Tell us about the venue…
Our wedding was at Boconnoc House and Country Estate in Lostwithiel, Cornwall. It is a beautiful restored stately home in the countryside where you are surrounded by deer and pheasants – it feels like something out of a fairytale! We got married in Boconnoc Church which is 800 years old and sits within the grounds of the venue. We hired the venue exclusively for the whole weekend which was just perfect as our closest friends and family could stay in the cottages and join us for a pizza party by Kernow Forno Pizza the evening before – a great way for everyone to get to know each other before the big day.
Now let’s talk about the dress…
I wore a Ronald Joyce dress, the style was called 'Ella'. I bought it from a wedding dress shop called Aurora Bride in Cheam. The wedding dress shopping experience was exactly how I had imagined it to be. It was just my mother and I and I must have tried on at least 15 different dresses in different styles. The dress I ended up choosing I loved the minute I put it on. The detailing on the front, the vintage lace and fitted design was beautiful, my mum also cried! I later went back to the shop for a fitting with my nan, sister and Jack's mum and step-mum. The reaction from all of them confirmed I had made the perfect choice. I originally didn't see myself wearing a veil however the lady helping me suggested I try one on anyway to see what I thought. I tried on a cathedral length veil with simple scalloped edging and instantly felt like a bride. The veil against the long train of the dress just finished it off perfectly. I wore a delicate diamante head piece which sat under the veil and matched the detailing of the dress.
How did you personalise your wedding?
As the venue was so stunning on its own, we wanted a palette to compliment this. We chose soft pinks, light grey and greenery with touches of gold, rose gold and copper. Our florist created a beautiful flower arch outside the church filled with roses and hydrangeas in soft pinks and white. We chose gold beaded charger plates and a selection of vintage brass candles with soft pink and grey candle sticks. These were hired from Anthology Vintage Hire and Keeping It Vintage. The colour palette was consistent throughout every aspect of the wedding from the invitations to the cake with edible gold. We did have a shark theme run throughout the day as our table names were illustrations of the different sharks we have dived with.
Our best buy was our string quartet, called Saffron String Quartet. They set the mood in the church, playing a selection of songs whilst everyone was waiting for the ceremony to begin to build the excitement. They let us choose a selection of our favourite songs to really make the ceremony even more personal. We would say music is so important to the day as choosing the right songs is vital to setting the mood.
Any tips for future brides?
I would recommend purchasing items as early as you can and doing a lot of research online to look for the best prices. We got a lot of our items from Etsy and eBay such as garden games, tags for favours, table name holders etc. And we made the decision the wedding was going to be our focus for the year, so we ate out a lot less which made a huge difference. I recommend speaking to your chosen venue too for a recommended list of suppliers and looking for items locally. You can find lots in charity and antique shops which is where we got most of our candle sticks. We also chose to spend more money on good wine, but less money on the spirit mixers.
