“As a child I used to go on holiday to Mother Ivey’s Bay,” says Morwenna of her north Cornwall connection. “Steve knew how special the area was to me and said he’d take me there for a mini break, but little did I know he was planning to propose! He took to one knee on the beach first thing in the morning when we were the only people there.”
Switching coastlines for their waterside wedding, the couple decided to marry at Porthleven Methodist Church followed by a marquee reception overlooking the ocean at Beacon Crag. “We always knew we wanted to get married by the sea and we grew up going to Masked Ball parties at Beacon Crag every year when we were teenagers, so it felt like the perfect place for us,” explains Morwenna.
Fashion stylist Morwenna jumped at the chance to design the day from scratch, using the floristry as the starting point. “I wanted a minimal, clean colour palette so I chose white flowers and green foliage,” she says. “I love the impact of foliage with the warm wood of the rustic tables and whites of the marquee, which was filled with the scent from the stocks and roses. When the sun came out, we opened the marquee windows to take in the sea views.”
Alongside her mum and godmother, Morwenna dressed the marquee with a gorgeous mix of flowers and lighting, weaving trailing foliage around the trio of beams while scattering candles throughout, fairy lights in the roof and bulbs in the beams for heightened ambience.
The sense of transition between day and night was not only achieved through the décor, but Morwenna’s wedding dress: a Catherine Deane gown featuring a sweetheart neckline with a long sleeve lace top. “I took the top off for the evening and had my hair down, so I was ready to party!” she says. “It felt more relaxed and was a completely different look without having to take off my gown.”
Guests were spoiled with a feast for the senses throughout the day, from entertainment including live music, speech bingo, a magic mirror and DJ set to edible delights such as cocktails, canapés, an ice cream trike and a Mediterranean-style wedding breakfast.
Whetting appetites with Italian antipasti with arancini balls and Baker Tom’s bread primed taste buds for a feast of Greek-style meats and salads, feta pies and an assortment of breads and dips. An evening banquet of pasties was served alongside the cake: a three-tier confection adorned with foliage and flowers.
“Arriving at the church and seeing Steve’s big smile at the end of the aisle with all our family and friends around us,” reflects Morwenna when asked to pinpoint her favourite moment. “The church ceremony was very special with our friend who's a vicar marrying us, and friends leading the music.”
And when it comes to planning advice, she asserts: “Not everything has to be costly. Really think about what parts of the day you want to invest in and what parts you don’t.”
Photography Ben Selway benselwayphotography.co.uk
Venue Porthleven Methodist Church, Beacon Crag beaconcrag.com
Marquee Absolute Canvas absolutecanvas.co.uk
Catering The Good Food Catering Company thegoodfoodcateringco.co.uk
Dress Catherine Deane from The Bridal House of Cornwall thebridalhouseofcornwall.co.uk
Bridesmaids’ dresses White by Vera Wang verawang.com
Hair Rebecca Goldsworthy
Hannah Toon hannahtoon.blogspot.com
Make-up Gemma Campbell gemmacampbellmua.com
Flowers George Mackay georgemackayflowers.com
Cake Kellie’s Kakes instagram.com/kelliekakes_
Ice cream trike The Cornish Ice Trike cornishicetrike.co.uk
Entertainment Maddie Magdalene maddiemagdalene.com
Zoe McQueen
Cornwall Magic Mirror cornwallmagicmirror.co.uk
DJ in Cornwall djincornwall.co.uk
The Choons thechoons.co.uk
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