Rachel & Ben

September 12, 2021

We're finally getting married!

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We're so excited to (finally!) share our big day with you!

We hope you'll find all the information you need on this site, but if you have any questions please email: benjamin.m.r.andrews@gmail.com or rachelvwinter@gmail.com

We would be grateful if all guests would take a lateral flow test prior to attending the wedding. We won't be able to enforce social distancing or the wearing of masks, but please let us know when you RSVP if there are other accommodations we can make that would help you feel more secure. 

Please RSVP to each event in the 'Events' section so we can make the wedding as easy as possible for you. 

Lots of love,

Rachel & Ben

Getting to Poole
Getting to Poole
Driving

Due to the glorious sandy beaches of Bournebados, the area is a popular tourist destination and the traffic can be quite heavy at peak times. Please leave plenty of time if you're driving down from the London area.

While there is parking at the church, driving onward to the wedding reception is not advised due to a ferry crossing and highly limited parking. Please see 'Getting To The Church' section below.

Train

Poole station is less than a 15-minute walk from Poole Quay which is where our recommended hotels are situated.
Getting to the church

We've hired a couple of Routemaster buses to collect guests from near the recommended hotels and drop off at the church and then take everyone to Shell Bay for the reception.

The buses will collect guests from opposite 'Soho', 1 Old Orchard, Poole, BH15 1SD at 13:15. 

Please RSVP to 'The Church Ceremony' to let us know if you'd like the bus to give you a lift to the church.
Bus Pick-Up Location, Poole Quay

Here's a picture of the bus pick-up location on Poole Quay to help you find it! It's close to a roundabout and also opposite a fish and chip shop.

There are lots of lovely pubs and restaurants nearby for anyone who fancies a bite (or a drink!) before the ceremony.

Where to stay
Where to stay
Hotel du Vin, Poole Quay

(£££)

A luxury hotel nestled in a cobbled street just off Poole's historic quayside.

5 minute walk to the Routemaster pickup/drop off point.

Hotel du Vin, Poole Quay
Thistle Hotel, Poole Quay

(££)

A comfortable hotel overlooking Poole Harbour.

3 minute walk to the Routemaster pickup/drop off point.

Thistle Hotel, Poole Quay
Holiday Inn Express, Poole

(£)

A cheap and cheerful hotel.

17 minute walk to the Routemaster pickup/drop off point.

Holiday Inn Express, Poole
Haven Hotel

(£££)

This is the hotel the wedding party will be staying at. 

There will be a Routemaster bus leaving the Haven Hotel at 13:00 on the day of the wedding to take guests to the church. If you'd like a spot on this bus please tick the relevant box when you RSVP to the church ceremony, or alternatively you can make your own way to the church. The hotel is a 2 minute walk from the ferry so you will be able to walk back at the end of the night.

Haven Hotel Sandbanks

Timings and logistics
Sun
Sep 12
2021
9:00 am
TO 10:15 am
RSVP
Beach Games (Optional)

Outside Haven Hotel

Map to venue

(Optional) Beach Spikeball

Join Ben and the groomsmen for some optional wedding day Spikeball on Sandbanks beach.

Upholding a tradition for sport the morning of the big day, blokes and gals of all ages are welcomed to an informal game of Spikeball. Don't worry if you've never played Spikeball before; it's social, gender neutral and will give everyone plenty of excuses to dive around in the sand like a 12 year old again... just don't get too close to Matt Wertheim ;)

We'll meet outside the entrance to the Haven Hotel and then wander down the beach to find a suitable spot. Traffic can be heavy so if you are planning on joining us allow an extra 15 minutes driving time to get there from Poole Quay (traffic should be lighter coming back). Parking at the Haven isn't permitted but there is free parking on the road. If you don't get a spot on the road, head to the 'Sandbanks Car Park' BH13 8QJ, this is a 5 min walk from the hotel. 

Please RSVP to this event to let us know if you intend on joining and bring some water to maintain peak performance.

What is Spikeball?

Sun
Sep 12
2021
2:00 pm
RSVP
The Church Ceremony

All Saints Church
Branksome Park
Poole, BH13 7BP
United Kingdom

allsaintsbh13.church
Map to venue

Getting to the church

If you are staying at one of the recommended hotels or near Poole Quay, it is strongly advised that you take advantage of the wedding buses that will take you from Poole Quay to the church and from the church to the reception. 

Routemaster buses will pick up guests from opposite 'Soho', 1 Old Orchard, Poole, BH15 1SD at 13:15.

Should you wish to drive, while there is parking at the church there is no parking at the wedding reception (Shell Bay).

When you RSVP to attend the ceremony you will be given the option to confirm if you would like a place on the wedding bus or will make your own way to the church.

If making your own way, here are some local taxi numbers:

Ariel Taxis: 01202 747333
Poole Town Taxis: 01202 691000
United Taxis: 01202 556677 

CHILDREN

Due to the nature of the venue we cannot safely accommodate children under 10. Provision has been made for immediate family and we are sorry that we cannot accommodate any more.

Dress Code

Summer Formal

Girls: Summer dresses or equivalent. Please note, the walk from the ferry terminal to the restaurant is not particularly stiletto-friendly so wedges are recommended!

Boys: Go as formal or informal as you like. Lighter weight and colour suits, or jackets and chinos. Ties optional. Groomsmen will be in blue tails. Mankinis not advised.


Sun
Sep 12
2021
4:30 pm
TO 11:00 pm
RSVP
The Wedding Breakfast

Shell Bay Restaurant
Ferry Road
Studland, BH19 3BA
United Kingdom

shellbay.net
Map to venue
View from Shell Bay restaurant
View from Shell Bay restaurant
Getting to and from Shell Bay

After the ceremony, wedding buses (and fizz!) will be waiting outside the church to take everyone to the Sandbanks ferry terminal (please see 'The Church Ceremony' if you intend to drive to the church).

We'll board the ferry on foot (tickets will be provided) for the 5-minute journey across to Studland. There is a 100m walk the other side of the ferry to the restaurant. The walk is mostly tarmac and concrete, but will be sandy.

Drinks and canapes will be served upon arrival at Shell Bay, with the first course of the Wedding Breakfast served at c.17:30. 

Please include any dietary requirements when you RSVP to this section. 

What's the food and booze situation?

The main course will be a seafood BBQ, but there will be plenty of non-seafood options too. All allergies that we are notified of will be catered for.

There will also be an open bar for as long as our pennies last!

Sun
Sep 12
2021
11:00 pm
TO 11:30 pm
RSVP
The coach back to Poole Quay

Leaving the venue

Tickets are not required for the return journey across the ferry for those on foot. Should you wish to depart earlier than 11pm you are more than welcome to. The ferry runs every 20 minutes (you'll be able to see it from the restaurant) and there are lots of taxi companies operating in the Sandbanks area. If it's not raining it would be best to meet your taxi after disembarking from the ferry on the Sandbanks side, as they will charge extra to collect you from Shell Bay.

United Taxis: 01202 556677
Poole Town Taxis: 01202 691000
Ariel Taxis: 01202 747333

Planning on staying till carriages? There's a bus for that!

The last ferry from Studland back to Sandbanks is at 11.10pm.

For those staying near Poole Quay who plan on staying till carriages at 11pm, we have arranged a coach that will collect you from Shell Bay, take you across on the ferry, and drive you back to the pick-up/drop-off point on Poole Quay.

If a large number of folks are staying at the same hotel we can likely include that as a stop off.

Please let us know by RSVPing to this section if you would like to use the coach drop-off at the end of the night.

Private events
GIFTS
All we need is your wonderful company!

It may be a cliché, but we'd like your presence on our wedding day and not your presents! 

We have lived together for several years and feel that we already have everything that we need. If you really want to give something, we would be touched if you would donate to a worthy cause - OnSide Youth Zones. OnSide is a charity committed to helping younger people to set themselves up for the future. We're both lucky to have wonderful families and we'd like to do something to help those that don't.

OnSide Youth Zones are designed to give young people (8–19) somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to in their leisure time so they can socialise in a safe, positive way. The Zones are there for young people in deprived areas, where the alternative for many is spending their evenings on the streets or isolated in their bedrooms, surfing the internet.

We’ve been to visit one of the Zones in Dagenham and it was really great to see so many people benefitting from it. The Dagenham Zone hosts up to 180 young people every evening. It offers mentoring, CV writing classes, music lessons, cooking tutorials, ping pong, sports halls and places just to hang out and chill with friends.

Check out the OnSide website if you’d like to know more: https://www.onsideyouthzones.org/

You can donate here: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/rachelandben2021