Sassy and Velenzia's Festival Wedding

Our wedding day was a vibrant and spectacular affair. When we met, we couldn’t visualise ourselves having the traditional, strait-laced wedding and we knew that we wanted to create a fun and festival inspired atmosphere.

It was so special to celebrate our love in a way that felt unique to us, rather than following the expected stereotypes of what a wedding should look like. As we discovered first hand, having the opportunity to create our own traditions and showcase who we are both together and apart was incredible. Looking back at our wedding, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

We wanted to create a laidback festival atmosphere, that would run itself. We didn’t have a strict schedule and everything our guests needed was within reach at all times, so everyone could relax and be fully present with everything taken care of.

We wanted our venue to truly encapsulate our past, present and future. Getting married outdoors at Sassy’s mums house in Buckinghamshire with our nearest and dearest, was the perfect place to celebrate our love. The beautiful rural setting was complemented with whimsical, locally picked wildflowers to add touches of nature to the celebration. These blooms weren’t just decorations; they were our love letter to the countryside. We sent our digital invitations from WithJoy.com to set the stage for the day’s festivities: an invite to the coolest party in town. We asked our guests to dress in whatever they felt most comfortable, and had people turn up in linen shirts, floral dresses, and some rather striking summer bonnets. For our outfits, we wanted to move away from the typical dress or tuxedo for our wedding, whilst still remaining fashion forward and stylish. We ended up working with the fabulous Ezra Spearpoint (@ezraspearpoint) who created my beautiful nude corset and mahogany brown suit, as well as Sassy’s deconstructed wedding dress. Sassy made it clear she did not want to be an immoveable mannequin in her dress. Instead of the traditional bridal train, the dress was tailored to embrace her curves, while giving her plenty of movement to dance like we were at Glastonbury!

After the ceremony, we were photographed by Tasmin May Photography (@tasminmay) in the wildflower wood. Tasmin did more than just snap pictures, she bottled up the very essence of our love. Every stolen glance, every twinkle in their eyes as the day unfolded– all captured in frame-worthy perfection.

The ceremony itself was low-key, but beautiful. Set in Sassy’s mums garden, overlooking the rolling fields of Buckinghamshire, our guests sat on haybales to complete the rustic and festival inspired theme.

The ceremony was an informal and secular affair without too much pomp and circumstance. As art is so important to us, we asked our nearest and dearest to come up to the ‘alter’ and add paint to a canvas– a tangible and moving gift bonding the two isles of our chosen family.

We had three main locations for the after-party, the pool in Sassy’s house, the wildflower woods for guests to escape the hustle and bustle of the main party, and our very own festival stage provided by Events Under Canvas.

Jenna Ackerley, Founder and Managing Director of Events Under Canvas, along with her team worked really hard on picking the perfect tents and tipis to evoke our festival-inspired wedding, complete with bunting, furnishings and benches, instead of the more formal wedding tables. For catering, forget the traditional three-course meal! We turned up the taste with wood-fired pizzas from The Pizza Post and rolled ice cream from Frew & Co. Once the day turned into night, the festival truly began. The beats that echoed through the fields were curated by the incredible DJ from STYLISH Entertainment Ltd. The melodies kept the dance floor alive all night, in celebration of love, unity, and freedom.

Pride is all about embracing individuality, giving stereotypes the boot, and shouting from the rooftops that love is love.

Our wedding encapsulated freedom, love and connection. Our friends and family had never been to a wedding like it, and we had countless messages saying that it is this very reason it was so special. Any new brides or grooms - remember to take a few moments away for yourselves, just the two of you. This is the perfect time to check in and look into each other’s eyes. A chance to soak up the magic of the day before the last note is played and the encore has finished.