Timeless Rock n Roll Wedding With Gothic Hints

Tell us the proposal story!

We'd been together for 7 and a half years and had of course talked about getting married in the future, but it didn't feel like something that was necessarily defining for our relationship - so I was completely surprised when he did propose!

Aidan had planned for us to go out for dinner nearby back in August 2021, so once I was ready we went outside to 'wait for the taxi'. He told me that he'd forgotten his glasses, so to wait outside the flat while he ran to go and get them. So I waited. And waited. No Uber, no boyfriend. Eventually I got confused so I went to go find him - and he'd locked me out! So at this point I was pretty irritated, I rang him and he wouldn't answer, and I rang him again and he told me the keys were under the stairs to the front of the flat. At this point I was completely annoyed but I found the keys, unlocked the door and in the space of five minutes he'd managed to throw rose petals all over the flat and cover it in candles - and then he got down on one knee in our room. I of course said yes (I think, it's a bit of a blur) and he took me for a Michelin star meal to celebrate. It was the perfect mix of ridiculous and magic - and I loved that it was at home, just us and the confused cat. We have the phone call saved on the doorbell footage too, which is pretty funny.

Why Elmore Court?

As soon as I saw the ceremony space and the angel statues I knew it would be the place for us. We wanted our day to be really romantic and kind of dark, with emo and gothic inspirations, and we knew that red roses would look incredible - particularly in the main house. It's close to where my parents live, too, which helped logistically, and the emphasis on sustainability also felt important to us.

Where did your wedding inspiration come from?

To be honest, I didn't do a huge amount of research for what we wanted the day to look like. I've got a pretty clear sense of personal style and aesthetic, and it sounds wild but I really could just see it in my head! I wanted our day to reflect us and feel personal to our story and what we love. I think if you rely too much on looking at other weddings and other events there's a danger that it doesn't end up being something that's truly yours.

That being said, floral installation shapes and silhouettes were something that I loved researching for hours on end. I was really lucky to have such an incredible florist in Flavia who was so creative.

We loved your gorgeous gown how did you choose this look?

I struggled with the 'bridal shop' experiences - I visited a couple of wedding dress stores and although it was a fun, novelty experience to share with a couple of my best friends, it felt a little too contrived for me. I'm not necessarily a 'bride' type of person and there's this weird, innate pressure when you're in that environment sometimes to become a 'bride' instead of just being yourself, marrying someone..!

A mutual friend introduced me to Clio Peppiatt and we visited her bridal collection launch in London, and as soon as we got chatting it just felt like such a natural relationship. Clio's pieces are so incredibly meticulous and beautiful that it's difficult not to fall in love with them on first sight. I tried on a (green!) corset from her main range with one of her bridal collection skirts and a veil, and even though it was green and we had to use a lot of collective imagination, it just felt right - like something I'd love to wear anyway, but elevated. From there, Clio designed me a custom corset with really beautiful handmade silk sleeves and hundred and hundreds of beads, with matching accessories and two skirts. It was epic. I'm really proud to say I was Clio's first bespoke bridal corset.

On the morning of your wedding, how did you feel?

My sister actually called me 'a joy' on the morning of the wedding, which I remind her of regularly..!

I honestly found that all of the things that I was warned about before the day just didn't end up being true - for me, personally. People were telling me I'd be stressed, that I needed to make sure to remember to eat something, that it wasn't a good idea to drink on the day. In reality, we had the most delicious spread in the morning (partially thanks to Elmore's brilliant team - thank you!) which I took full advantage of, I think I must have had maybe 3 (delicious) bucks fizz's before the ceremony and I was honestly just laughing all morning with my best friends and my brilliant hair and makeup artists. It's a pretty great way to start your day - I couldn't imagine not having enjoyed it or not feeling happy and relaxed.

Tell us about the ceremony?

We had around 100 of our closest family and friends there. It seems like a big number but once you count in other halves it's pretty intimate. We felt strongly that we wanted everyone to be there for both the ceremony as well as for the rest of the day and evening, so it was so nice to walk in and see all of our nearest and dearest. Seeing Aidan at the end of the aisle looking so happy is now a happy core memory for me. We had the most incredible pianist Nicole who played a My Chemical Romance mash-up on the piano as my bridesmaids and I walked down the aisle, which since went viral, and our close friend Char did a small reading of some really meaningful lyrics. It was just a short but sweet, great ceremony.  

Talk us through the drinks reception? 

We were lucky to have great weather on our wedding day and we had a lawn reception with crémant wine and beers, with old-school rock music playing on the speakers. All of our canapés were vegetarian - I'm veggie and nothing is more heartbreaking than beautiful canapés going round at events and having to decline them, so we wanted to make sure everyone could eat as many as they liked.

What was your food of choice?

I had the halloumi and fig salad, truffle risotto and sticky toffee pudding. Aidan went for pork, beef shin and a lemon posset. It was all delicious.

What was your reaction to your reception at the Gillyflower?

It looked incredible! Our meadow flowers were re-purposed to be our table centrepieces to save money and wasted flowers and it was the first time I saw our cake, which one of our close friends Helena made (she owns a brilliant bakery/café in Hitchin called Neighbourhood Bakes - check it out). The Gillyflower is a really beautiful blank canvas and with the good weather the views were stunning. 

First dance choice?

We went for Friday I'm in Love by The Cure. We're massive Cure fans and it was a Friday, so it might be a bit cheesy but it felt right. And a little cheese is always great, anyway (solid advice both for weddings and for life). 

What were your wedding highlights?

It honestly was just a great, fun, happy day full of love and beautiful surroundings - I have many, many highlights. Getting ready in the morning with my best friends, seeing the bouquets for the first time, seeing friends and family I haven't seen in a little while all turning up looking incredible, Aidan's speech, Aidan and his old bandmates/groomsmen playing 'Teenage Dirtbag' at the reception and everyone getting involved, dancing with my Mum and getting in the photobooth with friends I've had since I was 11. It was all just great.

And finally, who helped bring your wedding to life?

Every single one of the suppliers we chose was absolutely brilliant and I couldn't recommend them all more. And of course, thank you so much to the team at Elmore who were so wonderful throughout (and have kept in touch ever since, which has been lovely).

Photographer: Melody Joy Co

Florist: Flavia Studio

Hairdresser: Jay Doan

Makeup: Molly Jane Makeup

A unique celebration indeed and one we can't stop thinking about! Timeless and gothic... so much to love.

If you're still on the hunt for your perfect venue then you never know... it could be use! We have some fab dates in late 2025, 2026 and even some in 2024! We'd love to hear all about your plans and ideas so get in touch.

As always,

Love Team E xx