Ben & Harry's Victorian Gothic Wedding

We were having lunch at Sketch and Ben gave the rings as a present during dessert. It was a complete surprise to Harry and he said yes straight away.

Our initial idea was to have a traditional ceremony and then surprise the guests with an out of the ordinary reception venue. We didn't have an idea on theme until we found the House of Magic. Our outfits were traditional Vivienne Westwood suits and we didn't have a dress code for the guests, but any extras we started adding to the day quickly became Gothic in theme.

We had our ceremony at The Old Library in Dulwich College. It's a really cute building which looks like a small chapel (non religious) with lovely grounds around it. It was amazing.

We had a nightmare finding a suitable reading! We wanted something original and quirky but everything we found was a cliche or just weird. In the end we went for one reading Love is not to Possessby James Kavanaugh and then an Amy Whinehouse song - Our Day Will Come- sung/played by two of our friends. We transported the guests to the reception venue using 'Ghost Bus Tours' black double deckers, which seated about 100 guests. The only decorations we had made were table centrepieces, which were done by our creative friend, Isla Campbell. Our amazing reception was at the Simon Drakes House of Magic. We were looking for something a little quirky and did a lot of research in to different venues. This place stood out from the rest, and after going to a public event there we were completely sold. It offered the whole package: they did the catering, provided the staff (some themed!) and the entertainment. We had canapes and a welcome drink when everyone arrived, and a buffet meal in the evening. The menu they offered had loads of choice and catered for all dietary requirements. Our wedding cake was made by 'Cute as a Cupcake' in Hackney and followed the early Victorian gothic theme. They printed the Disney Haunted Mansion wallpaper on the sides and put two skeletons with top hats on the top. There was also no need to decorate the venue as it's set up like an enchanted haunted house with curiosities around every corner. A bespoke show by the owner, Simon Drake, is also part of the package, which gave our guests something special to remember. Friendly staff, amazing food and an owner who went above and beyond to make our day run smoothly. It was completely hassle free! Our advice to other couples planning their wedding? Make sure you just enjoy it - There's no point in getting stressed out! We started by booking the venues a year and a half before, and then had loads of time to get all the other things done. Picking a venue which did all the catering and managed every detail was definitely a good idea. There were no extra costs for cutlery, table cloths, etc.