With a budget of £5,000 and a love of Art Deco and the 1920s, Lori and Max eloped on Burgh Island, Devon, last Autumn.

“Our wedding was pure 1920s art deco dreams, with a touch of queerness”, Max said. “We chose to elope to keep things simple. Burgh Island has been a dream venue for both of us for years so it was an obvious choice, especially as art deco and 1920s are two of our shared interests. We’re both neurodivergent and struggle with big groups of people, we knew that this choice would help us focus on each other and enjoy the day.”

The ceremony took place on a clifftop overlooking the sea. Lori walked towards Max to the sound of Marry Me Archie by Flyte. The vows were short, taken from the standard registry script, but this line from the registrar stuck with them. “Marriage is like an ocean, even when it’s rough and blustery on the top, underneath it’s calm and serene.”

“My most memorable moment was Lori looking incredible as she walked down the path towards me”, Max continued. “Seeing me and immediately bursting in to tears. It was the perfect, emotional moment we wanted.”

Afterwards, there was no party and no guests to entertain. They swam naked in the sea and sat down together for a private dinner at the hotel. That was it. That was the whole plan.

“The day is yours”, he advised in conclusion. “Do whatever you want! It’s all made up anyway so choose the bits you want and screw the rest. You don’t ‘have’ to do anything except the legal bit. Everyone is different and we can reflect that in our weddings.”