On the BIG day.
We had the ceremony outside, which was always our (hopeful) plan and thankfully the weather allowed!
We love the scenery and the view from the Fort’s gardens.
Matt proposed where we had our first date 8 years before – a beautiful walk at Rame Head.
Matt managed to keep the whole engagement a surprise and made it seem like we were just off for a walk on a sunny Saturday in June! Jess thought we were spending the evening at her parent’s house, but Matt has planned a stay at a fancy hotel in Devon. The weekend was topped off with a surprise engagement party with lots of our friends back at our flat on the Sunday evening.
We don’t know how everyone managed to keep it a secret!
The fine details
Jess stayed just down the road at Rame Barton with her bridesmaids on the Friday night before the wedding and Matt stayed at the fort with the ushers. Rame Barton was a great place to get ready, very spacious and light and a lovely outside space for photos.
Matt didn’t want a traditional morning or formal 3-piece suit, so went with chinos, tweed-style waistcoat, smart-casual jacket and tie, same for the ushers and all bought online from high-street shops. The bridesmaid dresses were from ASOS.com and Jess wore a Provonias sample dress, which she found in a local dress shop and wore her Mum’s veil for the ceremony, something old and borrowed.
How did you travel to your reception?
We hired a converted camper van, which fitted in Jess, all 7 bridesmaids and a lovely driver, who endured 8 girls singing spice girls for the entire journey to the Fort (Girl Power). We kept the mode of transport a surprise for my bridesmaids, telling them a taxi was picking us up, so when it arrived they thought it was great! It kicked off the celebrations in a fun and relaxed way, which was exactly what we wanted.
Matt was staying at the fort, so after having a swim in the morning and some last minute preparations, he didn’t have far to walk!
We are huge lovers of the outdoors and of the coast, so we wanted to reflect the Fort’s naturally beautiful setting and surroundings.
We kept things simple, with a relaxed, coastal theme and wanted decorations to be as personal as possible (which also helped keep costs down).
We hand-made candle and flower vases from recycled jam jars and rope, we made signs from up-cycled pallets and borrowed our friend’s hand-made bunting they had at their wedding.
Did you have bouquets/flower decorations?
We are luckily enough to have a family full of florists and floral enthusiasts who did a fantastic job of decorating the fort! We collected foliage from a family friend’s garden and bought in-season flowers from a local nursery. We had small displays in jars on tables and around the fort and two large displays of foliage, gypsophila, sprayed hydrangeas and cornflowers either side of gazebo entrance.
We had a thick garland of foliage over at the arch in the Main Hall, which was really impressive. So that the family didn’t have to do all the flowers, Jess handmade silk bouquets for her and her bridesmaids… and now they are on display in our houses.
Who took your photos?
The Wild Bride was our photographer and videographer; a husband and wife duo who are incredibly talented, a bonus that Emilie is also Jess’s school friend. We loved their relaxed and candid style and we thought it really suited the venue, we couldn’t be happier with our photos and video.
What was your favourite part of the day?
We honestly couldn’t pick a specific point; the whole day/ weekend was brilliant. Spending time with our family and friends in such a breath-taking location was really special and there is something about Polhawn that makes everyone relaxed, we had the best time.
Instagram – oh yes !
