Shannon and Sean were originally planning a more traditional, rustic themed wedding for 2020, but when it got postposed they decided to go a different route. Shannon shared, “We were going to have a very basic, rustic themed wedding, like everyone else’s, but over the past few years I’ve slowly started to accept the true goth in me. I was always that little emo kid and society always told me it was a phase. Which I now know it wasn’t! So, with embracing the dark side we had a dark fantasy themed wedding.”
Their unique choices truly made their wedding a reflection of their personalities – from the owl ring bearer, to the bride’s decision to wear black. “I loved all the black wedding dresses I saw. We had an owl, unlimited hot drinks, a strong quartet and moon-shaped bouquets,” Shannon revealed. But perhaps the most unique of all was her unconventional bouquet toss. “I threw a Squishmallow axolotl plush instead of a bouquet. The whole wedding was very us.”
The music was also super important to this pair, they wanted their choices to reflect the enchantment of their dark fantasy theme. They had the Final Fantasy main theme for their grand entrance, the Nintendo Wii menu music for the signing of register and the Animal Crossing New Horizons theme for their exit,
When it comes to weddings, finding ‘the one’ isn’t just about the partner; it’s about the dress too. Shannon didn’t want to go the traditional route, telling us, “I was really struggling to find my wedding dress and found the perfect dress on Instagram. Unfortunately Pin Up Girls Clothing is based in LA, and the dress had been sold out for more than a year. Luckily, I found one in my size and it fit perfectly. It only cost me around £150.”
They also saved money with the decor (all DIY) and the bridesmaid dresses (less than £40 each). “Then taking advantage of sales and my knowledge of plants and candles, I made the rest”, she said. “I have ADHD so, luckily the hobbies I obsessed over in the past came in handy!”
Shannon concluded with an important piece of advice for future couples planning their big day: “Don’t let anyone else dictate what you do on your day,” she said. “I’m glad I didn’t listen and wore the black dress, had the bright hair and gothic make-up. It means we’ll look-back at our photos and smile at them, rather than being filled with regret.”
