When Laura and Tom decided on a Tipi Wedding at Rutland Water, their top priority was to have THEIR wedding, THEIR way!!

Laura and Tom celebrated their Wedding at Half Moon Farm at Rutland Water in Three Giant Hat Tipis. They knew by having a Tipi Wedding it would give them the blank canvas to create exactly what they wanted, with lots of DIY styling and personal touches, they really put their own stamp on their day, and WOW was it amazing!

Planning an August wedding with the expectation of sunshine, didn’t quite go to plan, when the heavens decided to open, but this didn’t stop them, and their Plan B, became the Plan A they hadn’t even dreamed of!

What made you decide on a Tipi wedding?

From the start of the planning process, we were both set on running the day ‘our way’. Our top priority was to have all our closest friends and family, great food and drink, and a really good party! We wanted the day on our terms and not dictated by a typical venue’s timings or requirements. 

Having a Tipi wedding allowed us to really make the day our own from the ceremony, the décor, the food, and the overall relaxed vibe we wanted from the day. It also meant we could make the most of the amazing venue we found, Half Moon Farm on Rutland Water. 

What did everyone wear?

Again in keeping with our more relaxed feel, our attire followed suit. Having worked in fashion my whole career I was very clear on what I wanted – which turned out harder to find than first thought! I wore a satin dress from an Australian brand, Grace Loves Lace. A simple contemporary shape in the most amazing fabric!

Tom and his brother (best man) wore a navy linen suit, no tie and trainers, staying true to the casual feel.

My beautiful bridesmaids wore satin dresses from Pretty Lavish in sage green. I really wanted the girls to wear something they were comfortable and confident in. We had an amazing weekend getting together, ordered A LOT of different dresses, trying them all on and drinking Prosecco. And it worked out perfectly, them all loving the same brand of dress! 

How would you describe your ceremony?

We had the most incredible celebrant in Jodie the Boho Celebrant. She spent the time to really get to know us and our story, and turned it into the most relaxed, yet sentimental ceremony.

We wrote our own vows, which again just added that personal touch, and was actually a lot easier to do than first thought! We had originally planned to have the ceremony outside – but the weather was not on our side. So instead, we had it inside the Tipi – which now on reflection I wouldn’t change if we were to do it again.

Guests all gathered with a drink, making it feel more cosy and less formal and daunting. To top off the ceremony we had two pints waiting for us at the end of the aisle! Starting the day as we meant to go on! 

How did you feed your guests?

I am a big crisp lover so there was no way we were going to do the wedding without them! Rather than canapés we did a crisp and dip station, with a selection of different crisps and dips for everyone to pick their favourites. We were very adamant we didn’t want a classic 3 course sit down meal and wanted something a little different and a little more interactive.

We initially toyed with the idea of food trucks, but after some thought we landed on tapas. Our favourite type of dinner is a ‘picky tea’ so why can’t we have that for our wedding. We sent the menu of Tom’s favourite tapas restaurant in London to our incredible caterers and they worked their magic recreating our favourite dishes. The food all came out in true tapas style, with different dishes being served to tables for everyone to share as they were ready. We then ended with a sharing platter of different mini desserts, that people could graze on into the evening (didn’t want everyone so full they weren’t ready for the partying and cocktails to follow!)

The evening food we had the most amazing pizza’s (the food that won us over when we first met Jon and his team) and a selection of cheese and biscuits to graze on. We had so many amazing comments from guests on how much they loved the food and how nice it was to do something a little different. 

How would you describe your styling? 

We wanted to keep the décor fairly minimal, and really let the tipis speak for themselves. Nothing beats the glow of the fairy lights.

All décor and stationery were designed by myself or handmade, a lot of hours went into making 100m of bunting to hang inside the tipis but was so worth it when it all came together! Colour palettes were kept quite minimal for the décor – I really wanted the flowers to be the star of the show and showcase the lovely seasonal bright colours! 

How did you entertain your guests?

During the ceremony and reception, we had an acoustic guitarist playing. And then we had a few different games/activities for everyone including space hoppers, pass the pigs and a beer pong table (there were a fair few competitive games of beer pong throughout the night!).

The speeches themselves provided A LOT of entertainment, with so many of us in stitches. Speeches were topped off with a toffee vodka shot (a nod back to the night Tom and I met, in a bar on the slopes of the French Alps)

For the evening we had the band Hatchland – who did an amazing job of getting everyone up on the dancefloor, I don’t think it was ever empty the whole of the night. 

What are your Top Tips for planning a Tipi wedding?

Plan for all weathers! We booked our wedding in August thinking it would be boiling hot! Oh were we so very wrong! It rained pretty much the entire day! So the couple of days leading up we were buying blankets, umbrellas and ponchos to ensure guests were warm and dry. However, my advice would be DO NOT let the thought of a bad day put you off a tipi wedding. We barely noticed the rain, and I don’t think the day would have been the same without it. We have the most hilarious pictures of everyone sat having dinner in their ponchos and coats. 

Hire Beth of Sami Tipi to coordinate your day! Beth did an absolutely amazing job coordinating, both leading up to the day and on the day. She spoke to all our suppliers prior to ensure they had everything they needed. And on the day when the weather wasn’t on our side, she did a fabulous job of rearranging the ceremony inside the tipi. Any hiccup Beth was there to help sort! It meant we didn’t have to worry about a thing on the day, as we had complete trust in Beth. And best of all she put up with our endless questions!

Visit the open days – it was a good chance to understand the space and how we wanted our Tipis laid out. And also, a good opportunity to meet suppliers (this is where we met our caterers). 

Make it your own – the Tipi is a blank canvas and really gives you the chance to make the day a reflection of you as a couple. Don’t get too caught up in what everyone else has done before. It is the personal touches that your guests will remember! 

Suppliers You Used, Loved and would trust to recommend

We can literally recommend everyone! 

Photography | Gina Fernandes Photography
Venue | Half Moon Farm
Wedding Day Manager | Beth of Sami Tipi 
Videography | Pristine Videography 
Flowers | The Bloom Project 
Celebrant | Jodie The Boho Celebrant 
Catering | Anthony’s Catering
Drinks | Little Box Co.
Hair and Makeup | Hayley Marie
Band | Hatchland
Guitarist | Benji Williams 

Further inspiration