Alma & Theodore
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The date
Saturday 18 September, two o’clock
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The place
Mirren Hall, in the orchard at Kinvara
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The dress
Garden formal, and shoes for soft ground
The invitation
Come and stand with us in the orchard
We are marrying at the end of the apple harvest, under the trees if the weather is kind and in the long hall if it is not.
The ceremony is short, the lunch is long, and there is no part of the day you need to dress up for twice. Bring whoever you were invited with, bring an appetite, and bring a song you want to hear after dark.
If you have not seen us in a while, this is the easiest possible way to fix that. We have kept the guest list small on purpose — your name on it means a great deal to us.
— Alma & Theo
Order of the day
Saturday, hour by hour
Everything happens on one site, so once you arrive you will not need to move your car or find another room.
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1:15 pm
Doors and a glass in the courtyard
Arrive any time in the first half hour. There is shade, seating and cold drinks while everyone gathers.
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2:00 pm
The ceremony, under the trees
Twenty-five minutes, unamplified, with chairs set on the grass. Please be seated by five minutes to two.
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2:40 pm
Photographs and a slow hour
Group photographs are kept to four, taken quickly by the stone wall. The rest of the hour is yours.
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4:00 pm
Lunch in the long hall
A seated meal of four courses from the kitchen garden. Seating plan at the door, with place cards on the tables.
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7:30 pm
Speeches, then the cake is cut
Three speeches, kept honest and brief. Coffee, cake and a second helping of pudding for anyone who waited.
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8:30 pm
Dancing until late
A trio first, then records until one o’clock. Toasted sandwiches appear somewhere around midnight.
The place
Mirren Hall, Kinvara
A working orchard farm with a stone hall at its centre. Everything below is what guests usually ask before setting off.
The orchard, where the ceremony is held
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Arriving by car
Follow signs for the farm entrance rather than the village hall. Parking is on grass in the top field, and cars may safely be left overnight and collected before noon on Sunday.
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Trains and taxis
The nearest station is a twenty minute drive. Local taxis are few on a Saturday night, so we have arranged two minibuses back towards town at half past eleven and at one.
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Underfoot and indoors
The orchard is level but soft, with a firm path laid from the courtyard to the ceremony chairs. The hall, bar and accessible washroom are all on one floor, with no steps between them.
Good to know
Small things, answered early
Short answers so nobody has to send a message the week before.
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What to wear
Garden formal. Linen suits and long dresses both look right. Heels sink in the orchard, so bring flats for the grass and change indoors if you like.
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Children
Welcome all day. There is a quiet room off the hall with low chairs and books, and a basket of blankets for the evening.
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Gifts
Please don’t. Your journey is the gift. If you would rather bring something, a bottle for the shelf or a letter we can read next year is perfect.
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Photographs
Phones away during the ceremony — our photographer has it covered. Afterwards, take all you like and send us the blurry ones too.
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Access
Step-free throughout, with reserved seating at the end of the front row. Tell us in your reply if a chair, a lift from the car park or a quiet corner would help.
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Weather
September here is bright and cold by evening. The hall is warm, the courtyard is not, and we will have a stack of wool blankets by the door.
Questions
Anything else
Open any question below.
How early can we turn up?
From one o’clock. The courtyard is open, drinks are poured, and somebody will point you towards the orchard. Arriving earlier than that means finding the farm still setting up, so please don’t feel you need to.
Can I bring a plus one?
The invitation names everyone we have a seat for, so please reply only for those listed. If your circumstances have changed since the invitations went out, write it in the message box and we will see what we can do.
How do I tell you about a dietary need?
Use the dietary notes box in the reply form. The kitchen cooks vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free versions of every course as a matter of course, and will handle allergies individually if you name them.
Is it safe to leave a car overnight?
Yes. The top field is gated after midnight and opened again at eight. Collect your car before noon on Sunday, as the field is needed for the harvest that afternoon.
Is anything happening on Sunday?
Nothing formal. We will be in the courtyard from ten with coffee and whatever bread is left, for as long as people keep arriving. Come in whatever you woke up in.
Will you play my song?
Probably. Put one request in your reply — one, chosen carefully — and we will hand the list to whoever is at the record player after the trio finishes.
Reply
Let us know by 5 June
One reply per invitation is plenty. If you are answering for more than yourself, give the number coming and name them in the message.
If your plans change later, send a new reply with the same name and we will use the most recent one.