You’ll want your wedding to be fun. You’ll like nothing more than your guests having a great time. You’d like to be able to relax and enjoy your day without worrying about a thing…
This is exactly how I would sum up Martha’s wedding, which I went to last weekend. I have spent the week pondering why it was one of the loveliest weddings I have ever been to and have come up with ten ideas that you can steal from Martha to make your big day just the same:
- Martha’s wedding was all about family. There were children everywhere, and their laughter filled the air. No-one was telling those children to shhh, or telling them off for discarding their shoes to run around barefoot in the grass. The babies were passed round and responsibility for them shared. I didn’t once hear a baby screaming… I’m not saying you have to have children at your wedding, but if you’re not too stuffy and you are used to having them around, they definitely bring fun with them.
- Martha hired a tipi – a beautiful canvas twin peaked structure, complete with an open fire in the middle. The two families had spent days decorating it with tall willow branches carrying tiny lamps, fairy lights and bunting. Guests kept the fire going throughout the evening and the couple provided marshmallows for guests to toast – a lovely touch.
- Trestle tables were covered with white tablecloths and jam jars filled with garden flowers – it was so pretty, I can’t tell you. There was no seating plan – you just sat where there was space. It was so sociable and so much fun.
- Martha and Andreas booked a hog roast from a local butcher and a local caterer provided huge and delicious salads. So, hog roast and stuffing in bread rolls, apple sauce and salad was one of those wedding menus I will never forget.
- There was no band – friends who could sing (there are lots of them) held a kind of open mic night and I had reservations but it worked really well. The dance floor was never empty and inbetween times an ipod played through a PA system provided the tunes. It was perfect.
- Martha had organised some giant party games including Connect Four, croquet and a bouncy castle, which children and grown ups all enjoyed.
- Andreas asked me to organise an ice sculpture/vodka luge of a marmoset (which is what he calls Martha), which Global Ice UK created. It was unveiled when we arrived and went down a storm. An unusual but fun feature in a field in deepest rural Somerset!
- Martha smiled all day. In fact, I’ve never seen her so relaxed and happy. This, I believe is one of the best gifts you can give your guests – all the signs of complete contenment. It was magic. And because the couple were so relaxed, we all followed suit!
- Martha had two dresses – one from Justin Alexander and one from Kitty and Dulcie, which she teamed with pink Hunter wellies for the evening. I’m sad to say I think the photographer had gone home by the time she changed, but we’re going to drag her along to our next photoshoot and I’ll post pictures up after that.
- Guests were transported to and from the church in two small coaches. It felt we were all n it together from the first moment – setting off on a great adventure – which is exactly what Martha and Andreas’s day was – a magical adventure. And proof if any were needed that the less you obsess about details and the more you relax and just enjoy it, the better the wedding will be. Such fun!
