Amanda and Cody’s wedding was a night to remember—literally. With a theme built around the deep blue hues of twilight and the glow of candlelight, they designed a ceremony that reflected their love for the beauty of darkness without relying on the usual horror tropes.

“We both love Halloween, and wanted to bring that to life as a celebration that we created just for us”, Amanda said. “There was nothing spooky about our design concept, it was all about authenticity and the ambiance.”

The night began with a ‘blue hour’ first look, capturing the moment as the sun dipped below the horizon. The ceremony itself took place under flickering candlelight, an intentional setting that created an intimate and deeply personal experience. Having already completed their legal marriage earlier that morning—by a fireplace in their pajamas, champagne in hand—they used the evening to focus solely on their vows. At exactly 11:11 PM, they set intentions for their new chapter together as well as let things that no longer served them while burning a herb bouquet.

Cody’s vows were inspired by Muse’s Starlight, reflecting the strength of their relationship through Amanda’s journey with chronic illness. Amanda’s vows were drawn from the work of poet Soulxsigh, and spoke to the depth of their connection.

“We wanted to share our personal vows and swear to each other without having to inject all of the legal wording,” Amanda continued. “So we did the civil ceremony at midnight on the morning of the 31st October. It was casual, just us, our commissioner Rebecca, and our best men as witnesses. Then we popped some champagne.”

Their reception was a classic candlelit dinner with a five course classic Italian and bottomless drinks.

Their main struggle while planning the wedding, was finding vendors who showcased couples that looked like them in their portfolios. Amanda explained, “We had to go out of our way to request photos and were commonly told some skin colours don’t photograph well. We ended up creating vision boards and working closely with vendors who could guide us.

Their advice for others? “Cut out all the bullshit that you know would be an emotional drain. Use that energy for each other and those that love you back. We felt very lost and overwhelmed at the beginning and we couldn’t decide if we wanted a small ceremony or a large 200-person wedding. Then add a dash of toxic family it took a long time to realise all that matters is your partner, you and your officiant, everything else is secondary and that is when the fun begins.”