Well 2024 saw our biggest and wildest wedding to date and it was featuring now long time friends of Crockstead Becka and Sophie. Nearly 2 years since we first met and walked round the rainy, muddy site and we were there…a rainy, muddy field. That’s right of the now 3 Weddings that have experienced bad weather over our now 4 seasons on site, these guys had the worst of it, and while I wouldn’t wish it on any couple, in a perverse way I’m kinda glad it was these guys. Now that may sound callous but in fact it’s a comment on their character and that of their wonderful guests.

It had not been the smoothest of wedding build ups we’ve ever known. The previous weekend saw a rare weekend off site for me, my destination: another field and the joys of We Out Here festival. Despite the very best of behaviour  throughout the weekend this ended up causing some issues for the Wedding build up.

See, the weekend before we had been running catering for another event where I had endured what seemed at the time a pretty insubstantial cut on my finger. By the festival I had all but forgotten about it but, as fate would have it, the cut had not forgotten about me. Miffed at it’s lack of sufficient protection from the elements it had decided to attract into itself much of the dust created by thousands of ravers dancing around in a big dirt bowl.

By Monday the finger had started to swell and by evening it was turning black. A morning trip to the drop in centre later and I was all ready to sleep my way through the next 3 days of sweaty fever dreams, able barely to respond to basic instructions let alone organise a wedding for 157 guests.

Thursday morning and I was feeling just about right again, and thank god, there was plenty to get cracking with, the catering alone amounting to:

FRIDAY EVENING - Lasagne for 70

SATURDAY - Canapes, Starters and a 7 plate Lebanese buffet for 157 followed by pizzas for 200

SUNDAY - Breakfast for 80- followed by a BBQ for 60

So, while I left my long suffering sister running operations in the kitchen I drove off to Brighton in my trusty Suzuki Carry van to pick up the additional chairs we needed from our friends at Hire-all. Almost made it too…

Just as I approached Brighton the front axle on the van broke and sent me sideways into a ditch. Hours later and a police escort back to dry land and the second hitch and what had previously been a well planned and prepped week was in full effect.

Well as they say the show must go on and, though up against it, we made it to the wedding with everything looking great and the food largely ready to go. With a cracking team behind us and a load of family and friends chipping in everything was coming together beautifully, just a shame about this bloody weather!

It’s tough not to relentlessly check the weather reports for weeks up until your wedding. The site is so great when it’s nice and sunny, and as with any field-based event the rain does tend to dampen spirits a little bit. As all the guests turned up with their umbrellas and wellies we couldn’t help but notice a few mildly downcast looks.

That all changed though as the forever giggling and smiling brides turned up to the ceremony area. As Sophie chucked away her umbrella, shouting ‘fuck it’ and laughing manically at her bride to be from one end of the aisle the tone was set and the guests got on board.

An absolutely brilliant ceremony followed with as much heart as there was hilarity and everyone moved into the marquee for food. Up against it we got everything out as quick as possible as speeches and popping of champagne corks filled the air. The party was in full swing now and the bar was heaving.

The sun had made a guest appearance around 4pm and everyone had cleared out into the field, chatting and smoking and drinking and generally making up for their long walk down in the rain.

All wedding clients tell you how much their friends drink but this time we should have listened. Charlie and Jake just about kept up to the demands of the crowd, following on from their titanic effort the evening before. The music played, and as plates were cleared, we all got geared up for the evening.

That night we experienced maybe our best band to date with a History of House doing a pitch perfect run through of house classic from the past 20 years. An incredible performance which really was the icing on the cake for an incredible day. Talking of cake, the guests watched and jeered as our boys Jay and Alex nervously carried out the most ridiculous 4 tier orange and pink cake through the tent and outside to be devoured by the masses.

As the band finished up the silent disco came into effect, with the bulging dance floor swathed in lights and colours of a hundred dresses and suits writhing around in drunken abandon.

Meanwhile we were moving pretty fest in the catering tent, rolling out dough and getting the first of the pizzas into our ovens. After a few trial runs earlier in the year it’s got to be said we really came together on this occasion, ducking and weaving in around one another to theatrical shouts of ‘all day chef’ and ‘behind!’. With everyone fed it was about high time we had a pint and assessed the dancefloor situation. At the brides’ insistence we got stuck in for a little dance up and the rest of the evening swims past in a bit of a blur.

Back up and at the next morning and it was straight to the kitchen to get breakfast baps going for our hungry and hungover guests. Naturally the bar needed setting up again and it was bloody mary time! While everyone left at the fields got well stuck in to the hair of the dog we quickly cleaned up breakfast and got going on the BBQ and set up our burger station.

I tell you, after an event of this scale, with the issues that arose in the build up, cooking more food for one weekend than we have ever done before, the moment when the last happy customer left with their burger was quite something. Generally, site rental goes on till Sunday PM but Becka and Soph had wanted to extend things so we let them and a core crew stay over an extra night. With all of our work done (bar the clear up) we had no excuse but to not join for an evening of boozing and polishing off all the leftover food.

All in all it was a hectic, raucous affair, not without it’s trials but filled with lots of good music, food and people. Lot’s of silliness and laughter and one of the best crews we have ever had the pleasure of serving. Absolute love to the happy couple and here’s to many more years of fun in the fields together.

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