Growing up, summers included not only the wild abandon of being a tomboy with several older brothers, but also croquet. My sister’s alma mater lays claim to one of the only (if not the only) regulation croquet court on an American university campus. It just seems like the quintessential game for English gentility. People appear polite and courteous even as they are "sending" a competitors ball into the far distances of the court. It reminds me a lot of the British parliament sessions that can be seen on C-Span. The tone of voice and the tradition of referring to the other member of parliament as the "right honorable" masks the sharp jab to the individual’s supposed stupidity of opinion. Ah, England of yesteryear.
While you can spend upwards of $4,000 for a set (that must be pretty nice, but the photos do not do them justice), I found this set from LL Bean for a much more affordable $99.
If any of your readers are in the Seattle area there is an amazing croquet court in Kirkland. I planned a party there last month and it was super fun. the website isn’t that great but they are friendly and the courts are amazing! I would be a nice place for a pre-wedding party when everyone is in town before the wedding. http://www.pugetsoundcroquet.com/