Spring Tipi Wedding at Fillongley Hall in Four Giant Hat Tipis

Forget traditions. Sophie and Ryan’s spring wedding at Fillongley Hall was all about breaking the mold and doing things their way. Set against the stunning backdrop of Fillongley’s lush gardens, their Tipi reception wasn’t just a nod to the beauty of the season—it was a masterclass in how to blend laid-back vibes with personal flair. From pizza vans to ice cream trucks, this was a celebration that threw the rulebook out the window and made sure every moment was unforgettable, not just for the couple, but for everyone lucky enough to be there.

What made you decide on a Spring Tipi wedding?

We decided on an outdoor wedding after seeing the grounds of Fillongley Hall. They are just beautiful and we wanted to make the most of them. We wanted our wedding to be relaxed, fun, entertaining and a day to remember for us and our guests. Having our reception in the Tipi was one of the ways we did that.

What did you both wear?

I wore a wedding dress from Eddy K, with a white lace overlay and a pink under toned underskirt. I wanted a traditional dress but something with a twist. My Nan’s advice actually inspired my choice of dress, ‘your dress needs to look nice from behind because people will be staring at your back for most of the day’!

Ryan wore a blue tweed suit from Marc Darcy, which co-ordinated with what the groomsmen would be wearing.

What about the rest of the bridal party?

The bridesmaids wore sage green chiffon dresses, all in different styles. I wanted them to be able to show their personalities in their choices and the same with their hair and make up. The flower girls wore dusky blue dresses, again all in different styles, apart from the twins as they hate to dress different to each other. The groomsmen and best men wore a mixture of light and dark blue suits.

How would you describe your ceremony?

We had a celebrant-led ceremony from Claire, who I would absolutely recommend! She made the whole process just so seamless and easy. We had our legal wedding the year before, so this ceremony was more tailored to us as a couple. It was amazing to see Claire’s hard work come together on the day. She reduced everyone to tears in one part and then made them laugh the next. The pictures from this were truly incredible. We were able to include our families and friends in the ceremony too, which was really special. One of my oldest friends was our ring bearer and my sister in law did a reading. It really made the day for me! I will treasure the script forever. Fillongley Hall made the most amazing setting for our ceremony. We wanted a bit more of a traditional setting but still with our spin on things.

How did you feed your guests?

After the ceremony we had a drinks reception outside with outdoor games, a bouncy castle and an unlimited pizza buffet from Ollie’s Pizza Van at Oreganos Kitchen. We’re not really a canapés style couple, we’d much rather have a pizza and a coke, so this was perfect for us. Later our local ice cream man, who my family have known for over 25 years, came to do desserts which we absolutely loved. Ice cream is mine and Ryan’s favourite dessert, so it was only right.

In the evening we had an Indian street food van, which was very relaxed. We didn’t want a sit down meal, so people could just wonder up to the van as they got hungry.

How would you describe your styling?

I would say kind of like rustic glam. I run my own event styling company, so actually did the styling myself. It was amazing to see it all come together just the way I imagined it! Doing this did make it hard to manage my time in the lead up to the wedding, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Our ceremony styling was slightly more elegant and traditional, think Bridgerton-esque. Our Tipi was more rustic with a few glam touches. I wanted it to be more relaxed and more of a party than a wedding. I think doing the two slightly different themes was an amazing way to show our personalities.

How did you entertain your guests?

We had James to play the piano in our ceremony and it still makes me emotional watching the videos. James carried on playing through the drinks reception and was then accompanied by Lizzie on the violin. She made such a wonderful addition.

Into the evening we had Christina and Harry, who are an acoustic duo. I grew up watching Christina’s pop punk covers on YouTube, so I was delighted when I found out she did weddings! They sang and played while guests entered the Tipi for the reception. They also sang our first dance which was utterly magical! I can’t recommend them enough. They then played a second set as the evening guests arrived. At this point we had a bit of a break, which is where my Spotify wedding playlist kicked in. For the evening we had a DJ. We had a lot of children at the wedding so I wanted to make sure they enjoyed it too. We had garden games, a bouncy castle (which the adults thoroughly enjoyed) and then used our Mini Hat Tipi as a cover for games and toys for the little ones.