Maxine and Josh wanted to include some traditional wedding elements in their day, in particular when it came to the ceremony, but they also wanted to ensure that it felt like them and reflected their own style. As the bride was on the liver transplant wait list for a long time and finally got her life-saving operation in October a few years ago, they also knew they wanted to get married around this time of year as it’s such a special time for them.

They went for a dark bohemian theme with decor including a mixture of of black glass, skulls, fairy lights, foliage and red roses. They didn’t go too overboard though, just wanting hints of things to suit the theme, They weren’t at all bothered about making it look ‘wedding-y’ either, they just wanted to pick things they really liked. “I love all the autumnal colours and we were always going to have a dark colour theme”, Maxine said.

Both vegan, they also served an entirely plant-based menu and even though most of their guests were meat eaters they refused to go against their morals for everybody else! “It was a bit of a risk”, she explained, “but everyone enjoyed it! You can’t really go wrong with pizza and doughnuts!”

Wearing a Grace Loves Lace gown with New Look shoes, rings by Iz&Co and jewellery from Regal Rose, Maxine loved her non-traditional bridal look. Josh wore a suit from ASOS and the bridesmaids chose their own black dresses from various online stores. “All of my bridesmaids have completely different styles, I hated the idea of them all wearing the same dress”, Maxine said. “It wouldn’t have made sense! I wanted them to feel good in whatever they were wearing.”

“Do your day exactly how you want to do it!” she advises in conclusion. “Try not to feel pressured by other people’s opinions or trying to make it all perfect. Also, on the day take a step back and take it all in. Look at all your guests and remember, they are all there for you! That’s pretty special.”