Nestled against its own private woodland in over 100 acres of Shropshire’s finest hills, Carly and Becky’s wedding at the Bridal Barn was a celebration of their love, their pagan beliefs and their new home. The day featured to eco-friendly practices, local vendors, and the joy of queer love.

“Our theme was Midsommar with less fire, but about as many flower crowns and flowing dresses, like Hobbiton’s Summer Solstice celebrations!” the couple began. “As practicing pagans, we wanted to ensure our pagan path was a prominent part of the day too”.

The bridal parties walked down the aisle to Concerning Hobbits from the Lord of The Rings and they opted for a full pagan ceremony, including handfasting with homemade cords. They also had sigil, a ring-warming, a circle casting and a besom jump, led by their Druid celebrant.

The couple, who moved to Shropshire during the pandemic, also wanted to celebrate everything their new home county has to offer. “Using eco-friendly and local vendors was really important to us,” Carly shared. “We’re new to Shropshire, so we wanted to make as many new connections and memories here as possible, and they didn’t disappoint!”

Carly and her maid of honour arranged flowers into recycled milk bottles and jam jars, Becky sewed over 100 metre of bunting from repurposed fabric, and they created a ‘Confetti Pick and Mix’ table with cones made from pages of their favourite book. The flowers were all purchased from a local flower farm and arranged by themselves.

Instead of a sit-down meal, the couple opted for a relaxed and diverse culinary experience by booking four local food trucks offering a variety of delights like toasties, mac and cheese, loaded fries, ice cream, pizzas, churros and crepes. “We were determined nobody was going to leave hungry!” Becky laughed.

The couple’s dedication queer joy, was evident throughout the day. “The beginning of our relationship coincided with Carly coming out to her friends and family,” Becky said. “We wanted the day to feel like a celebration not only of our love but also the love we have for our wonderfully supportive loved ones. Queer joy was always the biggest inspiration. There’s a pagan festival we go to twice a year that just has the most peaceful, inclusive atmosphere, so full of joy and laughter and everybody feeling free to be authentically themselves without judgement. We wanted to bottle that feeling for our wedding day and we really think we succeeded.”