Holly & Oliver's Bold Black-Tie Wedding at Scorrier House

We wrote a personal letter to each of our guests explaining why it meant so much to have them there. It took a long time, but it was worth every minute — we don’t often stop to tell people how important they are to us, so taking that moment to properly thank each guest made the day feel even more special. Knowing our guests understood exactly why they mattered to us was one of our favourite parts of the whole day.

If you’re on a budget, get the early decisions right — they set your spend for everything after. Keep a contingency fund for the final week: the bits you forget, panic umbrellas for surprise rain, food for the people helping you set up. And don’t be afraid to negotiate, especially out of season — be respectful about it, but ask. It won’t always work, but it saved us a few pennies along the way.