Liv and Owen met when he came in to get tattooed while she was working as an apprentice, aged 18. He got tattooed over the years by someone else in the studio, but every time he came in they would chat. It wasn’t until six years later that they went on their first date, but four years on from that they were married.
“The inspiration for our wedding was to have something homely!”, said Liv. “Our home is quite rustic and cosy and so when we visited Donington Park Farmhouse, we got the feeling of our home. Exposed brickwork, reclaimed wood, so beautiful in layout and the general aesthetic of the converted barn/courtyard was everything we could have wished for!”
Hannah and Cameron started their wedding ceremony with Einsteinâs notes on relativity, followed by their families sharing a drink of whisky before saying their vows. With a sprinkling of Celtic traditions, they made it their own with a humanist handfasting ceremony using their familiesâ tartans and walking back down the aisle to I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness.
Cameron is a high school craft and design teacher, so there was plenty of DIY projects. Hannah told us, âCameron created all of the signage for the day, including the beautiful mahogany signs on each table. He sanded and shaped each sign, designed the names and decor to be engraved on them and finished them with oil. He also created our welcome sign, order of the day and the various smaller signage at our guestbook etc. and collaborated with the wedding cake designer.â
Alex and Joe threw the rule book out for their day, planning a wedding inspired by their own personalities, rather than rules, traditions or other peopleâs opinions.
Alex explained, âI didn’t wear a white dress, we had a rock DJ and our first dance was to Metallica, Nothing Else Matters. I didn’t really mind what the wedding party wore as long as it was within the colour scheme. We ended the night moshing out to our favourite rock and metal songs. We centred the theme around who we are as a couple, what we like, what we do together and how we’ve built our relationship over the years. This meant there was bits to do with travel, nature/ woodland, pets and our metal/ alternative personalities!”
Picking up some tips from a married friend set Alex and Joeâs expectations on planning a wedding, however Alex told us the worst thing about planning was, âChoosing who to invite/not invite. Ideally we would have had everyone we know, but realistically you can’t. We followed the rule: If youâve not seen them in the last six months and you wouldn’t take them out for a meal, don’t invite them!â
Renting one big property for their guests to stay in, Sam and Lydia made a week of it, taking plenty of time to celebrate their wedding with all the people they loved. They wanted all their guests to feel comfortable, even if they were attending alone, so gave plenty of time for relaxed pre-wedding mingling.
Lydia told us, âWe had a pre-wedding mixer with drinks and food so everyone had a chance to break the ice before the big day, because there is nothing worse than awkward small talk! This gave our guests the chance to meet each other so they werenât feeling lonely when the canapes emerged!â
They truly stamped their own mark on their day, however the couple met their fair share of challenges. Lydia explained, âLiterally every single person assumed we were marrying men â no, she isnât my bridesmaid, friend or sister, she is my future wife!â
The couple walked down the aisle in one long procession so neither was waiting for the other at the end, and their spaniels led the bridal party before them. They chose Electric String Orchestraâs One Day Like This for the bridal party, and Westlifeâs Hello My Love for themselves, walking with their dads.
A spectacle to behold from beginning to end, Rosey and Emilionâs circus wedding was a collaboration of the things they love, in a place they love, with the people they love.
With the circus in his blood, Emilâs family ties to the big top go back for generations, whilst Rosey packed her bags as a teenager to work as a knife-throwerâs assistant, before being trained by Emilâs mum as an aerialist. The couple fell in love in the big top, and so it was the perfect place to celebrate their wedding.
Rosey told us all about their unique ceremony, âThe whole ceremony was written by ourselves. The groomsmen danced down the aisle to Billy Idolâs White Wedding, followed by Emilion on the back of his sisterâs motorbike (which she normally foot juggles on). The flower girls and bridesmaids walked to Wonderful World, then my dad and myself followed with La Vie en Rose (a homage to Emilionâs french side). My mum performed a hilarious poem âThe story of Emilion and Roseyâ then we sobbed our way through our personal wedding vows.”
“Emilion whistled my dog, Pepe, and he brought the rings wearing a cushion made of my mumâs wedding dress and bowtie out of my dadâs wedding suit. After a beautiful song by my friend we released the âDove of Loveâ, our fabulous camp friend who pranced down the aisle in his extra feathered costume, handing out roses! The whole thing felt so personal and an absolute celebration of our love, the joining of people in and out of the circus community.â
With a parrot delivering the rings, welcome drinks with penguins, a couples shoot with a sealion and a few lemurs thrown in for good measure, Fern and Scottâs wedding was a celebration of their love of animals as well as each other.
The couple chose to hold their ceremony at St Laurenceâs Church in Kirby Misperton, Yorkshire, before heading to The Mansion at Flamingo Land for their reception. Fern explained, âOur love of animals was the inspiration for our wedding, and Flamingo Land has a special connection to our family as my dad is in charge of the shows at the Flamingo Land Zoo. We wanted a lot of colour and animal elements. I chose leopard print dresses for my bridesmaids, which was the best colour ever.â
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