Inspiration

Okay, I should probably never blog again after this.

Don’t worry – I’m not being serious…. but you may remember, if you are a very keen reader, that I said last week there were exciting events in the offing…

What I wasn’t saying was that Charlie and I were about to throw our wedding party down in Dorset. And this has been the weekend.  When we got married back in January, which was a tiny, happy thing in Camden Town Hall, the plan was always to give Charlie’s New Zealand family time to come over, and for all of our families and friends to be with us.  A summer wedding party in Dorset beckoned.

We’re sitting here on Sunday evening, by the fire, Charlie’s unwrapping presents and I’m having a look through photos… portraits of a wonderful day.

I think not too many words, this week – but just some captions from time to time.

By Friday morning, Charlie’s flower room was beginning to go a little crazy…

The marquee, by contrast, was very ordered. Anna and Nic has just put up all the tables and chairs.

Supper in Dorchester on Friday – while we left Charlie quietly and peacefully in his flower room (which is really where he wanted to be, with no disturbances).

The church flowers ready early on Saturday morning….

The marquee was looking beautiful…

We couldn’t resist flying the flag…

Meanwhile Charlie & Anna were laying the tables. Then the candles…

and more candles… (and more candles)….

Then the flowers….

Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? Charlie had created the most beautiful marquee you have ever seen.  All in no time at all, and with no fuss.

But we finished with minutes to spare… The first guests were arriving at the church… through our garden, as it turned out.

While meanwhile, more importantly, the waiters turned up just in time…. hehehehe 

In the interest of the blog I snuck one photograph from our pew at the front of the church…

But the nicest photo of all was snapped by Charlie’s friend Hamish…

Back at the Parsonage, the party got into full swing…

Lulu and Bridgie, who were the real instigators of Charlie and me getting together. 

Drinks at home, followed by supper at the Cricket Ground. Everyone else had gone down – on the way we bumped into Nic and her daughter Poppy…. looking so glamorous.

Otto Williamson came running over to say hello!

Vera settled down at her place to have a good read of the Beano.

Charlie’s Angels…

If you’re very sharp eyed in the photo two back, you might, just might have spied these:
Charlie’s obsession. The camels were amazing. Really, just an excuse for the perfect last line to the invitations…

Maisie, meanwhile, was playing the accordion beautifully…

And then it was time for supper…

Although not for everyone…

The waiters were doing their job beautifully……….

Charlie and Ben and two camels…. taking a break during supper….

Our friend Lulu, who introduced us at a dinner a year and 2 days ago…. about to give her best woman’s speech, which was the best speech anyone has ever heard….

And as dusk settled, the tent (lit entirely by candlelight) took on a magical glow….

And I think it is possibly true to say that for those few hours there was nowhere else on earth that anyone in that tent – our families, and all of our closest and best friends – would have wanted to be.

And there the photos stop…. as the evening began.  Oh man oh man oh man.  We danced away to Jess Upton and the Guilty Pleasures… and it’s probably true to say that the village has never seen anything quite like it.

The following morning, even the aftermath had its own beauty. Rain was sweeping across the valley, in and drumming on the roof of the tent. I know it’s easy to say, but gosh we were lucky with that beautiful, soft, sunlit evening the night before.

Flowers were retrieved and brought back to the house to be distributed to whoever was driving home….

And then we spent the afternoon in front of the Wimbledon Men’s final in the village hall, on the big screen. Bliss…. and about all we were good for.

Late afternoon, and a mist had blown in across the valley. Here’s the view to the church…

And back to the Parsonage.

Charlie’s vegetable garden looking ravishing beyond the meadow.

And at the end of the afternoon, we wandered down to the Cricket Ground, to look at the Marquee in the mist. The Cricket match was still being played.

We’ve been quietly recovering, and unwrapping all our many beautiful presents, and soon it is time to go to bed, and the dream will be over, and real life will return…. And this has, I think, for all of us, been one of the happiest weekends of our lives.

(and thank you Simon for that lovely photograph).