A Devon, Seaside Wedding…
What’s not to love about todays wedding!
Claire & Ollie had a beautiful humanist wedding ceremony by the Torquay seaside that was filled with fun, love and laughter. Just check out Mr & Mrs Unique suppliers Dearly Beloved who produced such gorgeous bespoke stationery to fit their seaside, 1950’s, Riviera styled wedding!
Dearly Beloved…
Why you love this wedding…
We just loved working with Claire and Ollie, they had a real vision for the feel they wanted to create on their wedding day. It’s (more often than not) coming from a place of love when family and friends are a little sceptical of your ideas but they stuck to their guns and we know you’ll agree that it was a BEAUTIFUL celebration, what an inspiration!
What were the couple’s requirements…
For the couple it was super important to feel that the wedding had its particular look and feel. Claire’s day job is marketing, so she knew how important ‘brand’ is to a persons experience. Here’s what she had to say “Brand is not a logo. It’s design, colour, the formality or informality of the words, the way the staff at the reception greet guests, it’s everything. Everything came back to: sailing, glam, English Riviera, 8 colours.”
Favourite details of the day…
We absolutely loved how they made it their own, every detail was there because they loved it, not because it was what they thought a wedding should be. We were so happy to see how much they incorporated the things they loved and their personalities into the celebration.
Claire & Ollie…
Tell us how you met and got engaged…
We met working together at the Exeter Phoenix and started going to the performances and gigs.
Ollie: We got engaged at Bovey Castle, it was Claire’s birthday and I had been thinking of asking her to marry me for a while, we were having such a wonderful time it felt like the right moment to ask.
Claire: A second proposal came when we had chosen the ring and Ollie insisted on giving it to me – that came surrounded by friends in the freezing cold at the top of Snowdon Mountain in Wales.
How would you describe your wedding theme…
The overall ideas for the wedding fell into these camps: sailing, glamorous English Riviera (in it’s 1950s heyday), flowers and colours of (white, grey, various blues, yellow and a purpley-pink < I even had a Pantone chart for all the suppliers with the 8 colours).
What were your main hopes for the day…
That it was full of touches and things chosen by us by makers in Devon, surrounded by the people we love and the sea. Above all that we got married in a way that would set us up for a happy life together.
Was your favourite part of the day…
Claire: First dance on Torquay pier and all our family and friends joining in
Ollie: Too many to choose from: the ceremony, seeing Claire in her dress, the band Adam in the Hat with The Drat Pack, Pier Point…
How was your day unique…
Claire: Dearly Beloved made our day really unique as Abi painted so much of the things people saw on the day and before the wedding, the invites, programme, mobiles, seating, beer boat sign and menus. No one else has these. So many people commented on how beautiful they were.
Ollie: The setting, walking from the ceremony to the reception we strolled across the harbour bridge and everyone had helium balloons!
What was your budget…
It was north of £20k. We didn’t really have a fixed budget, just agreed that we wouldn’t spend beyond was we could afford each month.
What was your biggest expense…
The food and drink, we had canapes, 3 course dinner, evening chiili con carne, a welcome cocktail, beer boat, lots of wine and prosecco. I think people were very happy about all of this.
How did you save money…
We didn’t spend money on things we didn’t care about. We both got a taxi to the ceremony. We borrowed a few things from friends or family, such as the beer boat (was Ollie’s Dad’s sail boat) and the photo props were from a friends dressing up box.]
What was it like working with your suppliers…
Claire: I had thought quite a lot about what my wedding would be like (fun, unique and lots of cake), look like (beautiful, glam and colourful), the sort of shoes I’d wear (blue) and lots of other things you can get carried away with (oh the lost hours spent building dream wedding boards). It wasn’t until I met with the florist and I showed her my idea for flowers that this came tumbling down a bit.
The flowers I had carefully selected would all die, were fake, not available at the time of year or not available in Devon (unless I had a private jet to transport them in – I had grand ideas, but maybe not that grand). So I stopped referring to all my wedding boards, wedding magazines (now there’s a mine field we do not have time to talk about. Short hand: step away from the white dress book) and I looked at all the people around me were are experts in things that I needed to create a dream wedding. Friends, family, people who have businesses in Devon (some minutes walk from my house) and others that I’d bump into along the way who knew exactly what I was banging on about. This is how I came to ask Abi of Dearly Beloved to help me out.
I knew I needed invitations, a menu, seating plan and all the usual things. But more than that, I knew I wanted someone uber talented, fresh with ideas, great style and with both computer and paint brush illustration techniques to help me make my wedding look like I imagined. Abi doesn’t just give you the bits of paper that you need logistically. She breathes life and beauty into the tactile things people touch, keep and hold on to as lasting mementos of your day. When all the Facebook pics have disappeared off the news feed. You can bet your programme of service will be loving treasured in a drawer (or else forgotten, ready to be found and loved again in years to come).
Advice to any couples about to get married…
Some guests (cough *parents* cough) were quite sceptical about the idea of a humanist wedding. A non traditional venue. Spending money on design. Spending NO money on cars (I got a taxi). No money on cake (I asked 20 friends to bring a cake). Spending money printing things to hang from the ceiling and a palm tree. It was all a bit backwards for them. But you know what. Everyone LOVED the wedding. Moral of the wedding. Do what makes you happy. If what makes you happy is unique, personal, hand drawn designs. DO IT.
Anything additional you would like to add?…
The day was a celebration of creativity and all the things Ollie and I love best (including each other). When else do you get to spend a crazy amount of money on things like a beer boat, flower hats and paintings of clouds?!
Thank you for sharing! if you would like to find out more about Dearly Beloved Stationery ranges you can visit their website here, or via our directory here
The Team…
Wedding Photographer: Abigail Steed
Wedding Venue: Living Coasts & Pier Point, Torquay
Wedding Dress: Feathers of Isca
Hats: Rivka Jacobs Millinery.
Brides Shoes: I got blue shoes and then Rivka at http://www.rivkajacobs-millinery.com/ jazzed them up with beads and ombre pleated organza
Grooms Attire: Reiss suit, shoes, tie, shirt. Pocket handkerchief leftover fabric from Claire’s dress (though he didn’t know that).
Bridesmaid Outfits: Dresses from Chi Chi London, hats from http://www.rivkajacobs-millinery.com/ and necklaces from a vintage shop on Gandy Street, Exeter, shoes from Dorothy Perkins.
Flowers: Emma Vowles, Totnes
Stationery: Dearly Beloved
Cake: Home made by friends and family
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