Celestial Festival Style Wedding At The Old Bell Hotel, Malmesbury
celestial festival ceremony backdrop
All images by Jade Maguire Photography
If ‘Celestial Festival’ isn’t the best theme ever for an intimate countryside wedding, then I don’t know what is?!
Newlyweds, Layla and Simon, met each other at a friend’s leaving do back in 2014.
‘‘I became close friends with a guy at work and as the months went on, I remember him mentioning his friend/roommate at the time quite a lot and kept thinking to myself, why do you keep selling this guy to me – what’s wrong with him?!
‘I remember noticing this guy sitting in the corner with a pint and long scruffy hair, to say the least, was immediately drawn to him.’’
The rest is, of course, history.
7 years on Layla and Simon have amassed a home, a fur baby named Wilson, and a lifelong commitment to one another.
personalised confetti
The proposal story.
In 2019 the couple took a roadtrip to Cornwall. Layla was disappointed at first by Simon’s apparent lack of tasty ‘snack’ preparation but all was forgiven when they paid a visit to Kynance Cove which Layla recalls as the most beautiful place she’s ever laid eyes on.
‘‘ We walked up and up along a grassy path that led to the most picturesque scene, waves crashing against the rocks, the sun reflecting of the clear water and the cool breeze blowing through our woolly pom-pom hats. You can guess what was to follow, Simon got down on one knee and pulled the most beautiful wooden box from his secret little coat pocket, I couldn’t see the ring through my tears and leapt in for the biggest hug I had ever gave to anyone.
I of course said yes, it was one of the happiest days of our lives.’
A few hours after our engagement, I had figured the reason why Simon wouldn’t share his snacks with me … he had only gone and hid the ring padded between his socks and pants for safekeeping! ‘‘
a bride and groom just married at The Bell Hotel, Malmesbury
The wedding planning process and budget.
Layla and Simon were engaged for 1.5 years and around 1 year of that was spent planning their intimate wedding for which they’d set aside a budget of £14,000.
They both knew that they wanted their wedding to be chilled but filled with lots of colour, fun, and love! Oh, and sunflowers because they are Layla’s mum’s favourite flower! Fortunately, that tied in perfectly with their ‘Celestial Festival’ theme which was easy to achieve in their stunning choice of venue, The Old Bell Hotel, Malmesbury.
sunflower ceremonial flowers
Saying ‘no’ to wedding traditions.
The modern couple decided to say ‘no’ to most of the usual wedding traditions.
‘‘ My mum and dad had walked me down the aisle, they both mean so much to me, so it just made sense for them both to do it! ‘‘
Instead of speeches, Simon made a wedding video to play for the guests after dinner. It was filled with baby pictures, old friends, new friends, family, pets, and so much love. Simon also surprised Layla with a cameo of Kevin from the US Office wishing them a happy wedding day!
Modern wedding cake alternative.
Layla and Simon opted for a donut stack instead of the traditional tiered cake. They ordered a mix of flavours, stacked them all up and then decorated them with flowers to match the rest of their festi-florals! They even had a cake topper to finish the look!
donut stack wedding cake alternative
Dog-friendly wedding.
Truth be told, not enough couples invite their pets to the wedding partially because not all venues are pet-friendly. However, where there’s a will, there’s a way and Layla and Simon made sure their pet dog ‘Wilson’ was present after the ceremony so that he could join in on all the action as he is an important part of their family.
a bride and groom chasing after their dog on their wedding day
The importance of being yourselves on your wedding day.
Both Layla and Simon are strong believers in being yourself on your wedding day.
Self-proclaimed, ‘not a suit-wearing kind of guy’, Simon wore head to toe ASOS, paired with some Vans.
Gorgeous Layla wore a gown from Sophia Tolli and paired it with Charlotte Mills pom-pom shoes, topped off with an Etsy veil and a Crown & Glory headband.
‘‘ 5 mins before the ceremony I realised I wasn’t a high heel kind of girl – I took the shoes off and spent the rest of the day barefoot, it was one of the best decisions I had ever made.
Comfort is just everything! ‘‘
Quite possibly the wisest words ever, ESPECIALLY on your wedding day!
Charlotte Mills bridal shoes
Highlights from the experience.
‘‘ I can hand on heart say there were no downs to our wedding, it was just perfect.
Having my mum stay in my room the night before the wedding, reminiscing on all the good times and sharing our excitement for the big day, she is so important to me! \
Quality time in the morning with my best friend Libbi (Bebe) and my mum, listening to Motown, drinking prosecco, and just basking in each other’s wonderfulness.
Having my bridesmaids, sister, sister-in-law’s and close friends help me get ready creating an overall amazing atmosphere before the ceremony took place.
Seeing the ceremony room decorated for the first time, Hayley from Starry Eyed Wedding’s absolutely smashed it out of the park with her amazing team. The colours, the flowers, the celestial vibes, lanterns, candles, and magical paper stars and happy moons of dreams – it was better than what I had ever imagined.
Seeing Simon standing at the end of the aisle, looking so handsome and so happy – I never thought I would ever experience love as I have found with him.
Watching old and new friends become friends, my family getting to know Simon’s family and being right in the middle of the most wonderful atmosphere I have ever experienced. It was truly such a magical day.
Dancing to Blink-182 with all my favourite people around me – Simon jumping into the middle of the dancefloor to join me was one of the biggest highlights, when I say he doesn’t ever dance, I mean it so, to have him voluntarily come up was just perfection! ‘‘
a gorgeous bride with her colourful bridesmaids
Advice for newly engaged couples who are planning their modern wedding.
‘‘ Don’t stress about the small stuff, everything will fall into place.
We spend so much time planning this day and before you know it becomes a memory.
Have fun, laugh, smile, EAT YOUR WEDDING FOOD, play games, hug with all your heart, and don’t forget to take a step back for a brief moment to soak in the memory of all your favourite people in one room celebrating your love, it’s true what everyone says, it’s one of the best days of your life, enjoy every singe moment. ‘‘
a newlywed couple walking through a burst of colourful confetti
colourful confetti scattered on the bride’s train
a bride and groom and their wedding party waving pastel coloured smoke bombs
Awesome wedding suppliers.
See the full list of suppliers who helped Layla and Simon have the wedding day that they both dreamed of and check out more beautiful images from their perfect wedding day in the gallery below!
Venue – The Old Bell Hotel, Malmesbury
Venue Stylist – Starry Eyed Weddings
Photographer – Jade Maguire
Band – Radio King
DJ – Chris Sansom-Ninnes
Dress – Sophia Tolli
Veil – Etsy
Headband – Crown & Glory
Shoes – Charlotte Mills
Wedding cake – Krispy Crème
Groom Attire – ASOS & Vans
