Maximalist At Home Weekend Wedding
Photography by Nicola Thompson PhotographyGo big or go home! Zara & Toby had an all-out three-day celebration in Jersey! Getting married in their family home allowed them to spend more time with guests. They were surrounded by love, sun and laughter, complete with surprises around every corner. Toby changed suits several times, surprise singers came out at the end of the ceremony, a brass band played their instruments underwater at the Sunday pool party, and an unbelievably chaotic first dance... that had to happen twice! Zara & Toby described their day as pure, natural and authentic magic from start to finish. We just love this day! It was all captured by the incredible Recommended Supplier, Nicola Thompson Photography. The couple also chose Recommended Supplier, The Wedding Present Company, for their gift list.
Maximalist at-home wedding with DIY Italian-themed decorations
The highlight of the day was leaving the ceremony to Brass Funkeys. We followed our 12-piece brass band, snaking our way up to the top tier of land where drinks were to be served. Looking backwards across the beautiful beach of St Brelade, with all our favourite people in the world dancing behind us, about to consume spicy cucumber margaritas out of olive tins.
Zara & Toby
Maximalist At Home Wedding
The styling for Zara & Toby’s wedding day was a complete reflection of their style... maximalist! The couple always wanted to get married in Italy, but both Toby and Zara’s father have a habit of misplacing passports, so being unable to take the risk they added touches of Italy to Jersey. Including thousands of lemons, tambourines, ceramics, and silk scarves. Zara & Toby wanted to stay true to them and not get caught up in trends and styles. To make their ceremony feel more authentic to them, Zara & Toby had 2 wedding readings, He’s Not Perfect by Bob Marley and Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, along with surprise singers who popped out of the crowd!
Personal Touches
When asked about the theme of their day, the newlyweds described it as ‘Italian summer nights, The Alice In Wonderland version!’ Bringing Italy to Jersey is no easy feat. To make it feel authentic, there was a fair amount of DIY! Zara’s mom purchased 250 blue and white floral vases for the centrepieces that they filled with hydrangeas from friends’ gardens. The couple’s mothers also got stuck in creating 20 huge paper mushrooms for the Alice In Wonderland vibe. There were also 1000 local lemons! The tambourines and money drums were hand-painted and used as place names which guests used through the reception, during speeches and even skinny dipping at midnight!
Don’t be afraid to make your own wedding traditions, it’s your day, your way!
Do you! Don't include aspects of the day because 'you are meant to'. You don't have to have a cake, you don't have to have a ceremony, you don't have to have a first dance. Also, ask for help. If you're like me and organised the MOST complex three-day wedding, you will need support. The wedding party and family are wonderful, but people love helping deliver your big day, so don't be scared to cast the net wider.
Zara & Toby
We just adored how Zara & Toby weren’t afraid to showcase their personalities on their wedding day. This meant some traditions went out the window like the bride being the only person to wear white. White is actually a gorgeous colour for your bridesmaids to wear, especially for a coastal wedding like this one! Take a look at our white bridesmaid dresses roundup for more inspiration. One of the highlights for Zara & Toby was sipping spicy margaritas! Take a look at our signature wedding cocktails article for some more delicious ideas!
