Cally and Abby have very different styles – Cally loves pastels and florals whereas Abby is more goth. So their wedding was all about combining their aesthetics. The result was a day that sat somewhere between a fairytale forest and Halloween. They knew their styles didn’t match in a neat, symmetrical way, but just like their relationship, it totally worked.

They skipped anything that didn’t feel right for them. They had only 23 guests, their was no wedding party and they arrived to their ceremony together. They also sat during most of the ceremony.

“We took a lot of guidance from our celebrant for the ceremony”, Cally told us. “We knew we didn’t want traditional vows, but Sarah really steered us towards a story style with readings, a speech from my mum, and handfasting ceremony with a very special handfasting cord crocheted by my grandmother (now an item we’ll treasure forever). We’re laid back, cosy and quiet as a couple so we just let her take the lead on structure and what we were comfortable with.” After the ceremony came a confetti toss which was made from dried flower petals and leaves that came from places they’d been together or flowers they’d sent each other over the years.

They didn’t have a band or dancing in the evening – a sing-along, a trivia quiz and board games was more their speed. After the wedding Cally did see an Instagram post about couples giving each table a Lego set and splitting up the instructions so strangers could bond immediately – they really wish they’d thought of that!

They kept costs low by doing most things themselves. They also only hired their photographers to cover a few hours. Their florals came in around £300 by shopping in the sales. The cake cost about £150 as they made it themselves. Their dresses came in under £500 combined. Keeping the guest list small gave them the biggest saving.

“Be flexible and communicate what you want,” Cally advises. “The people who love you will want to help and you should let them – we couldn’t have done anything without our family helping. Laugh off the things that go wrong (and they will go wrong!) and just relax. It’s your wedding, yes, but you don’t have to take it so seriously. Most people won’t remember anything more than how they felt sharing your day, so make it fun, make it feel like you, and don’t sweat the small stuff.”