It All Started With A Trade Of Tattoos [Tattooed Bride Blog]

Today on Marry Me Ink, I bring you a gorgeous retro couple who were hitched in Vegas! 

Nick and Rachel are both tattoo artists and decided to wed in Vegas for three reasons: It was quick, painless and most of all – FUN! If anyone wanted to come, they could and those who missed out, got to watch it live online from the comfort of their own homes! (What a fantastic idea!)

“Nick and I are both tattooists. We both saw each others work online and decided to meet up to swap tattoos. At the time I was apprenticing in Manchester so he drove up to meet me and trade tattoos. We hit it off straight away and went on a real date a week later. It was only long distant for a few months as we got to know each other and when invited to work at Modern Body Art in Birmingham city centre we decided to move into a house there together. He now works in another great shop in Birmingham called ‘Gung Ho’. So the move was a great choice for our careers (and of course our relationship!)

Because we do the same thing, we really get each other. We spend all our time drawing and painting together!

With anybody else I would have to apologise for working all the time.

“The day before Nick proposed, I went to get my knee tattooed by Valerie Vargas at Frith Street in London. He usually comes with me but gave me some excuse that he couldn’t, and I believed him! Little did I know he was going to buy me a ring!
So the next day I was feeling really rough after getting such a painful tattoo. I wasn’t feeling very well and decided to come home early. But he got the guys at work to stall me there as long as possible! Then his friend showed up at the shop with a huge bouquet of flowers, the handbag I had my eye on for months and £20 for a taxi.

 So I got the cab home and there was a note stuck to the floor with ‘start here’ from this was a trail of chocolates going around the house with presents of perfume, monkey Sylvanian Families and a Vivienne Westward necklace along the way!
Then when I got to our room there was another note saying ‘now go downstairs’. There he was on one knee with a beautiful Edwardian ring. Of course I said yes!

We were engaged for almost a year. We would of gone a lot sooner if my sister wasn’t pregnant! I wanted to wait until she could come with us (and when a time would be good for her to be away from my new nephew for a few days!)
This was a blessing in disguise, everybody had plenty of time to save up and so we had a great turnout! We had spoken about Vegas before and it just seemed right for us.
We aren’t religious people., so a quick fun wedding was more up our street.

“We both love retro style! I’m into the styling of the 40s-50s and Nicks more 70’s-80s! I think this really comes out in our choice of outfits! But I also think that it worked really well together on the day. We got the best of both worlds by having our cocktail reception at a tiki bar!”

Rachel explained that she tried on a few different styles of dresses before settling on this beautiful gown that compliments her tattoos so well. 

“I think anything too fussy/frilly wouldn’t work. My tattoos are the decoration!
I was sure Nick was going to see my dress! even though it was in a dress bag we took it on the plane with us and it kept falling off the hanger (And out of the bag!!) Luckily my family where all there to help! Nick even carried it at one point but he assured me he didn’t see it.

“After our wedding we went on a road trip with a couple of friends. We traveled to get tattooed by Nicks favourite tattooist. He has a shop in Northern California called Champion ship tattoo, and he’s called Curt Baer. Nick got his throat tattooed and I got some wedding bells! So those are our wedding tattoos (and of course we have the tattoos we traded on the day we met). We defiantly have a few more planned to get together (we have a lot of in jokes!)“

And if get getting married wasn’t awesome enough.. Nick also won $5,400 on the a slot machine after the buffet that day! Crazy!

How awesome are Nick & Rachel?!! A HUGE thank you for allowing me to share their amazing wedding with you! 

Here’s a bit of advice from Rachel if you’re planning your own wedding:
“Do what makes you happy! As long as it’s in budget of course. Don’t feel like you have to please everybody. Its your day after all!
Its easy to get swept up in it all and think you have to do everything everybody is telling you. Just make sure you do what YOU want to make it special.“

Do leave them some love , they are one fantastic couple!

(All photographs are couple’s own)