Our Wedding, Rewritten: An Introduction to This Series

This blog is a little different from my usual wedding stories.

Over the years, I’ve shared so many beautiful days — carefully planned timelines, stunning venues, thoughtful details, and couples celebrating in ways that feel completely them. But this time, I want to tell a more personal story. Our story.

Photo by Kyle Glover Photography

When we first started planning our wedding, we did what so many couples do. We booked Dunston Hall Estate in Derbyshire — local to us, and an absolutely stunning venue. It felt like the obvious choice. The kind of place you imagine when you think of a “big wedding.” Everything was mapped out, planned ahead, and yes… it was going to cost us a lot of money.

Then life changed.

We welcomed our baby boy via IVF, and with that, our priorities shifted completely. Suddenly, the wedding we had been planning didn’t feel as important anymore. Not because it didn’t matter — but because something else mattered more. Our little family. Our time. Our energy. Our future.

We realised that the big wedding we’d once envisioned just wasn’t right for us anymore. What felt important wasn’t the venue, the scale, or the spend — it was simply celebrating us, and the life we’re building together, surrounded by the people who truly mean the most to us.

So we made a big decision.

We chose to have our ceremony in our local church, and then head back to a local social club for food, drinks, and a proper party. Nothing fancy. Nothing curated for Instagram. Just honest, relaxed, meaningful celebration.

It wasn’t without its challenges. We lost our deposit with Dunston Hall — even though we cancelled with over two years’ notice — and that was a hard pill to swallow. But once the decision was made, something else happened: the pressure lifted. The expectations disappeared. The weight of planning the “perfect” day was gone.

And what was left felt… freeing.

This series of blogs is about that journey. The change of plans. The emotional side of wedding planning that doesn’t always get talked about. The guilt, the relief, the second-guessing, and ultimately the clarity that comes from choosing what’s right for you — not what’s trending, expected, or traditionally “done.”

Photo by Kyle Glover Photography

I’m sharing this series to offer another perspective. Something a little quieter, a little more real, and hopefully reassuring to anyone who feels like their wedding doesn’t fit the mould — or who’s realising that the mould doesn’t fit them anymore.

Photo by Elee Smith Photography

I’m so excited (and slightly emotional) to relive this journey and share it with you. The good, the messy, and everything in between.

This is our wedding story — rewritten.

And this is just the beginning. 🤍