As we head into the Easter weekend, I wanted to leave you with this wonderful wedding from Launcells Barton in Cornwall. The atmosphere is sunny, fresh and coastal chic, and the images by Melanie Barnfield Photography are out of this world. Sophie and Gareth are stunning – Sophie’s dress with its mermaid-like sparkle is perfect for a seaside celebration.

Have the most wonderful weekend everyone – I’ll be taking a break to spend time with family (and eat chocolate!) so we’ll see you on Tuesday!

Wedding photographer’s website

Melanie Barnfield – https://www.melaniebarnfieldphotography.com

Wedding photographer review

The best wedding photographer we ever could’ve wished for! Mel captured our August wedding day and every emotion that came with it so beautifully. We are in love with the photos and are so grateful we now have so many moments to look back on and treasure forever.

Mel went above and beyond since we first got in touch, providing lots of helpful info and advice, as well the opportunity to have an engagement shoot which was so special and a great way to get to know each other more.

On the day, Mel was so much more than our wedding photographer, but an extra friend to share our day. She captured all the natural moments without being intrusive, but was also equally there to direct when needed and have some fun with the group shots – she’s full of great ideas, creativity and patience! She brought such a calming energy and put everyone at ease even helping me with my dress and the boys with their buttonholes.

She listened to all our ideas and just totally got our vibe. Our family and friends thought she was brilliant too and so friendly and approachable, with several people mentioning how she literally didn’t stop smiling or snapping away all day.

Mel is a sunshine soul and we truly can’t thank or recommend her enough!!

Your best wedding moment or memory

Our outdoor ceremony ended up being one of our favourite moments due to the complete bubble we found ourselves in of pure love and emotion. It was so special looking out and seeing all our loved ones as we read our personalised vows to each other and walking down the aisle as husband and wife was a moment we will cherish forever.

The tractor ride offered by our venue was another stand out memory as we were able to take a few moments away from it all to soak everything in and be just us, walking in a field that overlooked the sea.

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

• Bride’s speech – The groom wrote a bit of a silly song to Max Boyce’s hymns and arias (a classic Welsh song) with audience involvement and everything! It was a real highlight and he hadn’t told a single person so the biggest surprise of the day.
• Sundowner drinks on the beach the night before. As people were travelling far and wide, we wanted to make a weekend of it. Most of the guests ended up joining us on the beach the evening before which was so special and the perfect start to our wedding.
• Tractor ride
• Lots of homemade touches
• Pizza van in the evening of course as pizza is our favourite!

Videographer name + review

Ashley Hughes

Venue name + review

Launcells Barton

The most perfect Cornish venue to celebrate our August wedding. We knew when we were first showed around that it had to be Launcells!

From the very beginning, we felt looked after by the team and their communication and attention to detail throughout was outstanding.

They were always so welcoming and there to answer any questions, as well as providing lots of helpful information and advice throughout our wedding journey.

The setting of the venue is something super special and all of our guests were blown away, with not only all of the incredible spaces but the whole feel and homeliness of it all.

We were fortunate enough to have an outdoor ceremony in the beautiful and intimate walled garden, which ended up being one of our favourite parts (along with the tractor ride – such a unique experience), making for amazing photos!

The reception barn was stunning on its own, but we loved that we were able to put our stamp on it with our own decor and bring our vision to life.

The Manor House was another beautiful feature and there was plenty of space to get ready in the morning. The exclusive use of the venue for the whole weekend made for such a memorable time with our closest family who were able to stay onsite.

We are so grateful for all the time and dedication put into ensuring we had the perfect day and thank the whole team from the bottom of our hearts for hosting the best day of our lives!

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

Bride – my wedding dress reminded me of the way the sea shimmers on a sunny day and was almost mermaid like which is why I fell in love with it. I was able to make it bespoke by adding pearls down the back and off the shoulder sleeves for that whimsical, fairy tale look.

I wore a denim jacket for when it was cooler in the evening that I personalised with pearl initials and little sewn on motifs like a wave, hibiscus flower, stars and a tiny welsh flag.

My favourite part was the jewellery I had made bespoke by Tara Osborne – a unique arm cuff with engraved lines to represent our wedding date, moonstone earrings and a moonstone back necklace with 9 pearls to indicate the number of years we’ve been together.

My something blue were my blue bow shoes which were so cute and fun!

Groom – cream linen trousers with a navy jacket and waistcoat.

The groomsmen were in the opposite, so navy trousers and cream linen jackets.

The ties were peach and as a surprise, the bride had a tie patch made of a photo of our dog, Skye which the groom discovered when getting ready.

Dress or suit shop name + review

Wedding dress – Timeless Elegance, Cardiff

Jewellery – Carrie Elizabeth (bracelet) and Tara Osborne Jewellery (necklace, earrings, arm cuff)

Shoes – Something blue

Groom and groomsmen – French Connection and M&S.

Bridesmaids – peach dresses from VILA and they all had matching white bow heels.

Florist name + review

Steph at Verbena Floral Styling – the most wonderful florist who brought our vision and Pinterest board to life with her beautiful flower arrangements.

We wanted flowers that suited the theme of coastal, whimsical and fun, and Steph got it exactly spot on!

My bouquet was even made into a heart shape and I literally did not put it down all day long!

The meadow style arrangements that lined the aisle for the ceremony were breathtaking, along with the giant urns that set for the ceremony backdrop. It was fantastic that these could all then be moved into the reception barn and we also had bud vases set along the trestle tables which looked stunning.

The power of flowers and the beauty of floral arrangements at a wedding shouldn’t be underestimated and Steph knows how to deliver.

She also kindly helped with the styling in the reception barn and has an amazing eye for detail which made everything look flawless.

Cake maker name + review

Mother of the bride! A 3 tier cake of lemon, cappuccino and malt chocolate.

Decorated with royal icing and gold leaf.

We had a wooden cake topper made of the bride, groom and our dog. The groom is Welsh so the mother of the groom made a barabrith and one of the bridesmaids made Welsh cakes too.

Wedding catering, eats and treats!

Caterers – Fig & Smoke – we had sharing style boards which worked really well as we had trestle tables and it was like one big feast for everyone to get involved with!

Lots of Mediterranean themed food – breads, olives, dips, meats followed by mains of lamb, hake and stuffed peppers with a selection of side dishes and ending with a trio of desserts. The sharing style meant everyone could try a bit of everything.

Evening pizza van – Shoreline pizza

Stationery maker’s name + review

The bride! Save the dates, invites, menus etc all designed on canva and printed using Printed.com

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

Homemade signage (welcome sign and table plan) – made the most of the groom’s skills set to carve out the signs into a wave shape to fit with our coastal theme.

The groom’s trade is in polished concrete manufacturing and we had polished concrete candle holders on the tables.

We met on Tinder and had candles and little glass bottles filled with matches as our favours – the Tinder symbol is a flame and we used the slogan of ‘it’s a match’ to have personalised stickers printed on the bottles.

We decorated the barn with fairy lights, festoon lights and white drapes along the beams.

The mother of the bride made the napkins using a gorgeous coral print fabric.

Wedding readings?

You are the bubbles by Rachel Bright
Wedding poem by Whitney Hanson

Hair + makeup name + review

Hair – Jessica Dodd (@styledbyjessicadodd)

Jess is an incredible wedding hair stylist and was a dream to have around on my wedding morning. She had the big task of doing mine, 5 bridesmaids, mothers of the bride and groom and flower girl and she did such an amazing job!

She listened to everyone’s preferences and we were all so happy and felt amazing all day. It was also great to have a trial beforehand.

Jess is such a lovely person and has such a calming personality which helped make the morning relaxed and fun! Can’t thank her enough and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a hair stylist.

Make up – Gem Ryder (@gemrydermua) I’m so pleased I booked Gem for my wedding make up as she was simply amazing!

She did make up for myself, 5 bridesmaids and mothers of the bride and groom – a big task but she smashed it and we all felt fabulous all day long.

She is so knowledgable, professional and talented, and listened to everyone’s preferences to make us feel like a glam version of ourselves.

It was lovely having a trial beforehand and her warmth, kindness and calming nature made the wedding morning relaxing and run smoothly.