This couple need a fistful of confetti (From The Oxford Times)
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This couple need a fistful of confetti
7:10pm Tuesday 28th August 2012 in News
By Freddie Whittaker, covering Politics and Kidlington. Call me on 01865 425498
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The happy couple
SCREAMS of “yee-hah!” rang out when a happy Wheatley couple tied the knot in true Wild West style.
Stetsons and cowboy boots replaced top hat and tails for groom Dave France, 40, while bride Maria Robertson, 44, stood out in a ruby red wedding dress.
Members of the congregation all looked the part, and left toy guns at the door of St Mary the Virgin Church in Wheatley for the ceremony.
The new Mrs France, of Church Road, said: “We hired three huge teepees for the wedding, so we thought it would be a great idea to have a Wild West theme. I’m head of drama at Didcot Girls’ School, so I like getting into character.”
Her husband, a surveyor, said everyone looked amazing. He added: “It’s been great.”
And of her outfit Maria said: “I’m far too old to get married in white anyway.
“Red’s my favourite colour, so it was a perfect choice.”
The bride arrived to She’ll be Coming round the Mountain and the couple left the church to Rawhide before guests rode out to the reception.They plan to honeymoon in Bulgaria.
The reception, which took place around a firepit on farmland in Wheatley, featured a bucking bronco, line-dancing and a spit roast. Entertainment was provided by reenactment group The Wild Bunch, which put on a series of slapstick Wild West displays. The traditional first dance began with the bride and groom, but turned into a fully-choreographed dance spectacle featuring their family and friends. It has already been uploaded to YouTube. The wedding cake was eight tiers of round cheese with a heart-shaped cheese on top. About 300 people attended the reception in total, dressing up as cowboys, Indians, Mexicans, cavalry, milk maids and even a cactus. Best man Mark Armitage, of Oxford, said: “It has been an absolutely fantastic weekend. “Everyone is going to remember this for the rest of their lives.”
