Wedding at Fowey Hall Hotel, Cornwall

Deciding to marry in the UK, the couple threw a wonderful weekend of celebrations for their guests at Fowey Hall Hotel, many of whom had travelled across the Atlantic. "We were expecting to have a wedding of 30 or so people, but had over 80 attend!" says Victoria.

The celebrations kicked off on the Friday with a Texas-meets-Cornwall barbecue, decorated with Cornish wildflowers and Texas-style succulents, and dinner and drinks in Fowey.

The American-Cornish theme continued on the day with the gifting of pashminas 'to have and to hold' to fend off the cold at St Winnow Church - where the marriage ceremony took place - along with sunglasses, flip-flops and canvas tote bags adorned with a map of places poignant to the pair's courtship. "Inside were local Cornish delicacies, a walking map of Fowey and the coast, brochures for local sights, a tea towel from St Winnow Paris Church, lavender and a schedule of events and timings for the weekend."

The treats didn't end there. Guests tucked into champagne and popcorn while being transported on a vintage King Harry Coach from the church to Fowey Hall, where they were met with a veritable feast for the eyes. The fabulously romantic colour scheme fused soft tones of blush, gold, and sage/moss green with the venue's rich woods and dark, plush velvet. "It was the perfect combination of traditional and sexy," comments Victoria, who stunned in a Vera Wang gown, while Marcus opted for an elegant ivory dinner jacket.

The newly-weds arrived to a performance of Beyonce's 'Drunk in Love' from Classical Strings and a feast of canapes and cocktails. Dinner presented a salad course followed by saddle of lamb, rosette of brill or hake, and aubergine Milanese, finished in sweet style with the likes of Sicilian lemon torte, Mississippi mud pie, Eton Mess and granola Knickerbocker glory. "We also had an open bar and a cookie bar in the main lobby throughout the weekend using friends of the family's recipes," adds Victoria.

An evening of dancing, tequila and pizza ensued, while the party vibe continued the next day with a special Texas/Louisiana/Cornwall themed bridal brunch organised by family and friends. "They hung Texas and Cornish flags throughout the hotel and set up an American Bloody Mary bar for our guests," remembers Victoria.

Although their celebration was packed with thoughtful details, Victoria's focus was always on the bigger picture. "Don't sweat the small stuff!" she exclaims. "Everything has its own way of working out in the end. I was so happy to be surrounded by all my close friends and family that I couldn't be bothered with anything else!"

Photography McKinley & Rodgers www.mckinley-rodgers.com
Venue St Winnow Church & Fowey Hall Hotel www.foweyhallhotel.co.uk
Wedding planner Jenny Wren www.jennywrenweddingsandevents.co.uk
Dress Vera Wang www.verawang.com
Bridesmaids Jill Stuart www.jillstuart.com Aidan Mattox www.aidanmattox.com David's Bridal www.davidsbridal.com
Hair Capella www.capellacornwall.co.uk
Make-up Victoria Penrose www.victoriapenrosemakeup.co.uk
Groom's outfit Moss Bros www.moss.co.uk
Cake Emily Hankins www.emilyhankins.co.uk
Flowers George Mackay www.georgemackayflowers.com
Transport King Harry Coaches www.kingharrycoaches.com
Launceston Wedding Rolls Royce www.launcestonweddingrollsroyce.co.uk
Entertainment Classical Strings www.classicalstrings.co.uk
The Strutts www.thestruttsband.co.uk
John Dowling www.jdowling.com
Photo booth Handsome Momento

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