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  • Writer's pictureNicola Warner
    • Sep 21
    • 6 min read

Romance by the Sea: A Dreamy DIY Wedding Weekend, in hues of blue, at Polhawn Fort, Cornwall


The location couldn't be any more romantic. Polhawn Fort, a historic cliffside wedding venue with stunning sunset views and a private beach, is the perfect place for an extended wedding celebration.


Sharna and Stuart booked the fort from Friday to Monday, allowing them to enjoy a memorable weekend with family and friends - and a massive party!



As they were planning their Cornish wedding from Colchester they decided to book our ultimate accessories package, to ease the stress of planning a dry hire wedding. Although it's a blank canvas, there is SO much to do, so I was happy to help.



We met at the venue before hand to discuss styling options and practise table layouts with a mix of their own decor and mine. I was blown away by the venue and was so happy to get the chance to get (nearly) all of our hire items at Polhawn Fort. We literally packed everything and didn't have a spare inch in the van.



I asked Sharna how she went about styling and planning their epic wedding:


THE VIBE


We had a classic theme with elements of rustic!


We tried to mix the both - in the same way that we felt the venue did. This beautiful grand fort sitting on the edge of the country side. We went classic with the textiles of the wedding - dress, suits, table runners, drapes and used roses within a pretty rustic bouquet set!



For the signage we had a pretty even split between rustic and classic!




PLANNING & STYLING


The venue was dry hire so completely DIY - if I knew what dry hire meant when we booked I'm not sure I would have done the same! But I do think we managed to save a lot of money by doing it this way. Finding Rustic Love was the best thing I did- it felt like an instant weight when I knew we had access to all the beautiful props / signage and help!!



To help with styling, I spent sooo many hours on Pinterest and found it really useful to follow a few wedding stylists for inspo. I even got some ideas from your photos and Instagram!



ENTERTERTAIMENT AND IMPORTANT ELEMENTS


Our guests were travelling hundreds of miles and the venue was extremely remote so we knew we had to provide a decent amount of food and drink.


We've always remembered a wedding for how full (or not) our bellies were so that was a must!



There is always filler time within a wedding and for guests that can get boring! Having the games for the children (and big kids!!) was a must for us. They got so much use and some of my favourite photographs are using the garden games!



Then it was the entertainment - we had one of my best friends from school sing us into marriage and do a set which was something I had always wanted. She was absolutely amazing and the dance floor was FULL!


DECOR & OTHER ITEMS


We didn't need to make any DIY items as we got nearly everything from Rustic Love. The only thing I personally did was the stamps! Our groomsman Andy was really clever and designed all of the printed signage - it looked so gorgeous!




Everything else we brought (and are left with) - Shein was amazing for the table runners and so cheap, and the rest was from Ikea, and all the bargain home stores!



MISHAPS OR ANYTHING YOU WISH YOU HAD/HADN'T DONE


Amazingly, only one thing went wrong! The day was so much hotter than we anticipated that the people that opted for prosecco switched their minds to beer and we run out!!



We had a pretty late reception - we then had pizzas come at 9:30 and I think people were still full so we could have not bothered! Could have saved ourselves a fair bit of money!


Looking back I really wish we had a Cornish ice cream stool - but this is purely because the weather was so much warmer than we were expecting!


HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY


For me it was when Leah was singing ‘I’m Still Standing’ and I looked across the dance floor to see all of our favourite people and the babies dancing and having the time of our lives. That was so special!



For Stu, the weather was the highlight. Everyone was on good form, enjoying the sun shine and games. (Nothing about me walking down the aisle…. )



Blake (our son) was so small but become the most vocal he ever had been during the ceremony! I will never forget looking down and he’s giving Stu my ring as ring barer - soooo cute!




WORDS OF ADVICE


People tell you that details don’t matter - but if they matter to you then they matter on the day! It absolutely adds price but it’s worth it.


After, Stu said that he could see me in all of the little details I chose throughout the whole day!


If you can, make the weekend of it. We had an intimate post wedding BBQ on the Sunday and it picked us up from the wedding blues. There was about 12 of us that went for a dip in the sea first thing and just reminisced on the most amazing time (piecing together the night from each others story!)


And finally - if you can! Go straight on a mini moon, reality kicks in straight after you’re back from work so hold one to the newly wed bubble as much a possible.






ANTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD...


We would choose Rustic Love a thousand times over, so if anyone is contemplating it - they should know you’re worth triple what you charge!


Aw, thanks for the kind words Sharna. I didn't pay her to say that - honest. Maybe I should have a pricing review though!


It really was my pleasure to help plan and style this wedding with Sharna. She had a strong idea of what she wanted, gorgeous blue hues and a modern rustic vibe, so that made my job easy.


Our hire items complimented her colour scheme perfectly and the gorgeous florals from Flowers by Anya were the finishing touch. How about that arch set up? It looked so good they moved it to behind the top table after the ceremony. One way to make the most of your decor.



As they hired our ultimate accessories package, they could have anything from our hire range, so we really did take it all!


We made all the wooden signage and got Sharna's friends large blue signage printed and displayed on our easels


Our DIY drinks stations with dispensers and vintage bottles was used for their welcome drinks.



All of our garden games provided the afternoon entertainment


The glass hurricane vases were used to line the aisle then again to create a cosy ambience on the tables, along with brass candlesticks.



Our DIY donut wall was filled with Krispy Kreme donuts. Do you know you can order these in bulk for your wedding and collect from your nearest Krispy Kreme?



They created a mini candy bar using blue sweets which matched their stunning cake by Sarah's Cake Shop, Looe



We also created a bucket list station with cards design by their friend.


Needless to say after watching the sunset over the ocean they all partied the night away in style. The perfect end to the perfect day. Oh and then they had Sunday too - perks of a weekend wedding.



Thanks again for choosing us to help with your special day - Sharna and Stuart. It really was our pleasure.


Check out the team of brilliant local suppliers:


Flowers - Flowers by Anya

Photographer - Julie Louise Photography

Cake - Sarah's Cake Shop, Looe

Brides dress - Serenity Brides Colchester

Make up artist - Charlotte Falber @cfalbs

Hair - Natasha Jane @hairbynatashajane

Bridesmaids - Maya Deluxe - MOH and Bridesmaid (was a size 4 midi dress tailored for an 8 year old maxi!) and flower girls were Monsoon

Caterers - Piglet Cottage

Doughnuts - Krispy Krème!

Servers - Planning Elegance


 

If you would like further help and support whilst planning your wedding:







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