Real Wedding at Gonwin Manor, Cornwall

Parasols, pirates and a festival of music and colour - the duo behind Wed Magazine, Rebecca Matthews and Brendan Sleeman, share the story of their wedding

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Let's start at the beginning. Brendan and I met during a night out in our hometown of Penzance back in 2000. I was studying in Cardiff at the time, while Brendan was living in Bristol, and we became friends, bonding over our mutual love of music and strangely similar sense of humour. Four years later, what started as a friendship evolved into a relationship and, on returning to live in Cornwall, we discovered that our relationship worked on a business level as well as a romantic one - and Wed Magazine was born.

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Over the ensuing years, we've poured all our creativity, energy - and a good chunk of our twenties - into inspiring couples to plan their fantasy wedding. But we weren't actually married ourselves.

Somehow, the timing didn't feel quite right until a grey and unfeasibly wet day in June 2011. I had been holed up at my desk working day and night as we approached another magazine deadline and, on this particular day, Brendan decided a little country walk was in order. It might have been atypical behaviour for a man who isn't particularly fond of walking - let alone in near-torrential conditions - but I blindly went along with it. We were crossing the bleak, sodden moors of west Penwith when he abruptly pulled the car onto the side of the road and - overlooking my favourite view across the village of Zennor, the Atlantic Ocean beyond - he proposed with a to-die-for vintage engagement ring speckled with dainty diamonds. I said yes. And planning began for our wedding.

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It's a strange experience planning a wedding when you run a wedding magazine. I spend each and every day immersed in wedding inspiration and my brain was buzzing with the sheer multitude of ideas and opportunities open to us. One thing I've learnt from the many weddings we've covered in these pages, however, is that the most memorable weddings are those that reflect the personalities of the couple. And it is this fundamental on which our wedding was built.

We decided on the loose theme 'things we love', which made for an eclectic mix of ideas. The riot of colour, which carried from the eye-popping flower arrangements to the jewel-toned bridesmaid dresses, was inspired by my passion for vibrant hues. A laidback festival vibe, evoked through a diverse programme of live music, backstage passes for place settings and vinyl records for table names, was inspired by our love of music. The St. Piran tartan outfits worn by the grooms party, and the performances by Mousehole Male Voice Choir and a ceilidh band brought a Celtic mood to the celebrations, in homage to my Cornish roots and Brendan's Cornish-Irish heritage. And a Captain Jack Sparrow lookalike was inspired by my infatuation with Johnny Depp, while making a brilliantly irreverent nod to our seaside location.

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There were other personal touches: we served cocktails in jam-jars in celebration of the moment my grandparents met on VJ Day, 1945, while my granddad was drinking beer from a jam-jar. And I accessorised my dream dress - a customised YolanCris vision of handmade lace - with a lace headdress woven with brooches belonging to my late maternal grandmother.

After a week of torrential rain, it was with immense relief that I drew the curtains to be greeted with clear blue skies on the morning of the wedding. And, after feeling rather stressed during the previous few days (I grappled with a magazine deadline on top of the wedding planning), a sense of calm washed over me. I loved relaxing with my mum and bridesmaids as we had our hair and make-up done and, when the time came, excitedly climbed into a beautiful 1930s' style open-top Beauford to make the journey to Paul, the little West Cornwall village which generations of my family have made their home.

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One of the moments I was most nervous about was walking down the aisle. I've never enjoyed being the centre of attention and I didn't relish the thought of hundreds of sets of eyes fixed on me. I took a deep breath as I walked into the church to a piano rendition of Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb' and remember feeling overwhelmed that all the wonderful people in our lives were there - in one place - for us. The joy and excitement was palpable and my nerves dissolved as I locked eyes on Brendan and the ceremony got into its joyful, humorous and music-filled swing, punctuated by spine-tingling vocal performances by my sisters and Mousehole Male Voice Choir (of which Brendan and my Dad are members).

Another shivers-down-the-spine moment ensued as we exited the church to a deluge of confetti and, on settling into the open-top car, the choir burst into a spontaneous rendition of 'Can't Help Falling in Love With You'. Everyone else joined in, so that almost 300 people were serenading us there in the sunshine. It was dreamlike, unplanned and probably my favourite moment of the day.

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We spent some cherished quiet moments together as the car wound its way through the villages of Mousehole and Newlyn and across Mounts Bay - with people waving, beeping car horns and ringing bicycle bells all the way. After stopping off for photos at Marazion Beach, we headed to Gonwin Manor. We emerged from the car to the cheers of our guests who were happily supping cocktails, eating canapes and enjoying the breathtaking views across St. Ives Bay.

Colourful bunting danced in the breeze and guests gathered on hay bales and reclined under parasols while Leigh Delamere and his Gordano Skifflers performed their tailor-made set list and Captain Jack Sparrow indulged in some rum-addled banter while handing out backstage passes. The scene was perfect: relaxed, happy and full of those fun, eccentric and memorable touches that made it so 'us'. This continued inside the traditional canvas marquee, with the carnival of umbrellas suspended from the ceiling, the show-stopping flower arrangements and the quirky furnishings adorned with flowers spilling from vintage bottles.

After the memorable, comical and heartfelt speeches, we feasted on delectable sharing platters and a mouth-watering dessert buffet, and the day quickly swung into night as the sun slipped beneath the horizon and the evening guests poured in.

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The celebrations continued in their eclectic, colourful and personal vein into the night. A hilarious bridal party versus grooms party dance-off was followed by a ceilidh, which saw foot-stomping and high jinks on the dance floor. An impromptu Cornish sing-song, memorable dancing courtesy of a jukebox and comical antics in the photo booth all made for the party of our lives.

Our wedding now lives in my memory as a warm haze of joy, sunshine and laughter. We sprinkled so much of 'us' into our day and each element combined to create a vibrant, unforgettable celebration of our personalities and our relationship. It was the best possible start to the adventure of married life.

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BRIDESMAID BLISS
The jewel-toned bridesmaid dresses allowed each 'maid to wear a bespoke dress in a colour they loved. The floaty, floor-skimming design and '30s style drape worked beautifully with the vibe of our wedding, while crystal flower detailing echoed the design of my engagement ring.

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IN THE KEY OF LOVE
Our love of music was a central theme of the day. Vinyl records from our favourite artists signified the table names and, rather than place settings, each guest was given a backstage pass complete with their name and table. The diverse soundtrack ranged from Cornish and Irish folk music to skiffle renditions of our favourite rock songs.

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PARASOL PERFECTION
We wanted to make a real statement with our marquee decor. A series of colourful umbrellas suspended above the tables really wowed our guests, while vintage furniture made for a chic and snug lounge area.

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EAT TASTE LOVE
The relaxed atmosphere of the wedding was echoed through the menu. Infused with a Cornish-Irish flavour, guests tucked into sharing platters brimming with the likes of Cornish pork sausages with a whisky, mustard and honey glaze, marinated spatchcock chickens and homemade beef burgers filled with Cornish blue cheese. The dessert buffet was full of our favourite sweet treats - think dark chocolate mocha pots and banoffee and sticky toffee tartlets - and shots of milk chocolate and chilli vodka, rum and raisin liqueur and raspberry and honey whisky were served as a tasty accompaniment.

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IN FULL BLOOM
The brief for the flowers was colour - and lots of it! The wildly beautiful carnival of colour included velvety roses, hydrangeas and delphiniums speckled with dainty camomile daisies, yellow craspedia and peach Chinese lanterns. The blooms spilled from martini glasses and vintage bottles decorated with St. Piran tartan ribbon, perfectly setting the tone for the vibrant and informal nature of our wedding.

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BEAUTIFULLY BESPOKE
Personal details were scattered throughout the reception, including memory trees full of childhood photos and our parents' and grandparents' wedding photos and a fabulous cake topper.

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TOP TIPS
Keep it personal. When it comes to making decisions, ask yourselves: does it reflect who we are as a couple? If it does, go for it. Don't be pushed into decisions you feel uncomfortable with.

Brides - share the planning and workload with your groom. The wedding should reflect his tastes and ideas too, so encourage him to bring his ideas to the table and get stuck into the nitty gritty of the wedmin. It should make life easier for you to boot.

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Involve your family and friends as much as possible. Your wedding isn't about one day - it's about the whole wonderful journey to the aisle. Share the load with your nearest and dearest, whether it's making errands or help with DIY projects - and make cherished memories in the process.

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