The weather held (just!) and Polly and Andy got the wedding they dreamed of: a classy, country affair in delightful Dorset. Things started with a bang with the boys in the morning on their clay pigeon shoot with Justin at On The Peg. There was serious competition between the boys and no one was going to let the groom have it easy. Andy did in fact come second, after upping his game.
The church was in the enormous grounds of Bryanston School where Polly was a former student. The Rev'd Andrew Haviland captivated the congregation with his delightful positivity during the ceremony. One word: "Wow!" :)
The reception was held at another of Polly's old schools, this time at Hanford. The
gorgeous box gardens allowed us the perfect escape for half an hour to get some stunning portraits. We were interrupted at one point
by the Headmaster's dog who came and gave his personal congratulations
to the happy couple!
I
wanted to try a few shots using the quite spectacular tree in the
grounds and the boys were keen to do a bit of climbing to get into
position. Only thing is that full stretch lunges aren't really what
these suits were designed for and there was one 'accident' in the nether
regions of one unnamed usher ;).
Having
spent five years as teachers at The Banda School in Kenya, Polly and
Andy wanted to bring an element of their time in Africa to their
wedding. There were Masai rugs, carved animal favours and their
favourite places in Kenya were designated as table names on a huge map.
The marquee was set in the grounds of the house and had what seemed like
hundreds of metres of bunting decorating the inside. This, alongside
lanterns and fairylights, gave it a wonderfully bright and colouful feel
inside.
Croquet was available for those who were feeling competitive. I'm not sure what it is with croquet, but it seems men just can't play it without turning into monsters! The nicest guys suddenly become possessed once they realise they can knock their mate's ball into the next postcode!
The food was delicious: fresh country produce that fitted in perfectly with the day and was presented beautifully. 
Ah, the speeches! One of my favourite parts of the day, everyone is relaxed, and the only one stressing is the best man. Or in this case, men. These two chaps paired up better than Batman and Robin and delivered a fantastic speech which had the Groom squirming just the right amount. Talking of which, poor Andy. Not only did the heavens open for your speech, but that thunder couldn't have come at a more inappropriate moment! Nevertheless, you moved us all with your heartfelt words.
Not
a fan of traditional wedding cakes, Polly and Andy opted for a cheese
cake, yes real cheese! It was truly a sight to behold especially when
cut with a massive sword! 
Jim Etherington and his band got the dancefloor filled and feet moving. Their version of Zorba the Greek was unbelievable. I have never in all my days seen a crowd respond quite so well to it!
So... that was the wedding of the lovely Polly and Andy!
I hope you have enjoyed this sample of their wedding. If you like what you see and would like to know more about my wedding photography head over to my website or contact me.
