Love takes centre stage as couple celebrate wedding at Minety Music Festival this weekend

Festival-goers at this year's Minety Music Festival will witness something a little different alongside the live music, as one couple celebrate their wedding on the festival's main stage.

Stuart Earl and his wife Nikki will exchange vows in front of family, friends and fellow festival-goers during a special ceremony on Saturday 4 July, turning one of Wiltshire's best-loved music festivals into the setting for an unforgettable celebration.

Although the couple legally married on 13 June this year, the festival ceremony is the celebration they had always dreamed of sharing with the people who have become part of their extended festival family.

The couple first met through an online dating website, despite living less than three miles apart.

"Our first date was at a local pub for a coffee," said Stuart. "We ended up talking for three hours, although it felt more like five minutes. It was the fastest three hours of both our lives."

This year's festival marks the couple's fourth visit to Minety, where they have become increasingly involved, helping build the festival during set-up week before enjoying the weekend itself.

"Every year we've become more involved," Stuart said. "We love helping build the festival, then spending the evenings around the campfire with friends before everything begins. It's become a huge part of our lives."

One of Stuart's favourite festival memories was watching Queen tribute act The Flash, although he says the friendships formed behind the scenes are just as special as the music itself.

His proposal to Nikki was equally memorable. During the Christmas lights trail at Stourhead, Stuart surprised her with a glazed plate from her favourite pottery company bearing four simple words: Will you marry me?

After Nikki said yes, the couple celebrated with a glass of fizz before beginning to plan their future together.

Choosing Minety Music Festival as the location for their celebration was an easy decision.

"It made so much sense," said Stuart. "Most of our closest friends are already at the festival. It's so rare to get so many different groups of people together on the same weekend, so it felt like the perfect place to celebrate."

Following the ceremony on the main stage, guests will gather in the festival's build crew campsite for a relaxed banquet of meats, cheeses, tarts, cakes and, naturally, plenty of fizz before heading back to enjoy the weekend's live music.

"We'd especially like to thank the festival directors for making it possible," said Stuart. "Their support and generosity have meant the world to us, and celebrating our wedding at Minety is something we'll treasure forever."

For Stuart and Nikki, the wedding is about more than saying "I do". It's a celebration of the friendships, memories and community they have found through Minety Music Festival.