Beautiful Local Church Wedding and a party filled with local friends and relations
All the wonderful photographs were taken by Kristian Jenkins, a local photographer, (unless marked otherwise.)
kristianjenkinsphotography@gmail.com / https://www.kristianjenkinsmedia.com
The sky was blue as Oakleaf Marquees arrived to put up their sail cloth marquee. They are old friends and always very efficient and helpful.
01258 520345 / info@oakleafmarquees.co.uk / oakleafmarquees.co.uk
As the Bride’s family lived so close, they started to bring decorations and props into the marquee as soon as it was in place. This was especially important for the lanterns.
The Oakleaf team kindly installed a wire, so that the Usher and Father of the Bride could carefully hang the beautiful lanterns that the bride had ordered from Vietnam. These arrived in equally beautiful boxes and the postage had been more than their cost! The couple had met in Vietnam so they had great meaning.
There was quite a production line before they were put in order ready to hang.
Friday - the day to finish the decorations and set the marquee and grounds.
Many friends and relations turned up to help. The forecast was good for overnight so some of them helped to put out the lawn games so carefully made by the Bride’s father.
Others hung lanterns from the festoon lighting put up by Oakleaf and one finished the name cards for the tables, using the table plan - a detailed map showing special places that the couple have visited.
Tables were quickly laid - these too were travel themed to match the table names. A variety of vases, filled with garden flowers, were balanced on matching travel books. White tablecloths went on first, then a piece of map bearing the guest’s name was placed on each which had been hand made by the Bride’s mother and cousin.
The children were not forgotten and they had activity books and little games to keep them amused, all placed inside a mini suitcase - sadly not photographs were taken.
Table linen - 365 Linen Hire / 01722 333444 / sales@365catererslinen.co.uk / https://www.365catererslinen.co.uk
The bride and groom set up their memory and card table - once again themed with a collection of vintage cases and trunks lovingly collected over the past year.
In the midst of all this activity, Dikes of Stalbridge arrived with their bar which they assembled at the end of the marquee. Again, Dikes are old stalwarts and always to be relied on.
01963 362204 / info@dikeandson.co.uk i/ dikeandson.co.uk
One last thing to do. The heat in the marquee was going to make the flowers droop so they were all moved to the porch to spend the night on the marble floor under the gaze of the ancestors.
I volunteered to return them to their rightful places and to make sure that I did, the groom took a photograph of each table showing its name!
Time to return home and rest before the great day.
This dawned with once again brilliant blue skies. The Mother and Father of the bride came over early to deliver the Wedding Cake, and make sure that everything in the marquee was in place.
Dorset Delights drew up on the drive and brought their pre-prepared food and equipment into the catering tent. Some of the team set out the glasses ready for the Pimms to be served to guests on arrival whilst others checked the table list for those with special dietary needs.
https://www.dorsetdelightscatering.co.uk/ contact@dorsetdelightscatering.co.uk / 07783928532
The Table List had been brought outside the marquee with more wonderful trunks around it.
With everything ready, a Vintage Ford Cortina, belonging to a friend of the couple, drove up the drive bringing the bride and groom from the church. They were met, in great style, by one of the catering team with a glass of Pimms for each of them.
The bride was wearing a stunning cream beaded floral dress dress which suited her perfectly. She looked absolutely radiant all day! Her natural curly hair was secured by a faux flower band
Bride by Design - 01985 217216 /info@BridebyDesign.biz / https://bridebydesign.biz/wedding-dresses/contact.html
Hannah Lloyd - hair and make up - 07957 743693 / hannahlloydmua@hotmail.com
Her six adult bridesmaids wore matching multi-way green dresses, each styled uniquely.
After some photographs outside the house they were whisked away to have some beautifully informal photographs in the walled garden. They took a moment to inspect their wedding night bell tent which we had put up amongst a ring of fruit trees.
Meanwhile, their guests were sampling the canapes, and trying out the lawn games.
Before joining their guests, the couple came into the house for a few more photographs and a little time for themselves.
Out on the lawn the bridesmaids had been persuading the guests to leave their drinks and get into two lines outside the dining room windows. As the couple opened the French doors to go out and greet them they were met with cheers .
While the guests were all gathered together, the photographer shot into the house to take a group photograph from an upstairs window.
The bride had given us an order of the day and spot on time, guests were summoned to the marquee for the wedding breakfast where they were greeted by the bridal party.
Their delicious meal finished - The bride’s cousin, acting as Master of Ceremony, started proceedings. The Father of the Bride made the first speech followed by several others, the marquee filled with laughter as everyone toasted with Rhubarb Gin, made by the Father of the Bride.
The sun was still shining and guests poured out onto the lawns again to explore the grounds, have another go at the games or just chat giving the bride and groom time to have a few more photographs taken in the field, including some group ones with the bridesmaids and best man.
The field also saw the arrival of the Fiery Fox who had set up their gazebo ready for a rush for their wood fired pizzas. The bride and groom were the first to sample one. Later a long queue of guests would wait to choose their toppings.
The Pizzas were accompanied by a host of homemade cakes which filled the top table, lovingly made by the couple’s friends and family, including a much in demand Chocolate cake made by the Grooms sister.
07979 733533 / info@thefieryfoxwoodfiredpizza.co.uk / thefieryfoxwoodfiredpizza.co.uk
As the light began to fade, guests were once more asked to take their seats when to huge cheers, the bride and groom cut their cake - a delicious two tiered fruit cake, made by the bride’s uncle - and iced in bright pink by Doreen’s Cakes Dorset. The top was covered with flowers, brought earlier and kept in the fridge for freshness, by West Dorset Wedding Flowers.
07740 981765 / www.westdorsetweddingflowers.co.uk / jessie@westdorsetweddingflowers.co.uk
They also provided the beautiful bouquets carried by the bride and her bridesmaids, the buttonholes and the flowers for the top table.
This was quickly followed by the First Dance.
Jordan Watts, a solo singer and musician, started his first song and the dance floor filled with guests - the party had begun.
Jordon2Watts@gmail / 🦇Jordan Watts🦇 (@cultofnight) • Instagram photos and videos
Darkness fell and the fairy lights in the marquee came into their own. Guests continued to dance and enjoy themselves until midnight when they wended their way to their B&Bs, homes or the bell tents set up on Friday by The Dorset Bell Tents Ltd.
07503 000188 / info@dorsetbelltents.com / dorsetbelltents.com
The celebrations were not over yet as guests were invited back the following day to relax in the sunshine before helping to clear up.
It had been a wonderful weekend filled with smiles, laughter, friendship and above all family.