Alice and Dave first met at Porthleven’s Masked Ball, exchanging numbers before starting to date in London where they were both living at the time.
“After eight years together, the proposal was a complete surprise to me!” admits Alice. “Not long after the last lockdown ended in 2021, we went away to stay in a beautiful cabin in the Brecon Beacons. We were watching the sunset over the mountains, sitting by the firepit, when I suddenly turned around to see Dave on one knee!”
Determined to marry in the county where Alice grew up and they first met, the couple visited just one venue. “I saw a styled shoot at Trelowarren in Wed Magazine just after we were engaged and was so excited,” she reveals. “We really liked that we could have the whole day there with a few different spaces to move around. We also wanted our guests who were coming from out of the county to see the wilder side of Cornwall that we love. Trelowarren with its meandering driveway, wild ponies and an almost Gothic feel felt perfect!”
Shades of pinks and burgundy combined to create the couple’s “romantic English garden with a retro twist” celebrations, which included gorgeous floristry in the form of hydrangeas, peonies, roses and an abundance of foliage.
Having officially married the day before in the company of their parents in Trelowarren’s library, Alice and Dave staged a “personal and fun” ceremony in the chapel surrounded by a congregation of close friends and family. Drinks, canapés and ice cream followed to a string quartet soundtrack on the chapel lawn, paving the way for the speeches in the Stable Barn.
“We really wanted the menu to be completely local and showcase lots of Cornish ingredients; New Yard have a Green Michelin Star for their efforts in sustainable and local sourcing so we couldn't have wished for a better option!” explains Alice of the on-site restaurant who served a bespoke menu featuring their favourite foods. “We had a spin on caprese salad for starter, kiln-baked steak and monkfish for the main course and panna cotta with Cornish strawberries for dessert.”
After dinner, guests relocated to the courtyard while the Stable Barn was transformed into the evening reception space, allowing them to appreciate the golden hour in all its glory. “We even got a rainbow!” reminisces Alice. Dancing, pasties and cake ensued – along with Alice’s dress change into a showstopping sequin gown.
When asked to reveal her favourite moment, Alice doesn’t hesitate. “Being surrounded by all the people that we love and are so special to us,” she says. “And walking into the chapel and seeing everyone smiling (some crying!) and Dave at the end of the aisle was probably my absolute favourite part.”
She’s also reflective when it comes to dispensing advice to other couples on the planning path. “It's really easy to get swept up in all the planning but spend some time thinking about how you both want to feel on the day and keep that in your mind,” she says. “At the end of the day, it's all about marrying the person you love the most!”
Photography Freckle Photography frecklephotography.co.uk
Venue Trelowarren trelowarren.com
Planning/styling Out of the Ordinary Weddings outoftheordinaryweddings.com
Celebrant Cornish Celebrants cornishcelebrants.co.uk
Dress Sassi Holford sassiholford.com
Groom’s outfit Brown in Town brownintown.co.uk
Hair Anna Ingram annaingramhairstylist.com
Flowers Jane Lawrence Flowers janelawrenceflowers.com
Décor Keeping It Vintage keepingitvintage.co.uk
Tableware hire Abbotts Event Hire abbottseventhire.co.uk
Catering New Yard Restaurant newyardrestaurant.co.uk
Cake Nicky Grant nickygrant.com
Ice cream trike Moomaid on Wheels moomaidonwheels.co.uk
Transport Perranwell Garage perranwell.co.uk
Williams Coaches williams-coaches.co.uk
Entertainment Classical Strings classicalstrings.co.uk
Brother From Another brotherfromanother.co.uk
Videography Foster Filming fosterfilming.com