Sarah & Tom's intimate wedding in St Mawes Cornwall with a reception sailing on the river
A tiny wedding at the St Mawes Hotel
Back at the very end of the merry month of May, Sarah & Tom invited me to St Mawes to capture their absolute gem of a wedding day. Fans of all things analogue and vintage, they had hoped for the pastel tones that only St Mawes can deliver and the weather sure did match the brief with soft skies that gleamed delicately off the beautiful silk of Sarahβs handmade bespoke dress. I love material that catches the light as it adds so much depth to imagery and Sarahβs dress reminded me of the very oysters that youβd find at the bed of the very river they were married by. Anyway, enough of my rambling about dressesβ¦ letβs get on with sharing the cutest, most whimsical little riverside wedding you ever did see with a reception on a boat. Yes, you read that right.
Getting ready at the idle rocks hotel
The Idle rocks is a beautifully airy hotel with nautical touches positioned right on the harbourside of St Mawes and has beautiful views. I canβt think of a better wedding morning view really, especially from the balcony letting in that fresh ocean air through the french doors. Sarah handmade her own headband and selected a pair of statement Loefflr and Randall shoes which she could really show off due to wearing a knee length wedding dress. Her style was vintage with colourful pops and suited the backdrop of the pastel village perfectly.
She got ready with her two bridesmaids who wore pastel pink dresses of their own choosing and accompanied her on the walk through the village which was littered with union jack bunting for the queenβs Jubilee where her father was waiting for her at the Idle Rocksβ sister hotel; the St Mawes Hotel which is where the wedding would take place.
An intimate wedding on the Roseland, Cornwall
The sunny and colourful little room at the St Mawes hotel tucked away in the courtyard was decorated with colourful nautical paintings which worked with Sarahβs decor and colour pops in her dried flowers. They up-cycled gin jars and filled them with dried babyβs breath which lined the aisle and made it a stylish little ceremony space, perfect for a small but perfect seaside wedding. Sarah walked over from the Idle Rocks with her bridesmaidβs, swinging by the small beach for a few bridesmaid portraits before greeting her father ready to walk down the aisle. The couple wanted an eco vibe for their day and Sarah, a graphics designer created the orders of service herself on seeded paper with pressed flowers. It was a really fun and creative touch. I absolutely loved their pistachio green wedding cake which they had carefully brought down from Manchester for their day. It was made by Aphrodite cakes with glace cherries on top and really completed their colourful, vintage wedding day feel.
Confetti in the Courtyard at St Mawes & a reception on a boat up the River Fal
If youβre going to wed by the river in Cornwall and just have a few guests, you should definitely consider a boat ride. Handily for Sarah & Tom, the St Mawes hotel were happy to arrange a reception on the boat for them as part of their service complete with champagne and canapΓ©s so that the guests could take in the river views and admire the ocean whilst sunning themselves and feeling all the fun and merriness. Having a smaller wedding really gives you the flexibility to be creative with your day and thatβs exactly what these guys were.
Back on dry Land
We did a cheeky group photo on the harbour pontoon. Sarah & Tom had travelled down to Cornwall for their wedding and really wanted to show off the vibrant location to their guests and celebrate a sense of people within the place. I love capturing people within context in a natural documentary style, stepping back and taking in the wider scene. The pontoon made a perfect spot for a few fun and super relaxed portraits.
A beautiful & intimate wedding day
Sarah & Tom had booked half day coverage, so after their speeches we hugged goodbye and I set off back through the beautiful village feeling a sense of extreme luck to work with such fun people in a postcard picturesque place like this in Cornwall. When people ask βWhatβs your favourite sort of wedding to capture?β my answer would generally be βDayβs full of love & laughter,β which I still stand by, but smaller weddings like this, where couples want more creative and relaxed photos and give me the time and space to be arty and really rock my own style are the epitome of a perfect day for me. The boat ride was also a bonus too :P