Last year Chris and I went to an AMAZING wedding in the Cornish fishing village of Porthleven. Ben and Steph have been friends of ours for years, so when they asked us to help them find their perfect wedding band we were more than happy to oblige! In the end they went for One By One/Great Scott , one of our most popular wedding bands who also played for the wedding of Olymic Rower Helen Glover and TV presenter/adventurer Steve Backshall! Only the very best for our buddies! Ben and Steph also had some other fantastic suppliers so make sure you check out the full list at the bottom of the post!
Anyway, I knew that they had some great photos thanks to their photographer Amber, so I asked Steph if she could send me some of her favourites to share with you. And also to answer a few questions about their day as inspiration for other Brides and Grooms to be….
Is there a good story behind the proposal? Can you tell us about it?
We got engaged in Brighton in 2013. Ben had booked an amazing suite in the hotel where we stayed on our first ever weekend away. He got down on one knee and I was so surprised I had to ask several times what he was doing!
What did you consider were the most important things when you started planning your wedding?
We really wanted something that was 'us'. We wanted to do things that we liked and not just do things that were traditional. We also wanted to have the wedding in cornwall as that is where I am from and it's a place Ben loves as well.
Which venue did you pick and what made you choose it?
The church we got married in was the local church to the house I grew up in so there was no other choice once we decided on a church ceremony. Our reception venue was a restaurant, Amelies, in Porthleven. Porthleven is a picturesque little fishing village on the south coast of Cornwall and Amelies, an old sail loft, is located right on the edge of the harbour. It was perfect for the size of wedding we wanted and the food is amazing! Even the decor matched the colour schemes we had in mind!!
Can you tell us about some of the companies/suppliers you used? What made you pick them?
We used all local suppliers for the day, the flowers were sourced from 5 miles away and my hairdresser was a girl who I used to go to school with! It was important to us to use people that knew the area and the locations.
Was there anything you did yourself to save money?
I made all the wedding stationary myself to save some money! I painstakingly made 100+ invitations, 60+ place cards and all the favours! I have no idea where I found the time!!!
What made you choose Great Scott as your wedding band? Can you tell us a bit about them?
We loved their sound and their fun element! After watching their videos online we could totally imagine them playing on our big day. As they did their vintage set as well as their 80s set it meant we had 2 different elements to our evening reception and meant there was something for everyone. A lot of our guests (including me!) danced all night! We have had so many compliments from family and friends saying how much they liked them and how they fitted our day perfectly.
What was your first dance and why did you choose it?
Our first dance was 'Gorecki' by Lamb. It's not very well known but one of our favourite songs. It was a difficult choice as we also liked The Smiths 'There is a light' but thought maybe it wasn't the most appropriate for our day!!!
What was your favourite part of the day?
The whole day was amazing so it's hard to pick a best bit as there were quite a few! I loved arriving at the reception and walking into the room to the massive welcome of all of our guests! That was so special. I also loved being like a local celebrity for the day in the village where we had the reception! We had a lot of people watching us have our photos taken and coming to congratulate us in the street. One of the local pubs even gave us Jager shots on the house as we walked past to say congratulations!! Very funny!
What is the most important piece of advice you would give to others planning their wedding now?
Make to do lists! Wedding planning can be so overwhelming, especially if you've never planned anything on that scale before, so making lists of what needs doing and by when was a great help. I also used a lot of spreadsheets, they really helped with budgets and guest lists. Also make sure you enjoy your day - I made sure I spent a lot of time in the evening dancing to our band. You are arranging your ideal party so make the most of it!
Venue: Amélies, Porthleven
Photographer : Liberty Pearl Photography
Dress : Maggie Sottero
Brides Shoes : Vivienne Westwood + Melissa
Flowers : Flowers by Clowance
Bunting : Funky Flags
Car : Oliver Clemance
Make up : Natasha Flower
Hair : Cheryl @ Fresh Barnet
Brides Wedding / engagement Ring : Jeremy Hoye / House of Hoye
Band : Great Scott - 80's style / One by One - Folk style