Happy Monday lovelies! How was your weekend? We’ve been busy bees gathering up some incredible weddings to share with you over the next few weeks – and I wanted to begin this week with a gorgeous elopement in one of my favourite parts of the country. I adore Cornwall – and elopements have a VERY special place in my heart. Welcome to English Wedding our two stunning brides – Adelaide and Kathryn!

Adelaide and Kathryn were married at The Cow Shed, Torpoint, Cornwall in October. The venue was perfect – a secluded, rustic, family-run farmhouse with friendly and welcoming hosts, gorgeous breakfasts and lots of beautiful doggos. The whole place is decorated with such care and thoughtful attention. “We booked it without seeing it and it exceeded our expectations.”

Wedding Photographer’s website:

www.jenniferjanephotography.co.uk

Jennifer Jane Photography was recommend to us by another female photographer who lives in the Manchester area, where Kathryn and I currently live. As soon as we saw her work, we knew she was right for us. Jen’s photos are like a warm cuddle!

Jen was the first supplier that we secured for the wedding, and her advice and support was invaluable as we walked the journey to our secret elopement. Not only has she taken wonderful photographs, but she made recommendations for other suppliers that were local to the area. On the day of the wedding, she sat back and became part of our small ceremony rather than imposing on it. Now that our wedding is over, I feel like we’re losing a friend. The photographs create a warmth in our hearts, which transports me back to our wedding day whenever I look at them. It’s exactly what we saw in Jen’s other work and the reason that we chose her. We’re so pleased with the results. Jen exudes experience and confidence. Her photography style is completely effortless, which made us both feel really at ease. We didn’t have a clue what we were doing, and Jen sorted us out. She gave the best advice ever, “Have a cry before you walk down the aisle.” The idea is that you let it all out, so you look happy when you walk down the aisle, rather than looking like you’re about to burst into tears at any moment. Good advice for me because I cry at everything.

 

What’s your top tip for saving money?

Adelaide: I think we saved money because we planned our wedding before we told anyone that we were getting married. We were able to make the decisions that were right for us, without feeling the weight of expectation. Doing it this way made us plan something that we could afford, which felt important. In terms of practical application, there are a couple of things that I would suggest: Have a rough idea of how much you’d like to spend before you start planning, and certainly before you start spending. We started by pricing up the things we couldn’t live without, and that helped us work out if we could afford all the things we had in mind. I would also suggest having as much money saved up before you start spending, if you’re able to. Kathryn and is a super saver and I am an impulsive, spendthrift. It was really helpful for me to see the bank balance decreasing.

Kathryn: Have a separate account and keep track of everything. Don’t be tempted to spend money from another account that you haven’t allocated to the wedding.

Which elements of your wedding are you glad you spent more on?

Adelaide: Proportionately, we probably spent the most on our outfits. We’ve invested in components that we could wear again, and we’re really looking forward to doing so at our wedding celebration next summer. Outside of that, I would say that recording the day was a high priority for us, particularly as we only had our immediate family with us. We used a videographer called Tommy Rowe of Rowe Films. Tommy was one of a couple of videographers that we originally looked at. However, his editing style balanced with his competitive pricing, and bright personality quickly won us over. We had an elopement, with 4 guests, but Tommy fitted in with us perfectly. He managed to capture the intimacy of the day, without intruding on the proceedings. He was really helpful in his direction and everything felt natural and not forced. He also brought the drone, which was an absolutely must for me! Tommy’s commitment to getting footage on the day knows no bounds and he nearly ended up in the sea at one point. His excitement about the footage he was capturing was palpable and he managed to produce a teaser within 48 hours. It is everything we hoped for – an epic, cinematic masterpiece. We cannot wait for the full video. My tummy is doing flips in anticipation!

Did you fall in love with your wedding outfit? What did you both wear?

Kathryn: Originally I thought I wanted to wear a dress, but the truth is that I rarely wear dresses and have recently taken to wearing a shirt and bow-tie for special occasions. Although I was initially tentative about picking a suit, but I am so glad I did. It felt so special. I loved it.

Adelaide: I picked my skirt because it had pockets, no joke! I did an online search for two-piece wedding outfits and I saw the Carolina Castigliano Anya and Angelika combo. I thought it looked spectacular, but wasn’t quite sure that I had the midriff to carry it off. Designs from Carolina Castigliano retail from about £2000 to £4000, which was out of my budget so I’d resigned myself to finding something similar. All the designers I liked kept directing me back to Agape Bridal Boutique as their stockist, so I got in contact for an appointment. I wasn’t aware that there was a sample sale happening, but when I arrived, the Angelika skirt was in it! I’m 6’1” so to find exactly what I was looking for, in the right size and length felt like it was pre-destined. After that, it was simply a matter of finding a top to suit my magpie style. Karen, the owner and head seamstress, at the boutique modified the top by taking out the lining and made a bralette in the mikado silk to match my skirt.

Kathryn: The way Adelaide picked her dress was impressive. It was the first bridal shop that we went to and she did it all in one visit!

Please tell me as much as you can about your outfits. Designers, Boutiques/Shops, and any accessories you wore on the day.

Kathryn: I wore a bespoke blue suit and white shirt tailored by King & Allen, at their shop in Wilmslow. Karl was our main contact and his service was impeccable. What was even better is that King & Allen also run a pop up shop in Birmingham, so we organised for my Dad to also have a suit fitted. We weren’t matching, but complemented each other. It was great to chat to my dad about the colour, design and fittings. Throughout the whole process I was made to feel so special. I went with a simple dark navy bow tie from H&M. Pocket square in white from M&S. Shoes from Next. All along, I’d been looking at wearing brogues. However, we were browsing when I saw these plimsoles and I just thought, “They’re what I want to get married in.”

Adelaide: Carolina Castigliano Angelika Skirt, Temperley Cosima Top, bespoken bralette made by Karen at Agape Bridal boutique. Earrings from Etsy, ‘angel wing crawler’ created by lilydawsondesigns. Due to the beaded nature of my top, I chose not to have any other items of jewellery or accessories. I had a bible brooch that belonged to Grandma pinned into one of my pockets. Although we had a non-religious ceremony, our faith is an important part of our lives. It was of great significance for me to have a symbol of my faith and token to represent my Grandma’s presence. Shoes from Next – I’d planned to wear a pair of light blue, paisley patterned vans, but when I noticed that there were a pair of sparkly shoes that complimented Kathryn’s, it was an easy decision to make. Flowers by Pink Lilac, who have since ceased trading. Due to the distance we were travelling, we chose to have silk flowers. Make-up – Make up by Becky Flynn. Hair – Devon Wedding Hair. My outfit was completed by a light blue biker jacket, which was hand painted by a friend of mine with the date of our wedding and the words, “And they lived happily ever after.”