Caoimhe and Boris wedding theme was simply ‘how can we make this day feel fun and stress-free but also somehow pull off it looking cute!?’ “I wanted the day to feel like me, and normally when I saw weddings online they never did”, the bride told us. “I’m not a white roses, big white wedding kind of girl and dreaming of a big white wedding was never something I did.”

The couple met on Tinder during lockdown and chose a Catholic ceremony, which was important to Caoimhe, who is Irish. Their reception was almost completely self-made. They worked with a florist for the key floral pieces, but nearly everything else was created, sourced or built by the two of them.

Caoimhe told the florist she wanted the vibe to be “if Nosferatu did weddings, like the vibe of pared back and a bit medieval looking but the vibrant reds and maroon colours.” Red was the only colour that felt true to her because she’s usually in black, grey or neutrals. Anything too bridal didn’t feel right for them at all. “I wanted it to feel welcoming and warm, like the kind of day where people could bring their kids, their partners, even their dogs, but still walk into a space that felt elevated. That balance between ‘fun and real’ and ‘chic and intentional’ was the guiding light.”

The day screamed ‘them’ and one of the clearest reflections of that ethos came through their tattoo artist who they hired to give guests real tattoos. People queued all night to pick flash designs and so many people got their first ever tattoo at their wedding! “Even people who were staunchly anti tattoo before were down, I think because it was so us and inclusive” Caoimhe said. “It was like hell yeah this is fun, life is short, I’m surrounded by people I love, I’m gonna get a tattoo!” She and Boris got matching B and C tattoos.

They skipped every tradition that felt meaningless. They refused to sleep apart the night before because long distance had defined so much of their relationship. “We’ve never been in the same city and gone to sleep in different beds so the thought of going to bed on my own the night before felt pointless. I love our little life and our routine, so why would I want to start our marriage with anything different?”

Their first dance was sung by their friend Regan, who cried halfway through, leaving the whole room to finish the song together. She also surprised her dad with a father daughter dance to You Are My Sunshine. “My dad got emotional, my mum got emotional, my sisters got emotional, I got emotional… meanwhile everyone else was like ‘why is this entire family sobbing?’” But it was one of the most joyful moments of the night. Outside the dance floor, people were wandering with cake in one hand and a cocktail in the other. Their dog Rollo trotted around as guest of honour. “People are still messaging me about how much they loved those spicy margs,” she said.

The bride, who documented her planning journey on TikTok, learned quickly that the biggest myth of weddings is that you have to follow the script. “I wish I’d known how completely possible it is to have the exact day you want without overspending or caving to what venues and planners tell you is ‘the way it’s done’.” she admitted. “The second I stopped listening to that noise everything clicked.”

Planning the entire wedding itself was her favourite part – even if trying to get the ribbons perfect nearly pushed her over the edge! “The one part of wedding planning that no one warned me would be so challenging was… ribbons”, she laughed. “Like genuinely, the amount of mental energy I spent debating shades of ribbon is borderline embarrassing. And then, once you’ve chosen, you realise you need approximately 400 metres of it for literally everything: menus, favours, chairs, the dog if he stands still long enough! So, getting so caught up in the details and not being fully sure why I care so much about what font is on my wedding invites – like who is this person where did she come from!? I thought the hard part of wedding planning would be the big-ticket items like the venue or the food, but those decisions are straightforward compared to the microscopic ones. It’s the tiny details that send you into an existential crisis.”

The funniest part is, on the day, none of it mattered. “I fully just didn’t care. People were too busy drinking, dancing, and stealing extra cake to notice if my ribbon was satin or silk or tied in a bow or if the way I glued my décor together was wonky. Looking back, I weirdly love that level of chaos anyway. It’s those obsessive little rabbit holes that made the whole thing ours. Every step of the way I kept being hit with this realisation of like ‘wow, people really love us’. It wasn’t just about flowers or menus. It was the way friends, family and acquaintances showed up for us.”

The worst part of planning was the early pressure to follow the rules… and storage! “Does anyone want to borrow 100 candles? Or perhaps 700 metres of ribbon? It’s like the wedding exploded in my living room and now I live in a small chapel of leftovers.”