Em and George wanted their wedding to feel lived in, bathed in the Autumn light with lots of antique details. They found their perfect setting at Ashridge Great Barn in Devon, a rustic spot that already matched their aesthetic. “One of the reasons we fell in love with the venue was because they had the same stoneware jugs that we had already started thrifting from car boot sales,” said Em.

They built the day around togetherness. “We were very keen to avoid the stories we had heard about couples not seeing each other on the day,” Em continued. They planned private moments throughout, including a sweetheart table just for the two of them. Em wore gold, skipped the “something old, new, borrowed, blue” tradition, and walked down the aisle with both parents. “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want both parents to give you away!” she said.

The ceremony moved indoors after a weather gamble, but the setup stayed true to their vision. Pampas grass, stoneware jugs, milk churns, and dried flowers framed the aisle. Florence and the Machine’s Dog Days Are Over played as Em and her bridesmaids entered. “I could not stop wiggling and dancing once I got to George,” she laughed. “I was told so many times after the ceremony by our guests that they’ve never seen two people so excited to get married.” Afterward, they slipped away to the Victorian garden known as the Magic Circle to exchange their personal vows in private.

The reception was packed with handmade details. The bride’s favourite DIY project was a vintage mirror she illustrated with a family portrait and etched by hand. Her mum made bunting from thrifted fabrics, including one abandoned bridesmaid dress. They also created fabric banners featuring their German Shepherd, Winnie, who couldn’t attend. Tables were long and communal, named after Game of Thrones dragons, each represented by a metallic vinyl decal Em made and stuck to vintage books. Guests drank signature cocktails designed by their bridesmaid Jess, named after a Dungeons & Dragons character.

Em loved the crafting process from start to finish. “I had the perfect excuse to try any and all crafting projects that I wanted,” she said. “I did lino cut and printing for the invites, painting, etching, Cricut vinyl work, sewing, flower arranging, flower drying (our shed looked beautiful all summer), even building our cake stands from wood rounds and dowels.”

As the sun dropped, they slipped away again to the Magic Circle garden to have some moments together. “It was peaceful, and a minute to reflect on everything from the day before we went back down to party,” said Em. “We sat on a bench at the top of the hill overlooking the stunning countryside and took a breath together.”

Looking back, Em says the hardest part of wedding planning was finding a colourful dress to try in person. “I would have loved more options in the South West to be able to try on non-traditional dresses in person. The lack of size options for samples and the staff not making me feel confident in the dresses I did try made it harder than it needed to be.” In the end, she bought her gold Teuta Matoshi online.

Her advice for anyone else planning their wedding is to stick to your guns. “It’s very easy to get pushed in different directions by anyone and everyone, even with the best of intentions”, she concluded. “Finding vendors that fully encouraged our vision was such a huge help. We’d highly recommend finding a venue that isn’t just a location you love, but also a team you vibe with – and look for the same in your caterers, photographer, everyone that you’ll be spending your special day with.”