Andi & Becks - The Love Story

Dodgy clubs aren’t usually the best places to find true love, but Becks and Andi, both just 19 at the time, couldn’t help themselves when they met on a night out in 2002. Fast-forward to a blizzard seven years later, and Andi decided it was the perfect opportunity to drop to one knee and propose. “We were in our PJs watching TV, and his exact words were, ‘Erm, will you marry me, pet?’ We both burst into fits of giggles, it was so out of the blue!”

Photography by Marianne Taylor at mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk.

Andi & Becks - You\'re Invited!

To get the word out about their June celebration, Andi and Becks chose stationery by illustrator Ewen Macaulay\r\n. “He used circus-style fonts and painted the most fabulous images to conjure up a country fête feel for our guidebook-inspired invites,” Becks explains.

Andi & Becks - Going to the Chapel

Wedding festivities began with a traditional Roman Catholic ceremony at the Laherne Monastery in St Mawgan – a tiny chapel where only a few weddings are held each year – with local apple juice served in the church gardens during the photographs afterwards.

Andi & Becks - All About the Dress

For her walk up the aisle, Becks chose a floaty silk and lace gown and chapel-length veil by Temperley London. “I wanted a dress that would fit in with the relaxed, vintage look I was going for and I knew that it was the one immediately,” Becks recalls. “I was shouting from the changing room, ‘It’s amazing!\'”

Andi & Becks - Finishing the Look

Becks teamed the dress with chic silver Manolo Blahnik heels (“delicate but not too bridal,” she says) and a headpiece custom-made from Fifties brooches and earrings by vintage accessories specialist Royst & Aran.

Andi & Becks - Maid to Perfection

Becks’ four bridesmaids, pictured here in front of a camper van provided by VW Wedding Hire, wore diaphanous floor-length dresses by Anoushka G tied with red satin belts and paired with red shoes from Bordello at burlesque-footwear.co.uk. “We also had cap sleeves made for the girls with the scarves that came with the dresses,” Becks explains. Each maid carried a posy that perfectly complemented the bride’s trailing bouquet of white peonies, sweet peas, chamomile daisies, jasmine, lily of the valley and double lisianthus by florist George Mackay.

Andi & Becks - Marquee Magic

After the ceremony, guests moved on to a seaside marquee on the grounds of the Bre-Pen Farm in Mawgan Porth. “We loved the idea of having a mismatched, laid-back do, a little bit VE Day and Forties/Fifties-themed, with bunting and long tables,” Becks says. “We chose the red, white and blue colour scheme to evoke Cornish colours: the sea and cream teas.” Tables were dressed with gingham-table runners made by the bride’s mum, who also created 170 metres of vintage-look bunting.

Andi & Becks - Cornish Classics

To kick-start the reception, guests were greeted with bubbly, ginger beer and a selection of substantial canapés in lieu of a starter. “We had mini Cornish pasties, tiny cream teas, miniature burgers, fish and chips, chicken and coleslaw, and club sandwiches,” says Becks. “Cornish beach food at its best!”

Andi & Becks - Sitting Down to Dinner

The wedding breakfast, served inside the marquee, was a choice of pork wellington or salmon with a sesame and poppy-seed crust. Tables were named after dodgy nightclubs (a cheeky nod to the couple’s first meeting!), and luggage-tag place names were tied with scraps of ribbon collected by the bride.

Andi & Becks - Baked With Love

“Dessert was a buffet of rather impressive takes on retro favourites: a traditional fruit wedding cake baked by my mum’s friend Paula McKeever, trifle, strawberry pavlova, Black Forest cake, and vanilla slice,” Becks says. “These were surrounded by traditional homemade favourites like lemon drizzle and Victoria sponge made by our caterers, The Round Kitchen. We also put out a selection of jams made by the nuns of Laherne, the convent attached to the chapel where we got married.”

Andi & Becks - A Family Affair

Decorations outside the marquee were a labour of love by the couple’s parents. Andi’s father made wooden planters filled with red and white flowers for the occasion, while Becks’ dad helped create jam-jar lanterns that hung from shepherds’ crooks.

Andi & Becks - Flower Power

Blue and white hydrangeas, red dahlias, delphiniums, grape hyacinth, spray roses, daisies, berries and peonies from florist George Mackay were placed on tables in tea cups and glassware and tied around the marquee maypoles.

Andi & Becks - Do Us a Favour

Individual strawberry plants, labelled with guests’ names, doubled up as favours and seating plan – old fruit crates filled with the pots were used to represent each table!

Andi & Becks - May I Have This Dance?

“We chose One Day Like This by Elbow for our first dance because it’s a bit of an anthem and reminds us of festivals,” Becks says. Throughout the night, a DJ played pop favourites that kept the floor packed with partiers.

Andi & Becks - Nothing But Blue Skies

Though guests packed wellies just in case, the weather happily held out into the wee hours, as dozens of revellers stayed up chatting and drinking on a hay-bale sofa set up in the bar area. \"We wanted a homely and welcoming wedding that was packed with opportunities for laughter and dancing,\" says Becks. “And we wanted everyone to feel our appreciation for making the journey to Cornwall to celebrate with us!”

Photography by Marianne Taylor at mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk