Category: Real Weddings

Posts about actual weddings that we’ve designed and wedding couples that we’ve worked for.

Amy and Jerrad at Kingscote Barn in Tetbury - Styled by Fabulous Functions UK

Amy and Jerrad at Kingscote Barn

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January 2022

Amy and Jerrad’s Wedding at Kingscote Barn, Tetbury

Amy and Jerrad at Kingscote Barn
Amy is a returning customer – Fabulous Functions UK did the décor for her birthday party a few years ago – something she’d loved. So you can imagine our delight when she messaged us to say she’d met the love of her life, was planning her wedding celebrations and wanted us as part of her wedding planning team! Excited doesn’t cover it!

We arranged to meet for a coffee and an initial planning meeting in a cosy little pub in Devizes – with social distancing and masks in play to meet Covid regulations.

Initial planning meeting for Amy and Jerrad’s wedding at Kingscote Barn

It was great to meet up with Amy and her lovely mum and listen as she described the vision she had for her wedding venue décor. We explored ideas and suggestions, discussed colour scheme and made suggestions for other suppliers needed for the day.

I’d brought samples to show Amy. It’s so helpful to see the fabrics, compare colours and combinations where possible and make choices based on that knowledge. We created a beautiful vision and I was super excited to get started.

Wedding location

Amy and Jerrad had chosen Kingscote Barn in Tetbury for their wedding celebrations – a beautiful venue with much indoor and outdoor space for the couple and their guests to enjoy.

As part of our service, we include an on-site visit, approximately one month before the wedding date. This gives our couples a chance to walk through the venue and envision the décor they have chosen. Confirm locations for their accessories and make any last-minute changes. Amy and Jerrad’s Kingscote Barn wedding was no exception and so they walked through the venue with me, discussing each room and the best locations to place their accessories. At the end of the visit they were sure all was as they desired.

Amy and Jerrad at Kingscote Barn chose a personalised mirror for their table plan. Created by Sandra of Fabulous Functions UK it was themed with floating tealights in cylinder vases and a glorious floral arrangement
Personalised mirrored Table Plan for Amy and Jerrad at Kingscote Barn

Action stations

Come the wedding day it was all action. We arrived and unloaded all the accessories, had discussions with the coordinator at Kingscote Barn and got to work.

First up was dressing the chairs with a light grey chiffon hood and waterfall ruffles, creating a soft romantic feel. Once the florist had placed her centrepieces, we added tealights and candles to the tables, placed in groups of 3s around the tables to create a warm ambience once they were lit.

Next we turned our attention to the reception welcome room. We are happy to use accessories provided by our couples and incorporate this into the accessories we provide as part of the décor.

The floor standing mirrored table plan was a beauty and with much care we set it in place and added cylinder vases with floating candles. The personalised mirrored welcome sign was also placed ready to greet the guests.

Amy and Jerrad's Kingscote Barn Wedding - table setting at Kingscote Barn

Amy and Jerrad wanted to give a little nod to loved ones not present and had provided a treasured drinks trolly belonging to Amy’s Nan. This we carefully placed and decorated with items provided by Amy.

Amy and Jerrad at Kingscote Barn had a wealth of personal touches so… Not forgetting the ceiling! Kingscote Barn has a wealth of original beams and we attached some beautiful twisted willow branches, added tealights in glass baubles hung at various heights.

The aim was to create a warm welcoming décor full of romance, charm and sophistication. The venue looked so beautiful.

Amy and Jerrad at Kingscote Barn in Tetbury - Styled by Fabulous Functions UK
Amy and Jerrad at Kingscote Barn

What the lovely couple said about us

Jerrad said: ‘I knew the venue would be beautiful, because you were doing it.’

The both of them: ‘We cannot thank you Sandra & the Fabulous Functions team enough for the amazing work they did for us building up, and on the day of our wedding.’

The venue looked breath taking and you worked so hard so we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We loved working with you. You knew our vision and you helped with every little touch!

Sandra was on hand whenever I needed her. Thank you all so much it was just perfect. Any event in the future we will contact you!

Mr & Mrs Murphy

The story of a marriage not a wedding- Vic and Spencer canvelled their big wedding and opted for a small intimate wedding in Italy. Read all about it on the Fabulous Functions UK blog

An Intimate Italian Wedding Day

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Covid-19 might well have surpassed the British weather as our number one topic of conversation. For sure we’ve written about Covid’s effect on wedding planning on this blog several times now. So in this blog we tell you about an intimate Italian wedding day – albeit with a little twist. That twist being that this wedding happened well before Coronavirus came and changed everything.

A marriage not a wedding

An Intimate Italian Wedding Day - Victoria and her fiance in Italy
An Intimate Italian Wedding Day

Back in March, as the UK went into lockdown and people’s best-laid plans tumbled like the walls of Jericho, we wrote a blog called Your Marriage or Your Wedding? The central message of that blog being, that the MOST important thing is you and your partner joining together in marriage. The rest of it is a party – and that can happen whenever. And this idea of the marriage being the part that matters, lay behind the decision taken by Victoria Wolf of Marlborough’s Willoughby and Wolf bridal shop, and her fiancé, to upend their original plans.

The Italian Job

Says Victoria: ‘three years ago, I married my best friend in a small and intimate ceremony for eleven people and us two. The whole thing was a complete and utter fairy tale with three amazing days of partying, dancing, drinking, eating – all with so much fun and laughter.’

But this wasn’t what we ‘d planned at all.

To begin with we did what every couple planning to wed does. We sat down and drew up a list of potential venues and possible guests and began to go through the motions of planning a wedding. We had the ups and downs. Then the politics started – as family politics do. And soon the whole thing began to feel less about us and the love we felt for each other and more about entertaining people and sacrificing the things we most wanted.

This was the second time round for both of us. I wanted masses of fresh flowers – he wanted masses of food – we both wanted live music. ⁠But our needs were getting subsumed – and it happens all too often.

So, you know what we did? We pulled the plug on it. We cancelled the venue viewings and decided instead to get married in Italy with only our immediate family and one friend and their partners present. And you know what else? We had absolutely the best time ever. We didn’t miss anything that we’d planned to have. ⁠It was such a joy.

What’s more, we grew as a family and our friends still tell us it was the best wedding they’ve ever been to. They even remember our anniversary and that’s a rare thing!

The moral of Victoria’s story?

Again, here’s Victoria’s own words:

‘If your plans need to change and you’re limited to smaller numbers, work with your venue, your florist and your caterer. Small weddings are beautiful and the intimacy of a small wedding means that you don’t have to compromise on anything. They can be liberating and they’re fun!’

An Intimate Italian Wedding Day - flowers down centre of a table setting with glassware, cutlery and candles.

Whatever the size of wedding you’re hoping to have, whether it be an intimate wedding setting, or a minimony and sequel wedding – we’re here to help.

There’s several ways of getting in touch with us to chat about what you have in mind.

You can drop a note to us on: hello@fabulousfunctionsuk.com Or fill out our web form on our contact page here. And, if you prefer, you can call on: 07511 842 45.

Social Side of Life


To get a feel for how we work and what we can do, check out our Facebook and Instagram feeds.

A bride and groom chose to have an intimate destination wedding in Italy instead of a big wedding at home. Visit our blot to get the low down.
Creating a Winter Wonderland Wedding - Scenes from a Winter Wonderland Wedding-Fabulous Functions UK

Creating a Winter Wonderland Wedding

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This is the story of turning a field into a winter wonderland wedding venue

A lot goes in to making a function fabulous. It’s a story in and of itself, of co-operation and collaboration with other suppliers.

There are those directly involved in the event concerned. The photographer, the cake supplier, the wedding planner (if it’s a wedding) and more.

And then there are the suppliers that the Fabulous Functions team works with to help us fulfil our role in creating the event concerned. Because magic doesn’t happen all by itself. Here’s a magical tale of some of what went in to creating a winter wonderland wedding.

Collaboration

The Team at Fabulous Functions UK received a call from Tom Falding of Fandangos events and entertainment. Tom had been asked to put on a marquee wedding and called on us to create the decor. We met the bride and groom to be and the brief was “We have this field and want a Winter Wonderland Wedding.”

We put our heads together and came up with a plan which the couple loved so we got to work with the preparations as the timeline was tight. We had just a 6 Weeks lead time to Wedding Day.

And then there are the suppliers that the Fabulous Functions team works with to help us fulfil our role in creating the decor for this winter wedding. Because magic doesn’t happen all by itself. Here’s a magical tale of some of what went in to creating a winter wonderland wedding.

Three snapshots

This blog then comprises three snapshots of our role in meeting this brief from the soon-to-be bride and groom: ‘We have a field and we would like to get married in a Winter Wonderland.’ They tell a tale of some of the magic woven in creating this winter wonderland wedding, forming part of a wonderful whole.

Snapshot 1: Sew far so good

Creating a fabulous function takes as much time as the clients give you and collaboration from all the business you encounter as you go. We had roughly six weeks to dress an enchanting, winter wonderland wedding. We succeeded with the help of amazing business who simply said: ‘Yes’, when presented with one of my far-fetched ideas. The cooperation, kindness and patience encountered stirred the Fabulous Function’s heart.

Disaster strikes

In planning any big event, whether wedding, party, house move etc there’s bound to be hitches and hiccups. As a general rule of thumb, the proportion of aaarghsuch problems incur has a direct link to the time frame one is working in. Now six weeks is no time at all to plan a wedding, even if everything goes to plan. Imagine my horror then, when my sewing machine decided to go on strike. After weeks of hard work, out of the blue not a stitch more would it sew!  Time was of the essence, so a hasty Google search followed to find my nearest service point. Joy of joys, it turned out to be my old friend Sewcraft in Swindon. 

The times I’ve rung Roger and his team at Sewcraft, with a ‘Do you have …?’ His reply, if not ‘Yes, I have’, is always ‘No, but I’ll get it for you’. To which I say: ‘Great. Please don’t close till I get there, I’m on my way!’

Sew craft shop in swindon
Sew Craft – Swindon
Collaborations with Sewcraft and Fabulous Functions UK

For whom the bell tolls

Returning to the striking sewing machine – off I scooted, machine in tow, to see Roger. He took one look and in a grave voice uttered what I did NOT want to hear: ‘Sorry, I can’t fix it. It needs to return to the manufacturer.’ A how-do-you-do for sure! There I was with 180 fabric lengths to sew and no machine. Taking one look at my stricken face, Roger handed me a machine: ‘No problem. Take this one.’ With a soaring heart I took Sewcraft’s machine home to finish the chair décor for the winter wonderland wedding. Roger saved the day and I can’t thank them enough.

A beautiful winter themed table decor for this winter wonderland wedding themed decor. Decor styling created by Fabulous Functions UK
Gorgeous chiffon drapes adorn the chairs

Snapshot 2: Let it snow!

You cannot have a winter wonderland themed wedding without snow. Not the real stuff – that would be messy. As would a snow machine. Not to mention the cost. So what does a smart event designer do in such a situation? She calls Jo Rigden of SED Develoments of course! Jo, a fellow independent business owner, is a whizz with all things 3D printed. I explain what I want and Jo grunts and nods. She then does her thing with her CAD and her 3D printers.

‘Snowflakes’ I say to Jo. ‘No problem’ says she. The next day I find on my mat an envelope. It contains different sized, gorgeous, delicate, lacey snowflakes. Perfect! Exactly what a winter wonderland wedding needs! An authentic, romantic touch minus the slush.

But we didn’t stop with snowflakes. Jo also designed and printed table numbers for me. We had great fun getting them right. No 2 looked rather like a fat and ill-proportioned lady but I thought she had character!  Bucket loads of thanks to Jo for her patience and creativity in bringing my ideas to 3D life.

3D printed snow flakes by SD Developments

Snapshot 3 – Seeing the wood for the trees

What elements make a winter wonderland setting? Lots of white, lots of lights, something snow-related and lots of trees.

To tackle the trees issue I met up with Rob of  Ridgeway Tree Surgery & Countryside Management. I explained my ideas to him and he suggested I visit his yard to see what he had. And oh boy, did he have some beauties?! He had exactly what I needed to create the vision of wooded enchantment that I had in my head. Because the branches were too big for my car, Rob offered to deliver them to me.

Birch branches for a winter wonderland forest created by Fabulous Functions UK

Rob was kindness itself and went out of his way to help.

A joint effort

The winter wonderland wedding scene that the Fabulous Functions team together created was as captivating as we’d planned and worked for. It captivated the bride and groom and wowed their guests. 

Elmar, of  Elmar Rubio Photography did a sterling job of capturing all the elements comprising this super, splendid, sparkly setting. 

Ice Queen for a Winter Wonderland Wedding
Winter Themed Wedding Marquee setup by Fabulous Functions UK
View from the Secret Garden Styled by Fabulous Functions UK
Weaved chair decor for a Winter Wedding Theme
Sam and Kat say their I Do's under an arch with falling snowflakes
Winter Wonderland Secret Garden
Outdoor Winter Ceremony Setup
Guests relaxing after the wedding
Under the stars with candle filled lanterns
Inside looking out-Fabulous Functions UK
Mini forest for a winter wonderland wedding
Outdoor Lighting for Winter wonderland Wedding-Fabulous Functions UK

About us


To find out more about our services visit our About Us page. We love to learn about you and your vision for your very special day. Then we transform your venue into your very own wedding world. Call us for a chat today.

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A HINDU AND BRITISH FUSION WEDDING

A HINDU AND BRITISH FUSION WEDDING

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Multicultural weddings: A Hindu and BRITISH Fusion Wedding

Read Will’s account of his and Sonam’s beautiful multicultural Hindu & British fusion wedding

A HINDU AND BRITISH FUSION WEDDING
In a recent blog about planning a multi-cultural wedding, we highlightd many of the areas to consider when deciding which parts of your cultures to include in the ceremony.

Will has shared his thoughts on his planning journey as he planned his Hindu/British wedding.

After getting engaged to Sonam, I suspected that our initial future would stressful yet exciting. Yet of course, worth it in the end.

Having an inter-racial relationship can bring up some hurdles, with marriage, in all likelihood, the largest one to overcome. I was very fortunate that Sonam‘s family were welcoming. Thus, despite a few roadblocks on the way we made it to a wedding and beyond!

A HINDU AND BRITISH FUSION WEDDING - multi cultural weddings
A HINDU AND BRITISH FUSION WEDDING
Photo credit: Wilde Photography

Our Hindu Ceremony

When planning our wedding, I knew that it was important that we honour both our cultures. So we had a religious component as well as the civil ceremony. My wife is Hindu and I respect her beliefs whilst I consider myself to be an atheist/humanist. We agreed straight away that we would have a blessing at the Hare Krishna Temple in Watford.  Then a civil ceremony at another venue. Initially we wanted a small wedding with close-knit family/friends.

Hindu wedding ceremony - multicultural weddings
A HINDU AND BRITISH FUSION WEDDING


We were also aware that, as Sonam was the first to be married amongst her siblings, then a fuller, traditional religious ceremony may be in order.

The Hindu ceremony was something that was brand new to me. I had never been to any type of Asian wedding. Therefore I only had ‘the internet’ and the experiences of a couple of friends to help me. In terms of the planning, this was looked after by Sonam‘s family – from the clothes (I wore an indian suit) to the ceremony. I didn’t mind this, as it meant that everything was done in the correct and respectful manner.

Wedding Preparation

I had simple wedding preparation: get dressed and turn up. I didn’t get to see all of Sonam‘s preparation – much more involved over multiple days. One thing we both chose was the venue, which was perfect! The day was an incredible experience that introduce my family to another culture and focused on the joining of our two families.

When planning this part of the wedding the two of us met with a wedding planner. She such a tremendous help in guiding us to customise and design the wedding.

Our civil ceremony

This second day of our wedding comprised a traditional British civil ceremony. We chose our vows, the music, the colour theme, food and entertainment.

Sonam and her parents chose The Pinewood Hotel as our venue.

We kept our vows traditional, along with wedding speeches by the Father of the Bride, Best Man and Groom.

Sonam and Will at their civil ceremony

Our wedding breakfast

For our wedding breakfast we enjoyed a three-course meal that we followed with an evening reception. It was a somewhat one-sided guest list though – with most of the guests being Indian we opted for Indian food from a caterer.

I had more involvement in the arrangements for our second day of celebrations: the civil ceremony. I chose the mens’ suits and the colour scheme. I also chose our wedding songs and spent days planning and rehearsing my speech. I spent a great deal of time thinking about making everything as meaningful as possible. This was very important to me – I’m only going to do this once!

Joint decisions

I always knew that co-habiting before we married was never an option. I knew too that I had to be with her for quite some time before I proposed.

I always had great respect for her culture and her family so we never considered living together before we got married. This wasn’t always easy – we had stress, arguments and issues. But our marriage made all that worthwhile.

We took decisions together and did everything with a shared focus on starting a life together.