Claire and Jon, Hotel Du Vin, Royal Tunbridge Wells, 11th Sept 2010
A bit of a grey start to the day! It’s that fine rain that gets absolutely everywhere you don’t think its raining yet everything gets wet.
I’m sure Hotel du Vin is doubling for Dr Who’s Tardis Its frontage looks just like a small fine dining restaurant two or three sets of Georgian windows either side and above a impressive pillared entrance. In side it stretches to the left and right far beyond its façade. The Wedding breakfast and evening reception is to take place in the ballroom to the rear of the property. We are introduced to the room via a labyrinth of back room corridors through the Kitchens and finally through a set of those two way doors Manuel made so famous in Faulty Towers.. I’ve always wanted to have a go … its great!!
The room is clear other than a photographer and two or three assistants taking images of the bride and groom. We are on a deadline to be set before the wedding breakfast that begins in an hour. So all the gear must come in as quickly as possible through the kitchen and of course the two-way doors.
I’m sure we were inspirational for the photographer as the first ten and last fifteen minutes of our set up were taken up with pictures of the bridal party in amongst our flight cases and posing with guitars and drums.
After setting we were shown our room for the night, dropped of our personal gear and headed out into Tunbridge Wells to fine Prezzo’s with a little bit of help from the iPhone and Voucher cloud. Excellent value for money.. The food was good too.
The first dance tonight is “You do Something To me” by Paul Weller. Jon led Claire for the first half then we invited their close family and friends to join in and everyone was on the dance floor. At the end of the first set Tom our drummer rolled the drums for Claire and Jon cut to the cake just in time for the buffet.
The second set followed the buffet and hosted a mixed bag of dancers the mirrors created an illusion of the room being twice its size by now the rain had stopped and some were taking in the fresh night September air as the atmosphere inside was a little hot..
A short break to take on some liquid and we were into the last set with the dance floor full. American Pie and Time of your life closed the evening and gave us chance to sample the remains of the buffet and champagne.. Some nice cheeses in there and where do you get those biscuit’s from ?? Jon and Claire thanked us for being part of their special day explaining that they were staying the night then off on honeymoon to the Virgin Islands… all right for some.
What a nice couple they are! Good luck to them !
More photos from this event can be viewed on www.facebook.com/theredfords
