Today on Marry Me Ink I get to share with you the woodland wedding of Tori and Ryan from Luna Photography – One of Marry Me Ink’s favourite East Midland photographers.
We actually met each other in a tattoo shop! I was getting tattooed by our good friend Drew (also one of the best men) and he had been late picking me up from the train station, he said sorry but his friend had called and held him up but he’d pop by the shop later so I could shout at him then! Fast forward an hour and in walks Ryan. I didn’t get chance to tell him off we were so busy chatting away, he even went out a bought me a cup of tea! Our tattooist Drew then slyly asks both of us individually in better words ‘if we like each other?’ And the answer was unanimous! Ryan stayed for the majority of the 8 hour tattoo but eventually had to leave to watch the football (I should have known then Football would be apart of my life!)
I was feeling a little sad on the way home that I didn’t get details on this gorgeous mans number when suddenly a friend request pops up on my phone and it’s him! We get chatting all night and then all day and all night for the next 6 months until I finally moved from Cardiff to Gloucestershire. The first moment I realised I loved Ryan was on valentines day! (we don’t even celebrate it!) but it was our first one together just under 4 months and we were dog sitting for a friend. I had spent all day making him a banoffee pie (his favourite and the only cake I can make!) and my mum was teasing me saying I was only doing it because I loved him! She was so right the look on his face when I had caught two trains to meet him without squishing it will stay with me forever.
Since we moved to the Forest of Dean in 2015 the woods have become our second home. We absolutely love long walks in the quiet with our German Shepherd Frankfurt so this was reflected in the details of the wedding. The wedding party itself was small and intimate. We’re not flashy and we just wanted to spend the day with our close family and friends (36 of us in all!) rather than make a show and dance of everything! We just really enjoy the quiet laugh and wanted everyone to be a part of the day.
The music for the wedding was very special to us, we had become very obsessed with the TV show how I met your mother and all the songs had come from parts of the show. The guests sat down to Florence and the Machine – Shake it out, I walked down the aisle to Band of Horses – The Funeral, we signed the register to The Shins – Simple Song and walked out to the shows final song The Walkmen – Heaven.
We (me and my girls) basically made everything for the day! The jars were Douwe Egbert coffee jars that ourselves and our family had been collecting all year, that I decorated with the Lovely Jo from our local gym. The cake toppers were made by my twin sister Charlotte, and I had collected pine cones, acorns and chestnuts to decorate the tables. The night before the wedding until about 2am Emma cut all the flowers to size and even made my beautiful bouquet! And the best man Drew cut down half his bay tree for table decoration! Our name placements were also made from the bay leaves which I wrote on with a gold pen.
I can’t forget about my Mum Jill making our wedding cake (even a vegan layer she perfected 100 times!) and my best girl Vikki and her mum Linda sourcing the handmade fudge wedding favours and getting the exact green ribbon to tie the parcels up!
The day goes by so quickly so make the most of every moment and remember what the days all about..love.
How awesome is Tori and Ryan’s wedding? Thank you to Luna Photography for sharing with Marry Me Ink!
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