“Think Glastonbury and glamorous camping and you have the essence of Glamping – Kate Moss in sparkly wellies having a blast in the mud. If it is going to rain, make a feature of it rather than sitting in a corner crying. If you announce your theme is Glamping and explain the concept to family and guests, everyone is prepared for the worst a British summer can throw at them. If it turns out to be a perfect sunny day, that is a bonus since guests simply leave the wellies and waterproofs in the car then enjoy the sunshine.
“If you plan on a Glamping wedding you will need to choose a venue where your wedding planner can take control rather than one which will constrict creativity with lots of rules. Choose a venue where your party will have exclusive use of the building and grounds if possible. The National Trust has some stunning venues for hire, and not all of them are huge stately homes. Or get in touch with English Heritage and hire a ruin for the day. A little research will unearth small castles and country houses prepared to host your wedding.
“Keep the Glamping theme going with your choice of transport. The bride could arrive in a VW camper and transport from the church to your venue could be a vintage bus. If you are outdoors a BBQ is a must, but make it unusual rather than the sausages and burgers you might do at home. You could consider a Persian theme, Italian or Indian with Tapas starters. A hog roast always goes down well but make sure you have a veggie alternative on a separate BBQ well away from the meat. A fish and chip van turning up to feed your guests is always a big hit, especially if it is followed by an ice cream van. And what is an English country garden without afternoon tea? Again, get creative and host a Mad Hatters Tea Party. You can buy old tea sets at jumble sales or charity shops for buttons because nobody has room to store them any more. If nothing matches, so much the better. Fill the tea cups with flowers and roll out the cucumber sandwiches.
“If you want to be really adventurous, invite your gusts to bring tents and stay the night? Hire a 60’s tribute band for the evening set. The Beach Boys always goes down well. Then have a bonfire if your hosts will allow you to or a BBQ if they won’t.
“Make sure you have briefed your wedding planner as far in advance as possible so they can supervise the setup, the running of the day and the clear down, then whatever the British weather this summer you can be confident your family, guests and most important, you have an absolute blast and provide memories that will be talked about for years to come.
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Tina Dolder says:
"Having spent 20 years in the fashion industry, dressing hundreds of Brides, Mothers and Fathers of brides and many stylish partygoers, I became aware there was a need for an organiser to aid in the smooth running of weddings and events in the area. Since launching Toast Your Event I have never enjoyed a working environment more."
