Wedding at St Mawes Castle

Once Upon A Time

A chance meeting as undergraduate students at New College, Oxford, led to wedding bells for Charlotte and James exactly seven years later. The proposal came as a complete surprise for Charlotte, “James proposed at sunset on a deserted beech in the Maldives. It was so romantic.”



The couple decided on a cosy autumnal wedding at Devoran Parish Church, followed by a reception in the fairytale venue of St Mawes Castle. “We fell in love with it the moment we saw it,” says Charlotte. The décor complimented the setting perfectly: a medley of candles, ivy, pinecones, cinnamon and herbs lent a romantic aroma and ambience. The deep purple of the bridesmaid dresses blended beautifully with the arrangements of amnesia roses, ivory and port calla lilies, burgundy gerbera and autumnal foliage.



As a personal touch, the couple had beaded key rings made as favours: manta rays for the girls and sharks for the boys. “James works with sharks and we saw lots of manta rays on our engagement holiday in the Maldives,” explains Charlotte.



After a “wonderful ceremony”, the newlyweds travelled to the castle in a vintage style Beauford via the King Harry Ferry.





About Taste provided a delicious menu of cosy winter warmers such as warm scone with Brie and caramelised onions for starter and slow cooked venison with redcurrant, port and juniper sauce with seasonal vegetables for the main course. The dessert was a chocolate wedding cake from The Cake Shop in Oxford – the couple used to admire the cakes in the window when they lived in the city – served with cream and berries.





After their first dance to ‘Love and Marriage’ by Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Charlotte and James danced the night away. The couple shortly jetted off to Thailand for a blissful holiday.



“Start planning the little details long before you think you need to,” Charlotte advises. “Having your wedding out of season means you have less competition for getting the people you want as your first choice to help make the day spectacular.” Finally, “Stay calm and have the time of your life!”





The venue
Devoran Parish Church followed by St Mawes Castle
0844 824 6727 www.english-heritage.org.uk/hospitality

The dress
Martina Liana from Vu's Bridal, Wadebridge
01208 815440 www.vusbridal.co.uk

The flowers
Designer Wedding Flowers
01872 520005 www.designerweddingflowers.co.uk

Photography
Khalile Siddiqui
07773 282319 www.khalilesiddiquiphotography.com

Copyright WED Magazine 2011