If there was one wedding I had been waiting for impatiently for absolutely ages, it had to be Rebecca & Andi’s Cornwall wedding! Most people know that I’m a huge fan of Cornwall, and try to get down there as often as I can, so when Becks contacted me over a year ago about covering what she described as ‘party of a lifetime’ down in Cornwall I jumped at the chance! I can’t quite believe that the party is now over – but the memories of this most awesome wedding ever will remain with me forever.
Becks and the girls got ready at The Watergate Bay Hotel, which sits on one of the most beautiful beaches ever. Lil and Bridie at Kelly Anza, Penzance did a beautiful job on their hair, and makeup artist Suzi Winter made sure that everyone looked pretty as can be. Becks’ beautiful Temperley dress and Manolo Blahnik heels created such a lovely nostalgic look, and her Royst and Aran headdress really set the whole look off. The colour theme at this wedding was baby blue and red, and the gorgeous customised bridesmaids’ dresses from Anoushka G and red (burlesque!) shoes from Bordello fit so well into it.
The ceremony took place at the Chapel of the Franciscan Monastery of Lanherne in St Mawgan in Pydar, where only a couple of weddings in a year are allowed. Guests travelled to the reception at Bre Pen Farm in fantastic 1950’s coaches from King Harry Coaches, while the wedding party arrived in iconic wedding VWs from Cornwall VW Wedding Hire. The party itself was held in a marquee on a cliff top overlooking the sea, which was absolutely one of the most amazing places I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending a wedding at! Here’s what Becks told me about her vision for the wedding:
‘I collected all the jam jars and glassware myself and it was all inspired by “The Darling Buds of May”, but also we wanted it to reflect festivals (wellies) and our Northern/Greek/Cornish connections. It was a big-ish wedding, but I wanted everyone to feel like they got looked after and almost like they received a “hug” from all of the little details! The gingham tablecloths and bunting were made by my mum and the vintage lace tablecloths and vintage china were sourced by me and friends from charity shops and flea markets! The strawberry plants were grown for the occasion by a friend.’
‘The flowers (George Mackay Flowers) were so important to me and we even used apples (to reflect the origin of my name ‘Crabtree’) and olive branches for Andi’s Cypriot roots. We wanted it to reflect two people joining together. The rest were seasonal, mainly native and used to create a “just picked” feel.’
‘Another aspect of the day that was important was that we wanted to show how we don’t take ourselves too seriously and had quite ironic touches such as naming the tables after some of the worst nightclubs we’ve frequented over the years (as we met in our teens in a BAD nightclub) and giving everyone kebabs later in the evening to soak up the booze!’
‘The food (catering by Round Kitchen) was, again, slightly retro and ironic in theme and we went for old-fashioned desserts like trifle and black forest gateau.’
I think that’s more than enough for the introduction, let’s get to the pictures and relive this incredible party. Enjoy!
I’d like to thank Rebecca and Andi for taking us with you on this incredible ride, it was an unforgettable day!
Also a huge thank you to Susanna, as always, and to Maz from Light and Day Photography, who came along to assist and to be ‘on call’ in case my ankle couldn’t take the long day up on a hill.