Why did you decide to elope rather than go for a more traditional wedding?
Having got engaged on Marazion beach and spending most of our holidays in that area it was important to find somewhere that we knew and had meaning to us. We googled 'small weddings in Cornwall' and found BoHo Cornwall at the top of the search. For us, it was like all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place because we spend a lot of time in St Just, walking around Cape Cornwall and exploring that area so, to find something in one of our favourite places felt like fate. We visited Tom and Maya a year before we got married there and as soon as we met them we knew it was the place for us. The house was beautiful, it was peaceful and felt so relaxing just being there. We had already made our decision, but Tom and Maya talked us through how everything would work and explained that we could still make it our own ceremony in whatever way we wanted, which put the cherry on top!
What made you choose BoHo Cornwall?
We had always discussed our perfect wedding scenario as being a very small gathering or just the two of us sharing the moment together. After being engaged for a couple of years and talking it all through, we were certain that doing it just the two of us was what we wanted, making it a celebration that was much more about the two of us, what we wanted and less fuss (and expense) for everyone else involved.
What were the highlights of your elopement?
All of it! We arrived the afternoon before the wedding and we were made to feel at home straight away. We stayed in Ochre, which is such a gorgeous apartment, with everything you could need and such a beautiful view too. The wedding day breakfast was so lovely and the morning was so relaxing. Being able to just get ready in our own time, with no one else to worry about other than the two of us was perfect. We took time to take it all in and were left to sort ourselves out until our photographer, Adam Gibbard, arrived. Even with him in the background snapping away we both felt really at ease. The ceremony was so wonderful. We had chosen to walk together down the stairs and had some music we had selected playing in the background. We had a couple of minutes at the top of the stairs to settle down a bit, which was so lovely, and we just held hands and steadied ourselves together. We were lucky to have two fabulous registrars and two lovely witnesses in Tom and Maya and it all went by in a blur once the ceremony got going!
What will be your lasting memory?
Other than the ceremony itself and saying the words we chose to each other I think it is the time just after we returned back to the apartment. We had been out with our lovely photographer for a few hours, walking on beaches and through beautiful areas. When we got back we had a couple of hours before we were due at the restaurant we had booked so we just sat in the apartment and re-lived what we had just done and talked about how amazing it was. It was so quiet and peaceful and just having that time to take it all in and sit together on the sofa smiling away meant such a lot. We were on cloud nine!
What would your advice be to others planning an elopement?
We would recommend it over and over again but it is definitely important that you are both in agreement that it is what you want because having no one else you know there isn't for everybody, but if you know in your heart it is for you then do it! It is so personal and really doesn't feel strange at all. Focus on the two of you and do what feels right in your heart for your day. Eloping doesn't mean you can't do it your way; we made sure we had everything that was important to us and, spending time alone throughout the process made it so much more special to us because we could focus on each other 100%.
Looking back, would you change anything or do anything different?
We honestly wouldn't change a thing about the whole experience. We talk about it all the time and always say we wish we could do it again and again because we loved it so much!
Images: Adam Gibbard