Beautiful Cornwall and Devon Beach Wedding Vibes

There are so many things to love about beach weddings! Just imagine saying ‘I do’ under the warm sun with a backdrop of turquoise sea and beautiful blue sky listening to wavs crashing on the shore. Then paddling romantically in the sea, stroll around the beach, watch the sunset with a cocktail in your hand and dance the night away, maybe even outdoors under the stars, festival style. If that sounds like your idea of a perfect wedding day, then beach weddings are for you. I have made a collection of some of my favourite coastal weddings around Cornwall and Devon from the last couple of years to get you inspired.

I have also put together a few planning tips for your wedding by the sea. Collected from feedback of past couples and my observations to help you plan your dream beach wedding.

Why choose a beach wedding…

If you want a relaxed, informal do, especially one that stretches over a few days, beach weddings are great. There can also be less planning involved for your decoration as the stunning backdrop often needs little to add. And they're easy to keep small and intimate. Couples often keep their beach weddings relatively small and intimate to give you the option to stay for a bit longer and you can have your wedding and honeymoon all rolled into one! Just make sure you send your Save The Dates out early so people have time to plan.

They are also perfect if you don’t want any guests at all. Many of my real brides opted for elopement weddings, a little romantic get away for just the two of you. There are some stunning elopement and small wedding venues here in Cornwall which also offer boutique accommodation for a truly romantic runaway wedding.

Dream Dresses for Beach Weddings

The bride’s dress should reflect the beach wedding’s relaxed and casual atmosphere. Lightweight and flowing fabrics like chiffon or tulle create a stunning beachy effect. Beach Weddings also lend themselves perfectly to an effortless boho look. Mos importantly a beach wedding dress should be relaxed and super easy to wear, especially if you're splashing in the sea or playing games on the sand.

For your accessories, an effortless ‘just pulled together’ look is amazing for a day on the beach. Accessories that work well can include a delicate headpiece, bohemian-styled jewelry, and a bouquet made of loosely arranged tropical flowers and greens.

Think a relaxed up do or a twisting hair vine with shell hair pins. Or go for the wavy beach hair look. If your ceremony is actually on the beach, a short and simple veil that won't trail in the sand is a good idea. Or skip the veil altogether. Regarding shoes, keep it comfortable and ditch the high heels, they are not the most practical shoes to wear on a sandy beach! Sandals, glamorous flip flops or even barefoot is the way to go. To be honest most of my brides ditched their shoes soon after the ceremony and ended up barefoot the rest of the day. Also tell your guests as sometimes people don’t plan their outfit accordingly.

For the guys, think relaxed linen suits or even just linen trousers or shorts with casual short sleeve shirts. It can be quite hot when it’s a sunny day, so avoid thick tweed suits etc. , the linen or any light fabrics will keep you cool in the summer breeze.

Tell your guests to keep it casual too and to bring sunscreen, hats and comfortable shoes with them

Sea inspired Decor

Another bonus of beach weddings is that your surroundings are so beautiful, you won’t need much decor. A colour theme incorporating the whites and blues of the scenery is lovely and add some loosely arranged local Cornish plants or integrate some tropical flowers and greens. You can so easily create your own DIY beach-themed wedding decor, such as driftwood centerpieces, conch-shell candle holders, and starfish garlands and sprinkle some shells on the tables.

Beach themed Cake

No wedding reception is complete without a cake, and for a beach wedding, the cake should reflect the seaside setting. Opt for a beach-themed cake, such seashells or or beach themed cake topping. You can even customize it to fit your colour palette.

Beach Games

Entertain your guests with beach games, like a game of Rounders, Giant Jenga, Limbo dancing, Pétanque…and think about the little ones, get some buckets and spates, so they can build sand castles.

Choose the right Photographer

When searching for a photographer, it’s crucial to find one who has a candid, natural style and experience in shooting beach weddings. Look through their portfolio and be sure to inquire about their experience with relaxed style weddings. This will give you confidence in their ability to capture your special day in the best possible light.

With your couple portraits, have fun with it and be playful! Walk hand-in-hand along the shoreline, take a dip in the ocean, or include a candid moment with your guests. Whatever you choose, your pictures will be sure to bring a smile to your face each time you look at them.

If you hate your photo taken, which most of my couples do to be honest. Consider adding an engagement shoot to your wedding photography package. This way you can get comfortable with your photographer and practice ahead of your big day. This will also help you get to know your photographer better and develop a relationship and trust, which can help you feel more at ease on the day of your wedding. Plus you get some extra shots you can use as invitations or integrate in your decoration.

If you would like to get some more inspiration from a Boho DIY details wedding at Pohawnfort, please visit RockMyWedding to view a feature of Katie & Alex beautiful relaxed day there, also featured on my blog

And if you are planning a coastal wedding any time soon, please don’t hesitate to contact me for availability. I get booked up very fast for the summer months, so be quick!

Wedding Photography at Tunnels Beaches North Devon // Claire & Matt

Claire and Matt’s wedding at Tunnels Beaches was picture book perfect. I think it was the last day of summer as I feel the summer rainy season started shortly after…In fact, the weekend after when I camped nearby to make a weekend out of it! At least Sunday was nice and we walked a big part of the North Devon coast path enjoying the stunning views. I love this part of Devon, so much that if it fits in my diary I always try and stay a couple of days. It’s a nice change to Cornwall. So when Claire asked me to shoot their wedding, I got all excited although the pressure was high as she is a wedding photographer herself. It always flatters me when film makers and other photographers ask me to photograph their wedding as I know they will really appreciate my work and make the day run smoothly so I can get the shots I need….

Tunnels Beaches is the most incredible exclusive wedding venue by the sea in Devon. It is definitely one of my favourite wedding venues for photography, as the cliffs and coastline here are unique and the light is always incredible. There are plenty of backdrop opportunities for amazing portraits and facing west the sunsets are incredible. A photographer’s delight! The venue, which is an architectural beauty, sits above its own private beach, with magnificent views out to sea. You’re literally all day on or above a beach, it really is the perfect venue for a beach wedding by the sea.

If you are getting married at Tunnels Beaches, and looking for an experienced wedding photographer who specialises in natural wedding photos then contact me. I’d love to be back again and have a little excuse for a trip to North Devon!

Here is Claire and Matt’s mini preview, it was so hard to choose my favourite moments from this day as there was so many amazing moments…

Venue: Tunnels Beaches // Date: 20.07. 2023 // Makeup: Chloe Bond MUA // Hair: Cindy Beddard Hair // Dress: Made with Love, Kiva and Zen Bridal Store // Flowers: Dried Designs // Band: Sound City

Wedding Photographer Tunnels Beaches North Devon // Cat & Ross

Just wow! The place, the styling everything about this day keeps my jaw dropping…loved, loved, loved photographing Cat and Ross’ wedding at Tunnels Beaches. I appreciate how much thought and work goes into every wedding’s planning and everyone has their own personality and style. These two definitely hit my soft spot, I loved everything about it, the styling, the colours, the perfect sunset…and wait until you see that dress, which left everyone speechless including the groom!

Cat and Ross tied the knot on the 15th of July at Tunnels Beaches in Ilfracombe. They were blessed with the most gorgeous sunny day and blue skies which helped to make their special day even more extra special! They wanted a small intimate chilled wedding, near the beach where they could have their dogs with them and loved the idea of a chilled BBQ and ice cream van. Easy, breezy, bohemian style. So Tunnels Beaches was the perfect venue for it.

Cat had a lot of input into the design and she really did a fantastic job tying it all together. ‘Dried flowers was a must as we wanted to take them home with us and to last forever‘

Here is what they said about their highlights of the day: ‘Both of our favorite part of the day was definitely seeing each other at the end of the aisle but it was a perfect day, perfect weather, we didn't want it to end. We loved that we had the day before in the venue's accommodation as it extended the celebration.’

I could write on forever what I loved about this day, but as you may have noticed already, I’m not the best writer, so I let the images tell the story…it was really hard to just select a few for this blog as there are so many good moments from this day, but here you go, my favourites!

If you are looking for a wedding photographer for your wedding in North Devon or at Tunnel’s Beaches please contact me for availability. I’m based in Cornwall, but love a trip to North Devon any time. Be quick though as my diary is filling up fast! 2024 is nearly fully booked for main season Saturdays and 2025 bookings just opened.

Venue: Tunnels Beaches // Date: 15. 06. 2023 // Flowers: Cat (bride) // Makeup: Fiona Miller MUA // Hair: Claire Hartley Stylist // Dress: Rue De Seine Bridal // Cake: provided by Cat’s parents // Sax: Carlo Saxophonist // DJ: Paul The Wedding Spinner

Wedding Photography Devon Tunnel Beaches // Laura & Paul

Well it’s always a treat to drive up to North Devon to photograph a wedding, especially if the destination is Tunnels Beaches in Ilfracombe! This venue is just like no other. Tucked into the North Devon cliffs and with it’s very unique seascape it is a photographer’s dream. I had a Friday and monday wedding booked that weekend in September, so I packed the van and stayed up there for the weekend. I love a little Devon trip.

Laura and Paul got super lucky, the day was overcast and it kept raining, but just in time for the ceremony it cleared up and they could get married outdoors overlooking the sea. What a stunning ceremony it was! Laura’s best friend since over 25 years walked her through the tunnels to her dad, who then walked her down the aisle. I met the girls in the morning at a nearby accommodation for their bridal preparation shots and I knew then that it would be a fantastic and fun day to capture. What a nice bunch and they travelled here from as far as Germany and Argentina! Plus what can go wrong if the bride wears a tassle dress…

The heavens opened with a brisk shower straight after the ceremony, what a timing! We were waiting half an hour to then walk down to the beach for some couple portraits and group photos. Unfortunately the sun didn’t come out to give the photos the contrast I love so much on the rocks here for the landscape shots, but hey, the results are still pretty stunning I think.

The speeches were epic! All the bridesmaids and two best man had some words to say and the illustrated book about Paul the groom aka ‘Papa Zu’ was amazing. How much work went into it by the talented best man, who happens to be an illustrator. Let me explain, it’s the story of Paul, the South African skater boy who moved to England and became friends to all he met. With the strength of a Zulu warrior and the compassion of ones papa, this is why he is known as ‘Papa Zu’.

I left after the speeches as I was just booked for half a day. I enjoyed every minute of it and made a small collection of my favourite shots, I hope you like them as much as I do…

If you’re planning a wedding at Tunnels Beaches or elsewhere in Devon, please contact me for further information and availability. I have only a few spaces left for 2023.

Venue: Tunnels Beaches Devon // Date: 09/09/2022 // Makeup: Jo Kift Makeup // Hair: Pinned to Perfection Ilfracombe // Flowers: Sweet Williams Flowers Devon

Devon Wedding Photographer Tunnels Beaches // Sarah & Tristan

I couldn’t wait for this one, I wanted to tick Tunnels Beaches wedding venue up in North Devon off my bucket list since ages. I have seen stunning photos from this place and was so excited when Sarah and Tristan booked me for their special day there. The beach with it’s puddles and dramatic rock formations looks like something out of another world. And the architecture of the actual venue nestled into the cliff is just stunning.

We didn’t plan for storm Arwen with 60 mph plus north westerly winds and heavy downpours though! However I heard that Sarah and Tristan wanted their special day to be stormy to give it that little bit extra drama. They met sailing and love the sea, the wilder the better!

Sarah’s dad was a bit concerned how he would get his daughter safely through the tunnel without the wind messing up her outfit. The direction somehow made the wind funnel through the tunnel and it was a struggle to walk through it! He had a plan: He looked for the biggest umbrella in the house to hold it as a shelter in front of them. I was slightly concerned the thing would be strong enough and not collapse. But he got her to the other side safely and hair, dress and makeup were still in place.

The ceremony was held on the first floor overlooking the sea. It was somehow cosy in there with the warm lights and the wild sea smashing against the shore just beneath you and the just 15 guests were just enough to fill the room nicely.

Sarah’s dad is a professional photographer too, oh yes, pressure on, ha ha! No honestly a bit if pressure makes me work even better and he really understood what’s needed to assist me to get the right shots. Photography was one of the top most important things for their very special day. I totally agree, after all the day goes by so fast and the photos are the one thing you have left as a memory to treasure for years to come. After the ceremony we had to wait for a dry spell in between the heavy showers to venture to the beach for the couple portraits. Thankfully Sarah and Tristan were so keen to get some stunning shots that they were super flexible with their schedule. And we were lucky! We had ca 30 minutes without rain, the tide was just right and even the sun came out for a brief glimpse helping me to produce some dramatic shots. I’m super pleased with the results and I hope you are too.

Here is a small preview for you, Sarah and Tristan! As I promised just before Christmas….I hope you like what you see.

Venue: Tunnels Beaches // Hair & Makeup: Brighteye Beauty Devon // Mother of the Bride’s and Flower Girl Hair: Vera K Bridal Hair // Flowers: Sweet Williams Flowers Ilfracombe // Dress: Bleu Bridal Gowns // Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss //Music: Sam Dowden