Yesterday's wedding was again in a gorgeous castle setting. The theme colours were peach and green and the seven bridesmaids had all chosen their own variation on the colour theme, creating a brilliant jewel box of colours. Meanwhile, the 12 groomsmen looked incredibly dapper and smart in their dinner jackets.
The ceremony was in a huge pergola covered with beautiful climbing plants and with a fountain grotto inside. Our wooden benches have now had a facelift and in their new white livery were the perfect seating for this indoor/outdoor venue. Our wedding arch was dressed with ivory curtains and beautiful peach floral arrangements which framed a view of the intensely blue sea beyond.
Afterwards, there were refreshing cocktails and canapes in the castle gardens. Then, as evening fell, a splendid four-course dinner was served under the majestic trees which were decked with sparkling chandeliers and gently glowing fairy lights. It was a truly magical occasion.
Décor inspiration
Balloons with floral tails
Well, I must admit this trend had me foxed. Huge balloons are filled with helium gas and 
take the place of bridesmaid’s bouquets. Ours had the extra twist of an elegant floral tail of ivy, white ribbons and baby’s breath tied into the strand. As we amassed 14 of these and anxiously tethered them to any available surface before the ceremony, I was still not convinced. But once they were in the hands of the bridesmaids, they took on a life of their own, gently swaying along, and I could see how much movement, colour and interest they brought to the group. When our couple were welcomed by their guests after the ceremony, the bridesmaids formed a guard of honour and released their balloons which made a lovely spectacle as they sailed freely into the warm summer evening.
Frame table plans
I needed no convincing with this trend! Our couple were incredibly well-travelled and the places they had visited together provided the theme for their table names. So we arranged a selection of 15 frames for the seating plan, ranging from intricate gold designs, carved wood and verdigris and brass to simple white, gold and natural wood. They looked great and had the added advantage of being very easy for guests to navigate and find their places.
