About us
If you’re reading this then you should probably know us already… but there may be at least one of you that doesn’t know some of this stuff… so here’s a bit about us.
We met at Bath University many years ago now, Abigail was Archie’s freshers’ rep and was the first person to introduce herself in the new surroundings. She did so by loudly announcing her name and lunging in for a hug. If you’ve met Abigail then it’s highly likely that the same thing has happened to you.
Despite being friends for several years, we didn’t get together until after university. We’ve bounced around the midlands since then, changed jobs, moved houses, acquired some animals, and now we take photos and plan weddings across the globe.
Last year we visited Yosemite Valley, and after hiking up to the top of Half Dome, Archie asked Abigail if she would ‘Tie the Knot’…. and now here we are planning a wedding.
If you’ve forgotten what we look like then we’ve included some images below (and a couple of our dogs - Luna and Callie)
A&A
So who’s invited?
Well, it’s a small do.
On wedding blogs it’d be called ‘intimate’.
Only 16 lucky people have made the invite list!
Which means you’re all going to have to bring the ENERGY and VIBES.
Now the thing is - we’ve actually taken photos of almost everyone who’s been invited… so we have a lovely picture below of almost all our guests at events, holidays, or their own weddings…
There are actually just two couples who haven’t had the pleasure of being in front of our lens… See if you can work out who they are!
Hamish and Gwen
Archie’s parents.
A lawyer and doctor, so we’re probably ok if the wedding goes really wrong!
Hamish likes buying old cars, driving old cars, and then fixing old cars at the side of the road.
Gwen likes Harry Potter, Harry Potter Films, Harry Potter Audiobooks, and Dog agility competitions.
Guus and Patti
Abigail’s parents.
The tulip and the rose, Dutch and English heritage for the bride. They’ll be bringing exuberant enthusiasm for the whole party.
Guus likes Ajax, cheese, Bentley Continentals, and buying grapes.
Patti likes theatre, gardening, and telling Archie to close cupboard doors.
Justin and Lauren
Abigail’s brother and sister-in-law. They’re West End performers - so their karaoke will probably be the best, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try and upstage them on the night.
They might have had lead roles on some of the biggest stages in London, but we all know that Justin’s primary claim to fame is meeting Cher.
Angus and Maddie
Archie’s brother and his girlfriend.
A vet and a doctor by training, they’re the new power couple up in Glasgow. They run marathons, climb mountains, and generally stay fit and healthy.
Pretty awful behaviour if you ask us.
Still, Maddie gave Archie his sourdough starter, so they aren’t all bad.
Jess and Oli
The American connection.
We’ve hung out with these two all over the world. From Yosemite to Santa Monica, and from Yellowstone to Vegas - we even went on honeymoon with them. Abigail even went on a second honeymoon with Jess out to the Galapagos… So I guess they must like us…
Oli does something with books and likes birds, and Jess is a digital creative and travel lover.
Timi and Rajiv
Timi and Abigail have been friends since cheerleading days at university. They spent many an hour frolicking in various costumes and generally having a good time.
She’s an accountant, he’s a doctor. They met during covid, and do lots of marathons around the world. We clearly surround ourselves with runners so that we don’t have to do it ourselves.
They’re engaged, and will be getting married shortly after us.
Jamie and Harriet (+Felix)
Jamie is Archie’s oldest friend, and even trusted him to act as best man at their wedding... Archie and Abigail abused this trust by organising a DnD themed ‘boudoir-adjacent’ shoot with Harriet, and presenting them with the album during his best man’s speech.
Outside of the wedding (and babymaking) season we play regular DnD with these two, and always pop in for a cheeky drink when we’re in Cheltenham.
Jamie likes videogames and is a l33t h4xx0r (coder), they both enjoy taking part in theatre (where they met at university), and Harriet does a fantastic rendition of Queenie from Blackadder. She’s also our DM, and somehow keeps us vaguely on track!
Leanne and Jack
Sadly Leanne and Jack can’t make the wedding party as they are going to be busy with a new child, but are included here because they will. be missed.
Our go to for cocktail evenings and generally a good time. They will be present for the legalities in the UK and will be sending love across the sea.
So where are we going?
Back in 2019 we travelled to the Canary Islands for two weeks to celebrate Abigail’s birthday.
We visited two of the islands, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, over a couple of weeks staying in a van, and dropping into hotels and AirBnBs.
We absolutely loved Tenerife, and its simple charm - set against the rugged backdrop of the volcano at the centre.
We love tapas, we love the sun, we love mountains and the sea, and we love destination weddings, so all things considered… it seemed like a good choice!
The venue itself is an old Canarian farmhouse (known as a finca) set up in the hills surrounding the national park. We have private use of the villa for the 5 days that we are staying there, which means access to the 3 pools, tennis courts, various rooms, kitchens, and gardens.
The address for the finca is:
Granja de Bastian,
Calle Bastian 5,
El Rio,
Tenerife
We’ll see you there!
And what’s the plan?
We would love for you to feel relaxed, well fed, and thoroughly watered while celebrating with us.
So please consider your trip to be ‘all inclusive’ while at the finca.
If, after reading the itinerary, you feel we need to be made aware of a specific dietary/activity requirement then please pass them on in the RSVP
Evening welcome party.
Day 1 (Wednesday 24th)
Once everyone has arrived at the venue, we would love to break the ice by chowing down on some traditional Canarian food, cracking out the champers, and having a good time out under the stars.
Dress Code: Summer BBQ Attire
Stag/Hen Activities.
Day 2 (Thursday 25th)
We would like to head out the day before the wedding for some fun activities on the island. We haven’t finalised what these will be, but they are likely to involve some sort of physical activity.
That might include swimming, surfing, walking, climbing, or a cheeky ironman to warm up ahead of the big day. Watch this space for updates.
We’ll return to the finca in the evening for a games night, drinks, and a BBQ by the pool.
Dress Code: Swimwear, Shorts, Sunnies.
Wedding Day.
Day 3 (Friday 26th)
Final plans tbc, but right now:
Morning:
Breakfast
Chilling by the pool
Guests ready by 2:30pm for lunch
Afternoon:
4:00pm - Ceremony
5:00pm - Cocktails and Cake
6:30pm - Dinner
8:00pm - Sunset
Late:
Music, Dancing, Drinks, Cigars
Dress Code:
Ladies - Cocktail attire in Sunset Colours
Gents - Pale Suits
Post Wedding Fun.
Day 4 (Saturday 27th)
After the wedding we’re hoping to have one more day of fun before leaving the finca.
If you’d like to join us then we are planning on visiting the world renowned SIAM PARK.
A massive water park awaits us: with a huge variety of slides and entertainments, VIP cabanas and Fast Passes.
It’s awesome and you should be very excited about visiting.
But not as excited as you should be about the wedding.
Obvs.
Dress Code: Swimmers and Sunscreen
Check Out.
Day 5 (Sunday 28th)
In the eternal words of Semisonic:
“You don't have to go home,
But you can't stay here”
We’ll need to clear out from the finca after the wedding, so please pack your bags and move on! There’s loads to do on the island, so definitely consider sticking around and enjoying the surroundings. The other islands in the chain are also fantastic, so don’t feel confined to Tenerife.
Dress Code: A feeling of deep contentment knowing that you’ve just attended the wedding of the year, but tempered with the sadness of knowing you’ll never see a better one. This is the duality of existence. You’ll get over it on the flight home.
Travel
We’re not going to tell you how to get to the island, but it is an island… so you’re going to need to have some way of travelling over the sea.
Flights would be our choice, but you could probably windsurf from the south coast if you’re feeling adventurous.
Our venue is situated toward the southern coast of Tenerife, and the best airport to fly into is Tenerife South (TFS).
Realistically however, the island isn’t too big, so you could quite happily fly into any airport on the island and be able to navigate your way to our celebration.
If you can make it to TFS, then we are happy to provide transport both to/from the venue, as well as to all our various activities while on the island.
Flights are available from many airports across the UK, but we’ll leave you to make your travel plans.
Current estimates:
Gatwick - £100
Midlands - £150-200
Bristol - £250
Glasgow - £200
Edinburgh - £150 to £175
The USA via England…
Things to do in Tenerife
While the wedding venue is booked for a few days either side of the wedding, we would absolutely encourage you to spend some time on the island by yourselves either before or after. In terms of places to visit, we’ve outlined a couple below, but there’s plenty to do and see on the island that might appeal to you!
Surfing and other beach activities
Tenerife is an island, which means it is surrounded by the sea. There are lots of nice places to catch some rays where the wet bit meets the dry bit, and plenty of activities to enjoy there too.
Visit Masca
Tiny village in the mountains, stunning view, drive is a bit hairpinny - but if you have a decent car you’ll be fine… ours was painfully underpowered so I spent the whole time going 1st, 2nd… 1st… 2nd, 1st.. 2nd, 1st… but you’ll get there eventually. There’s a fantastic restaurant run by some Germans at the top.
See a parrot
Loro Parque has birds. Both colour and monochrome, so take your pick between parrots and penguins. Or if you’re feeling extravagant then maybe check out a meerkat too?
They do have Orcas and Dolphin shows too, so if that’s something you’re uncomfortable with supporting then maybe take a miss?
Explore El Teide
The volcano in the middle of the island is the highest Spanish mountain - and there’s a cable car to the top. We didn’t get to go up it when we visited as the wind was blowing too hard. But you can’t see it if you’re stood on top anyway!
Surrounding the peak there are incredible landscapes to explore, by foot, by car or even by quad bike. The drive from the coast to the national park also takes you through some beautiful, albeit out-of-place feeling, alpine forests.
Canarian culinary delights
Head out and try some of the local seafood. It. Is. Delicious! Although, if you ask Gwen, you can, in fact, have too many little fishes.
