responsible for the signage,” Jess says. “He created beautiful wooden signs to direct guests to the church, reception and the beach. Our favourite piece was a life-size surfboard which we asked our guests to leave messages on. Laurie is a keen surfer so this was a great keepsake and during my mum’s wedding speech, she presented Pugly with a Surfer Dog miniature surfboard that was also handmade by my stepdad.” Jess and Laurie wanted wild and natural flowers and their chosen florist, Blossom & Kelp didn’t disappoint. “I love peonies but because they’re seasonal, our florist said it was unlikely that we’d be able to get any,” Jess says. “However, she surprised me on the day with beautiful peonies in my bouquet!” The night before their special day, Jess and Laurie hosted ‘Bottles on the Beach’ which was a barbecue for their wedding guests prepared by Laurie’s brother. For their wedding breakfast, they wanted the food to be locally sourced, so they used the catering firm Elements Weddings by Jack Clements. “He created an amazing canapé selection and a feasting menu of fire-finished harissa lamb with Cornish new potatoes and plenty of salads,” Jess says. “Dessert was a Cornish trifle and our cake reflected the sea with a seascape design on the bottom layer. We also added another personal touch with the oyster shell of our names and wedding dates. Porthilly Farm is famous for its oysters, so it felt like the perfect touch.” LOOKING THE PART Jess chose a bridal dress by Jane Hill called Saint which had some additional straps added to the back. “I didn’t need to accessorise it much which was good because I forgot the majority of my jewellery in the rush to get to the church on time!” she tells us. “Our wedding wasn’t a formal affair so Laurie wore a light-blue two-piece suit and his tie featured the same coral colour as the full-length bridesmaids’ dresses which looked stunning. Our groomsmen wore navy suits teamed with white shirts. They didn’t wear ties but their floral buttonhole added colour and I also had a wonderful bridesman who wore a cream suit, coral tie and pocket square.” TIME TO CELEBRATE Jess and Laurie wanted their reception drinks to feel personal, so along with both of their mothers, they each chose their favourite cocktail for guests to try at their bar named Taylor’s Tipples. “I chose Newlywed Negroni, Laurie chose Marry Me Mule, my mum chose Complete Me Collins and my new mother-in-law selected Say I do Sangria,” Jess explains. As part of the evening entertainment, Jess’s stepdad had made various wooden beach games, including hoopla, cornhole, limbo and boules. “The cornhole was our favourite because we had designed it with our names and wedding date so it was very personal to us,” Jess tells us. Jess and Laurie had a Cornish Shanty Band called The Stowes playing as they walked out of the church. “They also performed in the marquee and they sounded fantastic – it added a special Cornish touch!” Jess says. “Our good friend Hattie is a DJ for Hits Radio and she kindly kept the party going late into the night. Everybody commented on what a great celebration it was! There was a break in the rain towards the end of the evening so we finished the night with a spectacular fireworks display because fireworks have always been one of my favourite things. To watch them surrounded by our loved ones with my new husband by my side was a wonderful moment that I’ll never forget.” “The speeches were exceptional, especially my new husband’s speech. He has a stammer so was worried in the lead-up to our wedding, but after months of speech therapy, he spoke without any stammer. I didn’t tell Laurie beforehand but I also did a surprise speech and my dad, mum, stepdad, aunties and uncles also gave surprise speeches for us - each of them standing up after one another and reading their part - it was surreal, beautiful and something we will never forget.” - Jess 39 REAL WEDDINGS
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