Even though Melissa hails from Georgia and Scott from the UK, the couple first crossed paths in Austin, Texas. “We were both at a party with mutual friends and we were drawn to each other from the jump,” recalls Melissa. “Once we got to talking, we pretty much never stopped.”
The proposal came during a romantic getaway to Santa Barbara. At a sun-drenched winery, Scott led Melissa out to a tranquil lily pond, where he dropped to one knee. “He said the most beautiful things, which made me cry – and then he cried too,” she says. “Of course, I said yes.”
Their wedding venue was every bit as scenic as their engagement – the idyllic Boconnoc Estate. The couple had a clear vision for an English garden feel with elements that honoured both of their backgrounds. “My focus centred around textures, patterns, florals and elegance,” elaborates Melissa. “And the sun showed up, which brought our vision together beautifully.”
In a heartfelt celebration of both families’ tradition, Melissa and Scott hosted two ceremonies: a Vicar-led service in the estate’s historic church as a nod to Scott’s Catholic upbringing, followed by an outdoor ceremony under a chuppah led by Melissa’s brother Laurence. “We never thought we'd end up having two ceremonies,” says Melissa, “but it came together so beautifully. It meant so much to both of our families – it felt like the perfect blend.”
Flowers took centre stage throughout the day, from the serene church to the showstopping marquee. “We chose wild, whimsical green and white florals for the church, then the marquee was filled with greenery garlands, a beautiful foliage chandelier and a foliage runner above the tables,” says Melissa. Rattan lampshades added to the indoor-outdoor feel, while the tables were scattered with bud vases in varying heights, filled with colourful, locally grown blooms.
Guests enjoyed a drinks reception on the lawn, complete with a roaming band and glorious sunshine, before moving into the marquee for the speeches and a feast of pesto gnocchi with seasonal vegetables, Cornish hake and beef brisket.
Then came the first dance. “This is a fun story!” laughs Melissa. “Scott and I had taken dance lessons for a choreographed routine to Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer. When the song started playing, we realised it wasn’t the correct version. We rolled with it – until the song cut off right before our big lift!” Not to be defeated, Melissa made a quick dress change, knocked back a few tequila shots and returned to the floor to complete their dance finale as planned. “It was perfectly imperfect,” she smiles. “And in the end, nothing really went wrong. Everything that happened – the perfect moments as well as the moments that didn't go perfectly to plan – are what made the day special, memorable and unique to us.”
Looking back, Melissa has a few words of wisdom for other couples planning their day. “If you can get a wedding planner, we highly recommend it – our planner, Fern, was so organised.” But her most heartfelt tipis about connection. “Keep dating! Sometimes you forget to date or talk about things other than the wedding. Try to keep making time for each other and making memories together, even when life gets busy!”
Photography In Lovers Eyes inlovereyes.com
Venue Boconnoc Estate boconnoc.com
Planning Fern Godfrey Weddings ferngodfreyweddings.com
Marquee Sperry Tents SW sperrytentssw.co.uk
Dresses Lihi Hod Bridal lihihod.com
NWLA Bridal nwlabridal.com
Hair & make-up Georgia L Chabrel georgialchabrel.com
Suit Favourbrook favourbrook.com
Catering Dish Cornwall dishcornwall.co.uk
El Huichol elhuichol.co.uk
Bar Sauce Cornwall saucecornwall.co.uk
Flowers Emma Hewlett Floral Design emmahewlett.co.uk
Furniture Virginia’s Vintage Hire virginiasvintagehire.co.uk
Tableware Out of the Ordinary Event Hire outoftheordinaryeventhire.com
Abbotts Event Hire abbottseventhire.co.uk
Stationery Ofelia Botella ofeliabotella.com
Table Linen Maison Margaux maisonmargauxltd.com
Childcare Cornwall Childcare cornwallchildcare.com
Entertainment Fortune Band fortuneband.co.uk
Herringbone Cocktail Club herringbonecocktailclub.com
Videography Soby Films sobyfilms.co.uk
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