Kelz and Will wanted a completely relaxing and fun wedding day, without taking the typical approach of a traditional celebration. They told us: “The ceremony was partly inspired by pagan and natural aesthetics and our love of the outdoors and the woods, the reception was inspired by a medieval feast and the party was inspired by the fact that we were metalheads!”
They chose the Edgeworth Polo Club forest in Gloucestershire for their ceremony, clearing a large circle and walkway from the reception teepee. Kelz explained, “We lined the walkway and the circle with fallen branches, logs and sticks that we cleared from the woods, which created a really cool stick fence and decorated it with lanterns and pots. flowers. We also built our arch using large branches found in the woods which we then dressed in paper flowers and matching materials in the chosen colors.
Taking a “do it yourself” approach, the couple created every element of the day themselves. The bride bought her dress online and her grandmother personalized it for her. The flowers, invitations and decoration were also made by them. They wrote their ceremony with their good friend, Ollie, who conducted it, and even hosted the ax throwing and entertainment! They told us, “Basically, we didn’t want to choose our wedding from a catalog because we felt it didn’t reflect what we wanted our wedding to be, so we decided the best approach would be to break all the rules. and do it ourselves.
As gamers, Kelz and Will chose some of their favorite game soundtracks to feature in their ceremony. “We had light bites of Viva Pinata as the guests made their way to the ceremony venue and we waited for Kelz,” Will told us. “Kelz then entered To Zanarkand from Final Fantasy 10, which was a game we played a lot during one of our winter hibernations.”
The ceremony combined the couple’s personalities within it, including reflections instead of vows. Will explained, “We decided to do both reflections on our time together and also promises instead of vows. It was a mixture of funny stories, promises to each other and of course a bit of mush! We chose to do a handfasting at the ceremony, with seven ribbons placed on our arms, three by the bridesmaids, three by the groomsmen and one by our celebrant. We then exchanged rings and ended the ceremony by pouring each other a cup of mead! Good time!”
With a clear focus on having fun and doing things your own way, Kelz and Will advised, “Remember to have fun with it. Planning is such a big part of it, a time when you can really spend some quality time together. Be sure to come up with your concept, then delegate accordingly with clear instructions. It really doesn’t have to be stressful, it all depends on how you approach it!
SUPPLIERS
- Photography: Khya Watts Photography
- Second Photographer: Sophie TC Photography
- Videography: Lion Island Media
- Venue: Edgeworth Polo Club, Gloucestershire
- Bride’s Dress: Custom Made
- Bride’s Accessories: Tewkesbury Medieval Festival
- Tipis: Cotswold Tipis
- Catering: Joanna Parker Catering
