Entertainment TV All the Romantic Details of Jennie Garth's 'Down-Home' Wedding (PHOTOS) From the intimate ceremony to the rip-roaring reception, the actress tells PEOPLE her big day was "perfect" By Elizabeth Leonard Elizabeth Leonard Elizabeth Leonard is Managing Executive Editor and West Coast Bureau Chief for PEOPLE, where she's worked in leadership positions across the brand's entertainment and human interest verticals for 25 years. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 15, 2015 09:00AM EDT Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Some brides prep for their wedding by getting massages and mani-pedis. Jennie Garth hangs lanterns, hand-paints signs and helps rewire outdoor chandeliers. And that’s just the tip of a gloriously jam-packed To Do list the actress, 43, – and self-professed DIY fanatic – tackled in the days leading up to her July 11 nuptials to actor Dave Abrams. Her hard work paid off. By the time the roughly 120 guests arrived at Garth’s bucolic six-acre ranch in Los Olivos, California, they were treated to a romantic and vintage-inspired wonderland: flowers freshly picked from her garden, antique doors and lace from her mother’s collection hanging from wires in the open air and homemade touches throughout the rambling property. But nothing could steal attention away from the bride herself when she walked down the aisle, wearing a nontraditional Claire Pettibone gown and a bright smile. “She was drop-dead gorgeous,” Abrams, 34, tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s issue. “When I saw Jennie in her dress, nothing else mattered. I just lost it.” RELATED VIDEO: Go Inside Jennie Garth’s Beautiful DIY Wedding With her three girls – Luca, 18, Lola, 12, and Fiona, 8, daughters from her marriage to Twilight actor Peter Facinelli – looking on as the couple’s only wedding party, Garth and Abrams exchanges hand-written vows. In between emotional and love-filled sentiments that moved guests to tears, there was plenty of levity. Garth, for one, promised to “watch the Golf Channel 24/7” while Abrams, at one point, vowed to her daughters “to take your jokes about my skinny fatness like a man.” At the reception, family and friends, including Garth’s Beverly Hills, 90210 costar Tori Spelling, enjoyed a homestyle dinner (cheesy grits and fried chicken!) and drank Tensley and Lea wine and local brews. The intimate shindig, says their wedding stylist Landi Stone of Green Plate, was “focused on what they both love – each other, family and friends” and captured a “warm and rustic but refined feel.” After the newlyweds shared a sweet first dance to Angels by The xx guests hit the dance floor to the tunes of Beat Mosaic, a California soul and groove band and a favorite of Abrams. Towards the end of the evening, the couple took a moment to reflect on their day. “It was unreal,” Garth told PEOPLE. “It was perfect.” RELATED VIDEO: Just Try Not to Cry Watching Jennie Garth’s Gorgeous Wedding Video For Jennie and Dave’s exclusive wedding album and even more details from their big day, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday