When Garry Bowles and Emily Boon decided to tie the knot after a decade together they only had one venue in mind to celebrate their nuptials with family and friends.

It wasn’t a favourite pub or restaurant, a posh hotel, a village hall, a golf or leisure club or even a foreign destination.

The Swindon couple chose a field in a remote corner of Wiltshire – home of the annual World Of Music Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival.

After a short service at Swindon Register Office the couple swiftly changed out of their wedding clothes, packed their tent and headed for Charlton Park near Malmesbury, a 25-minute drive away.

There, in a marquee Garry had erected the day before, they entertained wedding guests with food, cake and champagne before joining a trail of festival-goers on the half-a-mile trek to the arena.

For the next four nights they were among around 30,000 people grooving in the grounds of the Earl of Suffolk’s hereditary home to some of the greatest stars in world music.

The couple’s wedding night was spent under canvas in a tent pitched next to their marquee at the foot of a picturesque valley which the festival organisers had cordoned off for them for the entire event.

Guests were even given an unusual instruction on their invitation cards – bring your wellies it case it rains! As it turned out, the sun shone for virtually the whole festival and no-one had to squelch around in the mud. It was the first official wedding reception held during WOMAD’s 29-year history. The festival even appointed a wedding liaison officer to ensure the couple’s big day went smoothly.

Back in Swindon yesterday after an unforgettable weekend, Emily, 34, who runs the Baguette Bar in Prospect Place, Old Town, Swindon, said: “It was just fantastic. We had a brilliant time. “The organisers of the WOMAD Festival went to great lengths to make it all happen for us. As soon as we told them what we hoped to do they were behind us.

“When we arrived at our marquee they had even left some bouquets for us. I can’t thank them enough. They were really brilliant.”

Garry, 53, an electrician, said: “It was an amazing weekend. We always meet a few friends at WOMAD, but to have so many of them, along with members of our family around us to celebrate our wedding was really special.”

The couple, who live in Marlborough Road, Swindon, have been together for around ten years.

Said Emily: “We went to WOMAD when we first got together and have been going there ever since.

“When we were talking about holding a reception we were both totally in agreement – we wanted it at WOMAD, where we’ve always had such a good time.”

Garry said: “We’ve been to a lot of festivals but WOMAD is special. It’s always the big one for us.”

He went on: “There were a few raised eyebrows among a some members of the family when we first mentioned having our reception there. But they all came round to the idea.

“Most of them camped in an area of the festival site that the organisers had given us, although some got other accommodation nearby.” The couple were married at 1pm at Swindon Register Office in Euclid Street on Thursday, July 28. After the photos, guests were given the chance to climb out of their formal clothes, drive to the festival site, and put up their tents before attending the reception at 4pm.

Later most of them went to the arena to watch the artists perform at the festival, which is the largest event of its kind in Wiltshire, and has now been held at Charlton Park on five occasions after many years at Reading. The organisers also helped Garry and Emily sort out tickets so that all the guests could get onto the site. Garry added: “We’d just like to say a big thank you WOMAD for everything they did. They helped make it truly special for us.”

Paula Henderson, artist booker at WOMAD, said: “The wedding was a first for WOMAD in the UK and we were delighted that all went well for the couple and they had a lovely day and also stayed to enjoy the festival weekend.”