greenbank hotel wedding 1This week saw me shoot at two of my favourite Falmouth wedding venues, Pendennis Castle & finishing at The Greenbank Hotel wedding. We started the day at the very cool Observatory Tower in Falmouth, it has its very own camera Obscura and stunning panoramic views across the whole of Falmouth. It was a pretty entertaining day with huge downpours during the group photos, firing of the cannon at Pendennis Castle & Mum and dad walking in front of the group shots to mention a few.

Here are a few words from the bride and groom about their day.

How did you first meet?

We met online, on a website called Plenty of Fish.  Both of us had been roped into joining by our friends and were both skeptical. We exchanged numbers after a couple of days of chatting online and met in person three weeks later for dinner and drinks. Both of us had an instant connection and met up again the next day.

Please describe the proposal

Holly – I work as a cabin crew so I took Tom with me on a trip to Dubai and on to Sydney. It was January, so peak summertime in Australia. The weather said otherwise, and we were greeted to three days of relentless rain and wind. We decided to make the most of our time there anyway and climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Tom asked me to marry him right at the top. I can’t say I looked my best, with make up all down my face and windswept hair, but of course, I said “YES.”

The dress – where did you find it, and what was it like? Who did you take with you dress shopping and how did you find the whole experience?

I loved dress shopping! The first time I went, I took just my mum as I wanted it to be really special. I felt so lovely in all the dresses I tried, but knew I hadn’t found ‘the one.’ I tried a shop in a borough of Manchester, called Dream Dress Bridal, as I liked a certain designer. I asked my sister and Tom’s mum to come along with my mum to the appointment.

They were handed prosecco, and it was a really special experience with my closest ladies. The staff handed me a dress, one I never would have chosen myself, and we all loved it. It was made by a designer called Mori Lee. The skirt was much bigger than I had thought about, and the top bit was very plain, but the staff handed me a lace top to wear over, and it totally transformed the dress. I had dreamt about that day since being much younger, and it was just perfect.

What were the reasons for choosing your wedding venue?

 Falmouth was are chosen location as Holly studied there and we come on holiday every year. Both of us fell in love with Pendennis Castle years ago as it is so beautiful, so we knew right away that was where we would have our ceremony. The two of us visited a few different venues for the reception, but The Greenbank won hands down because of the breathtaking views, and the stunning interior of the hotel. We met with the wedding coordinator Jane, who was lovely and so helpful. The food looked amazing. We trusted them completely with looking after our wedding.

When planning your wedding, did you have any help or did you do it mostly yourselves? What were the most important aspects for you (eg. the photographer, the food, the decor…)?

Both of us were really pleased that both Pendennis Castle and The Greenbank had event/wedding coordinators to help us organise our wedding. We live in Derbyshire, so we planned everything from home with just four visits to Cornwall. Coincidentally there was a Wedding Fair happening at the Greenbank during our first visit when we decided to book there for our reception.

We visited that fair, as well as three others and they were really useful. We knew we wanted to invest in a brilliant photographer, as the photos would be our memories. We booked Paul Keppel after chatting to him at the wedding fair and the coordinator at the Greenbank recommended him.

What was your wedding inspiration? (think decor, overall theme and feel of the day, etc)

 Both of us fairly laid back people, so we wanted a laid back feel to a formal wedding. We opted for the sit-down meal, and the usual formalities, but being by the sea gave us the relaxed atmosphere that we wanted. Our guests had all traveled far, so we wanted them to experience ‘Cornwall.’ We managed this by booking an ice cream cart, and instead of a full evening buffet, The Greenbank arranged a Cornish supper of fish and chips, pastries and scones.

Describe some of your favorite wedding details and how you came up with them.

We took inspiration from magazines, Pinterest and Google. We made the Castle look twinkly and intimate by blocking out natural light and placing candles all over the room. We also transformed our venues by investing in our florist and using real flowers to decorate. They looked absolutely beautiful, and all matched, from our tables to the bride’s bouquet, and arrangement at the castle. This ensured a nice flow from one venue to the next.

Greenbank Hotel Wedding

Bride: What advice would you give to future brides for their wedding day?

Know that some things will not go entirely to plan, but remember that the plan is only in your head. If you don’t manage something, your guests aren’t going to know, so don’t panic! Don’t worry about the weather, the sunshine would be nice, but rain can make some hilarious photos! Try and take everything in, you have just spent so much time planning the details, so remember to look at everything from your table centres to the bunting. And don’t forget to spend time with your husband and dance with your friends! Enjoy every moment.

Groom: What advice would you give to future grooms for their wedding day?

Try to be as organized as possible, create a spreadsheet with your budget, updating it as you go. Spend a decent chunk of time working on your speech, and start writing it well in advance. The more time you spend on it, the more confident you’ll be when it comes to delivering it.

Any advice for those planning their wedding now?

Think about the things that are really important to you and where you want to invest your money. Your photographs are your memories, your rings will be on your fingers for the rest of your lives. Make a plan, and don’t panic buy. Weddings bring out the best and worst in people. You can’t please everybody, so do what you want to do.

What’s your top tip for saving money?

Make a plan and budget. Think about where you want to spend your money. Make note of everything you buy. When family and friends offer help, take them up on it!!

… and which elements of your wedding are you glad you spent more on?

Photographs, rings, and reception venue. Our guests comment on how amazing the food was, how many drinks they were offered, and how incredible the views were at The Greenbank. They also noticed how hardworking our photographers were. We booked a second to join Paul to ensure all angles of our day were captured and as a result, our photographs are incredible and we have hundreds. We spent a lot of money on our rings as we wanted them to be special to us.

What’s the best thing about being married?

The feeling of companionship.

As usual, here is a selection of favourite of Tom & Holly’s beautiful Greenbank Hotel wedding.  Please feel free to share on social media, or leave a comment.

If you planning to have a Greenbank Hotel wedding then please do not hesitate to contact me for a quote or to view more photographs head over to my blog.

Suppliers: Bridal Preparation: The Observatory Towel | Wedding Ceremony: Greenbank Hotel | Wedding Reception: Greenbank Hotel | Wedding Planner: n/a | Dress: Dream Dress Bridal. Bredbury, Manchester | Make up: Suzi Winter | Hair: Lisa Vercoe | Bridesmaid dress: Marks & Spencers | Grooms suit: Moss Bros | Flowers: Anne’s Flower Barn | Cake: Marks & Spencers | Entertainment: Perfect Party Cornwall

 

14 Comments

Leave a Reply to kamelCancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *