Wedding at The Woolacombe Bay Hotel

A Seaside Party

Drawing from opposite Devonshire coasts, Sophie and Nick first laid eyes on each other in a St Albans’ nightclub. “We had some banter about Sophie being from the north ‘surfy’ part of Devon and Nick coming from the south ‘sailor’ part!” they comment.



On the morning of the wedding, the girls quaffed champagne and busied themselves with their preparations whilst the groom's party woke themselves up with a brisk sea swim.



St Brannock's Church in Braunton was the setting for their marriage ceremony, where Sophie shimmied down the aisle in a gorgeous Maggie Sottero gown. A mixture of roses, orchids, bear grass and lisianthus perfectly complemented the rose detail on her dress.





Many elements were coordinated according to a pink and grey colour scheme. The groom’s party donned grey suits, which contrasted sharply with hot pink cravats, and the bridesmaids wore grey gowns with beautiful bejeweled necklines. The wedding stationery incorporated pink and grey detailing and reflected the fashion/sports theme – ‘golf clubs and handbags' – inspired by the couple's occupations: Nick's as a sports trader and Sophie's as a fashion buyer.



At Woolacombe Bay Hotel, guests were greeted with champagne and canapés whilst photos were taken above the beach. The wedding breakfast included dishes such as warm leek and Gruyère tartlets, lamb with a jus, vegetables and potatoes dauphinoise, sage and pumpkin risotto, crème brûlée and chocolate brownie.



DJ Martin King provided the soundtrack for the evening revelry, while caricaturist Lynn Worthington provided further amusement. Guests partied until the early hours, and memorable moments of the day include Nick's over zealous efforts at carrying Sophie up a hill for their photo shoot and the couple’s choreographed first dance to Jason Mraz's, ‘I'm Yours’. “We totally forgot our routine after a few champers during the speeches, but we blagged our way through anyhow!” says Sophie.



After a honeymoon in Barbados and Miami, Sophie reflects upon the wedding, “The whole day was just amazing and it was great to have all our family and friends in one place at the same time.” She advises, “Organise your ushers well and give each one a specific group of people to round up for photographs.” Also, “Give yourself plenty of time: we got married at one and didn't leave the church until almost three.”





The venue
St Brannock's Church, Braunton followed by The Woolacombe Bay Hotel
01271 870388 www.woolacombe-bay-hotel.co.uk

The dress
Maggie Sottero from Frilly Frocks, Barnstaple
01271 344338 www.frillyfrocks.co.uk

Photography
Lucy Shergold
01237 420828 www.lucyshergoldphotography.co.uk

Copyright WED Magazine 2010