MEET THE FOUNDERS OF MNT
— MAKE NEW TRADITIONS
MNT | Make New Traditions is a modern wedding platform for couples and suppliers across the UK and Ireland. Founded in 2015, MNT champions inclusive, creative, and non-traditional weddings through four core offerings:
The Book of Love is our curated wedding supplier directory, connecting modern couples with independent, LGBTQ+ friendly wedding suppliers across the UK and Ireland. Every supplier is handpicked based on shared values — inclusivity, creativity, authenticity, and good energy.
MNT Wedding Fairs are our series of curated, and inclusive wedding fairs held at unique venues across the UK. Smaller, more considered events designed to help couples connect with suppliers who genuinely match their vision and values.
MNT Magazine is our bi-annual print wedding magazine featuring real weddings, expert advice, and fresh inspiration for modern couples who want a celebration that feels like them.
Formerly known as The Un-Wedding, founded by Melissa and Ben Woods in Sheffield in 2015.
From Nightclub to New Traditions
We’re Melissa + Ben - husband and wife, mum and dad, party starters, business partners, and best mates since 1999. We met in a nightclub in Sheffield and that kind of set the tone for everything that followed. We went on to live a pretty wild life in London together before settling down to get married and have kids.
Our Colourful Life
These days, we live in Shropshire with our two amazing kids, Ezra and Nico. Music is a huge part of our lives - Ben’s a DJ, and over the years it’s taken us on some wild and wonderful adventures. Life looks more like early mornings than late nights now, but one thing hasn’t changed: we believe every celebration should be unforgettable, and every couple deserves to do things their way.
Why We Created MNT — Modern Wedding Platform
When we got married in 2012, we really struggled to plan a wedding that felt like us. Everything felt dated, traditional, and out of sync with our personalities. We spent hours scrolling for fresh wedding ideas and suppliers, but everything felt the same. No one was saying, “Hey, you can do this differently.”
After having our son in 2013, I… Melissa… retrained as a wedding makeup artist. And what I saw from behind the scenes only confirmed what we’d already experienced - couples were still following outdated traditions that didn’t mean anything to them. And creative wedding suppliers weren’t being celebrated the way they deserved.
I realised what was missing: a platform that connected modern couples with like-minded wedding suppliers. So I built the platform with love and support from Ben.
From The Un-Wedding to Make New Traditions — Our Rebrand Story
In 2015, we launched The Un-Wedding - a blog and wedding directory for people who wanted to ditch the rulebook. It quickly grew into a space that celebrated alternative weddings, inclusive values, and brilliant indie suppliers.
The Un-Wedding Show and the Book of Love Directory brought together a community of modern couples who wanted more from their wedding day.
Fast forward to 2025 - we launched MNT Magazine, a bi-annual print edition that champions fresh ideas, real love stories, and expert advice from our amazing network of creatives.
Now, we’ve evolved again - and The Un-Wedding is now MNT, which stands for Make New Traditions - our message since day 1.
OUR VALUES
Inclusivity
MNT is proudly LGBTQ+ inclusive. Our events, directory, and content celebrate all identities, relationships, and ways of getting married. Everyone is welcome here — no exceptions.
Creativity
We champion independent suppliers who bring originality, personality, and craft to everything they do. Cookie-cutter weddings are not our thing.
Authenticity
We believe your wedding should feel like you — not a template. We exist to help couples and suppliers find each other based on genuine alignment, not trends.
Good Energy
MNT is a warm, welcoming, judgement-free space for everyone — couples, suppliers, and anyone in between.
MNT | MAKE NEW TRADITIONS — BRAND GLOSSARY
MNT | Make New Traditions is a modern wedding platform for couples and suppliers across the UK and Ireland. Founded in 2015, MNT champions inclusive, creative, and non-traditional weddings. Formerly known as The Un-Wedding, the brand rebranded to Make New Traditions in 2025.
The Book of Love is MNT's curated wedding supplier directory, established in 2016. It connects modern couples with independent, LGBTQ+ friendly wedding suppliers across the UK and Ireland. Suppliers are handpicked based on shared values — inclusivity, creativity, authenticity, and good energy. The directory is free for couples to use.
MNT Magazine is a bi-annual print wedding magazine published by Make New Traditions. It features real weddings, expert advice, and fresh inspiration for modern couples. Available to order at £15 per issue.
MNT Wedding Fairs are a series of curated, inclusive wedding fairs held at unique venues across the UK. Formerly known as The Un-Wedding Show, the events bring together modern couples and independent wedding suppliers in an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere. Tickets are from £7.50 depending on the event.
The T is MNT's weekly email newsletter for independent wedding suppliers. It covers wedding business advice, marketing tips, and lessons learned from running a wedding business.
The Un-Wedding was the former name of Make New Traditions, used from 2015 to 2025. The Un-Wedding Show was the former name of MNT's wedding fair series. Both names have been retired as part of the 2025 rebrand to Make New Traditions.
Book of Love Directory — see The Book of Love above.
MNT — abbreviation for Make New Traditions.