The Electric Palace
Bridport, Dorset, is home to the Electric Palace, a popular 1920s theatre where you can tie the knot centre stage. Which is precisely what Lou (they/them) and Ralph (he/him) did.
The 1920s theatre boasts original architecture and colourful murals, and doubles as a cinema for screenings of National Theatre Live performances as well as hosting regular live performances, not forgetting being a truly unique wedding venue.
Lou and Ralph embraced this alternative, colourful, wedding venue, and nothing about their day could be called boring.
Morning Preparations
The Bull Hotel saw the wedding party’s preparations.
To keep their wedding inclusive and as an alternative to the traditional groomsmen and bridesmaids, Lou and Ralph named their wedding party Femme Broomspeople and Masc Broomspeople, adding to the colourful, whimsy of their wedding ceremony.
Ralph’s suit was custom-made and contained feathers he had collected from his job at London Zoo. Lou opted for an electric blue trouser suit and made their own veil with a feather trim. But to add even more colour to the celebrations, they both wore hot pink accents and the Femme Broomspeople wore hotpink attire in their own signature style.
A Room Full Of Goblins
Rather than traditional gifts to the wedding party like whiskey flasks or jewellery, they had commissioned custom-made goblins from The Coven of Stitches.
Each custom-made goblin represented the individual Broomsperson with tiny details like a stethoscope, books or gluten-free soy source.
The Ceremony
Before any grand performance, you need a warm up act. And for Ralph and Lou, that came in the form of their Broomsperson @questingtimecomedy with a comedy act.
But not to be upstaged, the Groom and Broomsparty walked onto stage to the Jurassic Park theme tune, pretending to be dinosaurs, perfect for a wedding on the Jurassic Coast!
Exchanging their vows under the spotlights, Lou and Ralph were married centre stage. Amongst the roar of cheers and an explosion of Flutter Darlings confetti, they had their first kiss.
Afternoon Celebrations
Once the confetti had settled, the celebrations began.
Lou & Ralph had explicitly said they didn’t want traditional or boring group photos. With an entire theatre to play in, you know I enjoyed this challenge!
The Speeches
In keeping with the non-traditional and inclusive celebrations, Ralph and Lou chose to do a joint speech.
We cried.
We laughed.
There was joy all around.
The Cake
Made by their friend, Ralph and Lou’s cake was affectionately called a “Colourful Dalek” and slotted right into the rest of the decorations.
Ice Cream Interval
What is a trip to the Theatre without ice cream?!
Lou happily served ice cream to the audience, I mean, guests.
The Traditional Throwing Of The Spanx
After a delicious meal from @buenapetito_catering, cake, and ice cream, the Femmeparty were full.
So, as anyone would do and the only natural response, they decided to whip off their spanx and partake in the very traditional throwing of the spanx off of the balcony.
Photobombing Chaos
Sticking to their rule of “no boring group photos”, and with the help of the band, we decide to have 3:30 minutes of chaos.
Lou and Ralph sat on chairs in the centre as their friends and family took it in turns to run in groups to flock around and ‘photobomb’ them, producing chaotic and fun group photos.
Despite the pure chaos it so much fun! And we even managed it within the 3:30minutes!
The Dancefloor
It was time for Gatsby’s Jukebox to take centre stage.
A vintage twist on modern classics, the dancefloor never stopped, as we danced the night away in the historical theatre.
Supplier Shout Outs
#WeddingPhotographer @LotusPhotographyUK
#WeddingVenue @bridportelectricpalace
#WeddingPrep @thebullhotel
#WeddingBand @gatsbysjukebox
#WeddingHair @lekeuxkent
#WeddingCaterer @buenapetito_catering
#BridalSuit @talbotrunhof
#GroomsSuit @williamhuntsavilerow
#WeddingEntertainment & #WeddingMC @questingtimecomedy
#WeddingGifts @TheCovenOfStitches
#Confetti @FlutterDarlings
Blog copy written by Lotus Photography & Charlotte Bulling
