Wedding at Pentillie Castle

The Multimedia Marriage

Australian-born Naomi and Cornish-born Steve were brought together by a mutual passion for TV series ‘Angel’; having attended a series of fan-related events, their first date in 2003 culminated in a proposal on a trip to Brighton in 2008.



The couple envisioned a wedding day full of fun – and that is undoubtedly what they got at their traditional English wedding with a highly personalised twist. A pink and chocolate colour scheme signified Naomi’s favourite colour and Steve’s favourite food, while a series of Hollywood and TV references and fun, quirky touches featured throughout the day.



The wedding party had the run of Pentillie Castle from a Thursday to a Sunday in November. Harpist Elizabeth-Jane Baldry played classical and contemporary music during the ceremony, which saw the couple exchanging self-penned vows, a mixture of comical and meaningful readings and a Kernewek blessing. “It was such a fun and happy time and didn’t feel like an official wedding ceremony at all with people laughing, cheering and crying in equal measure.”



Eclectic entertainment ideas amused guests and provided unique mementoes of the day. The ‘PentillieWood’ photo booth area allowed guests to strike a pose and leave comments on Polaroid-style photos, while WeddingCAM, a tiny video camera from Dana Video Productions, captured the ‘real’ wedding footage.



Naomi and Steve made a comical arrival at the reception: wearing boxing robes emblazoned with ‘Mr and Mrs Manser,’ they bobbed and weaved their way around tables crowned with spoof DVD covers to the ‘Rocky’ theme tune. The English Table served up a scrumptious feast of posh fish and chips (with the stacked chips, mushy peas and roasted root vegetables arranged in quaint watering cans and bowls) and white chocolate and ginger cheesecake.



Brilliantly rejecting the wedding formula once again, the first dance began with the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ theme (complete with obligatory Bruce Forsyth impression) and high octane twisting to classic Blues Brothers and Pulp Fiction tracks. Friends provided guest DJ spots during the disco and the hardiest party animals, including Steve’s 87-year-old nan, rocked out to Guitar Hero into the early hours! On the Sunday, many guests reflected on the wedding over Cornish cream teas in the bathing hut by the lake.



Their personal wedding has inspired plenty of advice for other couples. “Don’t be afraid to think outside the box – put your own twist on things to give your wedding day a truly personalised feel.” They add, “Make sure you get a video produced – it’s worth every penny to capture those precious moments.” And finally, “Buy a perfume and aftershave you’ve never worn before. Wear it at the wedding and the smell will forever bring back happy memories of the day.”

The venue
Pentillie Castle, St Mellion
01579 350044 www.pentillie.co.uk

The dress
Imogène International from the National Wedding Show and altered by The Sewing Room in Wadebridge

Photography
Sorcha Holloway
01752 662801 www.sorchahollowayphotography.com

Copyright WED Magazine 2010