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 Sarah’s handmade bespoke dress. I love material that catches the light as it adds so much depth to imagery and Sarah’s dress reminded me of the very oysters that you’d find at the bed of the very river they were married by. Anyway, enough of my rambling about dresses… let’s 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.

St Mawes in May during the queens jubilee
loefflr and randall rainbow shoes with dried pastel wedding flowers
vintage style wedding ring and silk ribbon at cornwall intimate wedding in st mawes at the idle rocks captured by alternative wedding photographer
getting ready preparations the morning of the wedding at the idle rocks
stylish intimate wedding photography in devon and cornwall
wedding day details for colourful pastel wedding in cornwall

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 can’t 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 queen’s Jubilee where her father was waiting for her at the Idle Rocks’ sister hotel; the St Mawes Hotel which is where the wedding would take place.

bride getting ready for her intimate wedding in st mawes on a misty morning in cornwall
handmade silk babydoll style vintage wedding dress hanging in the window with the st mawes harbour in the background
getting ready at the Idle Rocks for an intimate wedding in st mawes
black and white photography of bridal shoes and dried flowers on a balcony
stylish st mawes micro wedding captured by west cornwall wedding photographers Lyra & Moth
natural documentary style wedding photography in the southwest
velvet bow wedding dress details for babydoll style wedding gown
black and white photograph of bride getting ready for her wedding in natural documentary style
stylish vintage bride in bespoke short bridal gown
babydoll wedding dress
natural documentary
pastel pink bridesmaids by the river on the beach at st mawes
colourful and dried wedding bouquet
alternative bride style in cornwall
natural documentary wedding photography by the seaside
natural documentary wedding photography in cornwall and devon
father of the bride hugs his daughter at her st mawes intimate wedding
the ceremony space for intimate weddings at the St Mawes hotel
the ceremony space at the st mawes hotel

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 Sarah’s decor and colour pops in her dried flowers. They up-cycled gin jars and filled them with dried baby’s 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 bridesmaid’s, 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.

the ceremony space at the st mawes hotel
pistachio cake with glace cherries by Aphrodite cakes
bride walking down the aisle at the st mawes hotel
the ceremony space in the pavillion at the st mawes hotel
natural documentary wedding photography at an intimate wedding in st mawes
candid wedding photography in st mawes cornwall
stylish micro wedding in st mawes with a ceremony at the st mawes hotel
natural and candid documentary photography in Cornwall and Devon
natural and relaxed colourful wedding photography for intimate weddings in Cornwall
civil ceremony wedding at the st mawes hotel
stylish intimate elopement wedding at the st mawes hotel on the roseland cornwall
 
small wedding at the st mawes hotel in cornwall with alternative bridal style and vintage touches
 

Confetti in the Courtyard at St Mawes & a reception on a boat up the River Fal

If you’re 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 that’s exactly what these guys were.

candid and natural documentary wedding photography on the roseland in cornwall for a seaside wedding
hugs and natural photographs of a tiny stylish vintage wedding in st mawes
fun and relaxed vintage tiny wedding in st mawes with a reception on a boat and colourful touches captured by alternative wedding and elopement photographer in cornwall and devon
the courtyard venue in st mawes
candid wedding and elopement photography in colourful and light style in cornwall
a wedding elopement reception at the courtyard in the St Mawes hotel
guests enjoy an intimate wedding reception on the Roseland peninsula at a cornwall small wedding venue
vintage style retro wedding cake with cherries and pistachios
the view down the alley way leading to the sea from the st mawes hotel
views of st mawes on Sarah and Tom's May wedding day
black and white candid wedding photography in st mawes
views of the idle rocks hotel over the harbour in st mawes during the summer time
black and white contemporary wedding photography
cute and contemporary wedding photography in st mawes for tiny weddings in front of the pastel pink cornish cottages
 
fun and cute st mawes elopement
candid, fun and natural wedding portraits in front of the pastel cottages in st mawes
cute and contemporary bright and colourful wedding photography by the sea in cornwall and devon with vintage style bride and groom on the beach
Natural documentary candid and colourful wedding photography in devon and cornwall by the sea
a tiny elopement wedding in St Mawes cornwall with vintage bride in baby doll silk wedding dress and stylish groom with the river fal in the backdrop and dried flowers
st mawes harbour
St Mawes weddings during the summer with vintage touches
boat wedding receptions in st mawes and the river fal in cornwall
groom with a super 8 vintage cine camera at his st mawes elopement
candid natural documentary wedding photography in black and white on the river fal
reportage wedding photography in devon and cornwall on the ocean specialising in tiny weddings
st mawes a view from the ocean whilst on a boat wedding reception in may

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.

natural documentary photography in black and white of wedding guests on the harbour pontoons in st mawes
stylish and cute wedding portraits on the pontoon at st mawes harbour on the roseland cornwall with alternative documentary style
colourful vintage pop beach wedding table interior style at the st mawes hotel
stylish vintage bride for roseland elopement at st mawes
st mawes group photo at an elopement
small wedding receptions at the st Mawes hotel

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 β€œWhat’s your favourite sort of wedding to capture?” my answer would generally be β€œDay’s full of love & laughter,” 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

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Ellena & Chris's Summer Wedding at St Giles House, Wimbourne, Dorset