Steph and Luke’s Coastal Wedding

From the beginning Steph and Luke knew that they both wanted a really relaxed wedding day.

They wanted freedom, informality and delicious food. A place where the children they were inviting could run around, somewhere everyone could just relax and be outdoors.

A marquee in a field with a view that took their breath away.

"We knew then that that would mean having a marquee and we just needed to find the right place for it. We looked around for a while and then stumbled upon a beautiful field called Lady’s Close was hidden at the end of a farm lane with a view that took their breath away. It was perfect."

"We were sold immediately and couldn’t wait for our guests to see it and be floored like we were."

Absolute Canvas. "These guys were the best"

Having chosen Lady’s Close they needed a marquee and chose Absolute Canvas

"These guys were the best."

They all met fairly early on with Nick and could have spent all day talking to him and discussing their plans and what they would like. The girls in the office are really helpful and organised, they really helped Steph and Luke to keep the planning on track at every stage. Always there for every question and every change of plan and nothing seemed too much to ask.

"If they could do it, they would and our marquee was fantastic everyone loved it and it worked with our field and the view incredibly well.

Also, book South West Electrical Hire for the most perfect silent generators. Highly recommend!"

Steph and Luke also chose Abbotts to hire a fridge for their day for their wine and cheese and for the caterers to use. They would also recommend them in Steph's words

"A very helpful team"

Their Wedding Photographer was Olivia WR-Fine-art Photography

Finding a photographer was slightly harder. The photographs were really important to Steph and Luke. Photography was one of the most important parts of the big day and they needed to find the photographer that understood them and one that would capture their day exactly how they wanted.

"As well your marriage the photos are the only thing that you get to keep forever. Knowing and trusting that they are getting all the shots of you and your friends and family is so important. I do not envy them, they have a very pressured job"

Steph narrowed her search for photographers down to three and put them in front of Luke.

"He thankfully loved Olivia’s photography as much as I did. Olivia had taken some photos the previous year at Restronguet Barton Farm of a beautiful wedding. It was pouring with rain but the photography was STUNNING! We thought then anyone that can take such beautiful photos in the rain was worth booking.

Here in Cornwall, you can never tell when the weather may turn. One of the things we loved about Olivia was that as well as her she also has her now soon to be husband Tobias with her as a second photographer. This was incredible as it meant that we got to have photos of Luke and his best men and ushers getting ready as well as photos of me with my girls before the ceremony."

Steph and Luke met with Olivia and Tobias before their wedding to get to know each other and discuss the plans for our day. They both left feeling so excited. They even booked an engagement shoot with Olivia and Tobias (Luke said no, but Steph did a little arm twisting!)

They chose Crantock beach where they got engaged and just walked and talked with their dog Lola whilst Olivia snapped away.

"The photos from that day are some of my favourite pictures. I could talk all day about Olivia and Tobias and couldn’t recommend them highly enough. They went above and beyond on our wedding day and fitted in like guests. Luke and I left feeling like we had made two lovely friends."

The Dress

Listen up, ladies...Steph did her dress shopping in one day! One day, three dress shops!

She went to Truro with her mum and bridesmaids and gave them free-rein to pick anything they wanted her to try on.

"I was quite open to ideas, I kind of knew what I liked but I wanted to try on everything and be sure. It's quite interesting trying on something someone else thinks you’ll look nice in. Some of them I would never have chosen but I loved when I put them on. This is kind of what happened with my dress.

Elaine welcomed us at the end of a long day of playing dress-up and we loved her immediately. She instantly offered us a cup of tea and let us look at her beautiful gowns.

She asked me straight away if I would try one dress on for her, no one had tried it on yet and she was desperate to see someone in it. I didn’t even look at it, I just said yeah add it to the pile."

It was 'the one'

"It was the one although I didn’t know it right away.

I came out in it and everyone cried, I was like really?? I loved it but it wasn’t what I thought I would go for. It was more sparkly than I wanted and it just felt like it was too much for me. I had envisaged something simpler but thinking back everything simpler I tried on I didn’t like. The girls took some photos of me in it and I started to see what they were saying. I think this is a top tip, as you get to see the dress on you as a whole and as others see it. Rather than looking in a mirror, you kind of just look at the bits you don’t like."

Steph went back the next day to try it on again and that was it, done. She loved it and really loved looking back through their photos.

"The dress looked so beautiful and was so comfortable."

Hair and Makeup

For her wedding makeup and hair, Steph selected Natasha Flower MUA and Emma from The Hair Boutique, Truro

"Natasha aka 'Tash' is a dream come true and a complete nutcase which suited me perfectly. She felt like someone I’ve known my whole life and slotted into the wedding perfectly. Her make up was outstanding and so natural, everyone looked stunning!

"Emma from the hair boutique is a very talented girl! Not only did she do my hair perfectly for me on the day she also did my four bridesmaids hair, without trials and rolled with what they wanted on the day. Their hair all looked gorgeous and they were all very happy with it."

Steph kept her accessories simple as her dress was quite something. She had a hair comb and vine from Jonna Reed Bridal and some simple silver and pearl drop earrings from her too. The perfect finish.

The wedding feast

Steph and Luke love food! Most of their socialising with friends revolves around food, cooking with friends and family and eating out. So they wanted to enjoy really delicious food on their wedding day and wanted to give their guests something a bit different! They chose for their wedding feast of delicious Paella.

Steph was so wrapped up in planning a relaxed and informal day, so relaxed in fact she realised that they didn’t have an actual plan!

Both Luke and Steph agree on their favourite part of the wedding and it was the bit they were most nervous about, the ceremony and vows.

"I was so nervous about walking into the church and all eyes being on me. I am not good at public speaking and I get so so nervous about it that I was terrified that I wouldn’t speak clearly enough or loud enough.

The minute the church doors opened and I saw smiling faces grinning at me my nerves left immediately and I couldn’t wait to get down the aisle. So much so that my dad kept patting my arm and whispering to me to slow down!!

Whilst we read our vows to one another it felt as though no one else was in the room, I forgot that all those people were watching us and it just felt so special. A moment that we will both treasure forever."

Top tip for Brides.

To just relax and enjoy it. I think that there is so much pressure now to have the perfect day with Pinterest and social media and you end up thinking you need all this stuff. Keep it simple and keep it true to you both, that is what shines through and what everyone who knows and loves you enjoys. My boss Simon later in the evening took me to one side and told me to just take 5 minutes looking around and absorbing all those happy faces having a nice time and here celebrating for you. It was a really lovely thing to suggest and it was a special thing to observe.

Top tip for grooms.

Don’t leave your speech writing to the morning of your wedding!! Enjoy the day but make a whole weekend of it. Book a meal the night before to spend some time with people who have travelled to your day and something the day after the wedding to enjoy telling stories of the day before.

• Photographer: Olivia Rossi Photography
• Wedding Marquees: Absolute Canvas
• Wedding Dress: Elaine Rawlings Bridal