Blog – The Queen Of Pop Reviews Some Unusual Weddings
I’m a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to traditions. Hailing from the almost tradition-less Belgium (yawn) I have rather latched onto the many and sometimes weird and wonderful customs that make Britain what it is. From tea with milk (lemon seems more sane) and vinegar-soaked chips (what’s wrong with mayonnaise?) to queuing and toasting to the queen at dinner parties – you’ve got to love it.
But when it comes to weddings, thinking outside of the box can really work. I have had the pleasure of attending a few of these less obvious weddings and have also written about a wedding abroad which really appealed to my romance-loving girly nature (Remember, I’m a Madonna tribute act I do not ACTUALLY bear Madonna’s frozen heart.)
I thought I would share my thoughts on some of the unusual weddings I’ve attended with you…
Chicken-stuffed, beer-soaked pig in Canada
My other half the DJ has family in Canada and one year we travelled there for a family wedding. These guys are pretty quirky, having lived on a boat for a year as a family, traveling around together and generally soaking up life – so I was expecting something different from them and wasn’t disappointed!
The actual ceremony took place on Galiano, an island near Vancouver. They hired a house with spectacular views, got a select bunch of family and friends together for the occasion, tied the knot in the garden and then served up a delicious home-made meal they had prepared earlier. The evening’s entertainment came off an i-pod and that same morning before the wedding we were all playing golf together with the bride and groom. Totally relaxed.
The next day we explored the area and the following night they threw another wedding party at their own house on Victoria Island. We feasted on a pig stuffed with whole chickens, roasted on a home-made spit (a contraption involving a lawn-mower engine) and sprayed with home-brewed beer to keep it moist. The trusty i-pod was present again for the evening’s entertainment, and coupled with copious amounts of their own beer it was more than enough to get us all jumping around – naturally the beer served well to quench my Belgian thirst.
Now, I’m sure all this talk of no frills, masculinity is appealing to you burly men, but if you’re gonna go for this back to basics home-made affair you’ll need an open-minded bride! However, if you do succeed in convincing her to rough it a bit, this really was super-romantic in a sort of meaty, beery, DIY way …
A wedding in Tuscany
A bit closer to home, I was recently asked to write an article on getting married in Tuscany for a company with rental villas in Tuscany. Although organising the whole affair abroad may seem like a monumental task, there really are some advantages – one of them being of course that you are getting married in a heavenly sun-drenched landscape rather than rain-soaked Britain.
Furthermore, the food is to die for: Truffles, mmm. Wine, mmm. Pizza, double mmm! In my research I found out you can rent out a typically Tuscan hamlet: a collection of villas all on the same grounds, perfect for families all staying together. Some of these hamlets have chapels on the grounds which are perfect for the ceremony and can also accommodate the wedding party, which is likely to be more select than if you held the wedding in the UK – an excuse to weed out, well, the weeds.
You can even hold the reception there too and it makes sense to go there a few days before the wedding so everyone can have a nice trip away together rather than just one evening of carnage. DJs, bands and other forms of entertainment are available here, but it’s always a good idea to get some recommendations so you know what to expect. You may even be able to get a freebie by covering travel and accommodation costs for someone from the UK – worth a pop.
The really great thing about this option though is that it can actually work out cheaper than a UK wedding, saving you pennies while undoubtedly winning you brownie points with the missus. Which girl wouldn’t want to tie the knot in romantic Tuscany? Seriously, suggest this option and you will BE ‘the daddy.’
A fort in Cornwall
Another multi-day affair, this was my other half’s sister’s wedding which was held in a fort in Cornwall, overlooking a beautiful bay. They rented out Pollhawn Fort for 5 days and spent the first few getting the place ready for action.
It’s a stone-walled castle-like building with a large reception room and bedrooms for 25 people with four poster beds. The whole building has a medieval feel that is totally different to the usual wedding function room, complete with a drawbridge and turrets. With half the female population having grown up wanting to be a princess and the other half never quite stopping the wishing, you can see why this appeals to us females. Likewise, if you fancy yourself a bit of a ‘King of the Castle’ this will appeal to you. (Combine this with the chicken-stuffed, beery pig and you are King Henry the 8th!)
Anyway, the 3-day party consisted of a pre-party evening, an actual wedding party and then an after-party the next day. The family provided all their own booze, got the caterers in for the main day, brought home-made fodder for the other days and got their 10-year old nephew to make the wedding cake. It took a lot of planning, but this wedding certainly stood out for all the right reasons, with home-made decorations adding to the vibe.
I should also mention that as we got roped into providing the entertainment, with several DJ sets, live music in the church and a Madonna appearance, well, it totally kicked off…
The Madonna Experience is a one-woman Brighton Madonna Tribute brought to you by Annelies Van de Velde. With songs from all the eras and plenty of costume changes, this Madonna tribute show is the perfect way to add a touch of glamour and fun to your wedding.
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