Pre wedding preparations!

After you have asked her to marry you and thought of a date.....the next biggie is WHERE to celebrate it.

My son always wanted to be married on a beach.....but the rules for a civil ceremony in Britain are quite strict....there has to be four solid walls!

Does anybody know why???

So they chose Sandhole Oak Barn in the beautiful Cheshire countryside, very near to where I spent my teenage years. A short while ago Battatter sent me a tatted Cheshire cat not knowing that I actually am a Cheshire lass (as well as by birth a Yorkshire lass).

This cat had a big influence on what I would wear for the wedding!

and my big smile !

Nice to get a tatting bit in!

I presume that Sandhole was once a working farm that has been turned into a wedding venue...great idea.

We...who needed to be pampered poshed up...arrived at the venue at 10am. The wedding wasn't until 2pm.

The brides father occupied his time by photographing the animals that were dotted around.

At this point it was almost raining! 

 The little pair of nesting ducks didn't seem to mind....they were already married!

The wedding venue had been created on the edge of the lake in the form of a large custom built oak barn.

Behind the doors you can see is the spot for the ceremony with the lake behind them....remember this for later!

Further along is the area for the wedding breakfast with sets of doors opening on to the deck, on the edge of the lake. Can you imagine how pretty this would have looked with blue sky and sunshine?

This is the courtyard at the entrance to the barn...all very prettily landscaped.

The original buildings have been converted into guest accommodation.

The wedding suite was stunning with it's own kitchen, living room and garden....what a pity that there is always another wedding the next day..so you can't stay longer.

Time to take a peak in side.

The area for the ceremony with it's grand piano was soon laid out. Doesn't it look pretty with the teal ribbons on the chairs.

As soon as the ceremony is over, the chairs will be whisked into the reception area and in the evening this are will be opened up to become the dance floor.

In the reception area...even the baby's high chairs are decorated.

In the reception area, the Wedding Bears were already waiting.......

........surrounded by matching swarovski crystals......

but

there was another couple waiting as well....

standing on that beautifully coordinating wedding cake were.......

We were all ready

more tomorrow!