Come aboard me hearties
Last updated 12:26, Friday, 11 July 2008
There was something unusual about the guests at Will Taylor and Jill McAlea’s wedding last month.
- Slideshow: more pirate wedding photos
Their outfits weren’t those usually associated with a wedding.
And the bride and groom weren’t in the usual attire either.
But this was all at the request of Will Taylor and Jill McAlea, who celebrated their wedding with family and friends in a pirate-themed party at their home in Greystoke on June 7.
The party saw their 150 guests dressed in an variety of colourful outfits, from sea creatures and pirates to wenches and even a parrot.
After Will and Jill tied the knot at Penrith Register Office in front of 30 family and close friends, they returned to their Greystoke home to prepare for the party.
For the ceremony ‘Captain’ Will Taylor, 35, who is heavily influenced by Captain Jack Sparrow from the film Pirates of the Caribbean, wore a suit, cravat and bandanna while Jill, 30, wore an ivory laced wedding dress. They both changed into their pirate-themed outfits later.
The ceremony was followed by a brunch of croissants, bagels and smoked salmon in their kitchen before preparing for the party.
Will changed into his pirate outfit – three-quarter length trousers, three belts, a second-hand waistcoat and bandanna – while his hair and beard had been specially beaded and extensions added by Amanda Jenning, of Grey Malloy in Penrith.
The couple, who have been together for 13 years and moved to Cumbria from Manchester, decided to get married last year, after they moved into their home in Greystoke. Will had already thought of having a themed wedding and his love of pirates meant this was the perfect choice.
He said: “Jill loved the idea and we decided that’s what we would do. I love pirates and their way of life and I am a big fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean films.”
In addition to the unusual theme, the couple decided they didn’t want to follow the traditional wedding route.
Will, who runs a landscape gardening business, Taylor’d Landscape, in the Penrith area, said: “You go to weddings and sometimes you can feel like you are being herded around and then the bride and groom are led here and there and then there are worries over who can sit next to each other at the reception. You don’t have time to breathe.
“You can also pay a fortune for your wedding. We always said we would never do all that. I can’t justify spending all that money.”
The party was organised with the help of friends who met at the village pub, the Boot and Shoe, to discuss the arrangements.
Steve Howes and Shirley Morgan, the chefs from the Boot and Shoe, helped with the catering and the menu included ‘scurvy’ chicken, a cheese board with local cheeses, salmon and beef.
Friends from Herefordshire bought 32 bottles of specially made pear cider, labelled Pirate Perry, and other drinks were served at the Jolly Roger bar, where guests paid with special gold coins.
The only things that had to be hired were the marquee, tables, chairs, portable toilets and catering equipment for the buffet.
The marquee, which was put up in their neighbour Andy’s back garden, was decorated with skulls, crossbones bunting and Jolly Roger balloons.
The buffet was followed by entertainment from Laura Jones, from Johnby, who delighted guests with her singing and fire-eating. There was also karaoke.
After the buffet, Jill, manager of Catstycam outdoor shop in Pooley Bridge, changed into her pirate outfit, including a patchwork jacket and jewellery. Will also added jewellery, a sword and leather jacket to his outfit.
Instead of exchanging rings, Will thought exchanging pirate hats would be appropriate.
He said: “I can’t wear jewellery because of my job so I thought pirate hats would be a good idea so I went to Get Ahead Hats to see if they could help me.”
The result was two brown felt tricorn hats with silk lining.
Beverley Bargh, of Get Ahead Hats near Skelton, Penrith, said: “Will called in with a picture of a tricorn hat he had got from the internet and said he wanted to surprise Jill with a special hat. He decided in the end that he also wanted his own hat. It’s one of the most unusual requests I’ve had for wedding hats.”
Guests were invited to camp overnight and the celebration turned into a three-day festival.
The couple spent their honeymoon in a caravan in Bamburgh, Northumberland, with their dog Mr Blue.
