Photography by Remain In LIght Photography

We adore our brides. That’s why we got together with Lauren to chat about her very own un-wedding, how the day went, and shared some of her amazing modern wedding ideas. 

Buckle up as we share the whole story, we’re talking budgets, trashed traditions, and lessons learned. For any married couple to be, this is the blog to read! 

Popping The Questions:

One of the great things about alternative weddings and modern wedding planning is that we build new traditions or uncover completely new experiences. One of these being, the proposal! 

For Lauren and Jason, it all started in January 2019 in a perfectly imperfect way. 

Already being a family of four, Lauren knew she wanted to be married and have the ring to prove it - so much so that she even shared the link with her husband-to-be (we love good communication!). 

Being well equipped, he still wanted to make the experience special for her. We’ll let Lauren share the story in her own words. 

“I had been due to be away for the weekend on a training course but had been sick so didn't go. On Sunday, he tried to get me to go for a walk, but I was having none of it. Jason then got my brother to ring and pretend our friends were coming up for coffee. I hadn't seen them in ages so I agreed to go to the little cafe on the pier we always go to. When we arrived, there was no sign of our friends and my brother asked me to go take photos at the end of the pier for his new clothing range (I'm a photographer). I was majorly stropping because I was sick, tired and it was raining, but when we got to the end of the pier I turned around and Jason was on one knee. My brother was there to photograph it all. Jason had managed to surprise me and that in itself was an absolute miracle!” 

Give Us The Wedding Planning Deets!:

Having been excited about marrying for a while now, they already knew exactly what they wanted and the planning was a breeze… or was it?

Lesson learned: Don’t dive into the booking rabbit hole before you are 100% ready. 

Everything was looking good ahead with the date in mind and the plans rolling ahead, COVID hit.  Because of this, they got to plan and then get everything together quite quickly. 

“So, our first wedding plans took the year. ‘But,’ our actual wedding took 2 weeks to plan...It made me realise things can be sorted, organised and planned in a very short space of time.” 

Let’s Talk Money:

“Our budget was initially £15,000. We have two children and even that felt a lot more than what we really wanted to be spending, but it snowballed… We are grateful now that the universe forced us back to what we really wanted and we spent money on the things that truly mattered to us.“

When planning your wedding budget it is always important to remember what is important to you! 

Tell Us Your Favourite Things: 

“Obviously, being a wedding photographer, photography was the most important thing for me. I wanted memories captured. And I quickly realised that this also meant videography too.

We also wanted it to be local. Jason is from Portrush, where we live. It's the most amazing place right on the North Coast of Northern Ireland. 

It's where we met, got engaged, and are raising our family. So it was so important that we stayed close to home and incorporated that. Jason is also a volunteer for the RNLI so it was important that was incorporated.”

Love For The Whole Family:

Having a ceremony that included their kids was a key component for Lauren and Jason. That is why they chose to have a Humanist ceremony! 

A humanist ceremony allows you to create and explore traditions and topics that aren’t just about traditional wedding values, but what their union meant to them and their family. 

Did You Have Any Traditional Components?:

Yes! These things were important to the couple, and even with COVID, they had managed to make them all happen. 

• Lauren’s dad got to walk her down the aisle

• They had their cake and ate it too

• Shared and listened to beautiful speeches 

• And to unify the couple, they exchanged rings and said vows

Which Traditions Did You Trash?:

“Pretty much everything else, and not just because of covid restrictions.”

To make their ceremony unique to them, Lauren and Jason wrote their own vows and had their children included almost every step of the way. 

They also incorporated a symbolic family signing of rock from their favourite beach to mark the moment they all received the same name! 

Our favourite part is that their son was Jason's best man. 

“Due to COVID, we weren't allowed a reception so, we went to the cafe where Jason proposed for takeout coffee before we went home and had takeaway from our favourite restaurant.”

“We had our first dance in our kitchen with just our bubble.”

We Have To Talk About That Dress:

Picking out a dress can be one of the most challenging parts for a bride to be, what’s your story?

“My dress was Liri By Riki Dalal from Pippa Bridal. It was actually the second dress I bought. I had picked, ordered and paid for another dress which was so much more traditional than the one I wore. I had bought the first one when I was feeling rubbish about myself and just wanted something that would 'hide' my body. I also rushed into it and didn't shop around enough. 

A few months later I was at the opening of Pippa Bridal and saw my dress. I instantly fell in love with it and it felt like me. It had movement and I knew I'd be able to walk around in it. It came with a really plunging neckline though so I had to find an amazing dressmaker who added in a modesty panel and customised it to what I needed it to be”

And, What About The Bridesmaids & Groomsmen? 

“The bridesmaid dresses also changed MULTIPLE times! My original vision was blue. But, then I saw Ghost dresses and fell in love again. This colour was so far removed from our original plan, but when COVID changed everything, it meant I could go for what felt like us. And these dresses did. 

“The boy’s suits were from Burns Outfitters, a local menswear shop that could not have been more helpful.”

Give Us A Glimpse at the Ups and Downs:

“There are far too many to mention!”

The first thing had to be the changes COVID made room for. This allowed the couple to focus on what really mattered to them. 

“The hardest part was seeing the mistakes I had made when planning originally. From rushing in and falling into the trap of planning the wedding I thought I should have, rather than what was true to us. It cost us both emotionally and financially.”

Some Shoutouts?

Perch and Plume did our stationery for the day and it was stunning! We had one of our poems printed for our 18 guests and our vows in beautiful vow books. You can actually buy the set we had for our wedding direct from Etsy so it was so cost-efficient.

This Old Home styled our ceremony space and hired in the beautiful antique rugs. We had so much planned for when we were having a reception, but they made sure our ceremony was extra special. 

My videographer Darragh is my most recommended out of everyone. I absolutely adore working with Darragh as a fellow supplier, but on my own wedding day he was even more amazing and the film he has produced is out of this world. I feel like I'm watching myself in a movie trailer. 

Rebecca Duff is my makeup artist and I couldn't recommend her more. Our makeup lasted all day and was so flawless. She also brought such amazing energy. 

Our venue, The Arcadia in Portrush were just absolutely incredible. They could not have been more helpful in the run-up. Especially as I only booked 4 weeks before and we were in and out of circuit breakers! 

On the day, the team was extremely helpful and so good at making everyone feel at ease. 

Star Car Hire provided our VW camper and it was such a cute little touch. I never thought I would have spent the money on a car, but it was something I'm so glad I did. It was so nice to arrive in it and our driver was just the most amazing addition to our day. He played music on the way down to settle my nerves and waited overtime to make sure we got home! Our kids also went for a spin to stop them from getting cold.

Any Advice You Can Share To Couples Embarking On This Journey?: 

“Your wedding is just the beginning of the next chapter of your life and if you focus on that it can help you make decisions that remain true to you.

It also means you can overcome any issue, no matter what is thrown at you. Your wedding is about you two as a couple, nothing or no one else! Make sure to take the time together to really focus on that.

And enjoy it.”

A Modern Wedding:

See the full gallery below and if you’re getting ready to plan your very own un-wedding or are feeling inspired by Lauren’s big day - we invite you to browse our Book Of Love and find everything you need for your special occasion.