Brides

Country Wedding

It was all hands on deck in the run-up to the wedding of Alice Braham, 32, and Edward Sunderland, 32, at her parent's house in Wales. 'Everyone said how happy Ed and I looked all day. It was because we were surrounded by all our family and friends who had made the wedding come together - we couldn't have done it without everyone helping out,' explains Alice.

From wedding flowers bought from wholesalers and arranged by a team of mums and aunts, to Alice designing the wedding stationary around her own painting of her parent's house, the DIY approach added to the relaxed feel of the celebrations. 'Not only did it save money doing everything ourselves, but it was a real labour of love,' says Alice.

A year working at Brides gave deputy magazine production editor Alice plenty of ideas for the laid-back, country-style reception that followed the ceremony at her local church. 'I wanted it to look like a village fete, so in the marquee we had trestle tables and lots of bunting, vintage birdcages, and wild flowers and blossoms from the surrounding fields.

'One of my favourite memories is sneaking out with Ed at 1am and going to bed in the gypsy caravan specially restored for our first night by a friend,' says Alice. 'We fell asleep talking about the wedding, listening to the music and everyone still having fun in the marquee.'