Gothic romance was a loose reference point for Izzy and Josh autumn wedding, inspired by the bride’s all -time favourite band, My Chemical Romance. Everyone expected her to turn up in a black dress, which would have been very on brand, but when she discovered a star-covered gown and veil by Boom Blush where the stars literally glowed in the dark, there really was no other option!

They married at Arnos Vale Cemetery, a Victorian garden cemetery in Bristol. It offered the gothic atmosphere they were drawn to without feeling forced, and it didn’t need a lot of extra decoration, which was a total win.

The ceremony was held in the Anglican Chapel on the property. The bridesmaids entered to an orchestral version of Welcome to the Black Parade and Izzy followed to Helena. They kept the ceremony structure traditional. “We had traditional vows, we both decided that was better for us as we are both socially anxious people and didn’t want to add additional stress to our day by trying to convey all our love for each other into a small paragraph.”

At the reception, instrumental and piano versions of meaningful songs played during the meal, including the Jurassic Park theme. A star motif ran through the space, tying back to Izzy’s dress. A star projector lit the walls and guests wrote messages on star shapes and posted them into a glowing, space-themed frame.

They incorporated nods to Izzy’s job as bat ecologist, too. She explained, “Due to my job role as a bat ecologist, we incorporated this into the wedding. Firstly, Arnos Vale Cemetery is known for its population of horseshoe bats, and I enjoyed spotting all the bat features and dropping while doing the tour around the venues. Secondly our wedding favours were little bat seed packets that have been created by the Bat Conservation Trust, these are wildflower seeds that can be planted to encourage insects and nocturnal mammal species.”

Their advice is other wedding planning couples? “Live your life how you want too and have your wedding day how you want to”, Izzy concluded. “Don’t be ashamed for your choices or your love even if other people take issue with it.”