Part living room, part festival, all vibes. Bry and Jack’s brief was simply, make it feel like us. Not the Pinterest version of them, but the real, human, slightly chaotic version. The one that thrives at festivals, loves a weird inside joke, and would rather be sat barefoot in the woods with friends than standing on ceremony.

They spent two years building their day from that idea. “We made it up as we went,” Bry said. “We had the bare bones of a wedding blueprint and created something we knew we’d be comfortable with. We wanted to create the right feeling throughout the day and to be comfortable not overwhelmed, overstimulated or awkward. We drew a lot of inspiration from festivals we have been to (AKA our happy place) and there was Pagan elements sprinkled throughout. We were a bit tongue in cheek about a lot of things and didn’t take it all too seriously i.e. the Great Shit-ish Bake Off!”

The result was more like a micro-festival than a wedding. Guests drifted between zones: a woodland ceremony, a “common” for eating and drinking, and a back field turned festival arena. People camped, lounged, crafted and joined in when they felt like it. If they didn’t, that was fine too.

The ceremony itself was peak Bry and Jack. They built a living room in the woods, sofas and all. Guests sat on straw bales and rugs crocheted by Bry’s mum, drinks in hand, while Jack chatted with friends at the woodland bar. Bry arrived with her crew, tambourines shaking, flags flying, and a friend dressed as a pimp to I Put a Spell on You. They were smudged to Savage Daughter, promised each other “fun and quirky things,” did a handfasting, took a shot, and left to Black Sabbath.

“I was terrified of doing the aisle walk,” Bry said. “This way, it felt natural. I was just walking towards my husband in a living room. It also meant we spent the whole ceremony chilling on a sofa together so we could snuggle up and connect physically for comfort, and see all of our friends and family, and just feel like we were all hanging out together rather than being on show. The celebrant didn’t ask anyone to stand either to add to this effect, and everyone just naturally settled into the vibe.”

The rest of the day unfolded the same way, there were no expectations from anyone. There was a DIY photo booth, fake tattoos, crafts, and guests competed for a trophy for their cakes. Later came the space hopper races which were hilarious!

The soundtrack flipped from festival folk to The Foreign Locals (who showed up between their sets at Latitude Festival!) and ended around a firepit with marshmallows and laughter. Guests then camped out overnight in the fields, surrounded by bunting and thrifted décor.

Although there was a lot of DIY, Ella Bella Weddings and Events helped them pull it all together. “Our wedding planner was the best money we spent,” Bry said. “There wouldn’t have been a wedding without her. She took away the stress, found things we hadn’t even thought about, and saved us money. We could focus on the creative parts instead of logistics.”