
Photos by Emma Stoner
A colourful multicultural wedding in Devon…
What a joyful wedding we have to share with you today!
Bride Lupe and groom Doug chose East Soar Farm on the coast of Devon to hold their spectacular outdoor ceremony. They both wanted their wedding day to be a celebration of both their cultures; with colourful Mexican Day of the Dead inspired decor working alongside some traditional Scottish-English detailing.
From Mexican food, papel picado bunting and margaritas to bag pipes, tartan and Beatles songs; it was the perfect fusion of everything they both love.
Thanks to Emma Stoner for capturing it so beautifully….
Lupe & Doug…
How did you meet?
On a feature film set in New York that we were both working. Lupe was Doug’s boss.
How did you get engaged?
The proposal was a lovely at home affair. On a quiet morning that we were both off, Doug surprised me by wanted to make me breakfast in bed, Biscuits and Gravy (a popular Southern dish and my favorite). When he was done cooking, he asked me to join him in the living room, where he had snuck in a brand new Tiffany colored Bianchi road bike and was on one knee with a small bar of silver in a ring box. I had always told him I didn’t want a diamond, so he bought me a beautiful engagement bike instead. And the bar of silver was for making our own wedding bands, which we did a few months later. It was a very sweet, low-key proposal that I had always wanted.
Was there an overall theme to your day?
Yes, it was a day celebrating both our cultures uniting, so we wanted that to be the theme and driving force for a lot of elements to our wedding. Doug is Scottish/English. He wore a kilt, we walked down the aisle together to bag pipes, and there were a lot of Beatles songs in the ceremony and drinks hour. I’m Mexican-American, so we had Mexican food, served Mezcal margaritas, and a lot of the decoration had a Mexican flare to it (skulls and papel picado which is Mexcian paper-like bunting).
How would you describe your day?
It was a beautiful. The weather was sunny and not too cool for a mid-September day. The ceremony was intimate and reflective of both Doug and I. Not to mention, seeing our family and friends together all at once celebrating our love was very special.
How long were you planning it for, and what was the best bit?
We started planning well over a year in advance. I was in Arkansas for work leading up to the wedding, Doug at our home in New York and his parents, who were helping us, in London, so it was important to get started early. Granted a lot of our vendors were not confirmed until 3-4 months before, so even though we started early, it still felt like we were still finalizing a lot of things just before. The best bit of planning, which was the hardest was finding Tortillas for the food, the Conchas (Mexican sweet bread for dessert) and the Mezcal for the drinks! There are not a lot of Mexicans in England, so to find these things was a lot of work, but very rewarding to have them.
How was your day unique to you?
I think it reflected us both perfectly. And I couldn’t ask for anything more than that. I wouldn’t have changed anything.
If you could relive one part of the day all over again, which part would it be?
The DJ/dancing portion – it was so nice to just let loose after all the planning and work that went into the wedding. Not to mention, seeing our family and friends, cut loose was also amazing.
What are your favourite details of the day?
Mezcal Margaritas. I think everyone enjoyed them immensely.
How did you find your suppliers, and why did you decide on them?
We tried to use local people to Devon, since Salcombe/East Soar is very far south. I just used a lot of google and emailing since I was so far, and it worked out. Everyone we hired, were professional and really came through.
Tell us about your wedding outfits, and why you picked them.
Doug always wanted to have his kilt (his father is Scottish) and he grew up wearing it for special occasions. As for me, I just wanted a dress that I would feel comfortable in. I was very lucky to find a beautiful full-length BHDLN (Anthropologie’s wedding shop) dress that was simple, elegant, and a little dramatic. And to top it off, blue flats! I just wanted to be comfortable on the big day. No use not being able to enjoy our caterer’s lovely food if my dress was too tight!
Do you have any advice for couples currently planning their wedding, for either the planning or the lead-up?
Do your best to start early. There will inevitably be things that you forget, but it is always nice to try and be ahead of them. However, try and enjoy the planning and let small stuff go. There is no use being stressed the day of if the napkins are not right.
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