Photography Capture You Photography captureyouphotography.co.uk Venue Tacket Wood House fineststays/tacketwoodhouse
Flora and Toby first met at a mutual friend’s birthday party during their final year of university. “We ended up being partners at a reeling ball, which is a mix between a ceilidh and ballroom dancing,” says Flora. “From there, we started dating.” After asking Flora’s dad for his blessing, Toby proposed on her favourite Devon beach.
A reception split between Flora's family holiday rental, Tacket Wood House, and a marquee in Tacket Wood Field in Kingsbridge gave the couple full freedom to create a day that felt uniquely theirs. “Because we’re both young, we wanted our wedding to blend the traditional English feel of Four Weddings and a Funeral with the seaside charm of About Time, all with fun, modern twists,” explains Flora.
Their vision centred on recreating the feel of a joyful, slightly chaotic dinner party – a nod to the evenings they loved during their student days at Durham. Tables brimming with mismatched candlesticks, tumbling florals and wine glasses created a gorgeously layered look. A palette of lilac, green, white and yellow echoed the best of the season. “I wanted as many flowers as possible to create a deconstructed, colourful feel,” says Flora.
Friends and family played a big part in bringing it all to life. Flora designed the stationery herself, while her friend Miriam painted the signage by hand. “She did an amazing job – it added such a personal touch and cohesiveness to the wedding,” says Flora.
Their church service at St Mary's in West Charleton was a standout moment for the couple. “It was very moving to say our vows surrounded by friends and family, and to couch the day’s events in the marriage itself – really the most significant and long-lasting part,” says Toby. The centuries-old church was dressed beautifully with an array of blooms, with carefully chosen Bible readings and songs weaving through a ceremony that had the whole congregation in tears at various points. “As Christians, it was amazing to zoom out and remind ourselves of the blessing that is marriage,” he adds.
After a post-ceremony photo session, the newlyweds made a memorable entrance to the reception by boat before joining guests in the marquee for speeches and dinner. A charcuterie grazing board, paella and pots of lemon posset and chocolate mousse were paired with Flora’s spectacular homemade bake: layers of carrot, banana and dark chocolate, and orange, lemon, olive oil and polenta cake, “all encased in an addictive cream cheese and double cream icing topped with blackberries and thyme.”
Reeling was a must for the evening’s festivities. “We got to know each other through reeling at university, so we were really keen to have a reel at the wedding,” she says. “It was such a fun way to get all of our guests up and mingling.”
A live band kept energy high, with Flora’s personal highlight being serenaded by the saxophonist on the dance floor. The night drew to a close with a fireworks display glittering over the estuary.
Looking back, Flora offers one heartfelt piece of advice: “Consider saying the traditional church vows. Wedding trends come and go, but there's something so special about saying the same vows couples have spoken for hundreds of years. There’s a real depth to them that makes ‘for better, for worse’ so meaningful.”
Photography Capture You Photography captureyouphotography.co.uk
Venue Tacket Wood House available to rent through Finest Stays fineststays.co.uk
Dress Bespoke by Castellar Granados castellargranados.com
Suit Oliver Brown oliverbrownlondon.com
Hair FOAK foakkingsbridge.co.uk
Make-up Alice Maunder Makeup Artist alicemaunder.com
Flowers Caroline Manson instagram.com/flowersfrommygardenforyou
Transport Devon Classic Wedding Cars devonclassicweddingcars.com
Signage Miz Illustrations instagram.com/mizillustrations
Entertainment Funky Friday lastminutemusicians.com
