As you know we got married in october last year. We've had alot of people ask us and congratulate us on how we did do it... so I thought I'd share the details.


The "Proposal":

Back in January 2024 we decided to get married, well... Adam asked, "do you fancy getting married sometime soon?" I responded with "yeah okay, let's do it!" We kept it between us for a few weeks, deciding on what we were going to do, where, what and how we wanted to plan things. I think this was a really important step, before anyone got involved and just taking the time to figure out what we wanted to do. I didn't wan't a typical down on one knee with a ring proposal and Adam knew this so this worked well with us being able to keep it quiet, we did go get a joint pizza slice tattoo though to commemorate the day! (more on this later!)

A joyful couple in wedding attire share a candid laughing moment while guests smile in the background.
A couple walks down a historic city street with tram tracks, the person in white holding a colorful bouquet.

The reason:

We'd already spoken over the years about running off somewhere in secret and reading our vows in the woods but now we realised we wanted it to be legal and have our close family there. Fast forward to booking a date at our local registry office, organising a photographer and in talks with a place for something to eat... Once organised we told 12 of our family and friends over the next few weeks and asked that they kept it to themselves, we didn't want the fuss of people asking us when it was happening, how's the planning, what are you wearing, oh why don't you do this, why aren't you doing this lalalalalala... (again, this felt like a really important thing for us but it was difficult to not tell extended family and other close friends too over the following months.)

Three people walk down a charming brick-paved city street with autumn trees and historic buildings in Nottingham, England
Bride with long curly blonde hair in white dress standing behind someone wearing gray at a stone building entrance.
Handwritten message 'I actually love you' with a small heart doodle on aged paper.
Close-up shot shows hands wearing rings next to autumn wedding bouquet with orange flowers against rustic backdrop.

The Ceremony:

Things have changed so much in the wedding industry over the years but the ceremony is always at the heart of the day. With this in mind, we kept it short and sweet but also personal. We went to our local Nottingham council house registry office and their smallest room fit 12 people in which was perfect. We wrote personal vows on handmade paper that my mum had made in Spain (which we are due to frame but haven't got round to yet) You're able to choose to say your own words whilst exchanging rings, your own promises, there are options to personalise which we did at every opportunity.

A couple exchange joyful expressions during their wedding ceremony while reading vows in black and white photography.
Close-up shot of couple holding hands at wedding ceremony with bride wearing elegant white dress and groom in brown suit.

The rings & outfits:

We'd decided to make our own wedding rings in the summer at Cyrilyn Silver a local independent business in Beeston. Cyrilyn is amazing and she was so friendly, patient and made us feel at ease making the rings. We went to the Lake District for the weekend before getting married to spend sometime together, here we both purchased rings to wear as engagement rings, they were both from a local craft stall in Kendal which cost about £20 each.

Then came outfits, I went on Vinted and purchased one of the first dresses I saw, £30 with the tag on and took it to a local seamstress to be adjusted/shortened! I know a lot of people go to a bridal shop but it's just not me, I didn't want the fuss and also didn't want to spend £££ on a dress that I'd likely wear once, this is absolutely no disrespect to the people that choose this path at all, it's just not me. Adam went to a local Next for his suit, didn't wear a tie and kept it relaxed. We both wore Doc Martens (mine again off Vinted) and Adam's were new. With it being October I was keen on having a jacket so again went on Vinted and purchased a faux leather £3 jacket, etsy for a design and popped to Asda for a white fabric pen and spent a few evenings drawing on the back, I kept it a surprise from Adam too which was nice, I still wear this now which is really lovely.

Close up of tattooed hands exchanging rings during an intimate outdoor wedding ceremony.
A joyful couple embraces surrounded by colorful flower petals and confetti on a charming city street during their celebration.
Hands engaging in a wedding or commitment ceremony with colorful autumn flowers in the background.

The flowers:

I knew I really would love to have a bouquet, and I knew exactly who I was going to get in touch with, Daisy Works.

Fiona is also on my recommended suppliers list as she is just the most wonderful woman, using 100% British bouquets, seasonal flowers and her farm is kept with so much love & care and zero chemicals. I've since dried these and they sit in our bedroom. A few months before our wedding I'd been at a styled shoot with another florist, there were so many flowers and it was such a gorgeous set up but some of the flowers were going to be thrown away and I couldn't bare the waste so I took some (with permission) and dried them, these later turned out to be button holes for each guest, lovingly crafted together by my mum and brother, our close friends and family all choosing one and wearing it to unite us.

A couple shares a tender moment on a bench against a turquoise graffiti wall, with the bride holding vibrant autumn flowers.
A couple walks hand in hand down a colorful rainbow-painted city street lined with shops and businesses.
A dried flower stem rests on handwritten text on weathered, deckle-edged paper against a dark wooden surface.
A couple in wedding attire stands together on a brick-lined pathway next to a historic red building.

The reception:

We met at Dominos Pizza early into the pandemic as neither of us could do our own businesses, my own & Farmers Barber. Our mutual love of good beers, the outdoors, music and pizza initially connected us... so we decided pizza had to be involved in our wedding. We were in touch with Pizza Pilgrims in Nottingham and realised they had an attic space used for small events so we booked that, turns out they have a fancy dress wall, FIFA, foosball and Karaoke (unfortunately we didn't get chance to use some of this but it was a great spot!) and worked well for what we required. We chose a Monday in October, which helped with costs and understandable it isn't ideal for some guests due to work/travel but no-one seemed to mind/didn't tell us. We decorated the table with photos from the last five years, some early ones from growing up and created a wordsearch for guests to do, had some games and puzzles and brought 14 mini easel & canvas along with some paint where after dinner we each drew myself and Adam, some people really took to this, some did not but that's okay, each is a piece of art in itself, these hang on our landing as a reminder of the day. We also wrote personal letters to each guests for them to take away as a keepsake, yes this took time and I can't imagine doing this if we had 80 guests, but it felt really personal and intimate. We ate pizza, myself, Adam and my mum and brother spoke a few words (again written on the handmade paper) lots of tears, laughter and moments caught.

Someone holds a green chalkboard menu at a restaurant table while dining with glasses and dishes visible.
Two people pose playfully together at what appears to be a vintage clothing shop, one wearing a large turquoise hat.
Two people share a joyful candid moment at what appears to be a rustic wedding venue decorated with floral arrangements.
A vintage foosball table decorated with instant cameras, blank cards, and colorful decor against a textured background.

The Photographer:

This was obviously an important part of the day for me, think it's in the top 3: our guests, the ceremony & our photographer. Being a relaxed, natural documentary photographer, I knew that's exactly what was needed for our day and I couldn't think of anyone better than Caroline Goosey, we've worked together many times over the years and usually send each other referrals if the other is booked as we're very similar in how we photograph and document the day. We choose 3 hours coverage to document the ceremony, a few group photos, some couple photos and some time to cover speeches and some moments at the pizza place which was perfect.

Two people sharing a joyful moment of laughter together at an indoor celebration event.
Cheerful couple dancing together at a colorful party venue with festive string lights and decorations in the background.
Two people share a tender moment while sitting at a restaurant table with plates of food and drinks.
Friends enjoy a festive dinner party with drinks under decorative string lights and Christmas decorations.

The aftermath:

After pizza we went to one of our favourite pubs in Nottingham city where we invited a few additional friends for drinks "for Adam's birthday" which was a few days before, I honestly didn't expect the reaction we received from people screaming with shock/excitement and so much happiness. Following the day we spent some time going round & reaching out to extended family and friends letting them know that we got married and explaining why we did it and showing photos etc, it was quite nerve wracking to hear their responses but everyone was happy and pleased we did things our own way. It's got to be one of my favourite days, marrying my person and celebrating with pizza and beer. Do things your way, the day is about the two of you. Invite who you want there, not who you feel like you should. Have a photographer there to capture the moments you can look back on, even for a few hours to have someone dedicated to solely capturing these moments rather than a guest who's got a good phone, they'll not be scanning the room and looking our for small, quiet moments between people.


A wedding day doesn't have to financially cripple you, stop you from buying a house/travelling and living life, we spent less than £2,000 on everything for the day and had a lovely time. There's this pressure that it has to be perfect and THE BEST DAY EVER, when for us, we've got our whole lives to live and i'm pretty sure there will be more amazing days ahead whether that be listening to music, at festivals or eating the best pizza.

Newlywed couple smiles and sits against colorful brick wall with vibrant graffiti art and orange bridal flowers.

The Mini Moon/Honeymoon:

A few days before we got married was Adam's birthday, we wanted to go celebrate this so headed to the Lake District where we had hired Jo Greenfield, an incredible photography and filmmaker who lives in the area to document our mini elopement/couple shoot/vow reading combo. Turns out, we did both of what we wanted, a compromise of running off to the hills and woodlands alone and the legal ceremony with friends and family. As I still had weddings to document myself we waited and booked our honeymoon to Indonesia (Bali) for the following February/March which now seems like a lifetime ago!