Frequently Asked Questions
Saturday 11 September 2027 at The Master Builder’s House, Buckler’s Hard. We’ve put the date on the website, the invitations and probably mentioned it several hundred times, so at this point there are very few acceptable excuses.
The Master Builder’s House at Buckler’s Hard in the New Forest. It’s beautiful, waterside and just tucked away enough to make pre-booking a taxi one of the smartest decisions you’ll make all weekend. Full directions are on the Travel page.
Smart wedding attire. Think “looking fantastic in the photos”, not “quick pint after mowing the lawn”. September can still be lovely in the New Forest, but bring a jacket or wrap for later because British weather has never respected anybody’s outfit plans.
Yes, plenty. There’s lots of on-site parking, so nobody needs to abandon a car in a hedge and pretend it was part of the rustic wedding theme.
Yes, but rooms are limited and first come, first served. If you want to stay at The Master Builder’s House, don’t approach accommodation with the relaxed confidence of someone booking a Travelodge on a Tuesday in February.
If your invitation includes your children, absolutely. If it doesn’t, please don’t arrive with an unexpected small person and attempt to convince us they’re your emotional-support plus-one.
Absolutely. Add them to your RSVP and we’ll make sure the venue knows. Genuine allergies, intolerances and dietary choices are all welcome. “I don’t eat vegetables on weekends” is unlikely to trouble the chef.
Definitely, once the ceremony is finished. During the ceremony we’d love to see your faces rather than the backs of 70 phones held above people’s heads. We’ve hired professionals, so you’re officially released from documentary duty for a bit.
We get married anyway. It’s England in September, not a NASA launch window. The venue has lovely indoor spaces, the drinks will still work and Jo has absolutely not organised all this for a cloud to win.
Yes. Obviously. We’re inviting you to a wedding, not testing your resilience.
Yes, add it to your RSVP and we’ll pass requests to the DJ. Requests are not legally binding, however, so submitting the same questionable 90s anthem six times does not constitute a democratic mandate.
If you’ve been asked beforehand, absolutely. If inspiration suddenly strikes after six drinks, please enjoy that inspiration quietly at your table until it passes.
If there’s cake left, go for it. Once the official cutting is done, normal civilisation begins to break down and cake law becomes largely first come, first served.
After the first dance. From that point onwards the dance floor belongs to everyone, including the relatives who spent dinner insisting they “don’t really dance” and will mysteriously become Beyoncé by 10pm.
Drink some water, locate your pre-booked taxi and resist the powerful urge to explain to Gary why you’ve always loved him at 1am. We want legendary memories, preferably ones everybody can laugh about the next morning.
Technically you possess free will. Jo also possesses eyesight. We’ll let you work out the rest.
Sadly not. We know your dog is exceptionally well behaved, unusually sophisticated and basically a tiny furry human. Unfortunately the venue rules remain unmoved by this compelling evidence.
We’ve been together long enough to have accumulated the traditional adult collection of kettles, pans, towels and mysterious kitchen gadgets that seemed essential at the time.
If you’d like to give us a wedding gift, we’d love a contribution towards our honeymoon instead. Essentially, rather than buying us another toaster, you can help send us somewhere warm where somebody else makes the toast.
Every contribution, big or small, will go towards making some brilliant memories together, ideally involving sunshine, good food and drinks containing unnecessary pieces of fruit.
Most importantly, having you there to celebrate with us is what matters. The money is entirely optional. Your presence is the present. Although, admittedly, the honeymoon fund does have excellent exchange rates for brownie points.