Zoe and Stephen didn’t just plan one wedding—they planned two. First came a private legal ceremony, held a month ahead of their big day, where Zoe wore a dinosaur print dress. But the main event was an immersive, nerd-tastic celebration centred around all the things and people they love. “Each week as we planned, we’d come back to the same question,” Zoe said, “Does this choice fit our ethos of having the things we love with the people we love?”
They wanted a relaxed day with lots of things for their guests to do—and no boring moments. They planned for great food and plenty of games, sending out Save the Dates styled as golden tickets and TARDIS invitations as a hint of what was to come.
The reception space featured seven themed tables, which they encouraged guests to move between. “The tables were Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Alice in Wonderland, Disney villains, Super Mario Bros., and classic board games,” Zoe shared. “We decided against designated seating because we wanted people to enjoy mingling, moving from table to table to take in the details and chat.”
Since they’d already completed the legal ceremony, they kicked off the day with a brief but meaningful handfasting ceremony, with Stephen crafting the handfasting rope himself, knot by knot. The ceremony flowed into speeches, then immediately transitioned into a lively celebration filled with games and food trucks. Guests enjoyed a unique snack-and-activity station inspired by Mario pipes, stocked with temporary tattoos, colouring sheets, masks, and Rubik’s Cube keychains as favours. A Willy Wonka-themed dessert table added a sweet finale, with a ladder stacked with brownies and treats for guests to enjoy as they pleased.
Entertainment was a priority for Zoe and Stephen, who included Mario Kart and retro arcade games, a board games library, a magician, and a caricature artist. The DJ brought a unique twist, transitioning from Disney’s Let It Go to System of a Down’s Chop Suey. “The crowd belted out both songs equally, and it was a perfect representation of the day,” said Zoe. “We ended up dancing by ourselves at one point for an unofficial first dance to One Week by Barenaked Ladies, and me and one of my best friends ended the night with an enthusiastic rendition of Defying Gravity. There were so many people dancing with glow sticks, and Stephen and his friends all did the dance from The Inbetweeners. It was perfect.”
Their biggest costs from their £8,000 budget were Zoe’s dress, made by Rosie Red Corsetry, the venue, and catering. Almost everything else was DIY, which kept their spending down. “I saved for three years to have the dress of my dreams,” Zoe explained. “Like a lot of plus-sized brides, I found dress shopping soul-destroying. I cried so many times because of being told that I needed to lose weight, and the one store I went to before contacting Rosie almost broke me down enough to not want to get married.”
Their advice for future couples? “Do something that makes you happy rather than what’s ‘right’ or ‘normal,’” Zoe says. “Being relaxed on the day made everything ten times better.”
