My friends had to rapidly reschedule their wedding, after the coronavirus lockdown had forced them to cancel for the third time. They got married at Wells town hall, with less than 2 days notice to make the arrangements, and they will host the wedding ‘proper’ for family and friends next summer.

Me and my husband had the honour of witnessing the ceremony, and took on the role of last minute florist and photographer. This little posy of garden blooms was the bride’s bouquet.

The rosebuds I’d picked on Tuesday had just begun to open, and I was extremely glad to have brought all the flowers in before the frosts came.

The marvellous team at Wells town hall managed to move the ceremony forward by a few days, and the kind chap at the gate of the Bishops Palace Garden allowed us to pop in and get a few snaps.

Our super-organised friend Alison collated a few well-wishes from friends, and the Swan hotel put on a lovely, last minute lunch. They told us they were hosting three last minute weddings that were brought forward to the day before the lockdown.

I brought along a basket of blooms from the garden (and from a couple of neighbours gardens) to bring a bit of colour to the occasion. Thanks to my neighbours Jane and Emma, who allowed me to pick a few stems from their gardens to fill out the bouquet. It’s slim pickings at this time of year. I used hydrangea and sedum for the bulk of the bouquet, with Guernsey lily and a couple of roses as highlights.

I put together 4 button holes, a bouquet and three posies, for the little wedding party. I did not have time to stage a photo, but here’s a snap from the town hall…

The Bishops Palace garden is spectacular. It costs about £15 to enter, but that ticket is valid for a whole year, and the garden is well worth revisiting throughout the year as the seasons change.

It’s a gorgeous setting for wedding photos. The bride and groom are keeping most of the photos to themselves until the ‘proper’ wedding next summer, when they’ll do the whole shebang properly with friends and family. But they did say I could share this one on my blog:

Congratulations to the Bride and Groom, on a surreal and sunny day!