After a motorbike accident which nearly took the groom too soon, Mollie and Richard knew a ’til death do us part’ had to be the theme of their wedding. A mix of dark romance, symbolism, and personal meaning, their wedding took place on Friday 13th.

“It’s honestly a miracle he’s still here”, Mollie told us. “That experience gave real weight to the phrase ’til death do us part, and we knew we wanted our wedding to reflect both our story and our personalities. We’ve always had a love for tattoos and anything a little alternative – black is basically our shared wardrobe staple, so a traditional wedding just wouldn’t have felt like us. Friday the 13th played a big role too. There’s only one in 2025, and once we saw it landed on a Friday in June, we booked it instantly. It’s one of Richard’s favourite movies, and I’ve always been drawn to the superstitious side of things, so it felt perfectly meant to be.”

Tradition really played no part in the plans. Their venue, Samlesbury Hall in Preston, was chosen because its one of Britain’s most haunted buildings – perfectly on theme! They decorated their aisle with a coffin structure, skulls and LED candles. Mollie walked in to Warmness on the Soul by Avenged Sevenfold, a song that’s incredibly special to Richard. It was a surprise that caught him completely off guard. “It was an emotional moment, and I could tell it meant a lot.”

The ceremony was short and simple, they skipped the personal vows to keep things low-stress. “Richard is dyslexic, and I have social anxiety, so standing up in front of everyone with that kind of pressure just didn’t feel right,” Mollie said. “We wanted to enjoy the moment without being full of nerves.” The LED candles got knocked over as Mollie made her entrance. The ring wouldn’t go on because it was so warm. It was exactly the kind of imperfect chaos that made the day feel real.

The reception carried on the same energy. There were skulls from Taxidermy and Skulls, cleaned and bleached by the couple in their own back garden. They also had axe throwing to entertain their guests. There was no wedding cake, just a tower of brownies and flapjacks. “Honestly, neither of us likes cake,” Mollie said. “We also skipped the sit-down meal and served wood-fired pizza, canapés, and ice cream cones instead.”

But maybe the biggest hit of the day? Free tattoos! Instead of favours, guests were offered tattoos from a real tattoo artist, set up on-site! And to top it all off, they only played alternative rock and punk music all day and night – no cheesy party tunes were allowed.

While planning a non-traditional wedding came with its challenges, the couple wouldn’t have changed a thing. “You can’t just shop at the usual places or follow the typical checklist because most products and ideas are geared towards white, traditional weddings”, the bride explained. “It takes extra effort and creativity to find what truly fits your style and vision.” On top of that, managing anxiety while planning added another layer of difficulty. “Even when everything was on track, I constantly felt like I’d forgotten something or that something was going to go wrong.”

Still, the result was more than worth it. “Our wedding was truly a reflection of who we are. A little unconventional, a little dark, but full of love and meaning.”