Emily Atack is preparing to celebrate her marriage to Dr Alistair Garner with a second wedding in the Spanish hilltop town of Mojácar on Saturday, 12 September, with around 200 guests expected to attend.
The Rivals actress, who plays Sarah Stratton in the Disney+ drama, was seen overseeing the final preparations at the venue on Friday, including deliveries of Cava, beer, wine and spirits for the celebrations.
Atack and Garner formally married in an intimate ceremony in Bedfordshire on 22 August, surrounded by close family and friends. The Mojácar event will serve as the larger party the actress had previously described as a “big, fat, f***-off party”.
The celebrations are due to take place at a 16th-century church, with the courtyards of two neighbouring restaurants also hired for the occasion. Local reports said access to the Mirador de Mojácar and nearby venues would be restricted under municipal permits as the town prepares for the private event. ([lavozdealmeria.com](https://www.lavozdealmeria.com/vivir/641144/boda-actriz-inglesa-paralizara-mojacar-semana-mi-lugar-mundo.html?utm_source=openai))
Atack appeared relaxed as she showed relatives and friends around the arrangements, wearing a vintage floral dress from Diane von Furstenberg’s archive collection and Prada sunglasses.
Her parents, musician Keith Atack and actress and comedian Kate Robbins, were among the wedding party taking part in a run-through at the church. Atack was later seen greeting her new husband before the pair left together in a taxi.
Cases of Cava priced at about £18 a bottle were delivered outside the church, along with supplies for an evening gathering expected to include several of Atack’s Rivals co-stars.
Alex Hassell, who played Rupert Campbell-Black opposite Atack in the series’ memorable naked tennis scene, arrived in Almería with his wife Emma King. The actor was seen leaving the airport before travelling by chauffeured car to Mojácar.
Victoria Smurfit, who plays Maud O’Hara, the wife of Aidan Turner’s character, was also seen at the airport with her husband Steve Jacobs. Rufus Jones, who portrays Atack’s on-screen husband Paul Stratton, was spotted sightseeing with his wife Philippa Allam ahead of the wedding.
Atack’s decision to hold the celebration in Mojácar reflects her longstanding connection with the town. She spent childhood holidays there while her father owned a property in the area, and has continued to return with her family since it was sold in 2018.
In a 2020 interview with The Telegraph, she described Mojácar as her family’s “favourite place on Earth” and said they still visited every year, staying in a hotel.
The actress and Garner, a materials scientist, became engaged in July 2025 after welcoming their son Barney in June 2024. They visited Mojácar with their son last year for their first holiday as a family.
After the Bedfordshire ceremony, Atack shared photographs on Instagram and wrote: “Yesterday we officially got married among close family and friends. It was absolutely perfect. I can’t believe we get to do all that again in a few weeks time.”
She later said she had enjoyed organising the larger celebration, telling Luxury London Magazine: “We’re getting married in September. I’ve very much enjoyed the planning process.”
