Josie + Matt by Georgina Harrison Photography

We kept the colour palette quite classic and muted.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

Matt is a designer, and I (Josie) am an Architect. We live by the coast in west Cornwall and enjoy being outdoors, travelling and taking road trips in our converted Land Rover Defender.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We met while studying Architecture at the University of Nottingham, though it wasn’t until our third and final year, right in the midst of looming coursework deadlines, that our paths finally crossed. We bonded over our shared love for travel, especially when we discovered that we had taken remarkably similar campervan trips around New Zealand during our respective gap years. Eleven years later, here we are!

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).

We wanted our wedding day to feel like a timeless and elegant English garden party, but with a few playful, Mediterranean-inspired details thrown in – like blue and white stripes and white fringed parasols. We kept the colour palette quite classic and muted. We used cornflower blue as our accent colour, inspired by the fabric of the bridesmaid dresses, and paired this with florals in delicate shades of blush, ivory, pale peach and soft blues, which we felt were fitting for a spring-time wedding.

It was really important to us that our venue had a sense of place, somewhere that felt distinctively Cornish to reflect the place we call home. Trelowarren was exactly that – the estate combines historic architecture, landscaped gardens and the kind of understated grandeur we were looking for, without feeling too over-the-top. With our shared appreciation of architecture, we’d always imagined getting married in a beautiful church, but we also wanted a celebrant-led ceremony that we could shape in our own way. The chapel at Trelowarren gave us the best of both worlds; as soon as we saw how light and bright the space was, we were sold.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

Trelowarren was just the perfect setting for our day. Cornwall is particularly beautiful in the spring, and the estate grounds were bursting with carpets of bluebells and blooming wisteria. We loved that everything could take place at the same venue. It meant less time spent travelling and more time relaxing and enjoying the day with our guests. We moved between different spaces throughout the day – starting with the ceremony in the chapel, followed by a drinks reception outside on the lawn, dinner and dancing in the stable events space and cake cutting in Flora restaurant. We now associate special memories with each space, which has been really helpful for looking back on our day!

I’ve always been a huge lover of flowers, so it was inevitable that they’d play a big part in our décor! Zennor Wild was one of the first suppliers we booked – Pippa’s wild, garden-style arrangements worked beautifully with the historic backdrop of Trelowarren and helped to soften and bring a romantic feel to the spaces. She used entirely locally-grown, seasonal spring blooms and even incorporated some scented David Austin roses I’d grown in my parents’ garden into my bouquet – flowers that remind me of my late grandad, to whom I was very close. Amazingly, they bloomed right on cue! I also had a ribbon embroidered with his handwriting – taken from an old birthday card – which Pippa tied around my bouquet. It felt as though he was right there with me as I walked down the aisle. It’s now a beautiful heirloom I hope to pass on to my sister one day.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

Coming from a design background, we enjoyed getting creative during the planning process. Every detail was thoughtfully designed to reflect the setting and our style, while creating a cohesive look throughout the day. I designed all of the stationery and signage myself, which was a lovely opportunity to get back into watercolour painting again – something I hadn’t done in years. I also really enjoyed designing the table settings with my mum. We kept things simple but elegant, layering lots of tapered candles, ribbed glassware, beaded charger plates and textured napkins with a mixture of bud vases and low bowl arrangements. We sourced much of the table décor ourselves, including emptying the local charity shops of vintage glass candlesticks to add to our existing collection.

Spending more time with family and friends in the lead-up to the wedding was also really special. It gave us the perfect excuse to get together – whether for dress fittings, wine tastings or venue visits. Those shared moments made the whole planning process feel even more exciting and memorable.

For couples about to begin wedding planning, we’d recommend booking your wedding suppliers as early as possible – that way you’ll have first choice and avoid the disappointment of finding out someone you had your heart set on is unavailable. Most importantly, trust the process – it’ll all come together in the end!

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

We felt very lucky to have such a lovely team of suppliers. Every single one of them made us feel special and went above and beyond to make the day amazing.

Out of the Ordinary were our on-the-day coordinators, and they did an incredible job at keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes. We could both be fully present and enjoy the day without having to worry about the logistical details.

Flora, the family-run restaurant at Trelowarren, was a real highlight. The food was absolutely delicious, and the team couldn’t have been more helpful; they were so attentive and more than happy to accommodate our requests for personal touches such as bespoke cocktails and flower ice cubes. We felt so well looked after.

A special mention goes to April Bailey, who worked an absolute miracle on my dress alterations. April stepped in at the last minute to fix some issues left by the original seamstress in London, where I’d purchased the dress. Thanks to her incredible talent, the dress fit like a glove on the day.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

I approached wedding dress shopping with an open mind, trying on a variety of styles, but I kept finding myself drawn to the more structured, fitted silhouettes with clean lines and minimalist design – perhaps it was the Architect in me! I loved the timeless elegance of Eva Lendel gowns, eventually choosing the Delphi dress in Mikado silk. It featured a low back with a dramatic bow and the long train that I had always envisioned for my wedding day. I had always said that I didn’t want a strapless dress, so I surprised myself when I asked for the Bardot sleeves to be removed, but in the end, it just felt right – it really is all about how you feel in your dress.

My cathedral-length, single-tier veil was handmade in Bath by Britten Weddings. Since my dress was on the plainer side, I chose a wide lace edge to frame my face and add a touch of drama. Sarah helped to source some beautiful Nottingham lace from Cluny Lace, which was a lovely nod to where Matt and I first met. The Italian tulle had a beautifully sheer finish, allowing the bow at the back of my dress to shine through.

Matt’s personalised cufflinks were a gift on our wedding morning. They were engraved with the outline of Håholmen Island in Norway, where we stayed for a few nights after we got engaged.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

Matt proposed on his birthday, during a mountain hike on our six-week road trip to the Lofoten Islands in Norway. I had given him only a couple of hints about the kind of engagement ring I liked – we both wanted the ring to be a surprise. Matt chose a beautiful lab-grown diamond engagement ring from Ethica Diamonds, a Cornwall-based jeweller. The design features an oval-cut stone surrounded by a cluster of smaller diamonds on either side.

We loved the idea of having our wedding rings made by a local jeweller – it made the process feel so much more meaningful and personal to us. Stephanie was the perfect choice. She involves her clients in the design process from start to finish, and with her workshop nearby, we were able to pop in during our lunch breaks to try the rings on and share feedback along the way. I chose a curved wedding band to fit around my engagement ring. It has a plain, chunky design that complements the delicate details of my engagement ring without taking attention away from it. Matt designed a platinum ring with two contrasting grooves in a brushed finish.

What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).

Good music was a non-negotiable for us – it can make or break the atmosphere on the day. We had a pianist welcome guests upon arrival into the chapel and perform the processional. For the rest of the day, we booked TwentyOne Events, and they did not disappoint, tailoring the music to each part of the celebration. Their piano and vocal duo led a sing-along to You’ve Got the Love during our ceremony, and we walked out to a stripped-back version of Praise You by Fatboy Slim. Rhi’s voice was absolutely incredible. They continued into our drinks reception, and the LUX Band joined later in the evening.

Investing in a photographer who shared our vision was incredibly important to us. We wanted someone who could capture the candid moments, emotion, atmosphere and all the little details that made our day so special and unique to us. We were drawn to Georgina’s relaxed, editorial style photography. She truly understood our vibe and documented our day so beautifully, in a way that felt effortlessly authentic to us as a couple.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

Our wedding ceremony, held in the Gothic chapel, was more beautiful and emotional than we could have ever imagined. We don’t think we’ve ever been to a ceremony with so many tears – ours included! We wrote our own vows and carefully chose readings and songs that truly reflected us as a couple, making every moment feel incredibly personal to us. Despite being surrounded by loved ones, it felt as though we were the only two people there.

We’ll never forget the feeling of being on the dancefloor completely surrounded by our friends and family – there was so much love in the room. The LUX Band from TwentyOne Events, complete with saxophonist, brought incredible energy and knew exactly how to read the crowd – the dancefloor was never empty. Matt and I made a conscious decision to always stay on the dancefloor; we were enjoying ourselves so much that we completely missed the evening food! One of the most memorable moments was dancing with Matt’s 86-year-old nanny, beautifully captured on video by Sean Raymond Films. We ended the night with an impromptu sing-along to some Cornish sea shanties led by our close friends, which was a fun and personal way to round off our celebrations.