Our friends call us Kubb (Kelly and Richard Tubb) and we wanted a festival for our our wedding celebration. That is how Kubbfest was born! And, oh what a festival it was! Three days on eco farm ‘The sychpwll centre’ in the middle of Wales (my home), perfect! Sychpwll means dry pool, as one of the river beds surrounding the farm has dried up. It signals the border between England and Wales, rather fitting as I am Welsh and Richard is English .
We literally started with a blank canvas and with the help of our family and friends, our ideas came together! No wedding planner!
When we first visited the farm, we fell in love with the grounds. My first idea was a silent disco in the forest area, to follow the noise curfew! It turned out to be epic!
My mum’s friend Nida is Thai and as I used to be a Veterinary surgeon out there, I love Thai food so much!!! Nida cooks the best food so when she offered to cook for the wedding we jumped at the chance! She had her own kitchen and tent. Her menu included her spring rolls, sweet potato parcels, fish cakes, prawn crackers and chicken satay!
She even stayed in to supper time, with a spread of roasted meats, fresh bread, couscous, feta, olives, coleslaw and salads.
Then came the awesome idea of a ‘Kubbfest’ sign came about, which ended up being the centre of hilarious photos and even got it’s letters changed around on the last night… see later pictures!
In the week up to the August bank holiday Kubbfest wedding celebration the whole family worked so hard. We had hay delivered from a local farmer and we ripped up pastel bed sheets to cover them. We decorated the wedding arch with ribbons and bright artificial flowers.
Once the tent was up and the rustic tables and chairs were delivered we decorated with greenery, wild flowers and flowers from my mums garden. We used old beer and wine bottles for vases and water and jars with tea lights. I added favours of ‘seeds for bees’ and love heart sweets.
We painted colourful signs to point out what was what to people.
For welcome drinks there was a bar outside the wildlife corridor….. the wildlife corridor, now that was amazing! It’s about a 100metre section of the farm where the trees have been trained to grow forming an arch. This is where I wanted everyone to walk through before ending up at the ceremony spot to take their hay bale seat. We decorated it with festoon lights and pictures of myself and Richard growing up.
The other bar area was in the corner of the tent and run by two of ‘The sychpwll centre’ workers who turned out adding so much to our day. We didn’t realise Steven had filmed lots of interviews with people during the Saturday and they made my face ache… so funny!
Up went the bell tents people had booked or keen campers brought their own and it was all ready!
Friday we had a BBQ with marshmallows and sparklers on our fire pits. The eukelele came out!!
Saturday morning my fabulous makeup artist arrived at 7am and cracked on with my mum and the bridesmaids then me! We had mimosas for breakfast! We got ready in our hobbit house, an epic structure built from hay!
I had 4 bridesmaids who each had there own pastel colour floral dress, flower crown and converse trainers. I also had 3 flower girls and Stanley my nephew as Paige boy, who gave out confetti in his wheelbarrow!
Then everyone had their walk down the wildlife corridor and took their seats.
My wedding dress was 1970s vintage. We added pastel flowers in sections. I also had a flower crown and went barefoot. My bouquet was a gorgeous wildflower one made by a friend!
After a lovely ceremony read by my hilarious Aussie pal, the party started! After Thai food we had festival style food vans serving fish and chips and yummy meats and pizzas.
The first band ‘The Lost’ kicked off, a duo with a guitar and violin.
‘Wish upon a sparkle‘ had also arrived to glitter everyone up! I went first and as I didn’t want to spoil my makeup, I went for an understated white/silver/orange combo to match my dress. My cousin DJ Cossie went for a glitterbeard !
The second music act was ‘Tom Mathias’ playing acoustic. He has a fab voice!
My sister made 6 cakes! Chocolate, Victoria sponge, coconut and carrot! And my Aunty and uncle made the cheeses!
The open bar was in full swing. A friend has made 40 bottles of his own fruit wine for us and we had a Kubbfest label made!
After the most hilarious speeches from 3 bestmen we did our first dance to ‘Blossoms’ and texia.
The last band were epic… ‘The kickout‘. Everyone danced! Then, our firework display… no words!
After a dj off between me and Tubb then a set from dj Cossie, it was time for everyone to head off in to the forest for a silent disco. This was hilarious, everyone listening and dancing to different songs in a decorated, fairy light and disco ball forest!
Sunday arrived all too quickly but we still managed BBQ breakfast of bacon and sausage, a game of football old vs. Young, swimming and kayaking on the river, a tropical house party in the tent, cheese and wine, pizzas and another silent disco!
Thank you thank you thank you to all our wonderful friends and family! We hope you enjoyed it as much as us and we need to make Kubbfest an annual festival!
Kelly x
Holeinmy_pocket
Venue- the sychpwll centre
Tables&chairs- poppy trading company
Tent- stretch event
Silent disco- silent events
Food vans- Hip hop chip shop
Makeup artist- Mandy Rigby
The Vogue Vet 
