Trying to tie my theme together

Kimberley04

Hi all, I'm trying to think through my theme for my wedding. Being a fuss-pot to the extreme, I really want everything to feel cohesive, but also a little different.

I'm thinking along the idea of 'English Summer Garden Party' for the overall theme, as we're having a BBQ instead of a sit down meal, but I'm struggling to think of ideas - such as how to style the venue, centre piece ideas, desert options, colour schemes, etc....

Has anyone done this kind of theme before, and if so, what did you have? Or has anyone got any ideas for ways to tie this kind of thing together....?

undercover_angel

Hi

We're not having this type of theme but I do think it's a lovely idea, I have no experience of working with it but when somebody says "English Summer Garden Party" the types of things I think of are:

- Bunting
- Fairy Lights
- Gazebo's
- Floral Patterns
- Pastel Colours
- Gingham Fabrics
- Enamel Ware (like jugs etc)
- Snuggly Picnic Blankets
- Desserts like Strawberries and Cream, Eton Mess, Scones with Jam, fruit Salad
- Ice cold Punch or Pimms with fruit
- Maybe some garden games like croquet (sp?) or even giant chess/ jenga to keep people amused

I really don't know if this is any help but it is just things that pop into my head.

Good luck with your planning

xxx

ncv2

I just saw this wedding on a blog and it kind of reminds me of what you are saying. It's a tea party, but the pictures are in a garden in London.
http://www.stylemepretty.com/2010/06/17/london-tea-party-wedding-by-marianne-taylor/

Kimberley04

Thanks for the link, and the suggestions of things to include ! I am loving the style me pretty dessert table.

x

Angela84

Hi Kimberely,

This is what Im doing for our wedding next May. So far I have thought of/decided on..
White is our main colour. May have some pastels dotted around, but mainly white
Marquee in friends garden behind little village church.
'Posh' BBQ with chicken breast, steaks and salmon fillets with new potatoes, salads, bread rolls.
We're having a profiterole cake to be used for dessert as well, but I would have also like strawberries, mini meringues and choc sauce/coulis
Im making swags from tulle to go all around the fencing in the field, and also having ribbons hanging from the tree. There is also a little lake so having pretty lights floating on that.
Maybe making bunting, just whith white material. May be making paperchains from pretty wallpaper and scalloping the edges and holepunching hearts out.
Probably going to have simple garden flowers in simple vases, although have also looked at wooden flowers, or topiary little trees.
Lots of string fairy lights in marquee, possibly wrapped with tulle as well. Lots of tea lights in jam jars lighting the way to the posh loos and the car park
Picnic benches outside for everyone
Summery cocktails, pimms and buckfizz handed out when we walk to field. A little self serve buffet table with some sweets, nuts and crisps.
BBQ served about 4.30ish, then at 9 handing around cheese boards with some homemade pickle and grapes.

The thing with all my plans are, this is England after all, and it could possibly be peeing it down all day, so if that happens it will be a dash from the church to the marquee, and then a dash to the loos when you have to!

I think googling 'English Garden party' is a good one, as Americans seem to love this, and because they are allowed to get married outside, they have some lovely pictures to take inspirations from.

Please PM me or reply if you wanna chat anymore, I have no one to plan stuff with tbh, so its nice to know someone else is doing this!

May I ask when and where you're having your wedding?

Kimberley04

Wow - thank you for all of those suggestions. I think your wedding sounds beautiful with all being white. Especially the idea of putting lights on the lake - it sounds spectacular!

I think I'd like to go for a green and coral colour scheme. The wedding is a way off yet, July 2012 and we are marrying in Manchester. My next big issue is trying to find a nice venue spot. I'm really not the kind that would like to get married in a chain hotel, so I'm desperately searching for a barn/farm/orchard type place that isn't extortionate.

RainbowDrops

Strawberries & cream and Pimms are a must.

As for colours - how about the blue white & red of the union jack?

ncv2

Some more.

http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2008/09/board-277-budget-friendly-8-garden.html

http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2008/09/board-283-budget-friendly-15-tea-party.html

http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/search/label/Real%20Weddings?updated-max=2010-05-03T05%3A30%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=20

http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/search/label/Real%20Weddings?updated-max=2010-04-22T05%3A30%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=20

Angela84

Green and coral sounds nice! I do love this union jack stuff that is everywhere at the mo!
I couldnt marry in a hotel, I just think I would meet someone else who's got married in the same place as me, and I just dont like that!
It may be tricky, but does anyone know a local farmer who owns a field you could use? or even a friend with a big back garden? A pretty one of course! Or how about a pretty country pub with a back garden.

You know what I think of with those colours, melon!! Cause some melon inside is coral/orange colour, and some is that nice fresh green!

Gloomendoom

Kimberley04 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm trying to think through my theme for my wedding. Being a fuss-pot to the extreme, I really want everything to feel cohesive, but also a little different.

I'm thinking along the idea of 'English Summer Garden Party' for the overall theme, as we're having a BBQ instead of a sit down meal, but I'm struggling to think of ideas - such as how to style the venue, centre piece ideas, desert options, colour schemes, etc....

Has anyone done this kind of theme before, and if so, what did you have? Or has anyone got any ideas for ways to tie this kind of thing together....?

Our wedding reception had a garden party theme. It worked extremely well as the weather on the day was (very) warm. By some miracle, it had been hot and dry for the whole of the previous week so the ground was dry and easy to walk on in heels (the only dry week of the summer). In some ways the garden party theme verged on a village fete theme as we had activities going on all around the venue... mainly to keep the hoards of children amused, but predictably, quite a few adults joined in too.

After the ceremony we, and the guests, walked through the woods to the reception from the church. We started with afternoon tea followed by the speeches etc. There was no formal sit down meal. We had a hog roast in the evening. Desert was more cake, if you could face it (we had tables groaning under the weight of the things, all made by friends and relatives). Free bar all day and evening. Live ceilidh band. So that people could sit and chat, we arranged sofas around the garden covered in matching throws. Lanterns of various shapes and sizes hung in the surrounding trees provided interest after dark. They actually looked very pretty when lit. Bunting served the same purpose during the day. The inside of the marquees were decorated with flowers and ivy (available free in your local wood).

Finished off with just the two of us in the pool at adout 2:00 am.

Guests were constantly complementing us on the refreshingly laid back and 'different' feel to the whole affair. It had, however, taken an awful lot of planning and effort over the previous weeks/months by Mrs G, her family and me to achieve that laid back feel.

Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, but we enjoyed every minute of it.

Kimberley04

This is why I love this forum.

Thankyou so much for the links, I shall spend a while pouring through those after work.

Also, thank you very much for the idea of melon - which I am LOVING.

Now I've got all kind of ideas about how I can tie in melon into centre pieces, favours, image ideas, maybe a melon based cocktail on arrival instead of a pimms ??? What do you think ?

Love it - thanks so much
xxx