Welcome back for Part 2 of this stunningly original Wedding in Torquay, Devon. Tamsin and Alex clearly have bucket loads of style, pulling off a rustic affair by the seaside with vibrantly modern touches, and Edwardian Gown and classic tails. This is a great example of everything you love working together just because it’s YOU.
Enjoy!
Fantasia
My bouquet was made up of avelanche roses, hydrangea, artemis, alstremaria lilies, sage, rosemary, mint, eucalyptus, nigella pods, hipericum, nigella pods and madame de pompadour orchids.
For the bridesmaids we added more colour to match their dresses with the addition of golden sphinx roses, celosia caracas and celosia bombay (chicken brain).
Alex’s button hole matched the flower theme with a cream avelanche rose, nigella pods and bay eucalyptus.
Susan from Susan’s flower shop supplied the flowers. Susan knew exactly what I wanted straight away which was such a relief!
Sensational Shoot
Alex has used Simon and Jo at Shoot many times in the past and we love the details their pictures pick out at an event and their interaction and rapport with the guests and those they’re snapping.
They came all the way down to the South West from Sheffield but we knew from the first chat we had about the wedding that they would capture the whole day exactly as we wanted and from that point onward we weren’t going to use anyone else.
We opted to have both Jo and Simon for the day meaning that both Tamsin’s morning prep and Alex’s mini golf could be immortalised! Before we’d even got on the plane for honeymoon Jo had sent us a couple of snaps on email which was a lovely surprise – we can’t wait (at time of writing) to see the rest!
Cupcake Cravings
Tamsin is a keen baker herself and we decided early on that we wanted to steer away from a conventional, heavy wedding cake.
We opted for a local cake maker, Dot, who has a small shop in Torquay market, Dot’s Pantry, who created an impressive cupcake tower including chocolate, raspberry and lemon flavours complete with a giant sponge top tier for us to cut at the reception. They were very popular! Susan’s Flower Shop decorated the cake stand with flowers to bring everything in line with the theme.
Deliciously Different Decor
Not opting for a reception at a hotel or other ‘ready made’ venue gave us complete control over the food, drink and whole experience. It was really hard work but well worth the effort. We only had eight hours on the friday to deck out the barn, it was a close call! The barn literally only had a tap and a few power points so we had to organise everything from a physical bar and catering area to ‘executive’ portaloos outside.
We concentrated decoration on the tables as the barn was so vast. I didn’t see the flowers in place until we arrived for the reception and I was absolutely delighted! The tables were a mass of foliage and flowers, with loads of tealights glowing away. We placed a multitude of wine on the tables with Montezuma’s organic chocolate buttons (my favourite chocolate) in vintage glass bowls and stuffed the napkins with fresh herbs.
For the wedding invitations we sent guests original Torquay postcards (1900 – 1950s) handwritten and packaged up in brown paper and twine. I used the post card images to make the menus, I was delighted that they all except one got swiped by the end of the night! Instead of favours we encouraged guests to take home the flowers and tealight holders… which they did in armfuls.
I laid the tables with hessian runners, then Susan laid palm leaves, branches of rosemary and mint. Various pots of oriental cabbages, ferns, grasses, cripedia, magenta chrysanthemums, mini-jerberous, calla lillies and other flowers from the bridesmaids bouquets were placed in various sizes of Terracotta pots, saucers and cups.
The barn is a beautiful venue and a few strategically placed uplighters completed the mood.
Unique Style
As nearly all of our guests travelled a really long way for the wedding, we wanted to make it extra special for them. We encouraged everybody to ‘make a weekend of it’ and arranged cocktails the night before, which really took the pressure off the big day. Alex also arranged a mini golf tournament for guests on the seafront on Saturday morning which was great fun and helped him relax. Him winning was an added bonus!
We wanted to incorporate as much local/seasonal produce as possible from Devon clotted cream cream and local table cyder to organic Kenniford farm hog roast cooked in front of the guests as they arrived. Local farm Kenniford Farm supplied a hog roast which was served to the tables by the English Table, who also supplied the canapes, accompaniments and desert.
Guests sat at long banquet tables, accompanying food included sweet potato wedges and beetroot and barley salad were placed in the middle of the tables for people to help themselves to create a fantastic feast vibe…. informal and fun!
Band Brilliance
Alex’s job involves arranging parties so he was determined the wedding would have to be an event to remember. We knew it would be a long day so we broke things up with live music on arrival at the reception, something lively after the meal and DJs until late.
We roped in a favourite band of ours, Kitty la Roar and Nick of Time, who brought down their drummer Stuey who is award winning on the jazz circuit apparently. Kitty and Nick have played everywhere from London clubs to Hugh Hefnor’s Playboy mansion and entertained our guests with ukulele honkey-tonk for the canape and drinks reception and after dinner with an array of jazz/swing ‘mash-ups’ – a unique show where they re-mix modern and classic favorites live including Radiohead Creep vs Sinatra My Way and Robbie Williams Angels vs Shaggy Angel! It has to be heard to be believed!
After the band’s finale our DJs friends Mark Horne (schooldisco.com) and Will Dunn (Tramp, Manchester) supplied an alternative wedding playlist which had everyone including the mother of bride up and dancing! For both of us, having people we knew entertaining their guests was very important… we knew they would provide exactly the right music and entertainment with minimum effort on our parts.
Our first dance was Blur ‘To the End’… not an obvious choice (and a very slow song to try and dance to) but Tamsin has always been a big Blur fan and met Alex in the late nineties when the band were massive. To the End is a favourite of us both – literally remarking at having both made it through – and perfect to waltz to. It also conjures memories of Tamsin being caught crowd surfing on live TV when Blur played Glastonbury in 2009! Everyone sang along and Tamsin and Alex feel their first dance went rather well (though the video might suggest otherwise!)
Our main advice for anyone about to organise their own wedding would be to be true to yourself. We loved giving our guests a day that reflected our personalities and by not trying to different and being ourselves, the day was relaxed and easy.
I’m in awe of the sheer style on display here. Individually all these aspects wouldn’t naturally or obviously work together but with the addition of Tamsin and Alex’s personalities the day really pulls together a look that shows how far the UK has come in terms of Wedding Style 
.
Thank you so much to Jo and Simon from Shoot lifestyle for submitting the wedding, and Tamsin and Alex for sharing their planning story.
Yours Truly,
Rebecca
xoxo
Wow, this wedding is just gorgeous. Would have loved to have been a guest. The entertainment looks amazing! With my wedding in just under two weeks, am starting to have wobbles! x
I liked. Then I saw the dessert and LOVED.
LOVE ALL OF IT!
Table decorations at the reception. Gorgeous. In fact, ALL the flowers are the best ever!
Stunning decor. I love xx
Without a doubt, my most favouritest reception decor EVER! SO beautiful, classy, warm, inviting, and generally all round stunning.
Vintage elegance defined.
xx
Favourite wedding from the blog in the 9 months I’ve been stalking it!!! Love this xxxx
The decor was truly stunning. I love every part of this wedding but mainly the fact that it was so personal to them and so original! I wish Tamsin & Alex every future happiness. Love it all x
Absolutely stunning! Gorgeous part of the country, charming venue, lovely details, magnificent photography…….and that dress!!!
I love what they’ve done with the decor here. Just goes to show that simple really does work best. I love it! Wishing you both all the best for a happy marriage x
Just gorgeous!
That dress is to die for.
Loving the mix of seaside fun with complete elegance!
x
Heart heart heart x
I want…
- hog roast and sweet potato wedges
- crazy golf the morning of my wedding
- THAT picture in the surf
- hessian ruunners, palm leaves, rosemary and mint
- perfect Devon scenery
- that sash, those cupcakes, and madame de pompaadour orchids (because I love the name)
FABULOUS. I’ve come over all wibbly.
Love the dress and what a stunning venue!
Big fan of the photographer’s work too
Is that a dish of chocolate buttons I spy?
Yes this is definitely one of my fave weddings too! The table decor is just beautiful!
Rachie xo
It’s all so stunning! It looks like it just fell out of Wedding Heaven…you guys and your family/friends/suppliers are a seriously talented bunch of lovelies!
Congrats on your gorgeous day and I hope you have so many more just like this x
Loving this rustic chic vibe, it just shows that do it yourself needn’t be all bunting and more bunting! Nice work.
xx
Am I the only one that read the description of the bridal bouquet and wanted to eat it? Yeap, thought so. Also, its a good job I am having my lunch whilst looking at this – the pic of the hog roast would have been enough to send me on a mad run to the nearest carvery!
On a non-food note, uber vintage, rusticness this one. So very pretty indeed. xx
Orr wow! I love everything about this wedding and Blur is one of my favourite bands, best first dance song choice ever xxxxxx
I love a wedding if it can make me smile and that BEAUTIFUL montage in the sand made me beam. Very jealous – so lovely in Torquay but never going to happen on Southsea pebbles! Then there is Blur first dance (heavenly!), the MashUps and the multicoloured yummy Bridesmaid scheme. Everything so well done and classy classy classy. I’ll even forgive the pig shot (hell for veggies!) cos everything else is just so swoony and romantic. Bravo, this is immense! xxx
Oh such divine details so beautiful! I want to pinch a chocolate button! Love it!
While I have read this blog for a long time I have failed to comment – until now. This has made such an impression I had to pick up a pen (so to speak) and congratulate Tamsin and Alex on a ruddy beautiful wedding. And that dress is incredible…x
The wedding cake looks spectacular!! Love the cute little truffle cakes!
I love this one, gorgeous details and the venue looks really lovely.
I lovelovelove this wedding. Especially the bride’s dress, it’s so unique. My dress is from the 1940′s and is also long-sleeved, and I have to admit to having a few dress-wobbles because it’s not exactly conventional (!), so thank you for cheering me with THIS beautiful wedding