Eclectic & Fun Multicultural Wedding In A Train Station (That We Were Lucky Enough To Attend!)

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Photo by Remain in Light Photography via Bridal Musings

Today’s real wedding post is a little bit special. Because, well, we were at the wedding!

We welled up at the vows, we swooned over the dress and we gushed at how gorgeous the flowers were – we did manage to stay away from the craft beer though!

Today’s real wedding is part of a very special collaboration with Nu Bride and Brides Magazine UK – The Great British Wedding. On a Saturday in July, we joined reporters across the country who attended all different kinds of weddings. The reason? We wanted to showcase what it’s like to get married in Britain in 2017 (on the most popular wedding date of the year) to celebrate diversity, individuality, and love!

You can read more about the project here, and in the latest issue of Brides Magazine, but without further ado, let’s get to the main stars of the show… Megan and Jason.

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Megan and Jason are one awesome couple, and it was an absolute honour to witness their day. Self-proclaimed feminists and seasoned wedding goers, they wanted their nuptials to be more personalised and modern than the traditional English wedding. Coming from Arabic and Jewish backgrounds respectively, Megan & Jason wanted to honour their families, while still having a ceremony that was true to them, and their own beliefs.

And that’s exactly what they did.

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Holding their wedding in the East Anglia Railway Museum (aka one of the most unique venues I’ve ever been to!), their guests enjoyed mini train rides (even more fun after a couple of craft beers!), dined on pizza, burritos and ice-cream cones, and did lots (and lots!) of dancing.

Their venue was decked out so beautifully by Laura at Your Wedding Your Way and her team in a beautiful vintage travel theme that tied in perfectly with the venue, (if you followed us on Insta Stories, you’ll see I could not stop taking pictures of the tables!).

The very lovely (and talented!) Mairead of Remain in Light was on hand to capture their day, so scroll down to swoon over Megan, Jason and their gorgeous wedding day – and read more of my take on what it was like as a guest!

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The Ceremony

Megan & Jason had a humanist ceremony as they felt it was the best way to incorporate traditions from both their families in a way that felt authentic to them.

Their celebrant, Samantha was so wonderful, painting a picture of the couple’s love story and life together throughout the ceremony, telling it as if she was an old friend. It really gave you a sense of who they are, which I loved.

Jason’s mum read a wonderfully sweet poem that’s a family favourite, a string quartet played so beautifully, and the vows, which focused on equality and friendship got everyone welling up.
Jason promised to make all their decisions together, “From what to have for dinner to how to raise our children.” (I’m tearing up at the thought).

Megan gave Jason Arabic sweets with the evil eye to ward off bad spirits, but the ceremony highlight was when the couple smashed the glass in the traditional Jewish fashion. It was my first time seeing it happen in the flesh – it’s loud, but very fun!

Megan & Jason’s wedding rings were passed around all the guests who each made a wish for the newlyweds – though the ring was dropped somewhere around the groomsmen and there was a bit of a scramble to find it before it fell through the floorboards.

I do love when something happens during a wedding ceremony to lift the formalities!

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Photo by Remain in Light Photography via Bridal Musings

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Photo by Remain in Light Photography via Bridal Musings

The Venue

The East Anglian Railway Museum was everything I hoped it would be just from the name alone.

Still a working railway station (albeit a quiet one in the middle of the English countryside), events take place in the Goods Shed which I got to through the station and over the bridge above the tracks, following Megan’s hand-scribed signage! Inside the Goods Shed, there’s an actual train carriage, and lots of cool old signage hanging overhead.

Outside, there’s a lot to see, vintage trains and transport memorabilia, and a mini train that you can take rides on!

One of my favourite areas was where the guests had their post wedding bubbly. A disused train platform with an old-fashioned ticket booth, and a train with compartments that guests could sit in with their drinks!

The whole venue added such a sense of fun and personality to Megan & Jason’s day.

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The Style

These two looked so gorgeous hand in hand as they came back down the aisle as husband and wife!

Megan (who had sworn off the strapless ballgown) found her dream dress – a strapless ballgown! – by Naomi Neoh from the Bespoke Wardrobe in Essex – and it was so beautiful paired with a cascading veil and vintage sash. I just loved how the dress moved in person, it was so playful and romantic!

Jason looked very dapper – and rather unique – in his dark navy suit, with a check waistcoat. But my favourite detail of his was his peacock bowtie with real feathers. Megan told me that the peacock feather is considered an evil eye so in the Arab tradition it’s used to ward off evil in a marriage. A thoughtful touch, right?

The feathers on the guys also matched the bridesmaid dresses which were a glamorous emerald green hue.

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The Decor

I don’t know where to start with the decor, it was all so gorgeous – and there were so many carefully chosen details!

For the ceremony, the couple had a flower arch as their backdrop with bunting overhead, then before the canapés and speeches, the room was changed around to look with a beautiful vintage village fete.

The tables were adorned with milk bottles filled with flowers and foliage garland for the top table. Each placesetting had an enamel plate (my favourite!) and green glassware with a personalised Polaroid picture for each guest.

My favourite touch were the table names, places that meant something to Megan & Jason, but done on fabulous vintage travel posters. The table plan was a corresponding antique map and vintage luggage surrounded the gift table where where guests could write wishes for the bride and groom or sign a Jenga piece as a fun guest book alternative.

The couple also created a display adorned in family wedding photos.

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The Planning

When I chatted to Megan & Jason ahead of their big day, I just loved that they sounded on the same page about wedding planning. They were so laid back that their only concern was the weather (it rained but not before they got lots of pictures!)

Megan (with the help of her mum) had taken the lead on the decor, but all of their decisions were made together and each choice they made had a lot of thought behind it.

But the most impressive thing about this couple’s wedding planning skills? They came in under budget! Yep – who does that!?

Megan said she did a lot of research before making out their original budget of £25,000 so they would have an idea of what to expect to spend. Running a tight ship, identifying priorities, and keeping track of everything on spreadsheets throughout the planning process, meant there was money left in the kitty for all those unexpected expenses that crop up in the last few weeks.

I think these guys might have a future in wedding planning!

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The Food & Drink

Megan & Jason really turned the traditional wedding meal on its head with the catering, and it made for a different flow and structure to their day.

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed ice-cream, bubbly and craft beer, before going inside for Mediterranean nibbles and speeches (Megan repped for the ladies with a speech of her own!). Then the food trucks arrived for the main event – sourdough pizza and burritos – pretty cool, right?

Instead of the traditional wedding cake, Megan & Jason opted for tiers of cheese (it took all my strength not to dig in while the room was still being decorated!), while there was still a sweet table for those who were craving sugar.

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Advice For Other Couples

Don’t worry about the weather because even if it rains the day is still magical and they say rain is good luck (or as my mother-in-law said ‘It is the gods celebrating’).

The moments I remember the most where when I really stopped, took a few deep breaths in and took in what was going on.

100% do a bridal speech – it was great fun and gave me a chance to tease my husband.

When you first walk into the ceremony, stop at the bottom of the aisle for about 30 seconds before you start walking, and really look at everyone, all those smiling faces there to celebrate with you, and then your partners big beaming face at the top of the aisle. It will feel like ages but was a wonderful moment.

The day after the wedding, both sit down and write out your favourite part, the funny moments, the things ‘not to forgot’ and put them away until your first wedding anniversary, then swap and read. The first anniversary is paper and you both would have had different memories of the day.

Have fun – I know it sounds weird but don’t forget that this day is about you and your other half so if you want a pint of beer, have one, if you want to dance like loons, dance.