Susan and Charles – Winchester and Avington Park Wedding

What an amazing wedding. I didn’t really know it before I turned up but when I walked away at quarter past midnight I truly felt as though I had witnessed something rather amazing. In speaking the Charlie before the wedding he told me that the wedding was music themed. I’ve had ‘themed’ weddings in the past and as good as they were they didn’t quite take it to the level that Susie and Charlie did. In fact, to say music themed isn’t entirely correct. More music based or a homage to love through music. My first ‘a-ha’ moment came as Susie waited at the back of the Catholic church in Winchester. Poised for the procession I suddenly heard the voice of an angel singing behind me. This would be no ordinary entrance. So it carried on. Performances by two different singers as well the organ and piano being played by other friends of the couple. Susie is a music teacher and Charlie is a music lover. They met when he took singing lessons from her and now they play in a rock band together. There were plenty of performances throughout the ceremony and the music theme carried on into the decoration of the marquee at Avington. Bunting cut from sheet music, each table named after a famous composer or classic performer (my favourite, naturally, was Springsteen). A steel band played during the drinks reception, a homage to the Trinidad and Tabago heritage of Charlies family. I’m reminded of the line from Jimmy Buffet’s “Son of a Son of a Sailor” where he extorts “and the letters she hail from Trinidad, island of the spices. Salt for your meat and cinnamon sweet and the rum is for all your good vices”. More so because the family connection to the islands is that of Rum production. My final surprise came after the first dance. As Susie and Charlie are in a band it was decided that they would join in and play in an hour long set. Was I skeptical? Absolutely. I can say that now. To you and to them. How many times did you see it when a Bride’s Dad was good with a camera and spent the entire day NOT being part of the wedding but photographing it. I was fearful that in some way this analogy might be true with both the Bride and the Groom performing. The guests standing there being polite but more in awe in a “what the heck are the doing” kind of way. I never claim to be always right and on that day I most certainly wasn’t. First the band were incredible. With Charlie on guitar (mostly rhythm) and Susie singing they could work there magic right next to each other. The crowd, quite simple, were in awe…but in awe in a “holy moses Batman this is awesome” kind of way. Awesome indeed. The performance was nothing short of incredible and the buzz was something I had never seen before in an evening reception. It literally took my breath away. I smiled from ear to ear and loved every minute of my stay until the final song just before midnight. Its a night that defines your career. The stuff that you tell when people say “tell me something interesting you’ve seen at a wedding”. Interesting my backside. Try bloody amazing!