A glorious, beautiful sunny real wedding in Devon, with breathtaking coastal views and the sweetest couple. Sophie and Josh chose to make their vows at an intimate wedding ceremony with their closest friends and family, followed a few days later by a celebration with more guests. The venue – a stunning coastal wedding venue in Devon, and everything beautifully captured by Sandy Cove wedding photographer Martin Dabek.

Wedding photography at Sandy Cove: Martin Dabek Photography

Photographer’s website

North Devon wedding photographer Martin Dabek Photography – https://martindabek.com

Martin is an experienced candid and documentary style wedding photographer, who’s captured weddings across the south of England and beyond. As well as being an English Wedding member, Martin is a recommended photographer by Sandy Cove wedding venue. If you’re looking for a documentary wedding photographer, Martin Dabek also comes very highly recommended with a glowing review from Sophie and Josh!

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Wedding photographer review

We had a great experience with Martin Dabek for our wedding in September – we actually had two weddings (the legal wedding and a reception / party a few days later) and Martin was our photographer for both. He was very flexible with availability across both days, and agreed to amend the bookings a few times to make sure we were able to capture all the key moments without blowing our budget! He was really communicative and made a big effort to make us feel comfortable on the day, even asking for a list of family member names so he could address each person individually, which was lovely. The photos themselves are brilliant and we’re really happy with the service we received. Thank you Martin!

Sophie & Josh: Our Wedding Story

Best wedding moment or memory

Sophie – walking down the aisle with my mum and dad and seeing Josh standing waiting for me was a really special moment and one I’ll remember forever.

Josh – it’s tough to pick a favourite, the whole day was filled with amazing moments. If there was one that stood out, it would have to be when I first turned around and saw Sophie walking down the aisle. I know it’s so cliche, but it really was a feeling like I’ve never had before. She looked absolutely beautiful and I’ve replayed the moment so many times in my head ever since.

Tell us anything you did differently – any NEW traditions (or if you had none at all!)

We did a lot of things differently! While we love tradition, we wanted our wedding to reflect what truly mattered to us. We chose to have a small, intimate ceremony at Sandy Cove Hotel in Devon with just our immediate families, followed a few days later by a big celebration at Beeses Riverside Bar in Bristol where we reshared our vows and partied with our wider family and friends. Having two weddings allowed us to be fully present with our closest loved ones on the day itself, without the pressure of being in the spotlight. Most importantly, it meant we got to spend our entire wedding day together, while still enjoying all the fun and energy of a big celebration a few days later.

Instead of traditional wedding gifts, we asked guests attending our intimate ceremony to bring a vinyl record that meant something to them. After the meal, we hosted a ‘record hour’, playing each record, sharing stories, dancing, and singing together. It became one of our favourite parts of the day and is something we would wholeheartedly recommend for small weddings if you’re looking for evening entertainment that feels relaxed, meaningful, and deeply personal. Those records now form a special collection in our home — a soundtrack to our wedding that we’ll treasure for years to come.

Another moment that meant a great deal to me (Sophie) was having both of my parents walk me down the aisle. My mum and dad have both played such important roles in my life and, along with my sisters, were a close family unit so it felt completely right to share that moment with them together.

My mum and sisters also gave speeches at the wedding, which was a lovely complement to the traditional speeches you’d expect. It was so special to hear from the important people in our lives and we’re grateful to Martin for capturing these special moments on film.

For our wedding celebration, we had an incredible live band, but before they took to the stage, Josh’s groomsmen kicked things off with a DJ set. Their ghetto funk remixes of classic tracks were a brilliant nod to Bristol culture and an unforgettable way to get everyone into the party spirit. We set up the decks in the bar at Beeses while the band prepared in the marquee, turning what’s usually a quiet in-between moment into one of the highlights of the day.

As another nod to Bristol culture, we also hired a boat from iconic ‘Bristol Packet’ to transport our guests from Bristol Harbour to Beeses! This was a really fun and unique experience that we thought would make the day truly memorable.

Wedding suppliers

Videographer name + review

Martin Dabek Martin was absolutely wonderful from start to finish. He captured a beautiful film of our intimate ceremony at Sandy Cove Hotel in Devon, which we have loved revisiting in the months since our wedding. His approach was incredibly discreet — we hardly noticed we were being filmed — allowing us to feel completely at ease and fully enjoy our day. Martin provided two films: a longer version and a shorter cut perfect for sharing on social media, which was such a thoughtful touch. He also recorded all of the speeches from both Sandy Cove and the celebration at Beeses which was really important to us, and we are so grateful to have captured those moments so authentically.

Wedding venue name + review: Sandy Cove Hotel (North Devon)

for our intimate wedding ceremony and reception

Sandy Cove were true professionals from the moment we first viewed their stunning venue on the North Devon coast to the morning we left after our wedding. From start to finish, everything felt completely under control, with a real sense of care, quality and attention to detail throughout.

No request was ever too much trouble, allowing us to fully relax and trust that our day would run seamlessly. We stayed in the beautiful wedding suite, which featured a balcony overlooking the dramatic coastline. Positioned directly opposite the dedicated dressing room for the bridal party, it was the perfect setup for getting ready on the morning of the wedding.

The food was excellent, and we felt genuinely well looked after at every stage of the process. And of course, the views speak for themselves.

We were lucky and got great weather for our day, but there was a fantastic indoor option with full length windows allowing the wedding party to still make the most of the scenery during the ceremony.

A staircase has recently been built from the hotel down to a private beach which provides some good photo opportunities – and Combe Martin beach is also less than a five minute drive away, which is pehaps the easier option for those in heels! We would absolutely recommend Sandy Cove to couples looking for a luxurious and picturesque venue where quality is woven into the fabric of what they do.

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Beeses Riverside Bar – Wedding Celebration (Bristol): Adriana at Beeses was a pleasure to work with. Her experience and expertise were invaluable in helping us curate the wedding celebration we had envisioned — relaxed, fun and informal, while still feeling truly special.

Throughout the planning process, we felt our ideas and priorities were genuinely listened to, with every effort made to bring our vision to life. The suggestion to hire a boat to transport our guests from Bristol Harbour to Beeses was inspired and helped create a unique and memorable experience for our guests that reflected the fun atmosphere we were looking for. There was a great mix of indoor and outdoor space, including a bar and a marquee for a sit down meal and live music, as well as riverside gardens where speakers could be set up and seating arranged for a blessing, if desired. The home-cooked food was exceptional, and we heard from many of our guests that it was the best wedding food they had had. We would wholeheartedly recommend Beeses to anyone looking for a relaxed venue to celebrate their marriage with loved ones.

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Florist name + review

Dorset wedding florist Bright Blooms, Shaftesbury We were absolutely delighted with Bright Blooms. As we were celebrating two weddings, we chose dried flowers instead of fresh and couldn’t be happier with the decision.

The team created the most beautiful buttonholes and bouquets, which looked stunning on both days — and we’re still able to display them at home now.

Ellen took the time to meet with us over Teams while we were living in Australia, really listening to what we were looking for and clearly explaining our options. The end result was exactly what we had hoped for, and we would wholeheartedly recommend Bright Blooms to anyone considering dried florals.

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Hair + makeup name + review

Changing Faces – Anna, makeup; and Sarah, hair.

I was so impressed with Anna and Sarah. They were such great company during the trial and on the day itself, which really helped to diffuse nerves and add to the joyful atmosphere. Sarah was so flexible when I changed my mind a few times on what I was looking for for my hair – and had brilliant suggestions to help achieve the look I wanted, even after an unexpectedly short haircut! Sarah and Anna made me feel so confident on the day and I am so pleased with the work they did – I could not recomend them highly enough.

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Wedding cake maker name + review

Dixie’s Cakes & Bakes, Bristol

Kay at Dixie’s Cakes & Bakes was so accommodating with our cake. Josh is vegan and she was able to make one layer a vegan carrot cake, and cover the other two layers – red velvet and victoria sponge – with vegan buttercream, which was really appreciated. All were delicious and almost all of the cake went – which was saying something as it was huge! The cake was decorated beautifully with flowers provided by our florist and it looked exactly as we had pictured it would.

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Wedding wear

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

Sophie – I wore a Madi Lane dress bought from Lace & Grace in Keynsham. I ordered extra lace and had detachable sleeves made which I wore for a touch of elegance at our ceremony at Sandy Cove, and then removed for a more casual look at the celebration at Beeses.

Josh – wore a Dom Bagnato suit which we bought in Brisbane while we were living over there last year.

Dress or suit shop name + review

Lace & Grace were fabulous – the ladies clearly love what they do and I felt they were genuinely excited for our wedding! They listened to what I was looking for and the Madi Lane dress they helped me find was just perfect. They offered lovely touches at each visit, including a little card wishing us well when I collected my dress just before the wedding, which I felt really set them apart.

Styling and personal touches

My mum handmade all of the dried flower table decorations at both weddings, and handwrote all of the name labels in calligraphy – over 100 of them! My parents spent months collecting foliage from their garden and the local area and mum had fennel drying in the conservatory for weeks! They did an amazing job and the end result was really lovely.

Wedding ceremony and readings

Josh and I wrote our own promises which was an incredibly moving and special thing to do. We both wrote them very quickly as it was just so easy to know what we wanted to say to each other. We shared these at our wedding ceremony, and again at the celebration party a few days later for our wider friends and family. I arrived at the celebration venue an hour after the boat carrying the guests had arrived, allowing for a ‘traditional’ walk down the aisle with all our guests lined up and cheering! Sharing our vows again when I reached Josh under the arbor made the whole occasion feel just as authentic and emotional as the wedding itself.