I started The Civil after getting married at City Hall in New York and finding the process far more complicated than it should have been.

There was more to figure out than I expected, from applying for a marriage licence and booking the ceremony, to deciding what to wear, planning a celebration afterwards and navigating all the admin that comes with being officially married.

I found myself piecing everything together from different places, and kept thinking there should be one place that brought it all together.

So I created The Civil — a place for couples planning a civil wedding, with everything they need in one place.

xx Ellen Atangana