Emily & Dom's Tipi Wedding

The Jubilee weekend was certainly one to remember for me, as I had the pleasure of co-ordinating the lovely Emily and Dom’s wedding at their family home in Wiltshire.

Being a DIY wedding there were lots of jobs that needed doing, so in the run up I wrote a very detailed time plan to ensure everything ran as they wanted it to on their big day.

Visiting the day before I was able to get a good feel for Emily & Dom’s day, see the layout and be shown where everything was kept should we need anything. When I arrived I was greeted by a very chilled Emily and Dom and WOW-ed by the incredible tipi from Oakleaf Marquees which fitted perfectly on the lawn.

Inside the tipi were rows of trestle tables decorated with terracotta herb pots and candles. Above the dance floor hung a huge glitter ball and boho style hangings, ready for some serious dancing later on!

Emily and Dom decided to change up the typical wedding order and instead of extra guests coming in the evening they had everyone at the beginning of their day and less guests in the evening. 

You see, that is the beauty of planning a DIY wedding…

The day started with all of their guests at the church to witness Emily and Dom’s marriage to one another...

After the ceremony everyone made their way back up the road to the family home for delicious canapés served by Sear Events and plenty of fizz, beer and elderflower cordial served by the Tasha Mae team.

The sun shone while everyone listened to Just Silhouettes perform whilst catching up with one another and playing a selection of garden games.

It was soon time for everyone to gather around the lawn for the father of the bride and Dom’s speech.

After the speeches followed the cutting of the wedding cake which had been made by Dom’s mum. Soon after, we took it off to cut up in to smaller pieces ready to hand to the guests that were leaving.

Along with handing them a piece of cake we also asked them to sign the guest board which Emily and Dom were planning to frame with a picture of them in the middle. 

Saying goodbye to their day guests this left only the closest friends and immediate family for the evening celebrations.

One of the loudest cheers I have ever heard and with napkins being swirled around everyone’s heads Emily and Dom made their way down to the head table.

Sear Events served a platter of BBQ meats and salads followed by pudding whilst we kept the wine and water topped up. During the meal we also prepped the bar and set up the tea and coffee table for guests to help themselves to after the meal.

Whilst everyone was eating, the very talented DJV & Sax kept the music going and played the saxophone alongside his tunes.

Helping the caterers clear the tables it was then time for some more speeches from the bride herself and Dom’s best man, James.

Once the Espresso Martinis were down the hatch it was now time for the first dance, so Emily & Dom made their way to the dance floor.

The first dance was followed by a fun and packed night on the dance floor for everyone with DJ-V playing the saxophone alongside Billy Keane playing his guitar. 

Whilst everyone was dancing we cleared all the tables of glasses, hampers, linen, menus and name cards so the guests could sit back down at a clean table when they wanted a break from all the dancing.

On the bar the drinks were being poured with the most popular being the homemade Sloe Gin which Emily’s dad was a dab hand at making. Once this had run dry we kept everyone topped up with beers, wine and a selection of spirits.

As our time at Emily and Dom's wedding came to an end we stocked the bar with as much drink as possible so the guests could help themselves throughout the rest of the evening. Finding Emily and Dom to say Goodbye, it was so lovely when they gave us all a bottle of fizz to say thank you for everything we had done. This is not expected and not something that happens often but when it does it means so much and is extremely appreciated. We really did have the most fantastic day helping them both as well as meeting all their guests who were all so lovely.

Leaving everyone to party the night away we drove away knowing Emily and Dom were sure to have the most amazing end to their wedding day…

If you or a family member have a big enough space in your garden for a marquee or tipi then why not consider having your wedding at home like Emily  & Dom? 

Having a DIY wedding means you can have total flexibility in doing your day as you wish without any restrictions or time limits. It might be harder work to plan and prepare but a DIY wedding is much more personal and can be so much fun to organise. To ensure your day itself is stress free then why not book an ‘on the day’ co-ordinator so you can relax and enjoy yourselves whilst all those behind the scenes jobs are being done for you. 

If you would like to chat about your wedding to see how I can help you on your special day, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.