Jess and Laurie met through work and became good friends before becoming a couple. They became engaged on Porthilly Beach after enjoying a swim with their dog, Pugly. “It was a sunny day and when we got out of the sea, Laurie wrapped me up in a blanket, got down on one knee and popped the question,” Jess tells us. “He had a bottle of champagne that we enjoyed as we watched the sun go down.” SETTING THE SCENE Jess and Laurie booked the church and the land close to Porthilly Beach for their wedding the week after becoming engaged. “We both knew it was the place we wanted to celebrate our special day,” Jess tells us. “The church is located a few steps from the beach, and a two-minute walk from the farm where we held our marquee reception.” The couple decided on a Cornish coastal theme. “We wanted everything to feel very personal, so we took calligraphy classes and wrote each guest’s name on an oyster shell from Porthilly Farm,” Jess says. “We collected driftwood and placed the pieces on the long rectangular tables to hold the table names which were after our favourite beaches in north Cornwall - Lundy Bay, Daymer Bay and Porthilly Cove of course!” As favours, the couple gifted their guests lip balms in shells collected from the beach that were packaged in small boxes and stamped with a personal design which said Cornish Kisses. For their centrepieces, they collected vintage bottles for the flowers and old ink wells which they used to hold the candlesticks. “My stepdad was 37 REAL WEDDINGS
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