Martin and Rachel – a marriage made in Cornwall

Martin and Rachel – a marriage made in Cornwall
We are extremely lucky to be located in one of the most beautiful parts of England. For those of you who may not know Cornwall, think of it as the surfing capital of the UK with rugged coastlines, tiny country lanes and an infinite amount of cream teas and pasties! Chances are you are engaged (congratulations!) and currently researching into having your dream Cornish wedding. But where to begin? We have put together a collection of our favourite local suppliers to help you, from rings to dressmakers, cake decorators to venues. This will be your 'one stop shop' for the ultimate Cornish Wedding. THE DRESS Arguably the most exciting part for any bride is the dress shopping. It's the kind of thing we dream about as little girls. With programmes such as 'Say Yes to the Dress' and social platforms like Instagram and Pinterest (don't deny you haven't had a wedding dress Pinterest board set up for a while!) inspiring us, it's no surprise that finding 'the one' can be a challenge. Luckily there are plenty of bridal shops down here for you to browse so let's dive in. Elaine Rawlings Bridal Elaines bridal shop is within walking distance from our showroom in the heart of Truro. 'As the longest standing bridal boutique in Truro, I pride myself on offering a great selection of gorgeous gowns but also the personal touch.' A selection of wedding dresses from Elaine Rawlings Bridal Shop Source: www.elainerawlings.co.uk Every wedding dress has been chosen by Elaine from runways around the world and each gown is completely different, offering a wide range of styles to suit all body shapes, venues and visions. A selection of wedding dresses from Elaine Rawlings Bridal Shop Source: www.elainerawlings.co.uk The designers are renowned for their impeccable cuts, premium quality fabrics, exquisite attention to detail and award winning styles. Prices range from £850 – £2,300. The Bridal Studio The Bridal Studio is an independent boutique in Helston’s high street. Ran by Tara and her team, The Bridal Studio has an array of beautiful dresses for you to try on. "We create a memorable and magical experience for our brides that they can share with close friends and family; relaxing with a cup of tea while choosing from our range of beautiful designer dresses and breath-taking accessories to create your dream wedding day look." Tara shows a wedding dress to a potential customer at Bridal Studio in Helston, Cornwall Source: www.bridal-studio-helston.co.uk Bridal Gossip Bridal Gossip is an exclusive bridal boutique in Cornwall where brides can feel comfortable and relaxed. A place where brides can discover their own shape, feel confident in different styles, and fall in love with their own reflections. "Bridal Gossip was created to give every woman those special moments that can be cherished for a lifetime. Our bridal gowns are made with quality fabrics at affordable prices with a one to one service to ensure you have our undivided attention during your appointment." A wedding dress shop assistant/manager spreads the train of a dress out on the floor whilst the bride stands out of shot Source: www.bridalgossip.co.uk MAKE UP Next up is make up. Make up is all about making you feel your absolute best on your special day. Whilst there is a vast choice of make up artists in Cornwall, we have chosen our favourite two that we can personally highly recommend. Charlotte Albert Make Up "As a Cornwall based makeup artist I have a huge passion for natural, elegant bridal makeup. With years of experience I have perfected the techniques to creating your perfect, long-lasting bridal makeup while ensuring it feels comfortable and light on your skin." The Ultimate Guide to a Cornish Wedding | Blog | Ethica Diamonds https://makeupcornwall.com "I offer makeup for not only the bride, but her entire bridal party too. I create Bridesmaid makeup to suit each individual so everyone feels their absolute best self, while ensuring it ties in with their bridesmaid dresses, flowers and colour scheme. I offer makeup for the Mother of the Bride, and Mother of the Groom and it's so special to see how proud they are! I have often found that mothers are dubious about having a makeup artist do their makeup as there is an assumption that it will be heavy. I go by the idea that less is more, and again I want each person to really feel like themselves. " Examples of the makeup looks Charlotte Albert has created on brides and models Examples of the makeup looks Charlotte Albert has created on brides and models Martin and Rachel met as students, in their first weeks at university, and began dating at Christmastime, that first year. Martin made Rachel a Highland cow soft toy, which has been well loved over the years, but fast-forward ten years, and it was starting to show its age. For his proposal, and for her Christmas present in 2017, Martin made Rachel a new soft toy cow, but this one had an engagement ring tied around its neck with a ribbon! You can’t say no to a proposal made with a stuffed cow, now can you?Backtracking a little, after a relationship of ten years, Martin felt that the time was right to get engaged, so began investigating rings. The pair are surfers, and spend a lot of time in Cornwall, so a ring from a company with a strong environmental ethos was clearly important. And the Cornish connection sold it for Martin, with the individual touch that comes from a ring that is hand-made to order. The Anaia ring (no longer available, however very similar to Viridis was one that appealed to Martin from the start, with its rubover setting, asymmetric design and wave-like styling. He explained initially that it had to be one that ‘wasn’t too fragile, and that Rachel couldn’t bash the diamond off’, then decided to employ some tact to clarify that she’s very active, and works in a hospital setting, so it would need to be durable. We know what he meant, Rachel! So, Martin had a ring, and a Highland cow… and on Christmas Eve 2017 he and Rachel were staying with her parents. He asked them for their blessing, and then spent the next little while positively buzzing with adrenaline, and unable to form a coherent sentence while they were preparing the vegetables for the next day’s Christmas dinner. Rachel noticed something was up, but was completely surprised by the proposal next morning, with Martin down on one knee, presenting a cow with a ring. Rachel was delighted with both the proposal and the ring, and happily said yes. As it was Christmas, they were able to share their news with lots of Rachel’s family, during the day. The Anaia solitaire Martin had chosen is best paired with an Anaia wedding ring because of its shape, made to fit exactly around the centre stone.Martin and Rachel don’t hang around once they have a plan. After a 10-year relationship up to the point of getting engaged, it took them just 4 months to get married, with a ceremony on Rachel’s birthday in April. Rachel’s mum had got married on her birthday, and it’s becoming a family tradition now, but Martin says it was rather a lot of work to organise a wedding so quickly. I think you'll agree they did a fantastic job, and both look lovely! The ceremony took place in the village church where Rachel’s family members have married previously, with a charming reception in a local venue. The theme was surfing, and Cornwall, with a vintage split-screen VW camper van as their transport, surfboards as wall art, and the tables named for Cornish beaches – complete with sand and pebbles from each beach to decorate them. We wish them a long and happy marriage with plenty of clean breaks and no wipe-outs.
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