Wedding at Roscarrock, Cornwall

Jenny met Ben during her freshers’ week at university. “We first bumped into each other on the way back from a night out. Ben walked me to my room and said goodnight, but not before putting his number in my phone!” she laughs.

He proposed during an autumnal break in Scotland after a night in the Galloway Forest Park, where they were hoping to see the Northern Lights. “I wish we could say they did appear and Ben chose that moment to propose... but it was not to be,” reveals Jenny, whose surprise engagement took place the next morning under a blue sky by the riverside.

Their choice of wedding venue held special significance for them both. “The second time we met, we realised that Ben lived near the same north Cornwall beach as my grandparents,” explains Jenny. “I’d been holidaying to Trebarwith almost every summer for as long as I could remember, and it turned out Ben lived just up the road from there!” Set in a location so rich in meaning, Roscarrock made “the perfect, relaxed venue that just oozed Cornish charm”, while also allowing the couple and their families to stay for a week-long holiday.

Jenny created the stationery herself, opting for a monochrome lino printed design – “and then we injected some colour into the marquee with apricot, peach, cream and cherry flowers, and a pop of cobalt with the napkins.” A plethora of bunting lovingly handmade by Jenny’s granny gave the scene a British garden party feel, while shell-decorated signage provided a nod to their ocean surrounds. The flowers were a key feature, following Jenny’s brief for “bright, country garden-style blooms for the bouquets and table flowers, and a huge foliage-filled floral arch in the church”, all of which were locally grown and seasonal.

The couple married at St Materiana’s Church on the cliffside at Tintagel. The blue-sky day came with strong winds, which caused a few issues for Jenny – after an extremely windy ride to the church in an open-top car, on leaving the church, her veil flew off and landed on the roof! “We took this as a good omen. Even luckier, one of my cousins managed to chase it down before it ended up in the sea!” she laughs.

After a drinks reception and acoustic set at Roscarrock, guests tucked into a locally sourced, sharing-style feast featuring slow-cooked shoulder of Cornish lamb, barbecued line-caught sea bass, barbecued cauliflower steak and deconstructed ‘Cornish’ Eton mess. The couple then surprised their guests with a choreographed first dance, which kicked off the evening reception. “We chose Walk by Griff as our song, as we wanted something upbeat that we could dance to. It went really well!” reflects Jenny.

A sparkler exit and a packed dance floor made for an unforgettable evening celebration, leaving Jenny and Ben to fondly look back upon and recall their favourite moments. “We loved the time we spent on the cliffs looking at that view and having photos taken,” she reflects. “I think the speeches were also a highlight; so many tears and laughs shared by all our guests. And, of course, the moment I walked into the church on my dad’s arm and saw all our guests and Ben – the moment I had been imagining ever since we got engaged 18 months before. I will never forget it.”

Jenny’s top note of advice is: “Don’t think too much about what other people think. This is your day. If you’re happy, everyone else will be too,” she says. “And you don’t need to micro-manage. Suppliers are the experts. Don’t be afraid to get their advice and trust them to take the reins on the details.”