Molly and Jonny's Festival-Themed Tipi Wedding Extravaganza!

When Molly and Jonny’s photographer summed up their day as, “Imagine opening a shaken condensed jar of love, joy and happiness” we knew this was going to be fun! With a sunset vibe and festival feel, Molly and Jonny’s Festival-Themed Tipi Wedding was a day they and their guests won’t be forgetting for a long time!

Molly and Jonny's Festival Themed Wedding

How long did it take you to plan your wedding?

We planned it over 18 months, which we felt was just right for us. Giving ourselves that time meant we could get the suppliers we wanted. We loved all of our suppliers and choosing the right ones made the day for us.

What made you decide on a Tipi Wedding?

We saw them a lot on Social Media and have always liked the look of them. We knew before we got engaged we wanted a Tipi wedding with a festival theme. We had the wedding at a local cricket pitch which held some nostalgia as my Dad and Grandad had been groundsmen there in the past.

What did you both wear?

I had two outfits, one was a Made with Love dress which I got from a sample sale. It had a lace floral design which I fell in love with. At night I wore a Navy and Marabi dress which was a little sparkly number and felt fitting for the party at night.

Jonny wore a three piece cream suit from Next and treated himself to a pair of Hugo Boss shoes because of what he’d saved on the suit. The groomsmen wore the same jacket and tie, but had black trousers instead of cream.

The bridesmaids got given free reign with their dresses as long as they matched the colour scheme. They all looked so good, and they wore exactly what suited them. It also meant they had dresses they could wear again.

Tell us about your Ceremony?

We had a celebrant who is Jonny’s Dad’s cousin who came out of retirement especially for us. We had the ceremony at the Tipis and it was so special, because it felt really personal.

After the ceremony we had a drinks reception which was provided by Origin Bar, with Pimms and Prosecco. We also had a wandering band, which we did umm and ahh about, but when I came across Brigade Band we knew they’d be great and they really were. The guests loved them. We had them between 3pm and 7pm so the evening guests got to see them too.

How did you feed your guests?

We had Stanley Street who we found on your Sami’s friends page (which is amazing by the way). We got a lot of our suppliers off there. We wanted something light and fresh, so they put together a middle eastern mezze with sharing boards. For the evening we had Biddulph’s pizza, which was perfect. We didn’t want the party to stop for food, so pizza was the perfect option.

How would you describe your styling?

We went for a Sunset vibe so I used Pinterest a lot to get ideas based on the colours I wanted. I did a lot of the styling myself and then the day before my bridesmaid and her husband and my Mum and Dad helped put it all together. Just a few of us was enough and it was so much fun.

We also had a sweetheart table which we really enjoyed sitting at together. It was a really nice moment to be able to watch everyone enjoying themselves.

How did you entertain your guests?

The Rodeo Bull was great, we even got Beth (Sami Tipi Wedding manager) on there! At one point we had to play the Venga Boys to get everyone away from the Bull and onto the dance floor! We had a DJ for our evening party who was amazing.

What made you choose Sami Tipi?

Your reviews and website were a big draw initially. We’ve never done this before, so we wanted support in the journey and we absolutely got that at every step from you. Even the build team were amazing, they made us feel so looked after.

Did you set yourselves a budget?

We started at £25,000 but did end up spending £35,000. It’s easy to underestimate how much things can add up so I’d say bare that in mind when planning.

What are your Top Tips?

Future brides should consider sample dress sales, especially if you want a particular designer which might usually be out of budget. I got a dress by the designer I wanted at literally half the price by doing this.

Utilise Sami’s Friends page for your suppliers and visit the showcases so you actually get to meet them. We booked a couple of our suppliers at one of your showcases and it was great to put a face to the name.

Read the Sami Tipi blogs for styling inspiration. They’re so helpful for seeing what other couples have done and how you can put your own twist on things. Visiting the Showcases for layout inspiration was also a huge help.

Use social media to help source your suppliers and do your research. Read their reviews and see what work they’ve done. Your suppliers play such a vital part of your day, so it’s really important you choose someone who you enjoy working with.

Use On the Day Management – As we got closer to the day we realised that this was something we’d need to help keep the day flowing. Beth from Sami Tipi took so much pressure off us by being there, she was the best investment.

Don’t listen to what everyone else has to say, it’s your day so do what you want to do. Also don’t stress about the small things either, because on the day, you won’t care!

If you’ve got a playlist, remember to download it! We forgot and the exit song down the aisle didn’t play because there was no signal! No one noticed but it’s worth remembering if the music is important to you.

If you’re looking for a videographer, ask your photographer for a recommendation as they’ll have someone who they work with.