Alex and Tom first met at a friend's 21st birthday party while studying at Cardiff University. Years later, Alex proposed with a hand-penned poem for Tom on a quiet beach in north-west Spain.
Continuing the seaside theme, the couple chose Lusty Glaze as the venue for their wedding, which adopted an uber-relaxed mood complete with rose gold and rainbow tones. Sunflowers were the perfect bloom to decorate the waterside venue, which were arranged as a wedding gift by their florist cousin, Clare, to enhance Lusty Glaze's sun-spilled space.
Alex and Tom's dogs walked them down the aisle alongside their 'groomsmaids' and mums for their "short but sweet" midday ceremony, making for a memorable and emotive moment as they took their steps toward married life.
After the vows, drinks and canapes did the rounds alongside a caricature artist before a buffet-style barbecue presented guests with the delicious likes of tuna steak with soy and sesame, Cornish mackerel with lemon and parsley, lemon and herb chicken, and stuffed aubergine with a host of sides.
The entertainment continued during the speeches with balloon modelling and a magician - while the couple's dogs "loved running around the beach!", says Alex.
"Not long after the speeches were over, we revealed our new chosen family name, which we asked our guests to help with by requesting a suggestion on the RSVP cards. We chose 'Kerensa', the Cornish word for love," reveals Alex.
"Another important part of the day for us was being able to acknowledge how fortunate we are today, in this country, to have equal rights to love and marry who we want. This is sadly not the case for everybody, and so our first toast as a married couple was to those people not able to celebrate their love in this way," says Alex.
Pizza, pasties and a cake of cheese "went down a storm" and kept evening guests' appetites at bay as they partied on the sands to a stellar soundtrack by Mango Factory.
"We planned a sunset walk by the sea, just for us, which was a good way to take a few moments to soak it all in. Then back to the band and the party - with a surprise fire show on the beach for everyone to enjoy halfway through the set!" says Alex of the evening's crowd-pleasing events.
Another standout memory was the surprise first dance that Tom had planned. "A special song was performed by our band and sung by an old friend we met travelling together, who secretly travelled from Scotland for it. Amazing, unforgettable!" reminisces Alex.
"Book items such as your photographer, band and venue as early as possible," he encourages other couples. "Be organised and use software like Google Sheets and Docs, where people can edit and share together in real time - the more you do before the wedding, the less there is to do on the day. Keep the traditions you love, and leave out the ones you don't. Relax and have fun... it's contagious!"
Photography Alan Law Photography alanlawphotography.co.uk
Venue Lusty Glaze Beach lustyglaze.co.uk
Waistcoats, bow ties & braces Ted Baker tedbaker.com
Entertainment Melegari String Quartet melegaristringquartet.co.uk
Mango Factory mangofactory.co.uk
Ailin Chambers ac-caricatures.co.uk
Kat Collett katcollett.com
Xander Cards xandercards.co.uk
Copyright Wed magazine 2019
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