Til Death: A Seriously Rock N Roll DIY Wedding In Yorkshire

Photography by Lauren Elliot Photography

The bride wore black, the groom wore pink and the bridesmaids?

Leopard print.

That’s right.

This super-unique wedding ticked ALL the boxes for us and with a shoestring budget of £2000 it goes to show that having an epic wedding that’s true to you doesn’t need to cost the earth.

Josh is a photographer and Cicely was a stylist, … figures huh?! They worked together for 3 years before finally becoming an item. Isn’t this how all the best relationships start?! After things were more official things started to move at a much faster pace as the couple both knew where they were heading. Josh moved to Yorkshire to live with Cicely. Not content with just the one massive lifestyle change the couple introduced baby Lilleth into the mix, bought a house, got engaged and executed a pretty spectacular wedding all within 3 years. No biggie.

The engagement was understated, just the way we like it. Having just moved in to their second house together they took a break from unpacking and ordered the obligatory Chinese which is perfectly acceptable to eat on the floor at times like this . When it came to the fortune cookies, Josh said ran upstairs and came back with a ring box to make the most of what felt like a perfect moment.

Fast forward 5 months….

Both Josh and Cicely had the same idea when it came to the vibe they wanted to create for their wedding..

“Just the right side of shoddy!”

A party with family and friends but most importantly each other having not had a night out together since Lilleth was born!

‘‘This meant ignoring everyone’s expectations, wearing something that would make us both feel amazing and feel ourselves, having a beer at our favourite pub and then listening to some great music.’’

This laid back approach has the makings of a great night if you ask us? What more does anyone need?!

It was a wedding of favours where friends and family contributed skills and time to make it happen within budget. The reception took place at Cicely’s step dad’s house, a converted church that was bought with Cicely’s late mother in 2000 which they have been coverting ever since! It is still a work in progress so they Josh and Cis’s brothers spent over 10 hours clearing the main hall of the church and filling a skip with years worth of clutter!

‘‘ We thought as long as we kept it on the right side of shoddy and embraced the DIY look, then it would work out better than trying to hide everything! ‘‘

Not surprisingly, this rebel heart pair decided to scrap most of the usual traditions and only held onto the ones that meant something to them. There were no flowers but instead our Book Of Love directory babe Rachel Emma Studio made her trademark buttonholes and alternative bouquets.

‘‘ Rachel then went above and beyond making mini bouquets for my bridesmaids, a custom coloured buttonhole for Josh and then buttonholes to match the bouquets for the groomsmen. Neither of us is very fond of flowers, especially after my mum was ill and everyone bought her flowers, the smell has a very sad association for me, so we were going to have none at all and when I came across Rachel’s work I had to have it! ‘‘

There was no cutting of the cake, and Josh had no ‘best man’ but a bunch of his ‘best men’ instead! Cicely’s dad still walked her down the aisle and of course, the couple still had a first dance which we LOVE because that’s our favourite tradition too!

Looking back over their incredible day both Josh and Cis said their favourite part of the day was seeing one another at the end of the aisle looking both exactly like themselves! YES! We are so here for that!! They do have some important advice for those of you embarking on their wedding planning journey, especially those on a budget: