Multi-venue Wedding Weekend
The Brief
To event manage a magical, fantastical multi-venue wedding weekend extravaganza over 2 days. To include 2 churches, a countryside farm with multiple event sites, a staged kidnap, a mad hatter’s tea party and mini festival to name but a few extraordinary moments over a May weekend in Devon.
The Solution
Our client designed the concepts and draft schedule for this momentous weekend, based on a mix of their very personal religious and moral beliefs, the union of two families and two cultures. They had a strong desire to bring a sense of play and wonder to the weekend for all of their guests
We met in Devon to view the venues and walk through the plan with three months to go.
Oasis contributed to develop the vision into a logistical plan that would work smoothly, taking into account all kinds of considerations. For example the travel and movement of foreign guests without cars through the Devon countryside to attend every venue, and single track country lanes for buses and cars. Wet weather provisions, usher briefing to coordinate everyone, and the coordination of multiple special props and suppliers – involved in various ways across the multiple sites.
Some Highlights Follow….
A traditional church in a small village for a formal wedding and drinks reception in the local pub, complete with flowers and music, orders of service and confetti…
An evening blessing and meal at a deconsecrated church for an intimate and totally individual bespoke ceremony held in the midst of the ruins under the stars.
The following day the courtyard at Anran welcomed guests through the keyhole with music and cocktails during which the Alice in Wonderland theme to the day unfolded, mixed with Russian folklore.
The bride was kidnapped! The groom and guests were tasked with finding her. The guests played crazy Alice in Wonderland games in the fields supervised by characters in full costume to work their way towards finding the bride, braving rain showers and bright sunshine.
The bride’s father challenged the groom to a giant public game of chess, the bride smashed through the looking glass when he won, and the groom celebrated by swinging a sword down to slice open a Nebuchadnezzar of chilled champagne.
Bride and Groom led guests with their glasses filled, to a pond-side mad hatters picnic, for food and drinks, cake cutting and revelry with stilt walking and face painting.
The afternoon offered a mini-festival by the lake complete with vintage games and live bands, followed by as short pause before the formal dinner, films and speeches in the stunning Glass House.
Finally guests were led by fire dancers to the Hut, a venue for late night dancing and later on a silent disco…