The happy couple in question are lifelong Sussex residents and have experienced so much in their time together – while their hometown, and the world itself might have changed beyond recognition in the intervening years since they first tied the knot, it was quite clear that their love for each other remained undiminished.

The event took place at the hall adjoining the historic St. Paul’s Church (which dates back to 1836) on Churchside, just at the top of North Street, and there was certainly a reason for this choice of location! The couple were married here in 1951, making the return visit in 2011 all the more evocative and poignant; in attendance were family members and friends from across the generations, all intent on wishing them well.

Champagne, canapes and vintage china

We were called upon to provide champagne and canapes, which we’re very happy to say went down a treat, and a range of cakes and other teatime delights. The latter were served on a fine selection of vintage chinaware, which brought a little period detail to the party!

Being that this was a Diamond anniversary, the couple were sent a letter of congratulations from The Queen, which added to the already special nature of the day. As a historical aside, the tradition of the sovereign personally sending congratulatory messages to those reaching anniversaries and birthdays of note began in 1917, and has continued ever since.

It is being a part of moments like these that always make us feel fortunate and grateful for being able to do what we do – truly a case of being in the right place at the right time, and we’d like to take this opportunity to wish all concerned the very best for the future.

The following is an extract from a letter we received shortly afterwards – once more, this kind of praise really does make it all worthwhile for us!

Dear Sharon,

Thank you so much for helping us again! The catering was spot on, as always. Brilliant that you could support the fifties theme with vintage china, also I liked the proper linen table cloth, and the flowers you brought for the catering table, it all added the finishing touches.

Also thank you for helping with the decorations. We were running late and the fact that you and your staff offered to help with that too, was beyond going the extra mile. Needless to say the hall looked brilliant. Any party is safe in your hands. I hope we can work together again.

We have come into regular contact with everyone from photographers, videographers, musicians, and more in the proverbial “line of duty” and thought we’d share the love by featuring some of these on our Blog from time to time.

The businesses that we will showcase here all share our ethos of keeping the highest of standards, coupled with the ability to deliver a fantastic level of service with a minimum of fuss; as we’ve always maintained, it’s about ensuring you can relax as much as possible at your event, and leave the hard work to us!

Partner Spotlight: The Chain

We’ve been looking forward to spreading the word about The Chain, a covers band hailing from the sunny city of Chichester, West Sussex for quite some time now, and without any further ado, let’s get to it!

The Chain are an extremely talented, experienced and versatile band whose sets comprise of tunes from the 1960′s to the present day, and cross multiple genres from Rock and Pop to Country to Blues. They are currently made up of six core members, and the name was inspired by “that” song by Fleetwood Mac, and like Fleetwood Mac before them, have realised the unique musical “flavour” that having two female lead vocalists (Dawn and Vee) can bring to the table. The instrumental side of things is well and truly taken care of by Andy (drums), Jo (guitar and vocals), Pete (Bass and vocals) and Steve (lead guitar and vocals), and as a unit, they can take on anything from the most intimate of venues to large-scale festivals and just about everything in between.

We’ve always been blown away by just how good they are, and their ability to get a crowd up, dancing and singing along is second-to-none, so if you’re thinking of booking a band for your wedding or function, we’d always be only too happy to recommend The Chain; the good times really do come as standard!

Sweet Child o’ Mine – Covered by The Chain

We’re of the opinion that there really is never better proof than the pudding itself, and thought our readers might be interested in seeing (and hearing) what this fabulous band is capable of. The following short video, shot and edited by band members themselves, and weighing in at a positively svelte 4 minutes and 41 seconds, does just that; it’s a rousing rendition of LA rockers Guns N’ Roses crossover smash “Sweet Child o’ Mine” (which originally appeared on Axl Rose & Co.’s 1987 debut studio album “Appetite for Destruction”) – we love it to bits, and hope you will too!

Want to know more?

If you would like to find out more about the band, check the official The Chain website.

Interested in learning more about our trusted partners? See the partners page on our site.

The event, held in June 2008, had a nautical theme, which was hugely appropriate given its seaside setting, and the close proximity of some of the best sailing in not only the country, but the whole world. West Wittering is undoubtedly a destination of choice for the cognoscenti of all things littoral, with its EC Blue Flag award for water cleanliness, and stunning sand dunes that continue to wow visitors year after year.

The evening began with Champagne and canapes served on the shore, with the fully-equipped beach bar we had set up acting as a focal point at this stage in proceedings. It was immediately evident that the attendees had embraced the theme of the party, and had dressed themselves up to the nines in black tie liberally accessorised with everything from sailors’ caps, lifejackets to eye patches and piratical tricorns adorned with the Jolly Roger!

When the sun had passed over the yardarm, the 150 guests decamped to the fabulous marquee, provided by our friends at West Sussex Party Marquees, which was decked out with brightly-coloured flags and a blue wave pattern, and featured some truly stunning detailing, including table centres that contained live goldfish.

We served up succulent joints of pork from our barbecue menu, as well as a full buffet, which helped assuage any appetites brought on by the bracing sea air!

After Dark Productions ensured that the party kept going into the night, with an amazing combination of music and advanced lighting – things only started to wind down after eight bells (4 a.m.), with many of our staff members staying until the very end to attend to the guests’ needs.

We also provided security for the event, and left our barbecue equipment set up, so that breakfast could be served the following morning.

All in all, it was a fantastic night for all concerned, and we wish the birthday girl all the very best for the coming year!

Thinking of arranging a party in West Sussex?

If you are thinking of arranging a party, event or function in West Sussex, why not speak to us and find out how we can help with the catering, and much more…

The function was a huge success with over 170 guests dressing up as virtually the entire pantheon of heroes and villains from the much-loved films; Baron Samedi could be seen rubbing shoulders with Jaws. A large white Persian cat, not unlike Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s very own, was also on the guest list, and undoubtedly enjoyed keeping a watchful feline eye over proceedings.

We provided a bevy of beautiful Bond Girls, who were on hand to look after the attendees, and serve the mouthwatering array of cocktails expertly mixed up by our staff – needless to say, the classic Vodka Martini (shaken not stirred, naturally!) was very much in evidence.

“Don’t touch that! That’s my lunch!” – Q

Hungry guests were treated to a delicious selection of buffet food, including a traditional English menu, as well as a full far eastern curry spread, that would not have looked out of place on the set of Octopussy.

Our trusted partners West Sussex Party Marquees provided a fabulous setting for the event, in the guise of their flagship Capri Marquee model, which lent an undeniable touch of glamour that even the late, great Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, veteran producer of no less than 22 of the super spy’s cinematic outings, could only have been impressed by.

We also provided the flower arrangements for the evening – Nothing makes us more happy than to act as a “one stop shop” in order to make life much easier for party organisers!

Guests got a chance to peruse Mr. Bond’s favourite method of transportation, a gleaming silver Aston Martin DB8 Vantage that was parked in front of the marquee for all to admire.

All in all, the function was an enormous success, with the merrymaking carrying on well into the wee small hours of the morning – it can truly be said that espionnage has rarely been such fun! We’re delighted we were there to “keep the British end up” as regards the catering!