Wedding at John Bray's Field, Cornwall

Eleanor and Joe's festival treated guests to a feast of street food, live music and views across the Camel Estuary

Eleanor and Joe first met while playing for the same softball team in Portsmouth. They became engaged while at the Little Orchard Cider Festival, “to a backdrop of the Cornish hills followed by a Friday night performance by The Wurzels!” exclaims Eleanor.

Overlooking the ocean in Rock, John Bray’s Field was the venue for their festival-themed Cornish wedding where a tipi decorated with a beautiful palette of blue and orange, together with street food and live music, delighted their guests.

A plethora of personalised and handmade touches added to the character of the day, with Eleanor making the stationery and Joe creating the signposts, sandwich boards and wedding arch.

A nod to their engagement, Eleanor walked down the aisle to The Wurzels’ Combine Harvester to the celebrant-led ceremony beneath a stretched canvas with the Camel Estuary providing the picturesque backdrop. A photo shoot on Daymer Bay beach then took place – “the sunset breaking through the blanket of cloud to provide some epic photos” – while guests tucked into cream teas and various tipples from the horsebox bar to an acoustic soundtrack.

The flavoursome delights continued with a self-serve street food wedding breakfast, presenting guests to the likes of beef goulash, paella and vegetable tagine. Ice cream and a Cornish cheese table completed the feast in lieu of a cake, while later in the evening freshly cooked pizzas kept appetites deliciously at bay as a seven-piece funk band played.

“The evening entertainment included a brass section playing a semi-personalised playlist of hits from the ‘50s to now, and drew everyone to the dancefloor,” recalls Eleanor, who cites her aisle walk to The Wurzels’ Combine Harvester as a personal highlight.

The preamble to the day also provided Eleanor with some of her most treasured moments. “The week running up to the wedding involved decorating the tipi, field and stretched canvas ceremony area with the help of our friends and family,” she says of the collaborative effort involved in achieving her dream day.

Come W-day, it was the chance to catch up with loved ones in person post-Covid that leaves her smiling while looking back. “Equally enjoyable was being able to step away from the party with our five-month-old daughter to enjoy the sunset,” she adds.

And when asked about any words of wisdom that she’d pass on to other couples, she recommends starting as early as possible. “Don’t underestimate how much time you have,” she warns. “Book the venue, suppliers and music as early as possible – you’ll be amazed how far in advance some people get booked up!”