Brittnay and Paul first laid eyes on each other during a conference at Manhattan Beach in California. "We ended up exchanging information before parting ways and thus began our whirlwind bicoastal romance which spanned across San Diego, California and Brooklyn, New York," says Brittnay.
It was also on the west coast where Paul surprised Brittnay with a Hollywood-style proposal after she had attended a church service. "As I walked out of church with two of my best friends, one pointed out that there was an ice cream truck giving out free ice cream. Then 'Marry Me' by Train began to play and I saw Paul standing inside the truck with a large sign reading 'Britt, will you marry me?'" she reminisces. "I turned to not only see the congregation cheering for us, but also all of my closest friends and family had shown up to witness our engagement - including Paul's parents from Devon." Family and friends then celebrated the engagement by sailing on a yacht Paul had hired from San Diego Harbour. "We ended the night with a game of long ball and s'mores on the beach in front of a fire. It was truly magical and a day we will never forget!" says Brittnay.
From the Pacific Ocean to an English country garden, their Devon wedding evoked a romantic garden aesthetic with a dreamy palette of white, gold, champagne and rose gold, gorgeous decor and an abundance of eucalyptus, peonies and garden roses. Flanked by bridesmaids in mismatched dresses that complemented the soft colour scheme, Brittnay dazzled in an exquisite long-sleeved gown with a lace bodice, her dark hair tumbling at her shoulders.
Brittnay and Paul married at St John the Baptist Church in Marldon, which was decorated in a glorious array of flowers. After drinks at the local pub, they stole away for some photographs before reconvening with their guests at Marldon House where the celebrations began in earnest with drinks and canapes.
Settling into the beautifully styled marquee, guests were treated to a feast of gazpacho and artisan bread, a trio of paella, a deconstructed hog roast and a sweet smattering of puddings including cookies, macaroons, cupcakes, cake pops and wedding cake before a party playlist beckoned everyone to the dance floor.
Paul shares a multitude of personal highlights from the day: "Seeing my beautiful bride walk down the aisle surrounded by friends and family, hearing an incredible address and great marriage advice from our favourite American pastor, having both American and British guests compete in a sing-off of their respective national anthems, dancing the night away and bringing the night to a close by jumping into the pool with the bridesmaids and groomsmen!"
"Plan early and develop great relationships with vendors. Listen to their advice, they know what works," advises Brittnay, who extols the virtue of pre-wedded communication during the planning process. "Enjoy the journey! Even the setbacks can be blessings in disguise. It's a great time for bonding in your relationship if you work as a team - we had conversations early on to figure out where our strengths would be best placed and supported each other to make the right decisions."
"We were also massively blessed to have an amazing group of family and friends come together the night before and the following day to set up and clean up," she adds.
Photographer Megan Welker Photography meganwelker.com
Venue Parish of St. John the Baptist, Marldon and Marldon House
Dress Tara Keely jlmcouture.com/Tara-Keely
Hair The Salon, Torquay thesalonintorquay.co.uk
Make-up Layla Purwanan laylapurwanan.co.uk
Groom's outfit suit, socks and pocket square J. Crew jcrew.com shirt Hugo Boss hugoboss.com tie YSL ysl.com/gb shoes Cole Haan colehaan.com
Flowers Hollyhocks Florist hollyhocks-shop.co.uk
Transport Vintage Car Hire Daimler Limousine jmweddingcars.co.uk
Entertainment DJ Sebastian at Offbeat Entertainment offbeatentertainment.co.uk
Copyright Wed magazine 2017
