Your Devon and Cornwall Wedding - Mar/Apr 2020 (Issue24)

27  REAL WEDDINGS J ess and Sam met at university but didn’t become a couple until four years after graduating when Sam gatecrashed a Game of Thrones weekend that Jess had planned with a friend. “We soon had a second date alone and this is where our new relationship began,” Jess tells us. “When he braved the cold water in South Wales and Denmark to learn how to surf, I knew it was serious!” The couple became engaged during a trip to Martinique in the Caribbean. “Sam got down on one knee on a quiet section of the beach and asked me to marry him," Jess tells us. “It was such a special moment.” SETTING THE SCENE The couple wanted to incorporate this memory, and other personal touches, into their special day. “We chose to get married at Deer’s Leap Retreat because we loved that it was an exclusive venue and it offered the backdrop and flexibility that we wanted to keep our wedding really personal,” Jess tells us. “We also wanted to have an active, outdoor celebration with a relaxed atmosphere in a beautiful setting and Deer’s Leap Retreat offered us this laid-back vibe.” “Our artistic sides definitely shone through during the wedding planning,” Jess tells us. “We had personalised surfboard key rings as place names and used our beloved campervan as a photo booth. We also entertained our guests with homemade garden games and our menu featured Caribbean dishes.” The couple even made their own wedding cake at Deer’s Leap Retreat the afternoon before their big day which featured a lime and coconut tier and a cherry bakewell layer which is one of their favourite flavours. What Jess and Sam didn’t know when they booked their wedding was that they would be puppy parents by the time it came around. “As soon as Bodhi entered our lives, we knew it wouldn’t be the big family day that we wanted without him there,” Jess tells us. “He ended up sharing all of our special moments throughout the day and had a blast!” LOOKING THE PART “I loved my fitted dress as soon as I saw it,” Jess tells us. “I teamed it with my grandmother's ring as my something old , a crystal hair accessory as my something new , my mum's bracelet as my something borrowed and my opal engagement ring as my something blue . Sam looked so handsome in his blue suit, braces and yellow tie, and his bright buttonhole complemented my bold, seasonal blooms.”