When Sophie and James decided to get married, they knew they didn’t want to be restricted to a venue and have to use their suppliers.

By choosing to have a Countryside Tipi Wedding at our riverside venue, Cuttle Brook, they got the suppliers they wanted and had a day to match their personalities. Even the rain making an appearance didn’t stop them having their best day ever!

What made you decide on an outdoor wedding?

We both love the outdoors and wanted to showcase the beautiful East Midlands, as well as the freedoms associated with a Sami Tipi wedding. Being on the banks of the Trent was perfect and fit well with our Nottingham roots. We also didn’t want to be tied to strict venue suppliers and rules and the Tipi option gives us that flexibility.

What did you both wear, what about the rest of the bridal party?

The bride wore a Stephanie Allin dress from Frances Day Bridal (who were amazing!). The bridesmaids wore emerald green dresses.

The groom and his groom party wore a navy 3 piece suit, with brown brogues, a peach necktie and a buttonhole of a Dahlia and an Alchemilla.

How would you describe your ceremony?

We had two! A church ceremony at St. Giles in West Bridgford, where we referenced our love of Tolkien with Sophie walking down the aisle to the Return of the King soundtrack, and a second Humanist ceremony at the Tipi, which was originally supposed to be outdoors but we moved inside due to the weather, this was far more informal with guests already enjoying the Pimms and Prosecco.

How did you feed your guests?

We chose Black Peppermint for our caterers. During our drinks reception, we had canapés, Middle Eastern sharing boards as starters and a BBQ for main, including brisket, chicken, veggie options and a few salads.

Sophie’s mum and sisters made our wedding cake. In the evening we had loaded mac and cheese.

How would you describe your theme/styling?

Relaxed, flowers in jam jars, but nothing flashy, perhaps somewhere between boho and rustic. Plenty of bright summery colours but honouring the outdoor, countryside setting.

How did you entertain your guests?

We had an acoustic guitarist, David Williams playing during the drinks reception, and a 3 piece DJ live band in the evening called the Distractions.

What are your Top Tips for planning a Tipi wedding?

Do what’s right for you, there are so many ways you could go about it, but ultimately it’s your day. But prioritise what you want.

Plan and do little bits often. Get the big parts in place first then worry about the smaller details later.

Don’t worry about the weather, our wedding day (the first Saturday in August) was practically a washout but it didn’t distract from the day at all, if anything it ensured people stayed partying on the dancefloor all night, and gave us some beautiful photo opportunities.