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4
Jun
2013
Today we head across the water to the Isles of Scilly for a wedding which actually took place on two different islands in the area. With the ceremony on one island and the reception on another on a windy spring day, you know that there are going to be some pretty interesting photos. David McNeil has done a fabulous job of capturing the day in all its windy glory, not only some beautiful portrait shots, but the rather choppy ferry ride to each islands. I’ve never been to the Isles of Scilly but these photos have made me want to visit!
Rosi and Tom were married on 17th April on The Isles of Scilly. ‘The service was in the Old Wesleyan Chapel on the island of St Mary’s, with the reception on the island of Bryher in the Community Hall. There were 75 for the service and meal afterwards, and another 40 or so for the evening do. It’s traditional (and a pleasure) to invite everyone from the island of Bryher for the evening festivities. It took fourteen months, though most of it was done in the last 4-6 months.’
How they met
We met when we were working in the Houses of Parliament. We have been together for seven and a half years.
The proposal
Still high on the celebrations from my sister’s wedding (also on the Isles of Scilly), we took a walk around the rugged north end of the island of Bryher. While taking a break, perched against the hillside, Tom suddenly said “I really want to marry you” (having just had the thought). Rosi said “I really want to marry you too”. It was sealed by a ring made from a blade of grass.
Why did you choose your photographer?
We loved our photographer – David McNeil. He photographed my sister’s wedding and is starting to feel like one of the family! Perfectly professional with a winning ability to put everyone around him at ease. We particularly liked the way his photos capture the way we are as a couple, day to day.
The dress
The dress was by Lily and Louie. I cannot speak highly enough of Jay, who designs and makes the dresses in her beautiful garden summerhouse.The hairband was PowderBlueBijoux at Etsy
The shoes were Jimmy Choos
The suit and bridesmaids
The suit was Hugo Boss with a tie from Duchamp. There was one maid of honour in Tiffany Rose – she was eight and a half months pregnant – now the proud mother of Emilio George.
Theme or colour scheme
Not a colour scheme to start with. We tried not to get too hung up on a particular colour – we were just keen to create a spring English country garden feel. Blue eventually emerged as a dominant colour once we realised the wedding date was right in the middle of bluebell season.
Flowers
My aunt, who lives on Bryher, arranged all the flowers for us, with help from my cousin Charlie. They did an incredible job. The bouquets and buttonholes included lily of the valley, astilbe and myrtle.There were also boxes stuffed with bluebells, jam jars of gypsophila and flowerpots with grape hyacinth, rosemary and heather
Decoration
We wrapped ribbons around the pillars in the Old Wesleyan Chapel and dotted around boxes stuffed with bluebells. We decorated the ceiling of the Community Hall with different-sized round white paper lanterns and the tables with flowerpots of grape hyacinth, rosemary and heather and jam jars of gypsophila.
Food
Following canapés and fizzy, our guests ate lobster, with Cornish new potatoes and a spring garden salad. Then lemon chiffon wedding cake for dessert. Coffee and Veronica Farm fudge were also served, of course (my parents run the local fudge business). Later in the evening, we brought out a whole leg of Serrano ham and West Country cheeses with local artisan breads
Entertainment
Just an ipod, with an inspired playlist chosen by one of our ushers, Felix
Personal / DIY touches
• While we brought in caterers, the Community Hall was very much a blank canvas – and we were lucky enough to have the support of both our families (particularly Rosi’s mum) in decorating the space and making it the unique and personal space that it was on the day.
• We named the tables after politicians that we’d worked with and made framed photographs to mark them so people had to work out who was who.
• We made the napkins out of artist canvas and tied with parcel string, with a specially made blue postmark stamp marking the day and along with nametags.
• We also had a stamp made of the outline of the island of Bryher that we used for the invitations and menus (which we wrapped with string and posted into the top of old fashioned lemonade bottles)
Special moments
This one isn’t on the day but on our way over to the Isles of Scilly, Rosi’s sister arranged for a wedding announcement over the tannoy on the ferry For Tom, it was seeing Rosi walking down the aisle.
Our many speeches – nine in total! Don’t worry about having too many. For lots of people, it was their favourite part of the day and we managed to do them all within 25 minutes!
Biggest surprise
Our surprise wedding guest, baby Felix, our newest relative who arrived at 8.30am that morning! Special credit should be given to his mother Robyn who was out in her party dress, looking fab and up for a party, just hours after the delivery
Advice
Try to give yourself as much space as possible to enjoy the build up to the wedding. Many of the jobs that are tempting to leave until the last minute can be done weeks ahead. We had time to relax and enjoy the days running up to it – we would have hated to be stressed out rather than excited.
Take moments during the day to look around you, soak everything up and cherish the moment – it will go by like a flash
Don’t obsess too much about the weather. We had almost gale force winds and a few splashes of rain. One of our favourite moments was when we were all crammed in the boat cabin on our way from the service to the reception. The box of disposable ponchos we’d bought went down a storm (no pun intended).
www.davidmcneil.co.uk
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Fab photos David! Love the portraits on the beach especially and it’s awesome to see your work up here!
Thanks Kat!!
Soooooo much fun to be a part of this amazing wedding and great to see it here!
Great work As always David. Love the way your images always portray people in a natural way and always capture the true essence of the day.
Thanks Steve! That’s always my aim :) I’m so pleased Rosi and Tom specifically mentioned it too!
Lovely work, and a gorgeous happy wedding. xxx
The boats made a magnificent background. I also love the wild flowers in the back of some of these photos.
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