Whatever you read, hear about or wish for your wedding, the fact of the matter is those who have been through it before are the ones with the best advice. There’s nothing like a lived experience to help you to make better decisions, cut out what you don’t need or even give you a lightbulb idea that will help keep the hitches from you getting hitched. So whether you’re getting married in 2024 or beyond, read on for our top 24 tips from brides in Cornwall and Devon…
In real life
“Try and see things in person as much as possible, rather than deciding based on web pages, social media or brochures.”
Sabrina and Giles
Believe in yourself
“Trust that you’ll get it done and just enjoy the ride. On the day, you'll be having such an incredible time that details you may have spent hours thinking about before won't even be on your mind.”
Ali and Amo
Keep the final fortnight free
“Try and get everything done with two weeks to spare – you can then enjoy the build-up rather than doing jobs. And picking music takes longer than you think, so start mulling it over early.”
Melissa and Chris
Be mindful about your suppliers
“Make sure you like your suppliers and how they treat their employees – we used all local small businesses and they were all fantastic!”
Murphy and Sam
Take inspiration from other weddings
"Really try to view the day through your guests’ eyes and think about what you have enjoyed about weddings when you attend them.”
Gabriella and Will
Swallow your pride
“Some brilliant advice we received was just to swallow your pride and say ‘yes!’ to anyone who offers to help. People really were so happy to lend a hand, which was a lovely feeling, especially those who had already gone through their own wedding and knew how it is. We’re looking forward to paying it forward to the next happy couple in our lives.”
Pip and Chris
Little and often
“We tried to blitz wedding admin by doing little and often, with lots of spreadsheets helping keep us organised! If you’re doing lots of crafting like we did, we would recommend starting as early as you can as it's surprising how quickly the weekends run away.”
Jess and Joe
It all takes time
“Setting up takes much longer than you imagine so leave plenty of time and get it all done in the days leading up to the wedding, so you can relax on the evening before. Try not to let it stress you out too much – as long as your family and friends are there, on the day it will be perfect.”
Ellie and Doug
Book a minimoon
“The best thing we did was book a minimoon in Salcombe for two nights at the Harbour Beach Club Hotel. The rest was amazing and just to soak it all in, celebrate with bottles of champagne and walks on the beach – it’s just what you need as a newly married couple.”
Charlotte and Lewis
Plan for a planner
“A planner and coordinator are worth their weight in gold; our day would not have been what it was without ours. She found us the most amazing suppliers, saving us so much time during the planning process and kept the whole day running perfectly with her on-the-day coordination, keeping the stress on our part to an absolute minimum.”
Megan and Stu
Forget about the ‘should’
“Don't be led by other people's expectations. We said all along we didn't want a circus so didn't have a lot of aspects that might be considered traditional, which may have raised eyebrows. But it was perfect as it was and our guests really enjoyed the more relaxed vibe.”
Christie and Keisha
Decide on your priorities
“We absolutely fell in love with plexiglass invitations. We designed and had them made, and to be honest our invitations cost nearly half of our photographer! Was it necessary? Absolutely not. Did it look amazing and is it a piece of art in our friends’ houses? Hell yes!”
Luise and Nina
Stuart Duddleston
Save some for later
“Ask the venue to hold back some canapés for you – with all the hugs and thank yous and photos it can be hard to find time to eat them. And the same for the wedding cake – we held back two big slices of cake and enjoyed it the next day on our hotel balcony overlooking the ocean with a cup of tea!”
Daisy and Andy
Take it all in
“On the day, take a few minutes just you and your new spouse to step back and soak it all up. It’s one of my fondest memories of the day and it helped to stop the feeling of the day rushing by.”
Verity and James
Organise your photos in advance
“When asking what ‘staged’ photos your family want, check, double-check and triple-check that they definitely don’t want any additional ones to those you have listed! Otherwise, like us, you’ll be ambushed when you’re mid-conversation, a bit tipsy, the sun is going down and it’s raining outside! Our amazing photographer handled these last-minute photo requests like an absolute pro – much better than we handled it!”
Charlotte and David
Plan your petals
“If you’re moving any flowers between venues, plan in advance who will move them and how. We had a plan of where our flowers were going, who was moving and what vehicles would be needed (as they’re often too tall to go in a coupe).”
Katie and Timothy
Bring the vibe you want
“The energy that you bring as a couple is the energy that the whole day and the guests will have! So try to enjoy, let go of small things, don't be afraid to be emotional and silly, and dance like crazy!”
Ana and Andy
Create a dedicated email address
“Setting up a separate wedding email account is super helpful, so everything is in one place!”
Rhiannon and Ben
Use spreadsheets
“Make a spreadsheet, especially if you are planning and setting everything up yourself. It’s so easy to become overwhelmed with what’s done, what’s left to do and what payments need to be made.”
Imogen and Ollie
Confirm and check
“Always do last-minute checks on dresses, accessories and travel, and talk to your photographer, videographer and make-up artist at least two days before the event if you are planning a destination wedding.”
Manasa and Albin
Delegate your downtime
“Ask someone you trust to take on the task of whisking you both away from the crowd for a couple of minutes a few times throughout the day. This makes sure you have some time for the two of you to take it all in, alone, and slows everything down. You want to make moments you remember. You want to fix in place how everything looked, smelt, sounded and felt.”
Sam and Saskia
Delight in the details
“Love is in the details. The favourite parts of our wedding were the personal touches we'd made – these are what so many people took away from the day, rather than the flowers or the food.”
Kat and Kieran
Book a videographer
“If your budget allows we would definitely recommend booking a videographer. The day goes by so quickly, it’s such a special thing to be able to watch and relive the day.”
Emily and Blake
Let go of the ideal
“Your day will not be perfect – and that’s OK! Even after two years of planning, there were still elements that were out of our control. We had to move inside instead of having the outdoor ceremony we really thought we wanted, the registrar didn’t perform the ceremony the way we asked them to and the entry music when we came in for dinner didn’t work out the way we wanted either. But it was still the best day ever, because we got to marry each other surrounded by everyone we love the most – that was what was most important. Everything else is just details.”
Lauren and Luke
Verity Westcott
Main image Verity Westcott
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