Emily Atack was seen putting the finishing touches to a second wedding in Spain on Thursday, weeks after marrying Dr Alistair Garner in a legal ceremony at her local church in Bedfordshire. The actress, best known for playing Sarah Stratton in Rivals, is set to tie the knot with Garner again in a star-studded ceremony at a 16th-century church in the whitewashed hilltop town of Mojacar, watched by Rivals co-stars Alex Hassell and Victoria Smurfit.
Atack was pictured at the venue for the first time ahead of the nuptials, showing family and close friends the set-up, which includes the courtyards of two neighbouring restaurants she has rented out for the occasion. She is expected to be joined by 200 guests, and appeared relaxed in a vintage floral dress from the archival collection of designer Diane von Furstenberg, paired with Prada sunglasses.
After chatting to her wedding planner in the church's pillared courtyard, the group went inside for a run-through of the ceremony. The wedding party included Atack's father, the popstar Keith Atack, who owned a house in Mojacar until 2018, and her mother, the actress and comedian Kate Robbins.
Once the rehearsal was over, Atack was greeted by a group of friends and her new husband, and the couple jumped in a taxi to spend the rest of the afternoon together. Outside the church, staff delivered cases of Cava priced at £18 a bottle, along with boxes of beer, wine and spirits for the after-party that her Rivals castmates will attend.
Rivals co-stars arrive in Spain
Alex Hassell, who played Rupert Campbell-Black opposite Atack in Rivals' widely discussed naked tennis scene, touched down in southeastern Spain on Wednesday night with his wife, Emma King. The 46-year-old actor was spotted in a tan T-shirt running through Almeria Airport before taking a chauffeured car on the hour-long drive to Mojacar.
Victoria Smurfit, who plays Aidan Turner's wife Maud O'Hara in the series, was also seen hiring a car at the same airport with her husband, Steve Jacobs. Rufus Jones, who plays Atack's on-screen husband Paul Stratton, was spotted sightseeing with his wife, Philippa Allam, ahead of the ceremony.
A childhood connection to Mojacar
Marrying in Mojacar has long been a dream for Atack, who spent her childhood summers at her father's property in the town. She told The Telegraph in a 2020 interview that she loved her family holidays there growing up, adding that although her father sold the property a couple of years earlier, it remained the family's favourite place on Earth and they still returned every year to stay in a hotel.
Last year, Atack travelled to Mojacar with her then-fiance and their two-year-old son, Barney, for their first holiday together as a family. It was reported at the time that the couple were considering marrying in Spain. A source told The Sun that Atack had been holidaying there with her family since childhood and loved the idea of marrying in the country, adding that she and Garner adored the countryside, valued the guaranteed sun and liked the idea of friends and family joining them.
Planning the celebration
Earlier this year, Atack described her second wedding as a "fat, f***-off party" and said the couple were marrying in September. She said she had very much enjoyed the planning process, telling Luxury London Magazine she had been choosing napkins and other details and thinking, "My God, my life is here!" She also said: "Life is good. It doesn't get much better than where I am now."
Garner welcomed a son, Barney, with Atack in June 2024, and the couple got engaged in July 2025.
No children allowed
Atack has also revealed that children are banned from the Spanish wedding, despite her being a mother herself. She said the couple wanted to be kind to friends and make sure people did not have to worry about paying for extra things, so had decided on no kids at the wedding.
Speaking on The Romesh Ranganathan Show podcast, Atack said she had been surprised by how accepting guests were of the rule. "I'm surprised by how many people are happy about that," she said. "I thought I'd get a lot of people kicking off, but they're like no, 'f*** those kids'."
