Sophie and James met online. “I lived in Portsmouth and James in Gloucester so we agreed to meet halfway for a drink,” Sophie tells us. “On the day, my car didn’t start so our first date was delayed but James presumed that I wasn’t going to show up!” The couple became engaged almost two years later during a surprise proposal in the Lake District. “James got down on one knee and presented me with a beautiful diamond ring which was a wonderful surprise! We celebrated with dinner in a local pub, it was the perfect private proposal to mirror our intimate family wedding that was to follow.” SETTING THE SCENE The couple’s first weekend break away together was to Frieda and the Moon near Looe in Cornwall and they fell in love with the beautiful setting in a stunning part of the region. “I visited Cornwall every year with my family when I was a child and James and I were keen to marry somewhere unusual so Frieda and the Moon provided the perfect venue,” Sophie explains. “We loved their focus on intimate weddings, which is what we wanted.” “The Studio at Frieda and the Moon offers a rustic stylish feel with a feature stained-glass window and plenty of quirky details, plus their Observatory had recently been added,” Sophie tells us. “Babs from the venue creates a bouquet for every bride who marries there, asking in advance for preferences, so I requested yellow and orange blooms which are two of my favourite colours and the result was marvellous! Babs also made a colourful buttonhole for the gentlemen and I contacted a local florist, Fleurtations, who provided a stunning orchid headpiece and orchid corsages for the ladies as a nod to my late father who was an extremely talented orchid grower.” Following the couple’s intimate ceremony, the wedding party headed outside into the sunshine for fizz, confetti and photographs. “The exquisite rural setting needed nothing adding to it, the far-flung views across the hills provided the perfect backdrop for our photos and we weren’t expecting glorious sunshine when we booked our October date! Sophie, James and their guests enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea in the Studio that included homemade cakes and scones. “This was provided by Paul and Babs at the venue and tasted delicious,” Sophie says. “We then spent a dreamy afternoon in Polperro where we received such a warm welcome from locals – finding ourselves on Polperro’s Facebook page the next day and seeing so many kind comments and good wishes was the cherry on the cake! The team at The Blue Peter Inn let us have some photographs taken inside the bar and sent us a bottle of fizz to toast our special day. We had hired a car and our friendly driver, Stuart stopped on the journey back to Frieda and the Moon so that we could buy some fish and chips. Our guests were unanimous in crowning the curry sauce the best they had ever had! The evening ended with a playlist and singing and dancing before we retired to our hot tub under the stars.” LOOKING THE PART Sophie wore a dress called Petal purchased from Vivienne Stella Bridal Gallery. “It was the first wedding gown that I had ever tried on and suited the setting perfectly,” she tells us. “It was a simple, flowing style that was so easy to wear. My sister bought me a denim jacket with ‘I love you to the moon and back’ printed on the back. It fitted perfectly with the astrological theme at Frieda and the Moon and attracted several comments as we wandered through the streets of Polperro!” James wore a blue cotton Oxford shirt teamed with a pair of pastel pink chinos that, without planning to, matched the décor at the venue wonderfully! He added a green waistcoat and a pair of brown brogues which resulted in a relaxed style that suited our wedding theme. 31 REAL WEDDING
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