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Real Weddings in Cornwall and Devon

Wedding at Pentillie Castle, Cornwall

Wedding at Pentillie Castle, Cornwall

White Wedding



Oli chose one of the most romantic cities in the world to pop the question. "He proposed at dawn on the Spanish Steps in Rome. He'd lured me out of bed at 5am on the pretence of an early morning stroll around the city," reveals Sophie of that magical moment.

The enchanting setting of Pentillie Castle proved the natural choice for their extended wedding weekend. "Pentillie is run by Oli's family and it meant the world to us to be married somewhere that his family and friends have invested so much time and love into," comments Sophie.

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A candlelit party on the Friday night in Pentillie's Victorian greenhouse set the tone for the intimate and relaxed nature of the wedding Sophie and Oli were so keen to create. "We deliberately wanted it to feel more like you were having supper in someone's kitchen rather than a formal event," she says. Opting for a white palette, their marquee was dressed with long wooden bistro tables, fresh herbs and garden flowers from the woods and stunning floral arrangements by Sophie's mum and sister, while the food was served in big dishes that guests could help themselves to.

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A day full of personal details, the pair found photos of each of their 175 guests and printed them off as Polaroids for their seating plan - now a keepsake on their wall at home - and replaced a guest book with Jenga bricks. "We are looking forward to playing Jenga over the years and laughing at the brilliant messages and drawings they did for us," comments Sophie.

Sophie walked up the aisle of Landulph Church in an embellished Jenny Packham gown carrying a medley of lily of the valley, roses, freesias, lavender and rosemary. The ceremony was to prove the highlight of the celebrations. "Oli had suggested that we should learn our vows by heart and, although they took us months to learn, saying them to him without prompt made the words so ardent, and hearing Oli say them to me without prompt took my breath away," she reflects.

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After the 'I dos', guests moved onto Pentillie where Charlie Wingfield lent an ambient soundtrack to the drinks reception. Settling into the marquee, guests dined on the delicious likes of free-range chicken, chorizo, caramelised onion and mascarpone pie followed by chocolate brownies made by Oli's mum.

Appetites sweetly satiated, the next round of entertainment proved distinctly popular. "We had a silent disco! Our friends and family took some convincing that this was a good idea but it was definitely one of our highlights. Apart from enabling everyone else to keep chatting while the dance floor heaved, it was just brilliant fun and meant that our slightly older relatives didn't have to endure the retro '90s dance music we love!" explains Sophie.

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The partying trickled into the early hours and continued - albeit in a more chilled out fashion - with a hog roast and swing band on the Sunday.

"Make time to enjoy some moments with your family in the days and hours before the wedding; that time is priceless," Sophie advises. "And remember: if something goes wrong on the day, the chances are that no one else will notice."

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Photography Sarah Gawler www.sarahgawler.co.uk
Venue Landulph Church followed by Pentillie Castle www.pentillie.co.uk 
Catering Cru Catering www.cruevents.co.uk
Dress Jenny Packham from Morgan-Davies Bridal www.morgandavieslondon.co.uk
Bridesmaid dresses L.K. Bennett www.lkbennett.com
Entertainment Charlie Wingfield www.charliewingfield.co.uk
Wedding cake Jane Richardson Cakes www.janerichardsoncakes.com
Wedding film I Do Wedding Films www.idoweddingfilms.co.uk 

Copyright Wed magazine 2014