Alfie and Lily, who own a street food company together, wanted their wedding to be very different to the traditional events they’d previously attended as guests. They ditched the fancy venue, the formal sit-down meal and got legally married beforehand so they could have their ceremony exactly as they wished.

Inspired by their wedding date, the day had a Bonfire Night meets Wild West theme and was filled with vibrant autumn colours, Vegas vibes, glitter, teddy boys and cowboy boots. They even had a Guy Fawkes man and wife which they set light to at the end of the night!

“Our parents thought we were crazy”, said the bride, “but doing the wedding on Bonfire Night was a deal breaker for us and we chose our venue, The Fire Pit Camp, because of this. We chose not to have a sit-down meal because it seemed like a massive expense on wasted time. We wanted people to mingle and make the most of the day and every wedding we went to in the summer stuck to the classic timetable – it all felt a bit samey. We went for lots of canapes and then a street food offering later on, followed by pizza.”

A close friend, Josh, acted as their master of ceremonies, allowing them to craft a ceremony that was true to their personalities. With the legalities already taken care of, Alfie and Lily had the freedom to create a ceremony that blended traditional elements with a modern and engaging twist.

They had a string quartet for the music and they went for modern day renditions with Lily walking down the aisle to Back for Good by Take That. “Instead of a hymn we had the quartet play It Must be Love by Madness and had everyone sing along to it. This was a huge core memory made, everyone singing their hearts out! We left to Alfie’s favourite song, Whatever by Oasis.”

Although this was definitely a DIY wedding, they did enlist Boomting and Bunting for draping which lifted the quality of everything else and really made a statement in the room. “The bunting brought it all together, Lily explained. “Having that one thing professionally done raised the standard for sure.”

The DIY covered almost everything else – from the flower arranging to the catering. The couple even DJed at the end of the night! However, they also hired Gospeloke for their entertainment. “They were was unreal. Everyone loved joining in to sing on stage and it made for some seriously memorable moments. They were probably the biggest cost but we were so keen to have our day stand out for all the right reasons. We had one of our first dates together where they played so it just felt right.”

When asked if there was anything they’d have done differently, the bride admits it might have been nice to be able to outsource the catering and the clear up! “If we could have afforded it, we would have maybe outsourced the food but still done it in the way we did”, she said. “Just having to think about it on the day was a little annoying. Also, the pack down the next day was a fall from grace that we weren’t expecting… you’re flying so high and then you realise you still need to sort stuff out!!”

Alfie and Lily’s advice to future couples is simple: don’t be afraid to break the rules. “We really picked the bits from traditional weddings we liked but then everything else we thought about how we would like the day to go and what we would want to get out of it”, they concluded. “I know some people have pushy parents, but honestly once the day is up and running and the love is flowing, they won’t be thinking about any of your decisions so you must make sure everything is for you! Create a day that is a true reflection of your love and style. While it’s essential to consider others’ opinions, remember that the most important thing is that your day is a celebration of your unique love.”