James + Kirstie by Divine Day Photography - Together Journal

The sun never broke through that morning but the cloud was somehow more atmospheric. She asked me to take a photo of her sitting on a bench. When she turned round, I was on one knee.

Kirstie —— I’m 26 and I work at Hubbub, an environmental charity. I love relaxing, watching crappy TV with James and our pup Moochie, autumnal country walks with my family which end in a pub with a Sunday roast, studying Japanese, urban planning, eating dumplings, and playing Call of Duty.

James —— I’m a songwriter/musician. I play guitar and sing backing vocals in The Vamps. I love history and would’ve studied that had I not gone into music. I’m hugely into country music, dogs, cars, watches and gin.

Kirstie —— We met in September 2014 in Mahiki Mondays nightclub. I was there with my old modelling agency for a London Fashion Week party and James happened to be there with his bandmate. I recognised him, was slightly drunk so overly confident, and approached him. I did play ‘Can We Dance’ on my phone to him in the middle of the club which wasn’t my finest moment.

James —— I was on a rebound (no point lying!), and was persuaded out by the bassist in The Vamps. Kdog was the prettiest girl in the room. And it was ‘Last Night’ that she played, not ‘Can We Dance’… How drunk was she?

Kirstie —— The more time I spent with him in Dorset at his family home, the more I realised that he was the one. Seeing where he grew up, meeting his family, his friends, and learning about his life aside from the band, walks along the coast, brunches and countless train rides back and forth from London to Dorset all cemented that feeling.

Last January we were in the Lake District. I wanted to get up to see the sun rise over Derwentwater, so we wrapped up and headed to the lake. For some reason I asked him on the way to the car, “you’re not going to propose to me today, are you?”, which made no sense as I had zero idea he was actually planning it. He laughed (cried internally) and said no. I 100% believed him.

James —— The sun never broke through that morning but the cloud was somehow more atmospheric. She asked me to take a photo of her sitting on a bench. When she turned round, I was on one knee.

Kirstie —— “Slightly Dead English Country Garden” was how I described the wedding mood to Sarah and Joey from Nudo and Nudo Blooms, and they somehow created everything we could have asked for.

I discovered the designer Victoria Sanders at a wedding fair and hers was the first dress I tried on. I instantly realised I wasn’t going to find something I liked more. I loved that we were able to work together to design it. She sourced special silk for me so the dress could be sustainable. We decided to make the skirt detachable so, in the evening, I was able to keep the beautiful bodice and have a silky, slinky dress. As much as I loved the epic train of the main dress, it wouldn’t have lasted long once drinks started flowing!