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Locked out!

Locked out!

Thursday 18th August 2016

Over the years, I have taken brides to almost all of the local wedding venues but, last week, I was pleased to be going to one which was new to me. The Gardens of the Rose are situated in Chiswell Green, next door to the now-defunct Butterfly World. This really is the most beautiful setting and perfect for a wedding on a summer day. The only slight problem last week was that we arrived at the main gates to find them shut and padlocked!

The gardens were closed to the general public on the day of our visit and nobody had bothered to tell the bride that access was through a service entrance, along a narrow lane. Staff were thin on the ground and signage for the wedding was non-existent but we found a small car park behind the café and I set off to find somebody to help us. Having tracked down a helpful member of staff, I got directions and we finally arrived at the correct entrance only 30 minutes late. Luckily the bride took all of this chaos in her stride and wasn't upset in the least.

I spent a pleasant hour or so sitting on a bench in the beautiful gardens, reading my book and enjoying the sunshine whilst the ceremony went ahead and the photographs were taken. It was a shame about the lacklustre organisation but, setting that aside, this is a beautiful summer wedding venue and is a wonderful place on a sunny day. I hope I get another booking there next year.