Meeting on a night out in their hometown in 2014, an evening enjoying fish and chips overlooking Saunton Beach a few years later led to Doug proposing to Ellie. Choosing to wed in their beautiful local area, the couple decided on a ceremony at their village church, where Ellie’s grandparents and parents had also got married, before a tipi reception at The Venue at Coxleigh.
“We knew we wanted it to be colourful and a festival-style party,” says Ellie, who reveals their DIY approach led to their family and friends pitching in. “My dad made blackberry vodka for favours, my sister did my make-up and the flowers in the church were put together by my gran and auntie. The flowers for the reception were all grown in Doug’s mum's garden and displayed in rum bottles,” she says.
The couple also made signs and log circles, which they decorated with candle holders and décor from charity shops for the tables, while Facebook led them to two peacock chairs and a bureau which they turned into a glitter bar.
After a relaxed morning of preparations, the couple’s early afternoon ceremony proved to be a highlight. “Seeing each other for the first time in the church was my favourite moment,” says Ellie, who wore a gorgeous boho-chic dress and carried a bouquet of colourful flowers. After the vows had been exchanged, Doug drove his new wife to the venue in his brother’s Jaguar F-Type.
Their festival-style reception was a fiesta of colour and homemade décor. “We made a hanging flower hoop for the ceiling and lots of multi-coloured tassel bunting, which was all over the venue,” says Ellie, who also made a macramé archway and table runners, while Doug made the wooden archway.
Welcome drinks were served in the sun, with guests able to enjoy the great outdoors before a feast of pizzas, salads and desserts. “We had a vintage double-decker bus for the bar where guests could sit on the open top in the sun,” says Doug. Speeches followed, then Dew Barf played from a little hat tipi. “Guests loved dancing to them and even the older generation could enjoy it from inside the main tipi,” he says.
As the evening guests arrived, everyone made a visit to the glitter bar before the couple’s first dance to Ben Howard’s Move Like You Want. “The Garden Club played for a couple of hours and nearly all our guests were on the dance floor,” says Doug. After a magical night of dancing and toasting marshmallows around the firepit, many guests slept in bell tents to continue the celebrations the next day with a barbecue.
Ellie has some sage advice for those planning a similarly DIY affair. “Setting up takes much longer than you imagine so leave plenty of time, and get it all done in the days before, so you can relax,” she says. “Try not to let it stress you out too much – as long as your family and friends are there on the day, it will be perfect.”
Photography Indigo Perspective indigoperspective.com
Venue The Venue at Coxleigh thevenueatcoxleigh.com
Tipis World Inspired Tents worldinspiredtents.co.uk
Dress Evolved Bridal evolvedbridal.co.uk
Suits Marc Darcy marcdarcy.co.uk
Hair Adore Wedding Hair instagram.com/adore.weddinghair
Bouquets, buttonholes, flower crowns & milk churns Fuss Pots fusspots.co.uk
Catering Exe Valley Pizza Co. exevalleypizza.co
LJ’s Pantry ljspantry.co.uk
Cake The Burridge Family Bakes instagram.com/theburridgefamilybakes
Macramé archway & table runners Devon Coast Creations devoncoastcreations.co.uk
Bus bar The Vintage 21 instagram.com/thevintage_21
Videography Sunday Love Photo & Film sundaylove.co.uk
Entertainment Dew Barf facebook.com/dewbarf
The Garden Club instagram.com/gardenclubrock
