Dream weddings do happen! All the planning and preparation comes together and results in a perfect day for everyone – the Bride & Groom, their family & friends and even their happy little wedding photographers! We were recommended to Abi & Mike by the Carbis Bay Hotel and our first meeting was on a slightly drizzly & windy, definitely freezing day in February. Carbis Bay beach still looked impressive but we all expressed a desire for better weather come the wedding day! We weren’t disappointed.
I joined Abi and her bridesmaids while they were getting ready in one of the beach houses. Bridal prep is always one of my favourite parts of the day and I have been known to go slightly overboard sometimes on photographing the shoes! And Tiffany rings proving their enduring popularity by making another appearance at an Iconik Photography wedding! Abi was incredibly calm and sweet-natured and couldn’t believe that the day had actually arrived.
The ceremony took place in the Sands Restaurant which was completely transformed by the most amazing floral design and copper pipe & ribbon backdrop courtesy of Anna Sawle – Wedding Flowers in Cornwall. Abi & Mike’s colour scheme of soft blues and creams was perfect for the location, with the beautifully calm sea providing a perfect backdrop too!
After a very emotional and moving ceremony, all the guests made their way down to the beach for group photos and a bit of a mingle. I think its an opportunity not to be missed sometimes, if you’re not used to being by the sea. It can also be quite tricky prising them off the beach afterwards! But they were very well behaved and made their way back up to the hotel to throw confetti all over the happy couple and enjoy some truly excellent and extremely funny speeches. It’s always great when the best man is the groom’s brother and has that unique growing-up-together insight that can be shared.
After the meal we took Abi & Mike back down to the beach for some photos with just the two of them. The beach is usually quiet later on in the day and we walked down to the far end, where we’d taken the pre-wedding photos 4 months earlier. It is so lovely when your bride and groom are perfect posers! The evening light can give a gorgeous feel to the images too. Abi wasted no time in swirling her beautiful dress around…and around…and around again! We’ll never stop a twirling bride from having fun ????
Back at the hotel we just had time for a few “formal” portraits in the beautiful reception area with Abi, Mike and their bridesmaids before cake cutting and the first dance. As soon as it was dark enough (and that’s late in June!!) Abi and Mike headed outside for a sparkler exit. If you’ve not heard of those it’s essentially where all the guests line up and wave sparklers as the happy couple walk (carefully!) between them. It makes for amazing photographs but you have to be quick and sparklers go out very fast ???? Whenever our couples do a sparkler exit we have a bit of fun afterwards, drawing a heart in the air. It’s not as easy as it looks either! Several attempts later and after a lot of dubious shapes drawn, Abi and Mike achieved a near perfect heart shape. Yay them!!
A lovely day full of gorgeousness and truly lovely people. We wish we could do it all over again! Abi & Mike we had an absolute blast and thank you so much for choosing us to spend your amazing special day with you xxx
