Inspiration

I do like to be beside the seaside, I do love a wedding by the sea! This delightful Devon celebration, at the stunning coastal venue of Tunnels Beaches, has all the ingredients of a great day at the beach, with the added bonus of a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception. Think a cliffside courtyard with gypsophila arch, a BBQ buffet, and a bride playing the frisbee - that's a first for us! Set against a backdrop of clear blue skies and a private beach, this will have you dreaming of summer days - and reaching for an ice-cream (mint choc chip for me, please!).

Readings & Music

We had a civil ceremony and loved that we could tailor it to suit us. Our readings – ‘Carrie’s Poem’ and ‘Jasper Jones’ – struck just the right balance between being sentimental but not too soppy. For the ceremony, we played Ludovico Einaudi’s ‘Island’ album, and our first dance was to ‘Heartbeats’ by José González. We didn’t book a band, choosing instead to put together our own playlists with our favourite music, and kept the entertainment low key with beach games including frisbees and giant Jenga – which the adults loved as much as the kids!

Abi & Daniel

Gypsophila Arch and Giant Balloons

One of our favourite features at any wedding is the aisle style, and what can be more dreamy than a gypsophila arch, set against the rugged cliffs and coastline of North Devon? Abi and Daniel kept their décor intentionally minimal - after all, how do you better a beach? - but using giant white balloons to line the aisle is a genius idea; a more modern alternative to pew ends, but equally as romantic, and great to use as props later on. Speaking of which, can you get enough of those golden hour photos? What a truly spectacular sunset, captured like a work of art by RMW recommended photographer, Toby Lowe. There's nothing like scrabbling over rocks and sand in your wedding gown to get the perfect shot!

Advice For Brides-to-be

I have two pieces of advice for any bride-to-be: 1) The more you try to control every last detail, the more stressed you will be on the day. Keeping things relaxed was the best decision we made because I didn’t spend the day worrying about tiny things going wrong – I just got to enjoy it. 2) Don’t feel pressured by what other couples have done; don’t take notice of niggles about the date, food, or what people will wear. When it comes down to it, the important people will be there and everything else will be forgotten as you get lost in your day.

Abi & Daniel
Finding the perfect venue for your wedding is one of the hardest tasks of the planning period, and often one of the most time-consuming. But many of our couples - Abi and Daniel included - tell us that when you know, you know. Just listen to your heart! If, for you, love lives at the beach, we have inspiration for coastal weddings by the bucket and spade load. The question is: home or away?
Victoria Honan

Written by Victoria Honan

Venue: Tunnels Beaches | Dress Designer: Pronovias | Bridal Boutique: Tilly Mint Weddings | Jewellery and Hairpiece: Ivory & Co | Shoes: Charlotte Mills | Bridesmaids Dresses: ASOS | Groom's Suit: Hardy Amies | Hair: April Wagner | Make Up: Lucy Davis | Florist: Amy Tardelli-Brown | Cake: Dolly Bird Bakes | Dress Alterations: Nortier Shallow

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