A celebration of two halves, the first day saw a hand-fasting ceremony in their local village hall, which afforded the couple the freedom to flit between there and Sim's mum's house a few doors down the road.
Everything was lovingly crafted by hand, from the bunting and pom-poms to the nametags, jam jar centrepieces, tablecloths and colourful backdrop made of fabric and lace. "The signs were made from scrap wood and hand-painted," says Gitta. "And as favours we had homemade jam by Sim's mum in little decorated jars with ribbons around it. They looked so cute on the tables!" Wildflowers grown on Sim's mum's allotment and the wedding cake made by Sim's gran completed the picture.
The wedding dress, too, was a homespun project. Handmade by Gitta and Sim's mum, she accessorised the pretty design with red ribbon, sparkly red shoes and a bouquet of felt blooms crafted by her stepmother, while Sim looked dapper in a navy three-piece suit.
Their hand-fasting ceremony was a wholly personal affair. Presided over by Sim's father, Gitta and Sim rewrote a traditional ceremony, which included self-penned vows with the exchange of rings and the couple's mothers presenting a reading of their choice.
"All the music was compiled from our CD cupboard," explains Gitta. "We're both musicians, so we have quite an extensive collection. We had Ella Fitzgerald for the walk down the aisle, The Andrews Sisters and Nat King Cole during dinner, some Michael Jackson, The Beatles, The Beach Boys and all sorts of modern tunes for the evening, and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons for our first dance - a nice mix of old and new music."
Drinks at Sim's mum's house followed the ceremony and led on to dinner in the village hall. The couple and family prepared all the food themselves, which included roast lamb with an assortment of fresh salads and beetroot brownies served with berries compote and cream. The evening reception saw live music performed by friends and family, as well as a mini-set by Gitta.
The couple spent the night at Bickleigh Castle and, the next day, an official registry office ceremony was rounded off with a barbecue in the garden with family and friends.
"Though doing everything ourselves was a crazy mission, we had so much incredible help from everyone, I wouldn't change a thing!" comments Gitta. "I say just have fun with it, be creative and prioritise what you find most important on the day. A bit of DIY makes it so much more personal I think."
Photography My Fabulous Life www.myfabulouslife.co.uk
Venue Uffculme Village Hall
Groom's outfit House of Fraser www.houseoffraser.co.uk
Copyright Wed magazine 2014
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