Amber and Jago got married on 31st October in Cornwall. The date was significant because not only do they love Halloween, they started dating on and got engaged on Halloween! As goths, it just made total sense to keep the same date for their wedding.

They styled the day around the things they love. The location, The Alverton in Truro, brought in Jago’s Cornish background. He even managed to find black and white Cornish tartan to wear. Guests arrived in black or dark tones, some wore capes and top hats. Everyone committed to the theme fully.

Amber designed her look with a designer she found on Stitch Social. The lower half of the dress was made using her mother’s wedding dress, reworked into a fit and flare silhouette that had a black, red and white gradient. “It looked like I was walking through the blood of my enemies!” Amber said. “My look was very gothic, vampiric, empress! The dress was a corset top with a bolero jacket with an Elizabethan collar and lace bell sleeves.”

The ceremony featured a ring warming, traditional and funny vows. They also kept the soundtrack on theme. Guests took their seats to string quartet versions of Korn, HIM and Deftones and Amber walked down the aisle to Vermillion by Slipknot.

There were other small details throughout the day that reflected their lives. Their two cats could not attend, so they were included through illustrated canvases dressed in vampire capes, with their whiskers placed into Amber’s bouquet.

The cake was another incredible detail, designed to look like anatomically correct, bleeding hearts. Amber explains, “The cakes had blood coloured liquid inside that we stabbed repeatedly to Avenge Sevenfold’s A Little Piece Of Heaven! It was such a fun moment.”

They were solid in their plans and what they wanted, although they did find it tricky to find suppliers who ‘got them’ at times. “When you find the people that see your vision and want to help you achieve your dreams it’s the most exciting and best feeling ever.” Amber concluded. Every supplier they worked with contributed to that experience. “We had a magician, a pianist playing spooky Halloween tunes and a photo booth made from antique furniture to take unlimited photos for the guests. They were all amazing”.

“Our advice is to just do your wedding the way you want to do it, the people who love you will be happy to do whatever you want and the people who hate it don’t need to get an invite!”

Buying an engagement ring online used to feel risky. Jewellery is one of those things people naturally want to see in person. How can you judge sparkle, size or quality from a screen?

But online jewellery shopping has changed dramatically over the last decade. Many reputable jewellers now operate primarily online, offering larger selections, detailed diamond certifications and pricing that is often far more competitive than traditional retail stores.

Still, buying something as meaningful and valuable as an engagement ring requires careful consideration. If you’re planning to buy an engagement ring online, here are some key things to think about before making your decision.

Understand the Basics of the Stone

Before you start browsing rings, it helps to understand the fundamentals of gemstone quality. When it comes to diamonds, this usually means the “Four Cs”: cut, colour, clarity and carat weight.

Alternative stones like sapphires or moissanite are evaluated slightly differently, but quality still depends on factors like colour, brilliance and overall craftsmanship.

Most reputable online jewellers provide certification from recognised gemological laboratories, such as GIA or IGI, which helps verify the quality of the stone.

Research the Retailer

One of the biggest advantages of buying an engagement ring online is access to a wider range of jewellers. But that also means it’s important to do some research before committing.

Look for retailers with strong customer reviews, clear contact information and transparent policies. Many reputable online jewellers provide detailed product descriptions, high resolution images and even 360 degree videos of the stones they sell.

Trustworthy sellers will also clearly explain the origin of their diamonds or gemstones and provide independent certification.

If the website feels vague or lacks basic information about returns, warranties or shipping, it’s usually a sign to proceed cautiously.

Check Return and Resizing Policies

Even when you’ve researched carefully, it’s possible that the ring may not look exactly how you imagined once it arrives. That’s why return policies are so important.

Many online jewellers offer return windows ranging from 14 to 30 days, allowing you to see the ring in person before fully committing. Some brands also offer free resizing, which can be particularly helpful if you’re unsure of your partner’s exact ring size.

Before placing an order, check how long you have to return the ring and whether resizing is included.

Compare Prices Carefully

One of the main reasons people choose to buy engagement rings online is price.

Online retailers often have lower overhead costs than physical jewellery stores, which can mean more competitive pricing for similar stones. This is particularly noticeable with larger diamonds or lab grown diamonds, where price differences can be significant.

However, price comparisons only make sense when the stones being compared are truly similar. Two diamonds may appear almost identical at first glance but differ in cut quality or certification, which can affect both value and appearance.

Taking time to compare specifications will help you understand whether a ring is genuinely good value.

Consider Alternative Stones

While diamonds remain the most common engagement ring stone, many couples are now exploring alternatives.

Lab grown diamonds, moissanite, sapphires and other gemstones offer different aesthetics and often come at lower price points. Some couples prefer coloured stones for their individuality, while others choose lab grown options for ethical or environmental reasons.

Buying online can make it easier to explore these alternatives because many retailers offer a wider range of stones than traditional stores.

Think About Ring Style and Lifestyle

An engagement ring is typically worn every day, so it needs to suit the wearer’s lifestyle as well as their personal style.

Some settings are more durable than others. Low profile designs, for example, are less likely to catch on clothing or everyday objects. Bezel settings, which surround the stone with metal, can provide extra protection for softer gemstones.

If your partner has an active lifestyle or works with their hands, choosing a practical setting can make the ring more comfortable for long term wear.

There’s no reason why, in this day and age, you should be overly concerned about buying online. As long as you do your research properly, its a great way to get the engagement ring you want in a more convenient, and often way more affordable way,

Did you know there is no rule that says your engagement shoot has to be pretty pictures of you in a field or on a beach. I mean, those make lovely shoot locations and all but do you know what’s way cooler? A freakin’ haunted mansion! For Anita and Michael, who love all things dark and romantic, these vibes were elite.

“This was actually our second option as the weather had turned INSANE with crazy high winds, snow and rain!” photographer Keri Lynne told us. “We needed to pivot. I’ve passed by Cottonwood a ton of times on my drives out of town and always wanted to check it out as they host weddings and ghost tours (which I’ve been dying to go to!) We ended up calling them up at really short notice and they were able to let us shoot there. It was the perfect backdrop.”

The main inspiration for our shoot was Dracula meets Frankenstein. “As a millennial, I grew up loving anything a little darker, more romantic, like Queen of the Damned, Buffy etc and that kind of slightly haunted, emotional aesthetic. They show that your love story doesn’t have to fit into a light, airy (puke lol), traditional box to be meaningful or beautiful. It can be cinematic, a little melancholic, and dark. For me, it’s inspiring because it gives people permission to fully lean into a vibe or narrative that feels authentic, even if it’s unconventional.”

“When it comes to your wedding photos, my biggest advice would be to not listen to the trends and focus on what you actually love”, she concluded. “It’s so easy to get caught up in what’s popular or what you think your photos should look like, but the most meaningful photos come from leaning into who you are as a couple.”

Sarah and Jordan did not want a big spectacle for their wadding. Instead, they opted for an intimate ceremony and meal with their closest family. That didn’t mean they didn’t care about the aesthetics though, in fact they were very visually driven, wanting deep opera reds, black accents, candlelight, and rich textures. They hired Britney of Be You Planning to help them bring their vision to life

“The theme was dramatic, luxurious, and unapologetically red”, Sarah said. “The first time I said I wanted red, Jordan immediately said no, which honestly made me want it more! He naturally leans clean, classic, and understated, and I have always leaned the exact opposite. I love strong colours, statement details, and anything with a little bit of drama, so the vision for the day ended up looking a lot like my personal style.”

They didn’t set out with the goal of being alternative, instead they wanted to focus on building something that felt aligned with their life. They spent the entire day together, starting with grabbing their morning coffee as they usually do, then getting ready side by side.

“I don’t know that we set out to make the wedding feel alternative, but we were very intentional about making it feel like us”, Sarah continued. “One of the biggest things we did differently was that we spent the entire day together. We got ready together that morning, had coffee together, and read our vows to each other privately before anything started. It made the whole day feel calm and personal instead of rushed, and it kept the focus on what the day actually meant to us.”

The ceremony itself was also kept private, only their closest family was there. Between them, they have four children, and so they wanted them involved in every moment. “The heart of the day was really about the six of us becoming a family, so it felt important to keep that moment small and meaningful instead of turning it into something performative.”

The thing they found hardest about planning, was all the little details and decisions, which is why they were so happy with their choice of wedding planner. “When you attend a wedding, you see the big moments, the dress, the ceremony, the reception, but you don’t realise how many tiny decisions sit underneath all of that”, she explained, I was lucky in the sense that once I started to feel overwhelmed, I was able to hire a wedding planner, and that gave me a whole new level of respect for people who plan everything themselves. It’s a lot more work than it looks from the outside!”

The music they chose to play throughout the day followed their usual listening habits, too. EDM, house, 90s hip hop, and country all appeared. Jordan walked in to the ceremony to the Red Clay Strays and they left to Jay-Z. Drinks ranged from a Diet Coke tower, Monster and Dom Pérignon, which they discovered they actually enjoyed the least!

“Our reception wasn’t really a a traditional reception at all, which honestly made it one of my favourite parts. We ordered pizza, partly because it sounded good and partly because it was a reference to one of Jordan’s first jobs, and ended up signing our marriage certificate at the table with pizza and beer in our hands! At some point karaoke started, our niece and youngest daughter both sang, and Kaleigh, who had just officiated our ceremony and also happens to be the niece of Neal McCoy, ended up serenading us with Neal McCoy songs in the middle of the brewery! None of it was planned, it was just all the people we love in one place, doing what we would probably be doing anyway.”

“I think the biggest thing I wish more people understood is that a non-traditional wedding isn’t about trying to be different, it’s about making the day actually feel like it belongs to you”, she concluded. “At the end of the day, it’s your wedding, and it should reflect your life, your personality, and what feels right for the two of you, not what makes other people comfortable.”

Having an “alternative” wedding isn’t about being different for the sake of it. It’s about crafting a day shaped around you and what you want it to look, and almost more crucially, feel like.

If you blindly follow the formula, you end up with a timeline built around traditions you don’t question, photos you don’t even want, and a day that runs more like a production schedule than a party. It works, of course, but it isn’t always the right path, especially if you or your guests are neurodivergent.

This is your permission to skip or change anything that doesn’t make sense for you, and keep only what does.

Invite fewer people
Fewer people cost less money and generally mean less overall stress. You’ll have more time with each person, more budget to spend on the things you actually care about, and more space to actually enjoy what’s happening.

Get ready together
Separate prep is traditional, but it’s also one of the longest parts of the day spent apart. Getting ready together can be a really fun part of the day if that feels right for you. It sets the “us against the world” tone early.

Read your vows privately first
If the idea of saying something personal in front of a crowd makes your stomach drop, don’t. Read your vows to each other before the ceremony. You still get the moment, just without the audience. It can actually make it feel way more special.

Do your portraits before the ceremony
Add a first look if that feels right (cue all the beaut emosh photos), and plan to have your portraits and group photos done before the ceremony. This gives you more time to enjoy your cocktail hour and spend time with your guests, riding that post-ceremony “eek we just got married!” high well into your reception without being pulled away for pictures.

Walk down the aisle together
The aisle doesn’t need to be a grand reveal. Walking in side by side into this moment in your lives just makes sense.

Rework the timeline
You don’t need a 12-hour day if the idea fills you with dread. If you’re not late-night party people, why not have a sunrise or morning ceremony and brunch as your meal? Or go the other way and make a whole week of celebrations. Again, it’s all about what feels best to you.

Get legally married before the wedding
In England and Wales, humanist or celebrant-led ceremonies are still not legally binding, so if you are going down that route, you’ll need to have a legal wedding led by a registrar or member of a religious organisation beforehand. It’s an archaic law (one we hope will change soon) but if you choose to do the legal part on another day, it actually removes a lot of pressure from the ceremony. It gives you full freedom to do exactly what you want on your wedding day.

Limit the group photos
You do not need 45 combinations, I promise, these won’t be your favourite photos from the day. But we get it, your mum wants something for the mantlepiece. A few with your wedding party, your parents, and one bigger group shot is more than enough. Then stop. Go and enjoy your wedding!

Ditch the wedding party
Call us controversial, but bridesmaids and groomsmen can make the day better or they can make it more stressful and expensive. You know your people. You know if they’ll support you or add pressure.

Skip the formal dinner
Food trucks, sharing platters, BYO buffet. They might sound “out there” to some people, but a more casual setup often makes a wedding more enjoyable. People can then move around, talk, and eat what and when they want.

Forget the seating plan
The table plan is one of the biggest stress points during planning. People are adults. They can figure out where to sit and who to avoid themselves!

End the night your way
You don’t need a big exit moment. You can Irish exit, keep it going until 4am, or call it a night early. The sparkler exit is a cute photo op, but booze + handheld fireworks aren’t always a great mix. If you don’t care about it, drop it.

And when you get back to your room, have your favourite food waiting
Your future self will thank you. You probably won’t have eaten enough through all the adrenaline and excitement. So imagine getting back to your room and finding your favourite pizza waiting for you to eat in bed. Now that’s how you end the night.