If you’ve been wondering how you can transform your family home into the ultimate wedding venue, then today’s real wedding couple Peter and Sarah have got lots of outdoor wedding inspiration for you! After Covid-19 caused them to toss out their original plans, the Ballymena couple got creative and brought their nearest and dearest (along with fur babies Dave the Whippet and Teddi the Pomeranian!) together for a back garden wedding ceremony and reception celebration at Sarah’s parents house. Looking at the gorgeous images by Crazy Happy Love, you would never know that this day came together after countless re-plans and Covid-19 adjustments. The result? A beautiful, relaxed day with a romantic colour palette, gorgeous bridal style and smiles for miles!

ALL the heart eyes for Sarah’s magical bouquet. Just look at those colours and textures!

Peter tells us that he first met Sarah while taking part in a charity walk, “We met at a charity snowdrop walk in memory of Christopher McKee (Peter’s childhood best friend and Sarah’s colleague’s nephew), who sadly passed away of meningitis many years ago. I was seated opposite Sarah and Nan (her colleague) in the church hall for a cup of tea and some sandwiches. We chatted for an hour or so and went our separate ways without exchanging any numbers!” Peter then found Sarah on Facebook and slid into her DMs, and, after some back and forth, secured her number and a first date! Love blossomed over the following months and they said ‘I do’ two and a half years later.

Peter popped the question in one of the most unique locations we’ve ever shared as part of our engagement stories! “Doing escape rooms is one of our favourite hobbies so when Peter suggested doing one in Portrush, it didn’t seem out of the ordinary,” Sarah says. “After having dinner for a friend’s 30th in Neptune & Prawn, we walked round to Elementary Escape Rooms where the host Jenny (who was in on the plan!) warmly welcomed us without giving anything away. I made my way through the escape room to find a very nervous Peter on one knee with an engagement ring!”

The couple tell us that their wedding exceeded their expectations. “You never believe when people said their wedding day was the best day of their lives but for us it genuinely was,” Peter says. “The weather was perfect, we were surrounded by close friends and family and it was so special getting married at the place where Sarah grew up.”

Peter and Sarah tell us that their guests, and the homely surroundings, made the day what it was. “The fact that, in spite of the pandemic and all the restrictions that came with it, that we were still able to have the most beautiful day with our closest friends and family in Sarah’s parents garden, which was decorated and set up by all of us, made it an incredibly special day for both of us.”

Sarah wowed in a V-neck Jesus Piero gown with bow detail, which she sourced at Castle Couture. To complete her wedding-day look, she added white sandals from Zara and a romantic pearl-embellished veil.

Covid-19 can’t stop true love!

We love that Peter and Sarah included their gorgeous fur babies, Dave the Whippet and Teddi the Pomeranian, in the day!

The chic navy bridesmaids dresses were clever ASOS finds. And how cool are the ladies’ hoop bouquet alternatives?!

After struggling with multiple postponements and planning redos, the couple tell us the most important part of the planning was the commitment they wanted to make to each other. “Obviously the pandemic meant we couldn’t have the day that we had originally planned, but as the date grew nearer and the pandemic was ongoing, it became clearer that the most important thing was not the wedding, but the commitment that we wanted to make to each other.”

With lots of help from family and friends, this couple had the most magical day.

The couple had originally planned to honeymoon in Kenya, including a four-day safari and a stop in Zanzibar for some R&R, but unfortunately, they have had to postpone until it is safe to travel again. Instead, they headed off on a minimoon to the Lake Hotel in Killarney after the wedding, and used their original honeymoon leave to do a two-week road trip around the UK. The pair tell us, “We’ll have had three honeymoons by the time it’s all over!”

Thanks so much to Peter and Sarah for sharing their gorgeous wedding at home with us, and to Crazy Happy Love Photography for providing the beautiful imagery! You’ll find even more images in the gallery below.