Mixing their passions of vintage and celestial with comics and DC characters, Maud and Ian filled their day with an eclectic mix of the things they love. With their own tattoos providing the inspiration, they made sure to create temporary tattoos to match the theme, so their guests could enjoy them as well.

Creating a truly personal ceremony, Maud and Ian walked together down the aisle to the Batman theme tune as a nod to their superhero theme. They wrote their own vows, although Maud told us that Ian struggled to come up with his. However, she also said they were the most romantic ones ever, so he must have done OK! Their celebrant translated the whole ceremony into French for Maud’s family, providing little booklets, and spoke some parts in French as well. The couple chose a handfasting ceremony and their mums wrapped vintage ribbons belonging to their ancestors around their wrists during the handfasting, as a way of blessing their union.

As a bridal designer, Maud was keen to add some special touches to the day, incorporating her grandma, mum and sister’s wedding dresses at the venue, as a tribute to the women in her life. They chose a navy and purple colour scheme, which most of the guests stuck to, and Maud designed her own dress, which her business partner then made for her. With purple lining, a layer of tulle with moons and stars, a layer of French lace and a purple belt ensured her look was unique. Little satin flowers from her grandma’s communion dress were carefully stitched to the belt, for another precious touch.

Maud and Ian’s budget was £5,000, and they were keen to have a sustainable wedding, opting for vegetarian food and making careful décor choices. Paper stars were bought in the sale, and toys for the tables purchased second hand from charity shops and eBay. DIY elements included all the bunting and the wooden moons for the arch. They also saved money by not hiring a florist, spending just £50 on supermarket gypsophila and picking lavender from their garden which they combined for the bouquets.

With family and friends travelling from Cape Town, Paris, Bulgaria and around the UK, the couple had to manage logistics through a pandemic and were forced to postpone twice. But the day was just perfect for them, including the surprise performance from Ian, who played three special songs – Heroes by David Bowie for his mum and the theme, his favourite Joy Division song and Dog Days are Over by Florence + the Machine for Maud.

Having waited so long to celebrate, and wanting to create their dream day, Maud told us that her advice to engaged couples would be, to “Use all the help that your friends and family offer you. I wanted to do everything myself but had to delegate on the days before, after all, there is only so many hours in a day and we only have two hands!”