Their Cornish beach themed wedding featured an aqua colour scheme and took place at one of Newquay's seaside venues, The Glendorgal Hotel.
The bridal party arrived in style. "My dad owns a collection of classic cars so he drove me and my step-dad in his Aston Martin and a friend of the family drove my mum and the bridesmaids in my dad's Ford Mustang," explains Michelle. White phalaenopsis orchids, lizianthus and freesias adorned the venue as Michelle walked down the aisle accompanied by both her father and stepfather.
After the ceremony, everyone congregated outside in the sunshine for drinks overlooking Porth Beach before venturing onto the sands for photos. Returning for the wedding breakfast, guests tucked into a buffet including carved sirloin of beef, whole dressed salmon and marinated chicken breasts followed by tarte citron with clotted cream.
An evening buffet of pasties and Cornish cheeses ensured guests were fuelled for the party, as did the delicious cupcakes from Tilly Mint Bakery. A disco courtesy of Chain Reaction kept the dance floor crowded all night long. "After our first dance, everybody poured onto the dance floor to dance to my favourite song, 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' - that was a great moment," Michelle comments.
Shunning convention, Michelle recalls their fun twist on a wedding tradition: "Instead of throwing my bouquet, Alex removed my garter (with his teeth!) and threw it to the single lads!"
The couple ventured to Las Vegas for three nights, then spent two weeks on the Cook Islands for their honeymoon.
Michelle fondly remembers her favourite moments of the day: "It felt very special to have both of my dads walking me down the aisle. And we loved the 'photo shoot' part of the day!"
She encourages other couples to "make sure you enjoy every moment - it really is the best day of your life and it will fly by. Let your groom get as involved as he wants to be. The day should be about both of you."
She adds, "Don't feel you need to splash out to make the day special, but don't scrimp on the important things like the photographer - after the day is over, you will cherish the photos."
The venue
Glendorgal Hotel, Newquay
01637 874937
The dress
Ella from Vu's Bridal, Wadebridge
01208 815440
The flowers
Ginny's Flowers, St Columb Major
01637 881472
Photography
Ilox Photography
Copyright WED Magazine 2011
