Jasmine and Will had already made things official with an intimate civil ceremony a few months earlier. So, this larger celebration at Fairfield Social Club in Manchester a gave them the chance to gather 150 of their loved ones for a big wedding done on their own terms. They wanted bright colours, loud music, and a ceremony that reflected both of their cultures.

The celebrations opened with a Jaan, the groom’s entrance traditionally seen at Indian weddings. Will and his family turned the street outside into a procession with flares, drums, pom poms and homemade shakers before dancing their way to the venue behind a dhol player.

Their venue already had a strong visual identity, so they didn’t need lots of décor to make it fit the brief. They loved doing all their DIY projects though. The ceremony and party room centred around a giant disco ball and a red and gold glitter curtain. In the room where they ate, they added dried and colourful artificial flowers to the long wooden tables.

The couple worked with Sonal Dave, a celebrant who specialises in fusion ceremonies, creating an experience that blended Indian and British traditions with personal moments. “The ceremony was our favourite part of the day”, Jasmine said. “It felt very unique and like a proper celebration of us as a couple. We also enjoyed that it was a complete surprise to both sides of the family, but also that everybody seemed to be engaged throughout and to genuinely enjoy it. Sonal did a fantastic job of explaining the meaning and origin of everything we were doing to the audience.”

Flower garlands were exchanged, prayers were offered to Ganesh and the ceremony included a phera which is a ritual where the couple walks around a central object to make lifelong vows. They also read self-written vows, and there was a reading of James Blake’s When We’re Older, performed by some close friends.

Away from the ceremony, their personalities appeared in dozens of handmade details. They built their own wedding post box, painted a mirror for guests’ selfies and arranged colourful bud vases throughout the reception. Jasmine’s aunt baked their wedding cake, finished with Lego figures dressed to match the couple’s outfits. Bedazzled sunglasses made for the dance floor became instant photo props, while a seating plan featuring portraits they had painted of each other welcomed guests into dinner.

Even the favours reflected the couple’s interests. As a coffee enthusiast, Will created individual bags of ground coffee for every guest, each finished with custom labels reading ‘Grounds for celebration’. Bright Indian block printed cotton napkins added another layer of colour to the tables before finding their way home with many guests at the end of the night.

“We did the DIY and crafts projects slowly over the year but it was a fun way of adding our personality to the day”, said Jasmine, “We also made all of our own save the dates and invitations so it felt like we had different projects going on all throughout the year.”

The couple also found ways to stretch their £35,000 budget without compromising the atmosphere they wanted. Instead of fresh flowers throughout, they hired dried floral installations for the ceremony space and artificial arrangements for the second room. Both options cost far less than fresh flowers while allowing the displays to be reused by future couples. Their bouquets and buttonholes were created in matching dried flowers, giving everything a cohesive look while leaving Jasmine with flowers she could keep long after the wedding was over.

“Enjoy the process”, they advised, “and don’t put too much pressure on yourselves. DIY projects can be a fun way to bond in the lead up, save money and add personality to your day. We also went for a non-traditional venue and non-traditional outfits. Stepping outside of the box can really save you some money.”