As self-confessed animal lovers, there was one non-negotiable when it came to Maja and Ryan choosing their wedding venue; whether or not they allowed dogs. The Silent Woman Inn in Dorset is nestled within the tranquil Wareham Forest, which really set the tone for their laid back day.
They were delighted to be able to involve their beloved pup Mojito in their wedding – they had always planned to bring their first dog, Mania, with them too, but sadly she passed away a month before. They were able to include her memory, though, with Maja attaching Mania’s name tag to her bouquet and using it as her something blue.
They made other personal, heartfelt touches throughout their day, too. Instead of having a top-table during their wedding breakfast, they had ‘floating seats’ so they jumped between table to table between the courses, making sure they could spend as much time as possible with everyone. They made bunting out of retro prints from their engagement session for their guests to then write well-wishes on in lieu of a guestbook.
It was important to Maja and Ryan that they felt they comfortable and informal for their wedding day; for Ryan and his best man, this meant not wearing suits, instead choosing a smart-casual look of checked shirts and chinos, which a lot of their guests took cue from and ditched stuffy attire too!
They complimented the relaxed, rustic venue with hand-made decor; hand-painted mason jars filled with flowers, lilac candles and heart shaped candies. They gave their guests bubbles instead of confetti to shower them with as they walked down the aisle and they even made their own cake! “It was crazy stressful and probably not the most relaxing way to spend the days before your wedding,” said Maja, “but it came out amazing and we’re very proud of it!”
Maja and Ryan’s ceremony was a super relaxed affair too as they were married by an officiant who’d married Ryan’s twin brother a year earlier so the couple said it just felt like a friend was marrying them! They were so relaxed that they kept joking and making faces to each other, which kept the ceremony lighthearted and just how they wanted it – full of banter, laughter and love.
While there was nothing about their day that they would’ve changed, they do both agree that if they were to do it all over again they would consider eloping. “It was a lot of money and stress,” said Maja, “with people trying to suggest how we should and shouldn’t do things – it started to drive us mad after a while. If eloping isn’t on the cards for you, try not to spend a lot of money on it and do what you wish for and block others opinions because at the end of the day it is your day and it is about you and that is what is important.”
