When Chloe spilt a drink in a Newquay bar, little did she know it would lead to meeting the love of her life. Catching the bar owner Paul’s eye, the pair exchanged numbers and their relationship began.
After moving to Holywell Bay, Paul found a way to make it a special place for them forever. “He spent months walking our dog Carrot up and down the beach looking for the perfect piece of turquoise sea glass, and had it made into a beautiful handcrafted engagement ring,” says Chloe. “He then waited months until he found the right moment to propose on my birthday in 2020, when I was six months pregnant. We went for a walk on Holywell Bay where he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.”
Their relaxed summer wedding was styled with décor inspired by Chloe’s time spent in Ghana. “My mum made bunting and the accessories were made by Matico, who makes jewellery from Ghanaian fabric – all the proceeds go towards educating young children in Ghana. She made me a beautiful headband, earrings and bangle, and I had earrings made for all the bridesmaids too.”
Thoughtful and handcrafted elements were woven throughout the day, with the couple adamant they wanted to forage and create many of the personalised touches. “We picked wildflowers from a friend’s land and I grew oxeye daisies and foxgloves at my allotment,” says Chloe of their floral decoration, while the canapés also boasted a handmade element. “I foraged the wild garlic for the pesto pinwheels.”
The couple chose to wed in Truro register office, followed by pasties and champagne on the beach that was so central to their love story. “There were so many favourite moments, but being on Holywell Bay was pretty special,” reminisces Chloe.
Reconvening at Mount Pleasant Eco Park, everyone settled at a long table dotted with flowers for an “epic” outdoor wedding feast “We both love Sri Lankan food so we had Sri Lankan curry with sides and pineapple lassis to drink. Instead of a cake we had 150 sarsaparilla doughnuts!” she says.
As dusk fell, the couple’s talented friends provided the musical entertainment. “For our first dance, our friends played The Girl by City and Colour, which started off slow, then we had everyone joining in at the end,” says Chloe. As well as some sea shanties and DJs playing Latin funk and world music, there was a very special surprise for Chloe from her new husband. “Paul wrote and sung me a song; it was so unexpected and perfect. I cried a lot!” she says. “I’m not sure how he had the time to write and practise the song whilst running a business and looking after three children and a dog, but he smashed it. His dad also sang a song with his own words to These Are a Few Of My Favourite Things, which was super sweet and very funny.”
Looking back on her day, Chloe’s top tip for other busily planning couples is to not worry about the small things. “It’s how people feel on the day, not about how it looks,” she says. “Try not to do too much and keep it simple.”
Photography Verity Westcott veritywestcott.com
Venue Mount Pleasant Eco Park mpecopark.co.uk
Jewellery & accessories Matico maticostudio.com
Hair Melody-Rose Hair and Weddings instagram.com/melody_hair_weddings
Make-up Beauty Boutique instagram.com/beautyboutiquenewquay
Celebrant Laura Rundle
Catering Canteen at the Eco Park canteencornwall.com
Entertainment Bobby Soul and DJ Shmarkle
.jpg)
