Islington Town Hall Wedding
I had my own little adventure travelling from Manchester to London to photograph Rozie & Doug’s unique Islington Town Hall wedding. From our first video call, I instantly clicked with them. We bonded over shared nerdy interests and chatted about the whimsical “cosy cottage-core” vibes they had planned for their day.
Think Hobbiton meets a magical forest, with plenty of board games thrown in for good measure.
A Relaxed Legal Ceremony at Islington Town Hall
Their wedding was anything but traditional, which suited their personalities perfectly. It even suited their dog, Dobby! I began the day by meeting them at Islington Town Hall, where they held an intimate legal ceremony with their closest friends and family.
Afterwards, we hopped on the tube to their charming Airbnb on Columbia Road. There, I captured relaxed getting-ready photos. Then, we headed out for portraits among the quirky streets nearby, which made for a fun and laid-back start to the celebrations.
A Creative Celebration at The Arcanist’s Tavern
The celebrations continued at The Arcanist’s Tavern, an immersive board game café. Here, Rozie & Doug hosted a more personal and creative ceremony for the rest of their guests. Instead of a traditional sit-down meal and disco, they chose an interactive buffet with quizzes and games.
As a result, the whole day felt playful, welcoming, and completely their own.
This Islington Town Hall wedding was filled with creativity, fun, and plenty of nerdiness. Because of that, it was an absolute joy to photograph.
A few words from Rozie & Doug:
How did you two meet?
Through a friend, I know, a classic and unexciting story! I (Rozie) met up with a university friend for dinner, and he mentioned I would like his flatmate. Doug and I met at a house party, where he had made Han Solo frozen-in-carbonite chocolates. He was very smiley and friendly.
After that, I started spending more time with the group. We attended various themed parties and became friendly acquaintances. Eventually, I hung out with Doug more often. Then, his flatmate finally said, “I think she’s here for you!” At that point, Doug clocked that I liked him.
From then on, we were pretty much inseparable. It’s now been over ten years!
Describe the proposal!
Firstly, Doug and I love puzzles, escape rooms, immersive theatre, and quests. Because of that, we’ve spent years making treasure hunts for each other. They started small at home but quickly became more elaborate.
One year, I turned our lounge into an escape room. Another year, I designed a text hunt around London. Doug also leaves me little quests whenever he travels. All of this meant that when he created a quest for our ten-year anniversary, I didn’t immediately realise it was a proposal.
To sum it up, Doug designed a sprawling quest from our home to Crystal Palace and around the park. There were QR codes, puzzles, board games to win, and a mystery box to open. He even dressed as a wizard and frequently ran off with the dog, leaving me to solve puzzles to find him.
Eventually, Dobby revealed the key. I ended up at a bench labelled as a proposal bench, which was very fitting. Doug proposed, and the box opened to reveal a silver ring with three frogs hidden under a leaf. Later, we celebrated at Kew Gardens with the Christmas lights, something we do every year.
What is special about your venue?
It’s a board game tavern – which makes it very special to us. It was new this year, and I visited during a launch night as I review board games and London gaming venues. As soon as I saw it, I knew it could be our wedding venue.
We’ve always wanted a London wedding. Additionally, we wanted an immersive atmosphere to reflect our love of games and theatre. The space has a cosy tavern feel, fantasy-clad staff, shelves of games, and secret booths downstairs for role-playing games. There’s also a larger space for dancing and tabletop games.
Any details of note about your big day?
We’re not very traditional people. There are no bridesmaids, groomsmen, speeches, or sit-down meal. Instead, we’re having a hag do rather than hen or stag parties!
The theme is cottage-core, and we want the day to feel like a hobbit party without direct references. We’ve made many elements ourselves. I’m a trained model maker, and Doug works in layout and production editing, so crafting things together came naturally.
One key feature is a guest quest. Everyone receives a pocket passport with four challenges, each linked to one of our parents. Once completed, guests receive stamps and a prize at the end.
I also designed a wedding sigil featuring a lantern, frog, bee, and arrow. These symbols reflect us and appear throughout the day in wax seals and stamps. For décor, there will be lanterns, bunting, lights, a sprawling charcuterie buffet, and plenty of mulled drinks. Perfect for a cosy winter celebration.
Venue: https://www.sayidoislington.com/town-hall/ & https://arcaniststavern.uk/
Person #1 outfit details: https://hausdahlia.com/
Person #2 outfit details: https://www.darcyclothing.com/
