Faye + Kieran by Taylor Hughes Photography - Together Journal

I knew when I met her that she was special and if we didn’t end up together then I needed to have her in my life in some capacity.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

We are Kieran and Faye, a couple who have been together for almost six years. We think that our differences, or yin and yang as some people say, are what make us a great team.

Kieran hails from East London and has been a DJ and music production tutor for most of his life. He has been collecting records and DJing since he was 13 years old and is also a big fan of cars and F1. Kieran is a calm, quiet, and patient person.

Faye is originally from Bolton and went to stage school before moving to London at the age of 18. She is passionate about musical theatre, fashion, and interior design. Faye is a highly energetic and outgoing person who loves to be silly.

Together, Faye and Kieran are the proud owners of Shrubs & Dubs, a record and plant shop located in Shoreditch, London. They both serve as CEOs and work diligently to make their business a success.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We first met in February 2018 in Soho, London. Faye came in for a DJ lesson, and Kieran was her tutor.

Faye: At first, I didn’t think much of it. I found Kieran to be an extremely talented and genuine person, which I found attractive. However, I must admit that I also thought he was slightly awkward. Later on, I came to know that it was because Kieran was extremely nervous around me, as he had a crush on me. Haha

Kieran: There were a few things that struck me about, her confidence for a start, the fact that she is a complete open book which makes it so easy to talk to her which in turn makes everyone else around her feel more comfortable and confident. How funny/ silly she is, she honestly doesn’t care who’s watching or what they think. And of course how unbelievably beautiful she is without even trying! I knew when I met her that she was special and if we didn’t end up together then I needed to have her in my life in some capacity.

When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?

Faye: I knew Kieran was the one I wanted to marry from pretty early on. When we began dating, I had a serious health issue and then a major surgery, but he never left my side. He took care of me and made me feel beautiful, even when I felt ugly. He made me realise that he loved me for who I was and that I didn’t need to change or become someone else to be loved. He loved even the things that I didn’t like about myself and made me feel completely free. That’s when I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Kieran!

Kieran: I knew really early on. We had been together for just a few months, but I remember Faye came with me to a gig I played, and afterwards, we were speaking, and I don’t recall what was being said, but I just remember looking at Faye as she was talking to me and I was thinking, I don’t ever want there to be a day where she’s not around and I’m not coming home to her.

Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…

We got engaged at home on Valentine’s Day 2022, just the two of us and our little dog. It was perfect. We enjoy the simple things in life, and being at home is literally our favourite place to be. Plus, it was the only day that Faye wouldn’t have expected anything, so it was a genuine surprise. Kieran had even booked me in to get my nails done, and we went for dinner in the evening, drinking Amaretto sours way into the night.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.

We knew from the beginning that we wanted to have a wedding in London. We both love this city; it’s our home, and we knew that we had to get married here! We didn’t want anything too extravagant, but we wanted the wedding to be classy, cool and understated, reflecting our personalities (more like Kieran’s, actually)!

Early on, Kieran decided that he wanted to wear a liac suit, so we planned the entire wedding styling around it. Faye loves pastel shades, so we opted for a variety of pastel colours for the flowers and bridesmaids’ dresses, with no particular structure. We didn’t want anything too matchy, and we wanted to avoid over-the-top elements.

We wanted to focus on what was important to us without any outside influences. We made sure to create memorable moments, such as exchanging custom-made rings with pastel-coloured stones as a keepsake for our special day. The highlight of our ceremony was having Faye’s mum officiate, a moment we will forever cherish. We also DJed together, bringing everything full circle and creating another beautiful moment for us both.

What was one element you were happy to splurge on?

To be honest, we didn’t set a budget for much of anything at all! We just did what we wanted and knew that the cost wouldn’t be too crazy. The thing we spent the most on was our wedding outfits. We didn’t set a budget, nor did we look at prices. We just bought what we wanted. We believe that your wedding day is one day where you should feel absolutely incredible, and that feeling doesn’t come with a price tag!

Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?

Our wedding happened to take place on the hottest weekend in September. The Hackney Town Hall’s ‘Atria Room’, where the ceremony was being held, was incredibly hot and felt like a greenhouse. Kieran seemed quite stressed and bothered by the heat, and I remember everyone feeling relieved when he took off his suit jacket. Looking back now, it seems like a funny memory to have.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?

Kieran had always been clear about one thing – he didn’t want a typical, boring suit for his wedding day. When he stumbled upon the Alexander McQueen lilac suit, he knew that it was the one. The suit was a perfect blend of sophistication and uniqueness, with its striking lilac hue and impeccable tailoring. Kieran’s choice of the suit was so unique that we decided to plan the entire wedding theme and colour scheme around it. From the flowers to the bridesmaid dresses, everything was chosen to complement the striking lilac suit, making it a wedding to remember for everyone.

Faye had a general idea of the type of dress she wanted to wear for her wedding, but she was open to other suggestions. When she tried on the Sarah Seven dress, it felt just right – classy, sophisticated, and sexy all at once. She decided to go for a fabric with tiny pearls all over for an extra touch of elegance and a veil with a bow on it. Interestingly, the dress that Faye ultimately chose was actually the first dress she had seen and saved a screenshot of in her camera roll when she started looking for dresses.