I have no idea how to begin blogging about our 2016 wedding season. The thing I love most about the venue we have created is it’s adaptability. No one wedding is anything like the last. I think the best way is to choose features that linger as memories of the day and that set each wedding apart from any other. Soldiers, Tipis, Ceilidh dancing and a covered ceremony are certainly elements that sum up Lucy and Adam’s incredible day.
Lucy was very concerned about the foreseeable weather in the lead up to the wedding and opted to use both the stretch tent and the Giant hat tipis, making it a real tipi village. After the wedding we received the loveliest note from her mother thanking us for all our efforts that had ensured that the adverse weather didn’t affect their enjoyment of the day.
The ceremony took place under the stretch tent with rows of tree stump benches laid out to either side to create an aisle. At the front of the tent was our ceremony arch adorned with cascading flowers, courtesy of Minka Miles https://www.minkamylesflowers.com/weddings. Minka’s wild, and eye catching blooms really made an impact throughout the venue. Our celebrant Liz Harwood anecdotally summed up the couple’s love of the outdoors and gave the proceeding a formal but wholly personal touch.
The ceremony was ended by a sword salute. (the girls that work at Woodland Weddings were swooning!) . The couple then lead their guests into the Giant Hat Tipi tents where for the first time we had used our hanging wheel; Minka had expertly decorated with ivy and baby’s breath. The hanging jam jars also looked spectacular at night, suspended from the wreath. 
Whilst the couple were having their stunning portraits taken my Elton Mogg, We served Pimms, Champagne and a wonderful array of canapés; including scallops with homemade pea puree pancetta and black pudding arranged in scallop shells. This was followed by a BBQ banquet with options of Tuna steaks, minted lamb legs, garlic king prawns, Moroccan couscous and roast potatoes to name just a few of the dishes. Lucy and Adam had opted for a huge tower of cheese as oppose to puddings and also provided their own ‘Great British Bake Off’, which was a huge success. Lucy’s mother, Sue had tirelessly made THE MOST appealing range of cakes for the occasion, and guests also brought offerings.
As night fell the Ceilidh band got into full swing. We had cleared out the stretch tent to provide a separate covered areas for dancing. I love how a ceilidh dance brings people together. (Even the most unwilling dancers). Luckily the rain subsided enough for the guests to make use of the outside areas. Guests were sat around the fire pits with marshmallows on sticks and sparklers in hand. Elton has really captured this part of the evening well in his images. I love the image of the guests enjoying Sam’s hay bales sofas. 
The night concluded with a silent disco, which featured inflatable instruments and fancy dress.. I will never forget the elders of the group getting fully involved in the silent disco. At midnight the guests retired to their tipi village and awoke to a beautifully sunny day. (What luck). At least they had use of the paddock for rounders and breakfast on the Sunday! Whilst a rainy wedding prevents those beautiful hazy golden hour shots, this is replaced by a wonderfully moody vibe and the most iconic evening shots I’ve seen all season. What a stunning couple, and what stunning pictures
