Wedding at The Fowey Hotel

A Cornish Celebration

Alex and Erica first met during their second year at the University of California Santa Cruz. “We were distant friends for over two and a half years before we figured out that we fancied each other!” Erica remarks.



Soon after they became a couple, Alex moved home to England and Erica moved to Los Angeles. Apart for a year to the day, the pair travelled between London and Los Angeles, Cornwall and Siskiyou County to be together before Erica moved to London in January 2009. In April of that year, they became engaged.


 
The ceremony was held at The Fowey Hotel and was followed by champagne and strawberries in the tea garden overlooking the river. An afternoon tea with “lashings of clotted cream” and Cornish storytelling by Will Coleman preceded the arrival of the Town Crier who led the pair on a procession through Fowey. Alex and Erica strode to Gallants Sailing Club, followed by Cornish bagpipes and the wedding party.



“The procession was much more powerful and moving than any of us expected. Not only having our family and friends walk behind us, but having the Town Crier ring us through the town as people came out of the shops and cheered us on!”



With dark purple tulips as the inspiration for their colours, the scheme was simply carried in the flowers, the details of the outfits and the best men's ties.



The evening buffet included Italian and Spanish meats, a 'cake' of cheeses, fresh quiches, stuffed peppers and fine breads. Alex's best man and brother was the MC for the evening, and a series of special performances by family and friends ensued while another family friend assumed the role of DJ.
 


The Icelandic volcanic ash cloud scuppered the couple’s plans for a honeymoon in Dubrovnik, Croatia; they’ve since decided that the trip will mark their first anniversary. They did, however, manage to escape for a few days’ respite at a friend's Cornish farmhouse.



Their favourite moments include, “seeing each other for the first time and having a few minutes to ourselves before walking down the aisle” and “escaping to take photos and then being invited onto a sail boat to take photos posed behind the wheel.”



And their top advice for other couples? “There is no right way to do it – do what's meaningful to you and it will make the day so much more memorable for everybody.”

The venue
The Fowey Hotel, Fowey
01726 832125 www.thefoweyhotel.co.uk
Fowey Gallants Sailing Club
01726 832335 www.foweygallantssc.co.uk

Erica’s dress
Jenny Yoo from The English Department, Portland USA
Alex’s suit
Gresham Blake, Brighton
www.greshamblake.com

Photography
Cornish Wedding Photography
01872 553350 www.cornishweddingphotography.co.uk

Copyright WED Magazine 2010