom, groomsman and family to lay out the Pimms Bar in the shade of the catalpa tree. Strict instructions were given re not taking glasses onto the ceremony lawn!
Inside the marquee, ice was added to the buckets for wine and bottled water.
As guests began to arrive, it was time for the groom’s party to take their buttonholes and socialise before the ceremony.
They even managed to squeeze in a family picture.
Soon the Registrars arrived and the groom went into the house to meet with them. Guests began to be directed towards the ceremony awning - some a little reluctant to leave their Pimms behind.
With all the guests setting themselves outside the dining room windows, it was time to draw the curtains in readiness for the arrival of the bride.
The ancesters were ready in their wedding hats when she arrived in a very shiny Rolls Royce, driven by her father. She looked amazing in an off the shoulder satin dress with a lace back and a long train. She was met by her mother with the box of bouquets and then went into the house to see the Registrars. Meeting over, there was enough time to have photographs taken with her bevy of bridesmaids.
The bridal party gathered by the catalpa tree in readiness for their entrance to the ceremony tent.
Her bridegroom was waiting nervously by the dining room steps and was seen to wipe a tear from his eye as he saw his beautiful bride coming down the aisle towards him but the moment quickly turned to laughter.
There was more laughter to come when the groom’s father and the bride’s stepfather delivered their personalised readings.
There was also the more serious side to the ceremony - the exchanging of vows and rings - a very moving moment for friends and family.
After their first kiss as man and wife, the bride and groom went into dining room with their witnesses to sign the register.
Official duties over, they emerged to greet their cheering guests.
While the couple took a moment to themselves, guests were ushered onto the lower lawn by the marquee. There they were marshalled into two lines ready to shower the couple in confetti - some in little packets and some handed out by the flower girls from their baskets - quicky emptied and refilled with their posies.
No peace for the wicked! Guests were asked to grab a chair and return it to the marquee ready for the wedding breakfast.
Time to socialise and have photographs taken with friends and family.
Smoke began to drift over the lawn and food was declared to be ready.
Brown Goose Catering - www.brown-goose.co.uk / rob@brown-goose.co.uk / 07470 096652
The marquee looked beautiful as guests took their places to await the arrival of the bride and groom, who were greeted with cheers and raised glasses.
Guests went out to help themselves to the delicious array of food set out on the lawn.
Speeches followed with much laughter and cheering rising from the marquee.
To cool everyone down after so much shouting, very special icecreams were served in the shade of the catalpa tree by the Ice Chef. Each ice is formed on a freezing metal plate and rolled before serving. A long queue formed but everyone was happy to wait to witness the magic!
The Ice Chef - www.theicechef.co.uk / Hello@theicechef.co.uk
The wedding breakfast finished, guests chatted or explored the rest of the gardens while formal pictures were taken on the lawn - many combinations of family as well as the bride and her friends and the groom and his.
The band, headed by the Bride’s brother had set up earlier and music began to flow from the marquee - soon quietened a little as there is a start time of 7pm for the boom, boom, boom of later in the evening
By 7.30pm, when the cake was cut the volume was rising The cake was an incredible combination of two naked iced layers surrounded by beautifully decorated cup cakes, and a sprikling of fresh fruit over all. This confection was made by the groom’s grandfather.
The first dance quickly followed and the party began.
Dancing continued until guests were called to collect their pizza from the Domino Delivery man, they would not be able to go home and say that they went hungry!
https://www.dominos.co.uk/ They would not usually deliver but with such a large order how could they say no!
At 10.15 there was another call out - this time to gather outside the marquee - no hint as to why.
As the bride and grooom took the opportunity for a quick kiss, there was a huge bang and the sky lit up - it was the start of an amazing five minutes of fireworks. The last picture was taken from the top of nearby Hambledon Hill.
Pyrocartel.co.uk / 07738 440221 / daniel@pyrocartel.co.uk
Music drew the guests back into the marquee and the party continued until midnight when the campers made their way to their bell tent city to chat until 1.30am
in house
Campers woke to the glad tidings that breakfast awaited them in the field behind the gazebo. Bigger Bites had arrived at 8am to set up and the smell of bacon was delicious.
Bigger Bites - 07990 703573 / biggerbites.co.uk
Buoyed up by an excellent breakfast, many friends stayed to help clear up so only too soon it was time to say goodbye to a wonderful couple and their wonderful families. It had truly been a weekend to remember.