My favourite part of my job is designing bespoke headpieces for individual people. Something special that represents them and their style. Carly is a friend of mine so when she asked me to make her wedding hair accessory I know she would have some stylish ideas.
She was lucky enough to actually win her wedding dress by entering a video competition set by Israeli fashion designer, Alon Livne White. The stunning statement dress that she chose set the tone for her hair piece. She wanted something to complement it without competing for attention. For me, balance in design is key so we worked closely together while I sampled a few variations before making the finished piece.
Carly and Jackson's wild Cornish wedding was so fun and creative, I wanted to share their beautiful styling ideas, wedding tips and advice for other couples planning a wedding so that you too can be inspired by their big day.
What made you choose your venue?
We deliberated long and hard about the venue, but ultimately we chose to have the wedding at home because it meant we could invite more people. We also wanted the wedding to reflect elements of our relationship and personality - what better way to do that than have the wedding on our own home turf.
What was the inspiration behind your styling, decorations and outfits?
We wanted to keep everything quite subtle. I loved the idea of using as many natural materials as possible like coco coir carpeting, a canvas tent supported with wooden poles and lots of green, fresh plants. Me and my husband and I’s families are originally from Yorkshire so we used white roses to represent that. We also hired some palm trees from the local garden centre to represent Cornwall! I wanted it to be a cross between a garden party, botanical house and a festival. I think we just about managed it!
The styling was heavily inspired by how we decorate our own home and it also incorporated things we could make ourselves that tied into what we do for a living. For example, Jackson created some amazing plant pots for gifts using the resin he to make his surfboards and we planted them with cacti or succulents that we’d grown over the summer.
We got friends to weld us some large hanging geometric shapes to suspend from the marquee ceiling. I’d found similar things online but they were tiny. We tried to focus on just a few big, bold decoration elements and to keep everything else clean and simple.
What were the most important aspects for you to get right?
From the beginning, we always agreed that it was important to get the music and food right. I think that if you do those things well, you have the basic essentials for a great party.
If you also succeed in injecting your own personality into the day to make it unique in ways that aren’t repeated at other weddings over and over again - then you have ALL the essentials for a great wedding too.
What made you choose me to make your headpiece and how did it make you feel wearing it on the day?
I know how much passion that Holly has for her craft. She's been creating amazing headpieces and headwear for as long as I've known her, so I knew that she would be the right person to create what I had in mind. I loved the final headpiece. After all the patience Holly put in making sure she understood what my vision was for the design, we ended up with something even better than what I had imagined. It definitely set off the whole look, complimenting my dress, hair and makeup and made me feel extra special on the day."
What were your favourite moments of your wedding?
Definitely, Hava Nagila being played by the band and being held up and bounced around by all our friends and family. I’ll never forget that!
Anything else you’d like to add or Any pearls of wisdom for future couples:
Unless you can afford a wedding planner, it’s much easier to host your wedding at a venue as they will usually do a lot of the hard work for you. You won’t have to worry about hiring everything from dinnerware to chairs and tables, heaters and generators, lighting and carpeting and countless other things! I didn’t really think about how much hard work that would be, so if you’re already busy with your work or short on time - it might be quite a stressful option. We were so pleased we chose to do everything the way we did in the end, but in the planning stages, we did admit that we’d picked the hardest path.
If you do plan your own wedding, consider hiring a wedding coordinator for the day (we used the Little Cornish Wedding Company). This can take the pressure off you to make sure you can enjoy the day and not feel like you’re hosting everyone. As the bride and groom there’s so much to fill your time on the day and it goes so quickly, every moment is precious.
Credits: venue, photographer: Toby Weller, dress designer: Alon Livne White, grooms outfit, Florist, hair; The Priory, Falmouth and make up (if any), stylists, prop/furniture hire (if any) and anyone else you’d like to credit like musicians: The All Good Things, car hire, catering: Craftworks Street Kitchen
Carly herself is a freelance writer and inspiring lifestyle blogger, go check her out on www.awilderlife.co.uk and Instagram at @awilderlife .