This pair got married in the same room as the groom's parents... 37 years later! • Offbeat Wed (was Offbeat Bride)

This pair got married in the same room at the groom's parents... 37 years later! — Photos by David Milnes

Offbeat partner: Abs

Offbeat partner: Sarrah

Date and location of wedding: Ceremony Venue: Moat Room, Harrow Registry Office | Reception Venue: Dixie Queen, Thames Luxury Charters, River Thames, Tower Bridge — August 25, 2018

Our offbeat wedding at a glance:

We got married in the same room in the same building (Moat Room, Harrow Registry Office) as my parents, with the same registered home address. The only difference: the two weddings were 37 years apart!

The wedding reception was held on the largest boat on the River Thames, the Dixie Queen, that included the opening of Tower Bridge. We also had a nine-tier cake! I met my wife Sarrah on her visit to the UK from Sri Lanka at a BBQ. It all started and ended with a BBQ at our wedding, too.

It was a role-reversal wedding: she did the proposing and I did all the organising for the day, including her bridal outfit.

Tell us about your reception:

It was always both our personal dreams to hold our wedding reception on a boat, and it was just magical that we could achieve this on the largest boat on the River Thames, whilst sailing under opening of the Tower Bridge!

What was your most important lesson learned?

That hitches make a wedding memorable. So laugh them off! Accept that you can’t please everyone. I guarantee no one will notice that the colour of the flowers was not the same shade of gold as the organza around the chairs… so don’t sweat the small stuff!

Spend non-wedding time with your loved one. There’s a life to live for the two of you after the wedding after all. Don’t live and breathe wedding prep seven days a week. Take time for the two of you so that you can both remember why you are getting married in the first place.

Most of all, get a good night’s sleep the day before — the last thing you want is to be is too tired to enjoy yourself.

Vendors

Cinematographer: Adam Cinelioglu, CinelFilm • Groom and Bridal Outfits: Jaan London, London • Cake: Heriot Cakes, London • Bridal makeup artist: Tia Hair & Makeup Artist, London • Decoration: Indigold Occasions, London • Caricaturist: Ivo the Caricaturist • Wedding Calligraphy Art & Logo: Ashfaq Arts • Wedding Invitation Video: VR Visual Magics • Wedding Printing: Star Print, London • Photography: David Milnes