Posted by Claire Ridley on 23 November 2022
Charlotte and Olly met whilst Charlotte was running a board game event at the bookshop where she worked and their friendship was cemented that day over a game of Munchkin.
"It's fair to say that board games are the thing that brought us together and have been a pivotal part of our relationship," Charlotte tells us. "Since meeting, we have attended many a game conventions together and always remained a united front - except when competing across the table!"
"I found a beautiful engagement ring with an alexandrite stone that changed colour in the light and successfully managed to have it delivered to our flat and hide it without Charlotte knowing, despite her being furloughed and me working from home full time.
On the night itself, we made a romantic dinner using a kit from one of our favourite local restaurants. I was incredibly nervous and I'm pretty sure Charlotte knew something was up, so before serving dessert I got down on one knee and popped the question.
Thankfully she said yes, and the rest, as they say is history."
Sterts Theatre, nestled away in the hills of Bodmin moor, is a volunteer-run amphitheatre that strives to be the centre of the arts for the local community. Both Charlotte and Olly love the unique space and the opportunities it provides for everyone to access the theatre.
"It's a place where new talent is grown and nurtured," Olly tells us. "My family has been part of the Sterts world for nearly 20 years working in all aspects of theatrical production.
My parents are stalwarts of the stage, my mum as stage manager and my dad as an actor and director and both as tenors in the Sterts Singers Choir so we couldn't think of a better backdrop to bring all of our loved ones together for our big day.
Even though they don't normally host weddings, they made a special exception for us and we were the first couple who married there. Considering the location, we knew we had to play up the theatrical elements of our wedding so Charlotte made her bridal entrance on the balcony!"
The couple decided on a relaxed, informal buffet with no set table plan. "All of the tables were draped in purple linen topped with lilac organza table runners that were scattered with purple dice," they tell us.
"Our centrepieces were made using rose gold wire frame candle holders (which resembled the dice motif) and we made custom potion bottles filled with homemade sloe gin or chocolate candies as favours which represented our love for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game," says Charlotte.
They both wanted bright and colourful flowers and their florist did not disappoint. "They made sunflowers the centre of all of our floral displays with purple and white accents," Charlotte explains.
The showstopping three-tier wedding cake featured a giant gold dragon topper which represented the Dungeons & Dragons adventurers, beautifully painted by a close friend of the couple. "A hoard of dice cascaded down the side of the cake that tied in well with our theme," Charlotte says.
Guests tucked into a prosecco and scone reception. "We fall either side of the great scone debate and decided to let our guests vote on the best scone orientation – jam and cream or cream and jam," Charlotte explains. "The result was incredibly close but cream and jam won overall by a single vote, much to my delight!"
A hog roast was served as the wedding breakfast with vegetarian options of Brazilian beans and pulled jackfruit which is two of the couple's favourite vegetarian dishes.
"Olly's dad could be seen throughout the meal wheeling his mobile wine cart around offering guests a personalised selection of table wine and netting himself the title of "Wheelbarrow Sommelier," Charlotte tells us.
"During the evening, we provided a tower of local cheeses from Country Cheeses in Tavistock accompanied by bread and port."
Olly wore a charcoal grey frock coat and trousers teamed with a light purple paisley waistcoat and a purple cravat. "Our groomsmen wore matching colours and waistcoats but their suits had lounge jackets instead of the frock coat teamed with purple ties," Olly says.
The bridesmaids wore silk, lilac infinity dresses in individual styles suited to them. "They accessorised their dresses with diamanté brooches and purple stone necklaces that I had gifted to them as a thank you," says Charlotte.
During the day, the couple provided a selection of outdoor board games for everyone to enjoy including classics of Cornhole, Dominoes and Jenga.
Later on, they performed a choreographed ballroom dance routine to McFly's All About You despite neither of them having danced before and only having a three-hour course in ballroom dancing from one of Charlotte's friends to learn. "It went surprisingly well and we both enjoyed it a lot," Charlotte tells us.
The couple used the theatre stage to host a Ceilidh band in the evening who got everyone up for a couple of hours of energetic folk dancing. "Even though we all got bits of the dancing wrong, everyone had a fantastic time!"
They also hired a silent disco to entertain their guests due to local rules prohibiting amplified music after 10 pm. "We had both experienced these at music festivals and knew our guests would love it," Charlotte says. "Everyone wore a set of headphones that could switch between three different channels that the DJs were running. Even guests who didn't want to dance were entertained by a neon crown of dancers each singing their heart out to their individual channel choice!
"Thanks to Jess, our wedding photographer, for staying longer than agreed to beautifully capture the evening entertainment
and for providing a 'trash the dress shoot' that we will both remember for a long time to come." — Charlotte and Olly
Cake
Catering
Catering
Cheese
Dress
Evening band
Flowers
Hair
Make-up
Photographer
Silent disco
Suits
Venue
