Dark Wedding Collective

22/09/2026

PART ONE: NICHE AESTHETICS 🖤

EMO BRIDGERTON.

Because apparently what the Regency era was missing was tattoos, black lace and a little bit of emo.

Think Bridgerton, but make it alternative. Candlelight everywhere. Romantic Regency silhouettes. Decadent florals. Black lace. Warm chocolate tones. Tattoos very much on show. A little gothic, a little dramatic and still ridiculously romantic.

This shoot was all about taking an aesthetic everyone recognises and asking what happens when you stop following the traditional version of it.

You don’t have to choose between romantic and alternative.
You don’t have to ditch the period drama fantasy because white dresses and pastels aren’t your thing.

Welcome to Emo Bridgerton. 🖤

And this is only Part One of our Niche Aesthetics series. 👀

Created by an incredible team of suppliers:

Concept: Gothic Wedding Planning
Venue: The Sessions House
Photographers: Gothic & Alternative Wedding Photographer & JANIE 🖤 Alternative Photographer
Dress: 𝕾𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖊𝖙-𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖆
Suit: SCAR
Stylist: Eva Rose Weddings
HMUA: ALTERNATIVE HAIR AND MAKEUP
Florals: Eclectic Textural & Wild Dried Wedding Floral Design
Celebrant: Rachael || Alternative Celebrant || Midlands and beyond
Videographer: Rob Rutley | Wedding Photographer
Content Creator: Alternative Award Winning Wedding Content || UK & abroad
Stationery: WOW by Renbrand Creative
Headpiece: Janie - hair accessory & jewellery designer
Shoes: House of Elliot ® Lace Boots
Models: Bambi & 獣

Want to find more suppliers who understand the assignment? Come and meet us at The Dark Wedding Fair, 14 November at The Old Library, Digbeth, Birmingham. 🖤🥀

14/09/2026

11/09/2026

🖤 RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN 🖤

Who decided there’s a “right” way to get married anyway?

We asked some of the brilliant suppliers in the Dark Wedding Directory:

What wedding “rule” do you think should be broken?

And, well… they had opinions. 👀

Who walks down the aisle.
What you wear.
Who stands where.
When you celebrate.
Rings, traditions, timings and all those “but you’re meant to…” moments.

NOPE. 🖤

Wedding traditions aren’t laws. They’re just suggestions that have been passed down for years — and suggestions are wonderfully easy to ignore. 😉

Wear black. Wear colour.
Walk down the aisle with your bestie, your dog, your partner… or don’t have an aisle at all.

Get married at midnight, at dawn, or whenever the hell you fancy.

There is no rulebook. No collective “right” way to have a wedding.

Just the way that feels right for YOU.

So swipe through and see which wedding “rules” our suppliers would happily set fire to. 🔥

And tell us… which one are YOU breaking? 🖤

Cover Photo: UK ALTERNATIVE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

10/09/2026

🖤 EXHIBITOR ANNOUNCEMENT 🖤

We are looking forward to welcoming...

ALTERNATIVE HAIR AND MAKEUP

To the Dark Wedding Fair Birmingham 🎉

Katie Gale’s Unconventional Collective is a powerhouse of creatives who specialise in alternative hair and makeup for couples who want to look like themselves on their wedding day, just turned up a little louder!

From gothic glamour and dramatic makeup to creative hair, statement styling, and those little details that make a look completely your own, Katie works with you to create something that feels authentic rather than following the usual bridal formula.

You NEVER need to tone yourself down just because you’re getting married.

Want dark eyes? Go for it.

Want incredible hair that looks like it belongs in another world? Absolutely.

Want to walk down the aisle looking exactly like yourself? That’s the whole point 🖤

If you’re looking for alternative beauty that celebrates individuality rather than asking you to fit the mould, make sure you stop by and meet Katie at the fair.

🖤 Dark Wedding Fair
📍 The Old Library, Birmingham
📅 Saturday 14th November
⏰ 11am–4pm

A day filled with alternative inspiration, incredible suppliers, and a community that celebrates weddings without compromise.

Who’s excited to meet Katie? 🥀

10/09/2026

There is something wonderfully strange about the way we’ve turned the heart into a symbol of love 💗

Heart & Soul started with a single symbol: the anatomical heart🫀

Not the neat little symbol we use for Valentine’s Day, but the real thing. Messy, imperfect, beating, bloody and very much alive.

From there came oxblood, black, deep crimson, velvet, candlelight, dark florals, Victorian curiosities and a healthy dose of gothic drama 🥀

But this wasn’t about putting anatomical hearts on everything.

It was about taking one idea and letting a whole team of alternative wedding creatives interpret it in their own way. We ended up creating something cohesive without everything having to match.

And we think that’s the magic of a really great wedding theme.

It doesn’t have to be a shopping list of this or that. It can be as simple as one word, and all engines go.

Underneath all the drama, the colour, the symbolism and the glorious gothic excess, there’s still the simplest part of any wedding:

I choose you 🖤

Step inside Heart & Soul and discover the full gothic luxe story on the blog.

Read it now 🕯️



Coordination
Photography: UK ALTERNATIVE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Headpiece, Bouquet, Pocket square and floral table arrangement: Maddison Rocks Floral Alternative Wedding Florist
Dress and Veil: ✂️ Dark Alternative Wedding Dresses
Suit: SCAR
Makeup: Kate Reynolds - Alternative Makeup Specialist🇬🇧
Hair: Hair by Rachel 🔮✨
Jewellery: Gothic Skull Engagement & Wedding Rings
Celebrant: Alternative Ceremonies UK
Stationery: George Kinghorn | Birdhouse197
Sign: Irregular Signs
Cookies: Custom Cakes & More by Serina
Ring box: Crafty Cove Whitby
Videography: Films By Jo
Couple: Tasha and Aaron
Venue: .wedding

10/09/2026

There is something wonderfully strange about the way we’ve turned the heart into a symbol of love 💗

Heart & Soul started with a single symbol: the anatomical heart🫀

Not the neat little symbol we use for Valentine’s Day, but the real thing. Messy, imperfect, beating, bloody and very much alive.

From there came oxblood, black, deep crimson, velvet, candlelight, dark florals, Victorian curiosities and a healthy dose of gothic drama 🥀

But this wasn’t about putting anatomical hearts on everything.

It was about taking one idea and letting a whole team of alternative wedding creatives interpret it in their own way. We ended up creating something cohesive without everything having to match.

And we think that’s the magic of a really great wedding theme.

It doesn’t have to be a shopping list of this or that. It can be as simple as one word, and all engines go.

Underneath all the drama, the colour, the symbolism and the glorious gothic excess, there’s still the simplest part of any wedding:

I choose you 🖤

Step inside Heart & Soul and discover the full gothic luxe story on the blog.

Read it now 🕯️



Coordination
Photography: UK ALTERNATIVE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Headpiece, Bouquet, Pocket square and floral table arrangement: Maddison Rocks Floral Alternative Wedding Florist
Dress and Veil: ✂️ Dark Alternative Wedding Dresses
Suit: SCAR
Makeup: Kate Reynolds - Alternative Makeup Specialist🇬🇧
Hair: Hair by Rachel 🔮✨
Jewellery: Gothic Skull Engagement & Wedding Rings
Celebrant: Alternative Ceremonies UK
Stationery: George Kinghorn | Birdhouse197
Sign: Irregular Signs
Cookies: Custom Cakes & More by Serina
Ring box: Crafty Cove Whitby
Videography: Films By Jo
Couple: Tasha and Aaron
Venue: .wedding

10/09/2026

If you liked the look of our last wedding fair’s VIP bag, then you’ll DIE FOR our next one 👻🙌

We can’t believe it!
We’ve SOLD 50% of them already!

To get your hands on your VIP bag, head over to the link in our bio.

09/09/2026

🖤 THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS 🖤

It’s rarely the big things that make a wedding feel completely you.

It tends to be the little things.

The detail stitched into your veil. The song nobody expected you to walk down the aisle to. The tiny skull hidden in your bouquet.

The candle you light for someone who couldn’t be there. The table name that makes your friends snort with laughter.

The cake that looks nothing like a wedding cake. The boots under the dress.

The tiny nod to your favourite film, band, book, game, mythology, or weird little obsession.

Those are the things people remember.

Not because they’re expensive. Not because they’re trendy. But because they’re yours.

Your wedding doesn’t need to scream alternative from every corner.

Sometimes the most wonderfully unconventional details are the ones only you know are there.

So go on...

Hide the devil in the details 😈🖤

What’s one tiny detail you’re putting into your wedding that nobody else might notice?

Here’s the tag list for the shoot:

Concept and coordination - Gothic Wedding Planning
Venue - oldeenglandkiosk
Photography - Gothic & Alternative Wedding Photographer
Coordinator - UK ALTERNATIVE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Dresses - ✂️ Dark Alternative Wedding Dresses
Makeup - Katie Gale .collective
Hair - 🌻Cruelty Free Boho Wedding Hair/Makeup • Lancashire, North West
Headpieces - Twilight Couture
Jewellery - esh .london
Styling - STEF + ROSIE | UN-TRADITIONAL WEDDING STYLISTS UK
Flowers - Moorland Blooms Florist
Stationery - 𝕻𝖆𝖉𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖌 𝕿𝖎𝖊𝖗𝖓𝖊𝖞
Cake - 𝖁𝖆𝖑𝖐𝖞𝖗𝖎𝖊 𝕮𝖆𝖐𝖊𝖘
Celebrant - Ian Lamond
Live Artist - True Artistry | Wedding Painter | North West
Models - and Gwen O'Neil

05/09/2026

🎉 10 weeks to go...

We’ve officially reached the 10 week countdown to our biggest Dark Wedding Fair of the year. 🖤

Every week until the doors open, we’ll be sharing an FAQ to answer everything you might be wondering before joining us.

This week’s FAQ:

❓ Do essential companions need a ticket?

No. Essential companions can attend the fair completely free of charge and do not need to purchase a ticket.

If possible, please let us know in advance that an essential companion will be attending with you. Either drop us a DM or an email with your ticket order & name and we will take care of the rest. This simply helps us keep an eye on capacity and make your arrival as smooth as possible.

🗓 Saturday 14th November 2026
📍 The Old Library, Birmingham

Tickets are available now through our website & we’d love to welcome you!

Who’s joining us in just 10 weeks’ time? 🖤

photo by JANIE 🖤 Alternative Photographer