Jenni & James

I LOVE it when I discover a Bridal Designer that I hadn't come across before and I'm so glad that Bride Jenni has introduced me to Donatelle Godart. The relaxed fit of Jenni's dress, with that gorgeous wrap-around ballerina-esque top is just perfect for an at-home tipi wedding. I always say this, but there's something about having your wedding at home (or your parents home) that just allows everything to be completely relaxed - there are no time constraints, no supplier restrictions but just a lovely sense of nostalgia and of things coming full circle. Enjoy this one lovelies, we were sold at Brit Pop and Pies...

The Venue

Jenni The Bride: We were very lucky to have the fields at the Groom’s parents house to use, and then we popped up some Peaktipis Tipis. They were so easy and amazing to work with.

The Décor

So much of this was DIY. Coming from the States and having a wedding in the UK meant relying on loads of help from family and friends on the day. I did all of the day of stationery, and friends and family picked flowers from the Groom’s mum’s garden on the day. Flowers were put in vintage bottles and sauce jars we collected over the year and all lanterns were bought used online.

The Wedding Party

I had three Bridesmaids; I picked a neutral pink tone and let them choose whatever dress or style they wanted. I know I would hate being forced to wear a dress I hated, so thought this would solve it!

The Ceremony

We had a humanist ceremony led by Maxine Beech in the garden. Coming from the States I had always wanted to get married outside. The great British weather did show it’s face resulting in a slightly delayed ceremony but our Brit guests showed the Americans how to handle it with a nonchalant grace. Readings were from ‘Portrait of A Lady’ by Henry James and ‘The Wedding Song’ by Bob Dylan

The Reception

We have been together for 10 years so wanted a casual celebration of that. We wanted loads of food, drinks and music. All of our wedding wine was bought from a small vineyard in the South of France during a summer trip. We bombarded the guests with food from the get go, concluding in huge plates of Pie and Mash (which were very welcome in the tipi during the rainstorm). We also had a late night taco and nacho truck, and the owner very kindly made me a bridal bib so as not to spill on the dress). It was an amazing day surrounded by friends who had come from all over the world. People were sleeping in tents and vans in the fields for three days!

The Entertainment

We blew most of our budget on entertainment. We had strings during the ceremony (Leo Strings), a jazz trio for the cocktails (Street Three Jazz) and a Brit-Pop Band (Different Class) for after dinner. Then finished it off with a completely customised DJ set, mostly guilty pleasures from the 90’s ;)