Rainbows, Wellies and Mild Mayhem:
The Essential Guide
The Need-to-Know, the Nice-to-Know & the Queer Chaos
Because every great handfasting needs a little bit of planning and a whole lot of fabulousness! Here you'll find everything from what to wear (spoiler: as colourful as possible) to what to bring, gift ideas (or lack thereof - your presence is the best present), and even how to add your favourite bangers to our wedding playlist. Consider this your ultimate survival guide to our big, queer, handfasting adventure!
Essentials
Location - Ancient Technology Centre, Damerham Road, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 5RP
Friday 24th October - The Night Before - Adult women only. For the lost and lonely men that need entertaining while your women are gone, check out the section below - What about the men? for help and guidance at this difficult time.
Saturday 25th October - The Big Day - Ceremony and Celebrations
Sunday 26th October - The Morning After
Click on the buttons below to find out more about each day.
What to Wear - Colour, Comfort & a Bit of Chaos
We'd like to think this is not your average wedding - it'll be vibrant, wild, and full of joy! Our handfasting is all about colour, so please wear your brightest, boldest, most rainbow-filled outfits. Channel your colourful magic with rich reds, vibrant pinks, burnt oranges, deep greens, bright purples and golden yellows - or go full queer technicolour dreamcoat (extra points if your socks and underwear match!). We just ask that jeans are left in your suitcases for Sunday morning and that menfolk wear bowties (OK, so that's not an actual requirement but if you do show up with one you might get an extra marshmallow in the evening).
We’ll be spending time outdoors (yes, even in October), and while the Viking longhouse has a roaring fire, there’s no central heating - so dress warmly! Layers are your best friend. Think cosy cloaks, fabulous jackets, and statement knitwear that keep you toasty without sacrificing style. Comfy shoes or wellies are a must (this is Dorset and mud happens!). And, because English weather loves drama, bring a brolly - bonus points if it’s rainbow!
Basically: Dress to impress, but also dress like you could throw an axe, dance by the fire and survive a sudden downpour in style.
The Playlist - Our Party, Your Bangers!
We want the dancefloor to be pure joy, so we’re handing the aux cord (metaphorically) over to you! We’ve set up a Spotify playlist - add your ultimate party anthems, guilty pleasures, and queer classics so we can all dance like nobody’s watching. Click below to get adding! If you struggle, feel free to email us your requests and we'll make sure you're not missed out.
BYOB - Bring Your Own Bottle
We’ve got you covered for soft drinks, mixers, fizzy stuff, and non-fizzy stuff - so whether you want a mocktail or just need something to keep you hydrated between dance breaks, you’ll be sorted.
If you fancy something stronger, bring whatever you love! It’s way cheaper this way, and let’s be real - who wouldn’t rather drink their favourite thing than overpriced wedding wine? We'll provide sticky labels and a sharpie so you'll know whose bottle is whose by the end of the night when you're a little worse for wear!
Gifts? Nope! Snacks? Yes Please!
Your presence is the best present - we’re not after fancy gifts, just good vibes and community spirit! Instead, we’d love for you to bring a little something to share:
🪓 For axe throwing: Think favourite nibbles - crisps, dips, nuts, baked goodies - easy-to-eat treats to fuel your inner warrior.
🍰 For dessert: Bring along something sweet for after the feast! Cakes, brownies, biscuits - if it makes people smile, it belongs at the table. You will be judged for your offerings and a prize will be given for the most unusual, authentic, or bat-shit crazy.
🔥 For Sunday breakfast: If you’re joining us the next morning, bring your favourite breakfast food and share in the company. We’ll provide the fire; you bring the snacks and the stories.
Food for All - Let’s Get This Feast Right!
We’re all about good food, shared tables, and making sure everyone has something delicious to eat - so rest assured, we’ve got vegetarians, vegans, and coeliacs covered!
BUT if your dietary needs go beyond that - whether it’s allergies, intolerances, or just a strong personal vendetta against coriander - please let us know! We want every single guest to feel nourished, happy, and included at our feast.
Drop us a message, and we’ll make sure there’s something scrumptious, safe, and totally worthy of this magical occasion waiting for you.
So... What About the Men?
While the women gather on Friday night by fire and fairy lights for an evening of storytelling and soul-warming magic, some of the menfolk may find themselves wondering: "But what do we do?" Fear not, lads! Some of you will be busy parenting (good luck heroes!), but for those who are child-free and at a loose end, we’d love to help you form a ragtag band of merry misfits for your own evening adventures.
Here's a link to a WhatsApp group to bring you all together so you can plan your own fun - whether that’s finding a good pub, having a mini feast of your own, or just standing around a different fire, feeling rugged and contemplative.
So if you’d rather not be left staring into the abyss of an unscheduled evening, join the group chat chaos. Who knows? You might just form a brotherhood of the travelling mead.
And what about these bonus points and prizes of which you speak Lyd and Jaye?
Well... given we want you all to feel loved and appreciated, we'll be offering up celebratory gifts that are fit for the occasion. We don't want to ruin all of the surprises here but, so you can be prepared, here's how you can enter the competitions:
Bowties - the gayer the better
Brightest outfit (without showing us up obviously!)
Best Pegger - all will become clear on the day but we warn you not to be tempted to google this one, you might not appreciate what you see.
Most creative desert - it can either be unusual, authentic or bat-shit crazy, use your skills wisely
Axe-throwing ultimate winner. Extra prizes for non-fatal wounds ;)
Queerest dance-move contest
Lip-sync for your love - microphone provided!
"Love is..." photo caption contest; the sweetest, sappiest or most unhinged wins a prize
Some of the prizes will be given out during the day as they'll be important for the festivities, others will follow later on in the evening when we take a break from dancing.
Guest Book
We know that finding the right words can be difficult when you're handed a blank page and a pen so we wanted to take some of the stress out of that. You'll be invited to leave us some words of wisdom for a time capsule that we'll open on our first anniversary. You can add notes, pictures, poems, quotes, or whatever else you think we might need once we're another year into our adventure. You can come prepared, or think of something off the cuff, it's entirely up to you. We'll leave it somewhere obvious for the weekend so you'll be able to add to it whenever you fancy.
Other than that...
We hope you enjoy our celebrations, but if you have any questions, problems, concerns or issues, pop us an email and we'll do our best to answer, or adjust, whatever you need us to!