There is a lot of talk of 'DIY weddings' on the internet and it's a wedding like Gill and Keith's that shows up how misused the term is. Sure, plenty of weddings have DIY details and those are fantastic but there really aren't many weddings that can truly be described as DIY, as in thewhole wedding was done by the bride, the groom and their families. This one was.
The reception was held on the farm that Gill grew up on. For days her family and the other men who worked on the farm emptied and cleaned the tractor shed, turning it from, well, a tractor shed into a wedding venue. They painted signs, made pompoms, stacked bales of hay and arranged planters in troughs.
Gill's grandmother created all of the flower arrangements from the small posies atop the milk urns to the bouquets and buttonholes. Gill's mother made the dresses, brides and bridesmaids. Friends of Gill and Keith's worked as waiters and bar staff while another friend played them down the aisle on the fiddle and then provided the music for the evening ceilidh.
Keith and Gill's mother, with some contributions from other family members catered the whole thing, from canapés to desert, and when you look back at the pictures of the food you will understand how truly amazing this is! The wedding cake was also the work of the very talented groom and I think, his pride and joy of the buffet table!
Gill is a trained silversmith and not only did she design and make the invitations, table names and place names as well as embossing envelopes, napkins and toilet rolls with a swirly birdie design she created, she forged the wedding rings and the necklaces that the bridesmaids wore. That's some impressive DIY.
Gill and Keith's wedding was the most touching and fun display of community and family and the talents that the couple and their families share and it was such a delight to be a part of.
