Ever thought about a marquee wedding at home, but a bit nervous about pulling it off? Well today's real wedding is showing us how it's done. With the help of their families, Ally & Garth created a wedding with wow factor in her parents' back garden, filling their marquee with paper cranes, stars, lights, signage and flowers - they even added their very own pub! Stylish, romantic, and brimming with ideas to borrow for your own big day, Photography by Ciara captured it all beautifully - and as you'll see, the bride and groom didn't stop smiling all day.
Ally & Garth met through work, but it wasn't a long, drawn-out courtship, “After one date, the rest was history!”
Elegant details on Ally's dress; the lace bodice and button-up back gave the dress a vintage look, but the sleek silhouette kept it from looking fussy.
The bridal party carried simple baby's breath bouquets which suited the modern rustic feel perfectly.
Garth popped the question with a romantic, low-key proposal on holiday. “It happened on a little balcony, at midnight in Madrid, drinking tea.” Ally tells us. Sounds pretty perfect.
The couple followed their church ceremony with a reception at home, “I travel a lot with work and stay in a lot of hotels, therefore we definitely wanted something unique to us for the big day. It was always going to be a marquee in the back garden.” Ally explains.
These two just can't stop smiling!
Garth and Ally adopted a healthy attitude towards wedding planning that's important for everyone to hear; “Don't compare your day to anyone else's, make it your own and try not to lose sight of the real meaning of the day.”
Cute DIY signposts welcomed guests to the countryside bash.
Nothing like a brisk country walk alone together to calm any wedding day nerves!
Most couples have a list of priorities for their wedding day, for Ally & Garth it was all about setting the tone for fun, relaxing day, “To make everyone feel welcome and comfortable from the moment they walked into the marquee. To create an informal atmosphere allowing each guest to feel part of something special. The 'Hill Lark Inn' bar area created a cosy pub scene for the drinks reception and speeches and the long banquet style tables (instead of a top table) meant that we were never separated from the party.”
Ally tells us her vision for the marquee decor, "We wanted to create a day and style that reflected both our personalities and I had always dreamt of a marquee wedding in my parent's garden. Rustic meets country-chic was the style we were aiming for.” And just LOOK AT IT! The space looks super dreamy thanks to the simple tablescapes, paper cranes hanging from the ceiling and 3D star decorations.
...Not to mention the brilliant signage.
The couple and their families did amazing job pulling this marquee wedding together, “We didn't use any external contractors for dressing the marquee. We sourced everything ourselves and a lot of the decorations were hand-made. Thanks to two amazing and supporting families we were able to make our vision a reality. We wouldn't have changed a thing.” Ally explains. Wowzers - we're very impressed!
Burlap, heart-shaped shortbread and vintage China are the ideal ingredients for a cute, countryside style wedding.
An authentic pub setting!
The higher the cake, the closer to heaven!
After the wedding, Ally and Garth's headed somewhere pretty special, “We went to Northern Spain. But now, it was off-the-beaten-track authentic Spain, where we visited the most spectacular untouched beaches, and drank Rioja straight from the vineyards.” Ally tells us. Now that sounds idyllic!
Thanks so much to Photography by Ciara for sending us these gorgeous shots. We wish Ally and Garth all the very best for the future!
