Wedding at Tredudwell Manor, Cornwall

Mercedes and Ollie first met through a mutual friend on a night out, when they felt an instant connection.

Their 'perfect' engagement was meticulously planned by Ollie, and started with a meal out at The Stables restaurant in Newquay. 'Little did I know that he had our family back at our house setting up my dream proposal,' reveals Mercedes. 'We got home and he led me inside where there were candles lining a walkway in our living room leading to a sign that his sister had made that said 'Will You Marry Me'™. He got down on one knee and gave me the most perfect ring while 'Adieu' by Enter Shikari was playing, which we then had as our first dance on our wedding night. Our families then came out from hiding in our bedroom!'

Tredudwell Manor was the beautiful venue of choice for the pre-ceremony preparations and reception, where a colour scheme of burgundy and rose gold adorned the celebration space. The flowers were key to the look of the day: gorgeous arrangements carried the sumptuous palette across dÃ©cor such as the table centrepieces, a flower arch, a flower wall and a striking LOVE sign.

Mercedes and Ollie handcrafted much of the other dÃ©cor themselves, from the stationery to the family photos. 'Our table numbers had pictures of us from birth to our first school pictures and we had a picture hanger with photographs of all our families on their wedding day,' says Mercedes. 'People then used the Polaroid camera to add pictures of the evening to this.'

Extending the relaxed theme with the catering, the couple ensured a bounty of foodstuffs were available throughout, with platters of pizzas and pasties and an assortment of sides paired with Cornish Orchards cider.

'We really enjoyed having more casual foods at our wedding rather than the traditional buffet or three-course meal; we found our guests really enjoyed this too,' explains Mercedes. And with an evening feast of sausage and bacon rolls alongside the three-tiered red velvet, salted caramel and fruit cake, guests' appetites remained sated in style for the celebrations.

'We both agree that our favourite moment was going out onto the clifftop to have pictures taken,' says Mercedes when asked to reflect upon her most standout memories. 'Our photographer Joey made us feel so comfortable and it allowed us to take a step back and realise we had just got married!'

Her top piece of planning advice for others is a simple one: 'Lists, lists and more lists! We wrote everything down, every penny we spent, every vendor we used, timelines of things we had left to do, who was responsible for doing what. It really helped keep anxieties down and everyone on track!'

She also highlights the importance of enjoying the engagement period and planning a day to suit your selves. 'Relax, enjoy the planning, and take it all in. Being engaged is amazing and it's something that stops the second you get married, so don't forget to enjoy this time too,' she says. 'It is your day and you should do exactly what you want to do without stressing about pleasing other people too much.'