As promised, here is the final chapter of our wonderful wedding day - the reception!
When searching for a venue, we knew the minute we visited Maunsel House that this was where we wanted to spend our special day. A beautiful, historic country house, filled to the brim with eccentric artefacts and quirky decorations - we loved how wonderfully weird and gorgeous it was at the same time!
By the time we arrived from the church in our 1928 Austin 20 Limousine {the most beautiful car in the world - I felt like I was in an episode of Downton Abbey!}, our guests were already there, sipping on prosecco and snacking on a selection of canapés, including filo tartlets with artichoke and walnut pate, fig jam and goats cheese crostini, and mini sausages with honey & mustard.
There was a "Kids' Table" laden with board games, finger puppets, and a Scavenger Hunt we had made, featuring items located around the house. For the adults, we set up our own Selfie Station in the library, with a table full of props and selfie sticks, and one of our friends used an old-fashioned camcorder to interview our guests and ask them for their favourite moments of the day. All of these things were fairly easy to arrange and set up ourselves {wedding-planning me from a few months ago is currently shouting, 'HA! "Easy"...' in my head}, so I would definitely recommend sorting these activities yourselves if you can.
After my new husband and I {!} had sat down in the library for a five minute breather and quick slurp of prosecco ourselves, we headed outside for a few photos - but had to keep it brief due to the chilly October breeze!
And then it was time for the wedding breakfast.
Our guests headed over to the beautiful covered pergola. We wanted a natural, country theme, and so the tables were decorated with candelabras entwined with fresh greenery and ivy, delicate tea lights, and confetti in the shape of autumn leaves. Each table had a different quote on the back of the table number, for example:
Place names were slotted into mini logs in keeping with the theme, and personalised mints were laid onto the side plates as wedding favours.
Our guests tucked into a selection of starters, including chicken liver parfait, tomato soup and wild mushroom crepes, followed by boeuf bourguignon, roast pork loin and spiced sweet potato bake. Desserts included pear crumble, blueberry roulade, and creme brûlée. It was certainly a real feast!
We snuck off with our photographer in the break between eating and speeches, to catch some of the fading light.
We then headed back to the pergola, where unfortunately the surroundings had started to become quite cool in spite of the side coverings and heaters, so speeches were kept short and sweet as our guests nestled under blankets and throws! The offer of roaring fires and hot chocolate was gratefully received, and everyone rushed back towards the warmth of the house.
As our guests helped themselves to tea, coffee and petit fours from vintage crockery, 'The Great Wedding Bake Off' was unveiled - a table full of delicious cakes made by some of our family and friends. There was no judging, just eating! We also had the three-tier wedding cake made my Mama Maggie May and I, and not long later followed our cheese tower... Beautiful Godminster cheese arranged in the shape of a wedding cake, with enough cheese for everyone! It was definitely a foodie wedding...
After cutting the cake, it was time for our first dance, and we chose The Beatles' In My Life, played by the incredible tribute band All You Need Is The Beatles. The party really started when they began playing...
Before we knew it, it was midnight, and time for everyone to begin making their way home. Friends and family who were staying with us overnight in the house, or in the cottages dotted around the estate, retreated to the library with us for a night cap and reflection on the day's events. As my brother-in-law tried on a safari hat, my tipsy friend dripped some of her port onto my wedding dress, and my dad topped up the half empty glasses of whisky, I relaxed and turned to Mr MM.
"We did it. We're married!"
Of course, this is only a snapshot of our wedding day, and there are so many details and memories I have left out in order to keep it succinct. I'm planning on writing a post featuring all of the wedding suppliers we chose, so any couples who are currently wedding planning can peruse our recommendations. Maybe a post will pop up in future, looking at my tips and advice for brides-to-be on planning a wedding... But for now, I'm quite happy to leave the notebook and spreadsheet to one side, and cuddle up with my husband on the sofa to watch Father Ted.
Thank you friends, family, and our official photographer Clayton Jane for the selection of images.
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