Emily + Josh at The Asylum Chapel | October 2025
“Sarah, holy smokes. You blew us all away! Every single person was stunned at your delivery of the ceremony. They said it was the most personalised ceremony they’d ever been to and was perfect for us.”
This was such a cool wedding for such a cool couple. Emily and Josh know exactly who they are, they lean into it in the best possible way, and their wedding was a reflection of all of that.
Her penchant for the dark, the brooding and the gothic; his penchant for loving her. And all her quirks.
I record my conversations with my couples and, listening back to the first video call I had with Emily and Josh, in the early stages of their planning, I was amused to hear myself (and I do remember this) say “Oh, I’m not sure if I’m cool enough to be your celebrant!”, after they’d described the underworld vibes of their Asylum Chapel wedding.
I’m still thinking about this dress three months later
Thank goodness they ignored me. I loved getting to know them so much, and celebrating people with slightly different tastes than me isn’t a pain, it’s a dream. It’s so fun! Not to mention the fact I got to get out my black, sequin suit dress.
When the south London day dawned all the couple’s guests had clearly got the gothic memo, arriving in their black and lace and leather. The lights in the Asylum Chapel were low, and the excitement was high.
I was amused, but not the least bit surprised, to meet Emily’s nail technician Skye among the guests; Emily spends so much time getting her nails done in incredibly intricate designs (insects on her wedding nails, as you might see) that the artist has become one of her best friends. Her Nails That Look Like Paintings have to be seen to be believed.
I’d chosen a short reading to include in their ceremony, Song for Autumn, by Mary Oliver. Nice and seasonal. I’d offered it up as something someone they love might want to read, but they weren’t sure they trusted anyone enough. We agreed that in the ceremony I’d say “…the bride and groom chose someone special, someone they trust, to do a reading. I’d now love to invite myself forward…” and I just stayed put. Maybe you had to be there, but we were all laughing.
Atmospheric cool af photography by Mark Horton Photos
In honour of Emily’s Thai heritage we included the Sai Sin tradition in the ceremony; Emily’s brother Alan came forward and tied threads around the bride and groom’s wrists, threads that had been blessed by monks and family out in Thailand. The string is rolled up the wrist three times and down three times, and then intended to be kept on for a minimum of three days….although I didn’t check in with Josh and Emily to see how long theirs lasted!
Of course, it is much more than just a simple string: in Thai culture it is a powerful symbol that represents blessings, divine protection and the unbreakable bonds that hold humans together.
Alan made me laugh, he shares his sister’s dry sense of humour. He walked Emily and Josh’s beloved dog Gatsby up the aisle, performed the Sai Sin perfectly, but “stop giving me jobs!” he whispered, theatrically. At both Emily and me.
Every decision Josh and Emily made was both authentic to them and fitting with the aesthetic they’d chosen. I guess the obvious answer is because the “aesthetic” they’d chosen wasn’t a random theme. The darkness of the venue and her non-traditional dress, the smoky whisky shot they toasted with and their lovely, loyal, lolloping black dog being part of the proceedings - everything fitted because we were celebrating their love, their life, their preferences. The cool, the quirky, and the spell-blindingly beautiful things they fill their life together with.
Guests were invited to attend in black and dark colours
In the mingling afterwards, I met a chatty couple who - just a fortnight before - had been married by my celebrant friend Eleanor. They were raving about her, and it was so brilliant to hear from people who already knew, before we got started with Josh and Emily’s ceremony, how fun and memorable a celebrant wedding can be.
“You put so much time and effort into it, it was filled with hilarious moments, touching ones and never once felt stagnant. It was my favourite part of the entire day. You were destined to be a celebrant.”