It’s Morry and Luke’s BIG gay wedding day!
Once upon a time there was a certain Big Gay Wedding Competition run by Shotgun Weddings and Gay Times. The entrants had to explain why they felt they should win the competition, and the winning couple (by a mile) were Morry and Luke, whose comical account of Morry’s failed attempts at proposing to Luke on Valentine’s Day had us all in stitches – you can read more about that here.
Winning the competition may have been a milestone in their magical journey together, but this is where the fairy tale begins. Yes ladies and gentlemen, we give to you: A Disney-themed wedding set in the Palace of the Royal Pavilion Brighton no less! You couldn’t dream it up. Hang on, yes you can – Morry and Luke already did!
Hearing all about their plans and ideas, we visited the suppliers of the competition one by one to discuss what they could do to make their special day unique in every way. Morry, being the biggest Disney fan (he’s got tattoos and everything!), firmly set the scene of what he had in mind, so we listened and learned… and luckily Luke was there to bring him gently back down to earth!
After several trips down to sunny ol’ Brighton, the date and details were set and we all got to work in creating the wedding of the boys’ dreams. The day finally came and the excitement of (all six) of the boys’ maids of honour, getting ready in the same Airbnb, was chaotic but electric. Each one a Disney Princess in every colour of the rainbow, it was a real life fantasy as we witnessed Morry and Luke’s dream coming to life before our very eyes.
In true Disney style, the boys were whisked off to the ceremony in a fictional pumpkin, transformed by their fairy godmother into a coach pulled by four wild white horses, only to arrive to be greeted by their wonderful family and friends in the historical Red Room at The Brighton Royal Pavilion.
It was here that celebrant Sam Goodchild of Infinite Love conducted the most touching, emotional ceremony you can imagine, leaving no dry eye in the house. Trust us, we could barely focus by the end, such was their story of love, heartbreak, tragedy, heartbreak (again!), but as with all good fairy tales, love conquers all.
Sam’s personal service culminated in a series of very special rituals including sand pouring and cute love message storing; all to relive in years to come to remind the boys of the love they share for one another.
Following the touching ceremony, the boys along with their bridesmaids headed to the music room for portraits, the most spectacular and enchanting space within the Royal Pavilion itself. An explosion of colour and opulence, this room is a feast for the eyes with huge hanging chandeliers and gold gilded artefacts just dripping from the walls, ceilings and fireplace. It’s 17th century psychedelia (before the word even existed!) drawing on art influences from China, India and beyond.
There really is no other Palace I love to shoot in than The Royal Pavilion itself, where history & style intertwine among the former Prince Regents love for all things OTT, colourful and lively (he was known to throw the BEST parties!) which seemed fitting on this day of love and unadulterated celebration.
To mark the end of our time at the Palace, the boys were treated to a beautiful Dove release by Lambert’s Doves, signifying this special moment in their lives in letting go of the old and welcoming in the new! The doves soared over the Palace spires, circling the grounds before heading off home 10 miles away for tea!
However before we left the stunning Pavilion we bounced around the grounds like Royalty, capturing some EPIC shots to mark this once-in-a-lifetime day.
So I eventually extracted the happy couple from our joyous joint, cos’ hey we had a raucous party to reach! Raucous it was with a capital R! Yes, our gorgeous boys descended the steps of The Proud Brighton Ballroom to rapturous applause, stepping into their Disney themed reception like Prince Florian and Prince Charming. Each table was decorated with the most glorious flowers and Disney centrepieces, all created by the incredible Barbara at Miss Mole’s Flower Emporium.
And let’s not forget the cake! Oh the cake… Beautifully fashioned into a replica of the Royal Pavilion itself, Carol from Cakes Beyond Belief created nothing short of a masterpiece, and it’s actually the last one she will ever make. What another poignant moment in history!
It should be obvious by now these boys do everything in style and the reception proved to be nothing less than an example of how to put on an epic wedding day. Our newly weds and their guests were treated to a cabaret and burlesque show like no other, from the incredible performers of The Proud Brighton Ballroom, including Dolly Rocket (compare) Cherry Shakewell, Chi Chi Revolver and Dave The Bear. (Well it IS Brighton, what do you expect?!)
The excitement and entertainment continued into the early hours, but not before our Mr & Mr and their guests had made proper use of the infamous Shotgun photo booth! Yes, we all love a photo booth, and to say the guests got stuck right in, creating some masterpieces of their own, is a total understatement.
So I finally left the wedding of the year in full party mode, but couldn’t help but notice the beautiful carriage sat outside with four wild white horses, just waiting to whisk our happy couple away from their most perfect big gay wedding day… made even more real by their fairy godmother in drag outside chuffing a fag!
Ladies & gentlemen, this is what real fairytales are made of.
Check out the full gallery of Morry & Luke’s wedding day via the Shotgun Weddings blog here.
Shotgun Weddings
The Brighton Royal Pavilion
Proud Cabaret Ballroom
Miss Mole’s Flower Emporium
Sam Goodchild
Viv Lambert – Lamberts Dove’s
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