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

29  REAL WEDDINGS TIME TO CELEBRATE “Our garden games were a huge hit with our guests, especially the space hoppers!” Jess says. “We had a sweetie station for the children which resulted in some very hyper little ones and some comical photo booth pictures!” A really good thing about the venue was that the kids could go to bed in the farmhouse with a babysitter while the parents re-joined the party. “Both of us have brothers and sisters with young ones so this was really important to us so that they didn’t miss out,” Jess says. “The farmhouse was also really useful for older family members who wanted a break from the partying.” “Our celebrations were concluded with a firework display over the lake,” Jess tells us. “We had a mix of our favourite songs played that reflected us as a couple during it that including Thunderstruck by AC/DC and Wipeout by The Surfaris.” MEMORABLE MOMENTS One very emotional moment came as a huge surprise for the couple on the day. “During Jess’s dad’s speech, he gifted us a handmade wooden surfboard that he’d spent months making in his workshop in Australia,” Sam explains. “He had inlaid the wedding invitation artwork that Jess had drawn into the board and arranged for it to be shipped over to the UK in secret. We were both totally blown away by it.” The couple had lots of friends and family who had flown over from Australia to join them on their wedding day. “My 85-year-old grandmother had travelled from Melbourne,” Jess tells us, “and it meant the world to us to have everyone there. Big family celebrations are made all the more special by the personal time spent between loved ones which is why sharing the whole venue for two nights and three days created so many incredible memories.”