Selecting an aquamarine colour scheme, Sarah drew on her love of the ocean to decorate the venue, sourcing seashells and creating centrepieces with sand, as well as designing the beach themed invites and table plan. "I always wanted sweets too, so had a small selection of jelly sharks and fizzy fish!," she comments. "My cake included all the sea creatures I love and came with a personalised top tier, featuring a camera and scuba gear."
The seaside style even extended to the ice cream details on Sarah's Irregular Choice shoes, which looked stunning teamed with her Maggie Sottero gown and bespoke bouquet crafted from shiny brooches, roses, shells and starfish. Bridesmaids in asymmetric aquamarine dresses completed the chic seaside picture as they made their big entrance at Tunnels Beaches for the ceremony. Gareth, meanwhile, looked dapper in a grey tail suit accented with an aquamarine cravat.
A day of many delicious treats, a gourmet barbecue presented a seafood spread comprising mini Thai fishcakes, spicy crab cakes, peppered seared tuna steaks, chilli lime tiger prawn and monkfish skewers and salmon garden pasta salad. White chocolate cheesecake completed the wedding breakfast, with bacon baps hitting the spot for the evening revellers who grooved into the early hours to an iPod playlist.
Reflecting on her dreamy day by the sea, Sarah reveals some of her favourite moments: "The speeches were really touching and funny, and dancing the night away with our friends to a varied selection of music we chose and looking out to sea with the twinkling lights of the magical venue around us." She adds: "Seeing my twins in their suits and my three-year-old daughter in her flower girl dress for the first time - it was hard to hold back the tears."
Sarah has some first-hand advice for other busily planning pairs: "I am so pleased we got the day videoed. Foster Filming produced the most amazing highlights of our day and laid it over some of our chosen music from the day." She also reiterates the importance of going bespoke and savouring the experience: "The day really does fly by, as everyone says, so make the most of it. And do it the way you and your husband-to-be want - it's your day!"
Photography Harrera Images www.harreraimages.co.uk
Venue Tunnels Beaches www.tunnelsbeaches.co.uk
Dress Maggie Sottero www.maggiesottero.com
Groom's outfit Moss Bros www.moss.co.uk
Bridesmaid dresses Julien Macdonald at Debenhams www.debenhams.com/designers/julien-macdonald
Hair and make-up The Pop-Up Salon www.thepopupsalon.co.uk
Bouquet BoHo Bridal on Etsy www.etsy.com
Cake Nibble and Scoff www.nibbleandscoff.co.uk
Videography Foster Filming www.fosterfilming.com
Copyright Wed magazine 2014
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