Getting married - horsey involvement!!

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DiamondSR

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I got engaged at the weekend and was thinking about how I could involve my horse in the big day. I have ruled out breaking him to harness
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but was thinking of maybe riding him sidesaddle to the church.

Anyway I was interested to see whether anyone on here had involved their horse in their wedding, and how!
 
I once had to plait up a horse which went to the church to be 'bridesmaid' outside, so the wedding photos included her.
And my mad friend took her mad horse round a course of XC jumps in her (traditional) wedding dress and high heels; I have the photos as evidence.
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Hi My friends daughter got married and we took her horse to the reception so she could ride him side saddle for the photos. She didnt know anything about it so it was a nice surprise for her. Had to take horse to stables near reception area night before as not local to where her mother lives, so lots of creeping around and whispering. Would recommend it though lots of fun.
 
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I once had to plait up a horse which went to the church to be 'bridesmaid' outside, so the wedding photos included her.
And my mad friend took her mad horse round a course of XC jumps in her (traditional) wedding dress and high heels; I have the photos as evidence.
S
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Wow, now that's how to combine horses and weddings with style (and quite possibly give your new mother in law a heart attack!).
 
Congrats

Me too think i've gone off the idea of having my horse as i've just got a new one and felt it may be too much on big day with snot etc. May get her brought down for some photos tho - and get someone to take her home again!!!!
 
Congratulations!!!!
I am a Wedding caterer from Kent (do lots of weddings in surrey)
Lots of my clients have involved their horses in their wedding day.
Ie as already said as bridesmaid,photos etc.
I normally tell brides to have the same flowers from their bouquet interwoven through the browband.
obviously get horse used to them in advance but if they are used to having rosettes flapping around the side of their heads they should be fine.
let me know if you would like a wedding quote!!!!
 
My horse was brought up to the reception venue for me by my lovely friend, he was all plaited up with flowers in his mane and tail - it was a fantastic surprise, I got to share my wedding day with 'the other man in my life!' and we had some lovely photos done - which are part of our album. Conveniently the yard he was kept at was about 5 mins walk from the reception venue though!!
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considering i can't spend 10 minutes with my horse without being slobbered or snotted on, or get muddy, or dusty.

What chance would i stand in white?

It's a loverly idea though. I would love b to be in a wedding photo. maybe photoshop him in afterwards.
 
When OH asked me to marry him, second statement was - Cairo must be there. So I had to arrange a wedding where horses could stay overnight, and be a very central part of the day - answer - Reid Rooms in Essex.

Friends helped groom on the day but previous day was spent with me bathing two very dirty and large hairy beasts. They had decorated manes, tails and bridles with silk flowers - or they would have eaten them.

So, Cairo was "best horse", Jemima "mare of honour". Our invites went out from them, asking folks to come to the Reid Rooms to feed them minty cubes, and by the way A&T are getting hitched.

We had bowls of minty cubes rather than sugar almonds - the horses stood outside watching us tie the knot.

Would not have had half the day we did without them. They were a central part, behaved wonderfully - ate everything given to them, Cairo begged very mannerly and didn't even poo until back in the stables. We had a great day as did they, when we peeked in on them later, they were flat out, snoring away sound asleep and stuffed with minty cubes.

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On my previous marriage - I rode my old TB mare side saddled to the church - again she was beautifully behaved. On way back to reception my bridesmaid rode her whilst I went back in friend's pony and trap with OH who would not get on a horse that day - probably why he became an ex.
 
Depends on the size of the horse!...if hes small then I would have him walking down the isle with a basket hanging over each side of his back, have the baskets filled with flower petals and have two flower girls walking down beside him sprinkling flowers on the ground?
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PMSL...An idea we came up with whilst on a girly night in. Although not entirely sure the priest would approve!
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lol

ETS-Congratulations!
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I would love my OH to ride to the reception venue with me but he's not horsey at all, and I feel like enough of his life is taken up with my horse already (taking me to shows etc) without asking him to do that on his wedding day! Might just drop it into conversation and see what he says though...it is a lovely idea.

Did you hire a side saddle and where did you get it from/what did it cost if so?
 
Warning!

My mother-in-law was bell ringing for a wedding and the bride's horse was taken to the church entrance to meet the couple. While they were waiting at the church gates the horse reared up and dropped down dead on the ground. Consternation all round!

Luckily there were two gates to the church yard, so someone found a rug, covered up the horse and they moved the cars to hide it (while the photos were being taken by the church. Someone told the bridegroom and they managed to persuade the bride to walk across the field to the second gate way (it is traditional) so she didn't have any chance to see it.

Just to cheer you up!
 
My friends brought my horse to my reception. She was all done up with white ribbons etc. She arrived as the guests were just arriving and I left everyone (including the new husband) to run out to see her.
The only thing I would say is that please be careful and be sure the horse will put up with whatever you decide to do. we don't need any more sad posts.
 
Yes I hired the saddle. First time, the lovely ladies from Sandon Saddlery lent one of their own personal old ones for my TB - I had it for over a month before to have a lesson and get used to it. Great to have a good gallop in - found I could hold Breeze better in this than I could a conventional saddle. I just put it on Breeze and got on - she was the sort you could do anything with.

I returned it in beautiful condition have spent a lot of time oiling and polishing it with a huge bunch of flowers and some cake for them. I also gave them the saddle cloth I had bought to use.

Second time, I hired one from Scottish Side Saddles - she had one especially for a gypsy cob type - spent a day before the wedding riding Jemima in it - she too is the sort that you could stick anything on her and get straight on. I am very lucky with my horses. I paid about £60 to hire it for a week and this included the courier charge and it was a brand new saddle.

OH rode the old boy in his western saddle - he won't ride on anything else. For us it was a perfect start to married life.
 
I wanted to have the horses involved on my day, but due to chosen location I have had to settle for a venue with a horsey title..

Side saddle sounds fantastic though
 
My cousin rode to her wedding (astride) in her wedding dress, looked fab, then there was a trailer waiting and so her groom took the horse back while she got married, was very cute! Not sure how she managed to ride astride in a wedding dress but there we go!!
 
My mothers horse amber was at her wedding, i have pictures of my dad leading her side-saddle, outside the church in 1967! the bridesmaids and paige boys were in a pony and trap, the paige boys were dressed in riding gear.They had a colour photo of this in the "Daily Mail" newspaper.
 
On my wedding day I went to the yard early and turned the horses out, and now know as I left the YO whizzed out to get them in, plaited them and decorated them with ribbons, then rode, in show clothes to the wedding and they were outside when we came out for the photos - and yes, it did make me cry! I remember wondering why the car took us on an odd trip to get to the church, and then our horses were ridden back home, hubby and I went in horse and carriage to reception and bridesmaids had the car to get to the reception. Aaahhhhhh.........how time flies - almost 19 years ago now..............Enjoy your wedding preparations!
 
Congratulations on your engagement!
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When I was getting married I debated having Henry involved somehow, however, it really wasn't practical (who would bring him? Groom him? Feed him? Stop him eating the flowers or peeing on a gravestone? How would he get back home again?) and I know I would have spent the day worrying about him, rather than enjoying myself!!!

How about you have a day after your wedding? You can put your dress on again (any excuse, right?!) and have someone take more relaxed piccies of you, hubby and horsey together!
 
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I once had to plait up a horse which went to the church to be 'bridesmaid' outside, so the wedding photos included her.
And my mad friend took her mad horse round a course of XC jumps in her (traditional) wedding dress and high heels; I have the photos as evidence.
S
grin.gif


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Think you NEED to post a couple of those in here for us to have a look... She sounds like a crazeeeee ladeeeeee
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Stop him eating the flowers or peeing on a gravestone?

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Yes I had visions of Cairo doing a huge clyde dump in the middle of the proceedings so had a bucket and shovel just out of sight.

You do need help - on both my days, I had a good friend tack up, put on flowers and help me on. They held horses whilst we got married and then took then back to stables and untacked them.
 
My friend and I helped get another friend's horse ready a couple of years ago for her to ride into her wedding.

She had a 2 piece wedding dress, so wore the top half whilst riding, with white jods and a white tu-tu type skirt.
All her day guests greeted her on the lawn as she rode in.
she had some pics done with horsey. Then she nipped off to a side room and changed into her full skirt and got married.

We took horsey back home (so yes we missed day bit of wedding but it was worth it when a guest nearly fell over in shcok seeing us wipe snot from horse's nose with our bare hand ... well we couldn't have horsey wipe it on the bride could we!)

Oh we also plaited ribbons into mane & tail (took forever and was a complete nightmare) and put white ribbon on the lorry (enjoyed that!)

Was a lot of effort for a 5 minute ride but the bride was very happy at having her horse included for the day
 
Well as i said in my previous posts that I am a caterer.
Unfortunatly we also have to cater for funerals and sometimes we have had sad occaisions when the deceased's horse follows the hearse!!
I know it is very sad but I always think that they would have wanted them there.
 
Congratulations! Word of warning though - I had it all planned for my august 08 wedding, but then it rained ! ;-(

My mare did not have the figure to fit a side siddle so I bought a sheepskin bareback pad. The mare was plaited and had matching flowers - good friend was due to come down on foot (church was in adjacent village to my yard) in full show attire - then it rained!!!!!

I was planning to ride astride - but could get away with it as the dress had a very big skirt. Had previously practised looking a numpty riding round the school in a double bed sheet!!!!

Good luck - if you want your horse there then go for it - but please bear in mind the great british weather!
 
My mare came to our wedding, she was all plaited and a girl from the yard rode her wearing showgear, another girl came on her horse so horsey wasnt alone, they looked posh, only thing was my mare would not come anywhere near me as my veil scared her and she came only close enough to sniff my boquet, it did make my day but dont think my in laws were impressed lol start as you mean to go on i say!! that was 8 yrs ago and still going strong.
Congrats on your engagement
 
My pony was brought to the Curch, beautifully groomed and with silver bows on her headcoallr. She took a liking to my bouquet. Really made my day. I hire a horse drawnvehicle as my pony was just too small to do it.
We now do Carriage Hire and Weddings are lovely to do.
 
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