Another trip out to Udimore Village Hall for us, a real gem in this small village on the outskirts of Rye.
And it was another double wedding day for us, but they were both local, both small and both hamper weddings which meant that we could take them on without causing too much stress for Chef Ben in the kitchen.
Rachel and Tom and their small party of 43 arrived at the hall after having their ceremony in Rye at the Town Hall. Tom had made the garden look beautiful with hay bales and tables made out of wooden crates, but unfortunately the weather was not kind, and there were only a few opportunities to make use of the outside space.
That didn’t stop anyone enjoying themselves inside though, and with Pimms & nibbles supplied by Rachel and Tom to kick things off everyone seemed very happy to stay in the dry and mingle.
Rachel and Tom chose various goodies for their picnic hampers including home-made quiche, mature cheddar cheese, maple-glazed gammon, pork & mango sausage rolls & home-made chunky hummus. With salads and breads the hamper is a really filling and varied way to feed your guests. It’s great for young and old alike, not to mention very sociable as folks pass things around and get stuck in.
Dessert was Eton mess, a firm favourite and perfect for this informal style of dining. In fact the menu as a whole was perfect for this countryside setting. Rachel had added various touches such as vintage artefacts and natural posies of flowers to really bring this theme together.
With a band providing the entertainment for the much larger evening group and bacon rolls keeping people going it was a really great atmosphere inside the hall, and nobody cared or even noticed what the weather was doing anymore.
Rachel and Tom may not have been lucky with the weather but they chose a lovely venue, invited lots of lovely people and most importantly thoroughly enjoyed their big day.
We wish them all the best!