Say 'I do' to a big fake wedding disco happening in Liverpool

Everyone knows there’s no better night to be had than a big Scouse wedding – so why not have one even when nobody’s getting married?

That’s exactly what DJs Chris McIntosh and Jules Bennett are going to be doing this May, bringing back My Big Fake Wedding for a massive marriage after-party minus the vows.

Chris and Jules first came up with the idea for the night back in 2016 after getting a run of invitations to real weddings.

He explains: “I used to DJ at Liquidation with Jules and around that time there was a spate of all our friends getting married.

“We ended up going to a few weddings over about six months and we just had the best time, we kept saying we wished we could go to more wedding parties and then we had that lightbulb moment – why don’t we just stage a fake one ourselves?”

The pair did their first My Big Fake Wedding disco at Baltic Social, and Chris says it was an instant success.

“It was just so much fun, all mates getting together, there was just that lovely warm atmosphere, everyone was made up to see one another, everyone was merry, and the music was what you expect to hear at a wedding, all the cheesy songs.

“You leave your cool at the door, it doesn’t matter what sort of nights you normally go to, everyone’s there just having a nice time together.

“It had all the things you get at a regular reception and everyone came dressed as if they were going to a mate’s wedding.

“We actually had one woman who came in her own wedding dress because she wanted to recreate her day, her and her husband both turned up dressed in what they wore for their own wedding!”

Chris and Jules ran a couple of the nights but then they went off to do other work and the idea took a break. It was only when Chris got married himself that they decided it was time to resurrect it and become wedding planners again.

“We spoke to Leaf on Bold Street who loved the idea and I’ve actually DJed a few real weddings upstairs there myself so I’ve seen how well it works, it’s such a gorgeous venue and the staff are all lovely, we thought it would be the perfect place.”

My Big Fake Wedding will include the usual prosecco on arrival and when tickets are booked, everyone will have to chance to put themselves forward to be the bride and groom (or groom and groom, or bride and bride) for the night.

The couple chosen will get to nominate a song for their first dance, cut the cake and even throw the bouquet.

Then it’s all on the dancefloor for big wedding tunes for the rest of the night with some guaranteed absolute bangers in there, and Chris DJing in a wedding dress!

“At every single wedding I’ve been to The Foundations’ Build Me Up Buttercup always gets played, so I think that’ll be the golden nugget, and Scouse weddings end up with Scouse house so a bit of Freed from Desire and Robyn S.

“It’s essentially it’s all the good bits of a massive wedding do but without anybody getting married.”

My Big Fake Wedding will take place on Saturday May 11 at Leaf, 8pm to 1am.