A bride splashed out £15,000 on a lavish wedding inspired by the hit Netflix series Bridgerton, complete with a Lady Whistledown gossip sheet revealing the couple’s ‘scandalous’ pre-marital adventures. Abby Ribeiro, from Gorton, and her husband Tiago Ribeiro decided to embrace the aesthetic of the steamy period drama for their nuptials, dressing in regency attire.

Abby, 27, looked every inch the regency lady in an ivory empire waist dress and elbow-length gloves, a common outfit among the ladies of ‘the ton’, while her red hair, styled like Penelope’s from the show, was swept back in loose curls. Her husband Tiago, an electrician, looked dapper in a black suit and regency-style cravat, reminiscent of Colin Bridgerton.

Some of the guests also got into the spirit of things, donning outfits from the era, including Abby’s father, 62-year-old Greg Taylor. Other nods to the show included hosting the wedding breakfast and evening reception at the Georgian Swaffham Assembly Rooms and handing out dance cards to party-goers.

Abby and Tiago were married in Swaffham, Norfolk -Credit:@jordan_eva_photography/KennedyNews
Abby, a teaching assistant, even wrote her own version of the Lady Whistledown papers, commenting on the ‘scandal’ of her wearing an ivory wedding dress despite already cohabiting with 26-year-old Tiago. The ‘scandalous’ pamphlet, titled Lady Whistledown’s society papers, addresses the ‘dearest gentle reader’ about the Catholic couple’s pre-marital antics.

The column reveals the couple’s story, ‘rich with clandestine arrangements and unexpected revelations’, disclosing that they have lived together before marriage. It stated: “For theirs is not merely a tale of conventional courtship and wedded bliss, but rather a saga rich with clandestine arrangements and unexpected revelations. It is true dear reader, the author can confirm that Miss Taylor and Mr Ribeiro have been sharing a life together, unmarried for quite some time.”

After flaunting her nuptials on Facebook, fans were quick to dub the couple as doppelgangers of Penelope and Colin Bridgerton who tie the knot in the show’s third season. Abby said: “Everyone is saying that I give Penelope vibes and I look like her. I don’t see it myself, I think it’s just the ginger hair.

“There is also a photo of us both under a shelter in Swaffham and people said we give off Colin and Penelope (vibes). When I first suggested it to my husband, he didn’t understand as he hadn’t seen the show at first. But I then made him watch it and he understood and he saw it was very romantic.

“He turned up on the day in full costume and it was nice. He loved the day and was so proud to tell everyone that I had made everything for the day. He gushed over me in the speeches. We binged watched the new series in one night. I loved it and it was amazing.”

Pictured (from left to right): Abby’s dad Greg, Abby and Tiago Ribeiro, and Abby’s mum Sharonq -Credit:@jordan_eva_photography/KennedyNews
Abby decided on the theme after devouring the eight-book romance saga before the Shondaland sensation debuted on Netflix. So when her now-husband Tiago, proposed in September 2020, Abby set out to plan her dream Bridgerton-themed wedding.

Abby, donning a custom-made Etsy dress worth £380, tied the knot with Tiago at Our Lady of Pity Catholic Church in Swaffham, Norfolk. The couple then took a step back in time, celebrating their evening reception at the Georgian Assembly Rooms.

Abby said: “I was a big fan of Bridgerton one and two and so this theme had been in the works for the last two years or so. I’m also a really big fan of the Bridgerton books too, I’m a true Bridgerton fan. I really like historical romance novels, they’re my favourite genre.

“There is something really romantic about the fact that there is no social media and the risque part of it is getting caught. All the scandal that comes with it is very entertaining. Everyone wants a Viscount. I’ve definitely found my Viscount. I decorated everything myself and DIY-ed as much as I could.

“I designed all my invitations on Canva and Procreate and I used all the Bridgerton fonts. I wrote my own column, I set it as if the wedding had happened but the evening was yet to commence.

“I wanted a bit of scandal in there so I wrote about how me and my husband had been living together before we got married. I mentioned that I was wearing ivory and about how it wasn’t right for a bride to wear ivory after being caught in risque escapades.”

Abby spared no expense on her outfit on her big day -Credit:@jordan_eva_photography/KennedyNews
In an effort to incorporate more Bridgerton elements, Abby even created dance cards and chose a piano and cello rendition of Taylor Swift’s Lover for their first dance. Abby said: “I made dance cards and copied them from Lady Danbury’s ones. I printed the dance order on the back and attached them to a ribbon so people could wear them on their wrist in the evening.

“Our first dance was a waltz, we danced to Lover by Taylor Swift but the piano and cello played it. We did practise quite a bit and for non-professional dancers, I think it went quite well. We did some of the moves from Bridgerton where they join hands and circle around each other and the box step and moves like that.”

Their love story also mirrors the will-they-won’t-they plot of Penelope and Colin’s relationship in the series. The pair, who connected through online gaming in 2015, remained friends for three years before embarking on their first date in 2018 and have been inseparable since then.

Abby, now residing with Tiago in Watton, Norfolk, expressed: “We’ve got to wait another two years for the next one. It’s going to focus on Benedict and he is my favourite Bridgerton book so I am very excited.”

The Bridgerton-themed wedding was complete with Lady Whistledown gossip sheet exposing the couple’s ‘scandalous’ pre-marital escapades -Credit:@jordan_eva_photography/KennedyNews
Tiago said: “I was never a Bridgerton fan and didn’t know much about it but then Abby brought this to light for me and taught me about the regency era and taught me a lot about it.

“When I first watched the series I thought it was a bit different to what I normally watch, but then all of a sudden I got proper into it. Abby did an amazing job (with the wedding).”

Initially reluctant to don a Regency outfit for her wedding, one bride’s Bridgerton binge led to a stunning compromise that has since gone viral. After sharing her big day snaps on Facebook, the post garnered over 22,000 likes and 2,000 comments, with fans gushing over the theme.

One user exclaimed: “This was so beautiful and so very Bridgeton! In some of the photos, you reminded me of Penelope and I love her. You were a stunning bride! ” Another chimed in: “Colin and Pen vibes. Beautiful, congratulations.”

A third shared: “Wow! This is my dream. Ever since watching the show, I’ve always wanted a Bridgerton themed wedding. This is amazing! ” And a fourth added: “This has got to be the best Bridgerton themed party I’ve seen! Congratulations!”