Reddit strangers were the only guests at the Cardiff couple’s wedding

Planning a wedding often involves stress and endless debates over the guest list.

But Harmony Elmy and Seán Mauremootoo wanted none of that and chose to elope to a place that held “special” memories for both of them.

The couple, who live in Norwich, traveled 420 kilometers (261 miles) to Cardiff for their unconventional ceremony, which was attended by just two guests they met after posting on Reddit.

With a minimum requirement of two witnesses for a marriage in the UK, Mauremootoo said they chose strangers Ruairi and Sam instead of friends and family to make the day “easy, natural and stress-free”.

Their wedding day included their favorite things: fish and chips at Penarth Pier, an escape room and a carousel ride in Cardiff Bay.

“It was a day where we really felt like we could celebrate the love we have for each other and feel the love of the people of Cardiff,” said Mauremootoo, 32.

He and 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,” she said. “Everything seemed natural: from being friends to dating, living together and even going long distance.”

To pop the question, he designed a homemade escape room, which is one of his favorite things to do together.

The couple decided that a traditional wedding was not for them and preferred to get married in Cardiff, a city they had visited several times when living in Worcester.

The couple said they chose a date, Aug. 1, about a year in advance so they could explain the plan to their parents, who were “incredibly supportive,” Mauremootoo said.

He said he expected little interest when he posted on Reddit a few months before the wedding asking for two witnesses, but received an “overwhelming response.”

Ruairi was one of those who stepped forward, and Sam, his friend, joined in for the occasion.

Mauremootoo added that the couple felt like a natural fit and were “very accommodating”, asking thoughtful questions, including about what they should wear.

“As long as you’re not dressed as a wedding, you’re fine,” he told them. “Everything just fell into place.”

On the wedding day, the couple walked to the Temple of Peace for the ceremony before dancing for the first time to Waterloo Sunset in the nearby park.

Mauremootoo said the area was busy because of a Faithless concert and strangers were stopping to congratulate them and take photos.

“It felt very glamorous for what we thought would be a low-key affair,” she said. “He was very kind and really made it special.”

After a lunch of chips they headed to Cardiff Bay for Mr Whippy ice cream, the carousel and the Ferris 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 the bill, a gesture Mauremootoo described as “incredibly touching.”

They told the couple they had recently celebrated 50 years together, he said.

The newlyweds said they “wouldn’t change a thing” about their big day, which also included eating a Welsh cake instead of a wedding cake.

Mauremootoo described it as a “really lovely day” with “perfect” weather, adding that they “couldn’t have asked for more”.

While their families joined the ceremony via video call, “the love and kindness of strangers made the day even more special,” she said.

“Cardiff has always meant a lot to us, but this made it even more meaningful. I don’t think we could have ever replicated it or done it better, even if we had tried.”