Felixine Hick
Seán Mauremootoo says it was “a really lovely day” and that they “couldn’t have asked for more”
Planning a wedding often means stress and endless debates over the guestlist.
But Harmony Elmy and Seán Mauremootoo wanted none of that, choosing to elope to a place that held “special” memories for them both.
The couple, who live in Norwich, travelled 261 miles (420km) to Cardiff for their unconventional ceremony, attended by just two guests they met after posting on Reddit.
With a minimum requirement of two witnesses to a marriage in the UK, Mr Mauremootoo said they picked strangers Ruairi and Sam over friends and family in order to keep the day “easy, natural and stress-free”.
Felixine Hick
After the ceremony, the couple had their first dance to Waterloo Sunset in Bute Park
Their wedding day involved their favourite things – fish and chips on Penarth Pier, an escape room and a carousel ride in Cardiff Bay.
“It was a day where we really felt like we got to celebrate the love we have for each other – and feel the love from the people of Cardiff,” said Mr Mauremootoo, 32.
A few months before the wedding, Mr Mauremootoo posted on Reddit asking for two witnesses to join them for their ceremony
He and Ms Elmy, 31, met while studying the same course and living in the same halls at Queen Mary University of London.
“We never really planned our relationship,” he said. “Everything just felt natural – from being friends, to dating, to moving in together, even doing long distance.”
To pop the question he designed a homemade escape room, which is one of their favourite things to do together.
The pair decided a traditional wedding wasn’t for them and instead chose to tie the knot in Cardiff, a city they had visited several times when they lived in Worcester.
‘Wouldn’t change a thing’
The couple said they picked a date – 1 August – about a year in advance so they could explain the plan to their parents, who were “incredibly supportive”, said Mr Mauremootoo.
He said he expected little interest when he posted on Reddit a few months before the wedding asking for two witnesses, but was met with an “overwhelming response”.
Ruairi was one of those who stepped forward, and Sam, his friend, joined for the occasion.
Mr Mauremootoo added the pair felt like a natural fit and were “so accommodating”, asking thoughtful questions, even what they should wear.
“As long as you’re not in a wedding dress, you’re fine,” he told them. “It all just fell into place.”
Felixine Hick
The newlyweds went to Bakestones in Cardiff Market for a Welsh cake instead of a wedding cake
On the day of the wedding, the couple walked to the Temple of Peace for the ceremony before having their first dance to Waterloo Sunset in the nearby park.
Mr Mauremootoo said the area was busy because of a Faithless concert and strangers kept stopping to congratulate them and take photos.
“It felt very glamorous for what we thought would be a low-key affair,” he said. “It was so kind-hearted and really made it special.”
Escape Rooms Cardiff
During the day, the pair completed an escape room – one of their favourite activities
After a chippy lunch, they headed to Cardiff Bay for a Mr Whippy ice cream, the carousel and the big wheel, followed by an escape room where staff surprised the bride with a huge bouquet of flowers.
The day ended with dinner at CasaNova, where another couple, Rob and Ruth, “quietly” paid their bill – a gesture Mr Mauremootoo described as “incredibly touching”.
They told the pair they had recently celebrated 50 years together, he said.
Felixine Hick
The pair, from Norwich, eloped 261 miles to Cardiff for their unconventional wedding
The newlyweds said they “wouldn’t change a thing” about their big day, which also included eating a Welsh cake in lieu of a wedding cake.
Mr Mauremootoo described it as a “really lovely day” with “perfect” weather, adding that they “couldn’t have asked for more”.
While their families did join the ceremony by video call, the “love and kindness from strangers made the day even more special”, he said.
“Cardiff has always meant a lot to us but this made it even more meaningful. I don’t think we could ever replicate it or have done it better even if we tried.”
