After hosting a Gin & Tea Party which went down really well with the girls last year, I wanted to do something similar for my at home hen do, and decided on a vintage garden tea party.
In my head I had pictured how the set up would look, yet even I was blown away by how beautifully it all came together on the day. It was picture perfect in every possible way. Plus I could not have picked a better weekend for it as the sun shone brightly all day. This was highly fortunate as I had not considered a plan B should it have rained!
Chris kindly helped me Friday morning, hauling 20 odd bales of hay, and at least 6 pallets from the indoor school across to my mother’s front garden; quite the slog, especially in the heat we had.
I also could not have managed to bring the day together so wonderfully without the help of my brilliant Maid of Honour and sister Hannah, my dear friend and Bridesmaid Lili, and my mother who all spent Friday afternoonthrough to the early evening in the kitchen baking.
Friday evening Chris and I had a pre-arranged meeting with our videographer and therefore had to leave the team to finish up the days baking. Driving back up towards the house a couple of hours later, I could have cried when I saw that Hannah and Lili had so gorgeously transformed the garden in to a dream vintage tea party setting by stringing vintage bunting all around.
Our work continued until we lost the light; setting out the hay bales and pallets so that it would allow us time to simply decorate the next morning.
For the flowers I wanted to keep it simple and personal, therefore before leaving our cottage on Saturday morning I took cuttings from the garden.
The table runner was made from foliage I had collected on a walk a couple of days previously; Ivy taken from a tree at my mother’s which I weaved in and then finished with cuttings from a fitting shrub for the occasion called the Bride from our garden.
The centre piece was made up of bluebells (from our garden) in jars wrapped with hessian and lace. I found a heart shaped wicker basket which three jars fitted perfectly into finish the look.
The tea was to be served on one of the incredible pallet projects I had assigned to my clever Grandad, and which is to be used on the big day itself.
I hired vintage style crockery from the lovely Caroline at Wellies & Weddings and this completed the look just flawlessly.
Once we were all set up a few walkers stopped by the fence to admire the set up and commented on how pretty it all looked; this made me feel immensely proud that with the help of my loved ones we had created it together.
By 2pm the last of the food was out on display and an uninvited guest began loitering around to see what food he could swipe before heading home.
With music playing in the background, bubbles poured, we took our seats to consume the tasty treats we had made the day before.
Photography was at this point handed over to Hannah and Lili for the afternoon.
My number one lady who has been my rock throughout all the ups and downs on my journey to finding the “One” sat by myside (albeit only to eye up the plate of food in front of me).
Later in the afternoon my dear Grandad of 88 years young, left his work bench and joined the ladies for half an hour; making sure he said hello individually to all and making us laugh.
After Grandad departed Bunter came bounding out to see what all the fuss was about and made it his duty to clear up any fallen food!
It was such a perfect afternoon and has left me feeling blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful ladies. Although there were a few missing, (I had not realised it fell over the Easter break at the time I set the date)! I am glad that they will all be with me on the day that matters most next month.
Between now and the wedding there is still the away hen do to look forward to. The arrangements for this have been left entirely with my sister. My only request was that Shiva would be able to come!
Love for now
Emma x