Alice and Will's Nautical Marquee Wedding in Salcombe

Today we celebrate the nautical-inspired wedding of Alice and Will, held in an idyllic location in Salcombe, Devon. The couple tied the knot in a beautiful church, followed by a rustic, laid-back marquee reception full of personal details and arguably one of the best views in Devon. Discover why this location was so special to them and for their wise advice to couples on striking the delicate balance between organisation and spontaneity.

We loved stepping into The Wedding Present Company’s gorgeous showroom to curate our list. They were so knowledgeable, helpful and supportive in making sure our needs were met.

We were recommended to go with The Wedding Present Company by lots of our friends. We loved all the suppliers they work with and how supportive they are at profiling their business stories.

Le Creuset, Pooky, The Vintage List, Sarah K, Oka, Nkuku, Glazebrook, Costa Nova, Classic Silverware, Soho Home, The White Company, Kalinko and Addison Ross.

Salcombe has always been a special place for me and my family. Will and I have spent a huge amount of time down there, particularly on the water and with friends and family. Will designed my ring and had a jeweller in Hatton Garden make it. He hid the ring inside one of my Nike trainers’ boxes, in our wardrobe for over 3 months! He wanted to wait for the moment where restrictions were lifted to whisk me off to Devon.

The morning we were due to travel, Will shared that he had spoken to my boss and booked the day off work so we could head down to Devon for the weekend! I couldn’t believe it after the year we’d had! When we arrived, we hit one of our favourite pubs in Salcombe Harbour, The Ferry Inn. After a couple (a fair few) drinks and lunch, Will suggested that we go have drinks over at our favourite spot called Snapes Point. It really is one of the most picturesque views in England, overlooking Salcombe Harbour and the surrounding areas. When we climbed to the top of the field, Will straight away got down on one knee and asked me to marry him – of course I screamed and yelled a big ‘YES!’. A couple of hours later, we Facetimed our families as we watched the sunset, to tell them wonderful news.

We always wanted to get married in Devon and chose the village of South Pool to wed, with our reception venue in Thurlestone, at the Bantham Bash field. It really does have the best views of Devon! We didn't have a specific theme, but we wanted that relaxed rustic wedding feel that is synonymous with an English marquee wedding, mixed with the nautical setting we were in. I worked with Will’s sister, Cathrin to design all our stationary and signage. Our tables were named after memorable moments we have shared along the River Thames, something that also means a lot to us both.

Some of ushers wore giant boards with our guests table names on, which created a fun focal point at the reception drinks. The marquee interior was mainly pale pink, white and blue and we wanted to make sure we had a big dance floor!

We also used vintage apple crates to create a bar display inside the marquee, full of glass jars, memorabilia from our trips to Devon and on the water. We made this a focal point next to the bar where guest could make their own Salcombe Gin & Tonics!

I always wanted to create a bespoke dress for our big day – something that also meant so much to my mum and Grandma. I worked with the amazingly talented Emma Beaumont. The first time I met Emma, I instantly feel in love with her personality and approach to dress making – she really is incredible!

We were adamant the dress had to be silk and took a fair few months to find the right material. The quality of the silk and material used on the dress was breath-taking and I absolutely loved wearing it! I felt the shape totally suited the setting of our wedding and I wanted something I would feel comfortable in which had a touch of vintage glamour and timeless-ness. Emma included over 150 buttons on the dress which included detailing down the back of the dress, as well as buttons all the way up to my arm.

Throughout the design process, I was quite unsure about wearing a veil but in true style, Emma created the most exquisite scalloped edge veil to complete my dress – she really pulled it out the bag. It was so unique to me which is what I loved about it.

I also had an evening dress from Winona in Australia, which my cousins helped me source in Sydney and shipped over to the UK. The lovely team at Chambers Bespoke Tailors, Wimbledon made sure it fitted perfectly! My jewellery and accessories were kept to a minimum, to not deflect from my dress and veil, and my shoes were from Rainbow Club.

Our catering and cake were by Entertaining Food.

Wine was from Drink Amie, Berry Brothers & Rudd and Majestic. Will and I met through the Founder of Drink Amie - he really didn't disappoint when supplying our Rose!

Nicola Dixon was our photographer. What can I say about Nicola... she’s super talented, kind, patient and takes breathtakingly amazing photos. Nicola only shoots a handful of weddings a year, so how we managed to persuade her to leave the gorgeous island of Mallorca to capture our special day, I do not know! Nicola and her team were truly amazing and we'll treasure our photos and memories for the rest of our lives.

Music is such an important part of our life, so we really wanted to incorporate this into our day. For us, the stand-out moment of the day was having the 18-piece Exeter Brass Band, who were part of the local community. We kept it a surprise from all our guests and family, and it did not disappoint! They opened with a special piece of music, which really set the tone for the service. It was spine-tinglingly special! I remember standing outside the church entrance with my father and bridesmaids and once they started to play, we instantly looked at each other and all burst into tears. That for me was the moment where I knew this was going to be the best day of our lives. It was incredible to have them play with all our hymns and really got everyone into the spirit of the day.

Whilst we were signing the registrar, one of our close friends sung, ‘Sweet Caroline’ with the band which got all our guests joining in, particularly our Ushers. I think all residence of South Pool Village could hear!

The One Band provided our evening entertainment and were truly amazing, they had the dancefloor going all night - there wasn't a moment where it wasn't full! They played our first dance for us, 'September' by Earth, Wind & Fire.

After the 2 years we have had with COVID, having watched so many of our friends change their wedding plans, we felt extremely lucky that we managed to pull off the wedding we had planned for on our original date. As avid planners, we have really learnt to be more spontaneous but organised in everything that we do! Whilst the months leading up to the wedding were so uncertain, we knew whatever happened, we were going to have the most incredible day.

We created a small list of non-negotiables and made sure we had a backup plan in case things changed. We agreed these as a couple in the months leading up, to avoid any last-minute stress, particularly as we both have highly demanding, stressful jobs. It really did create a calm atmosphere in the typical stressful weeks leading up to the wedding, so we could really enjoy every moment pre and post our wedding.

We reflected this with our honeymoon too. With travel uncertainty, we didn’t want to book a honeymoon and have the additional stress of this, on top of having a wedding so far away from home. We have stored away a honeymoon fund with three different dream honeymoon options written down for next year. We are going to book a last-minute honeymoon a few days before we travel, which we are really excited about it. The way the world is now, we have really learnt to be spontaneous but organised in our decision making! We can’t wait for what’s to come!

Wedding Gift List: The Wedding Present Company, Photographer: Nicola Dixon, Marquee: Hatch Marquee, Decor: Virginia's Vintage Hire, Flowers: The Good Florist, Bridal Fashion: Emma Beaumont, Evening gown: Winona Australia, Tailoring: Chambers Bespoke, Shoes: Rainbow Club, Make up: Laura Le Page, Hair: Bridal Hair By Rhian, Groom’s Fashion: Favourbrook, Caterers: Entertaining food, Wine: Drink Amie, Bridesmaids Dresses: Pretty Lavish