James & Dani's Intimate Autumnal Wedding

As Danielle and James glanced around, their intimate wedding unfolding as their guests enjoyed home-baked pizza around the firepit during an unseasonably warm October evening, they knew that it was meant to be. While it may have looked different from their original plan of a much bigger wedding abroad, their magical day at Camel Studio – entwined with autumnal sunshine, copper Cornish colours and heartfelt emotion – was, quite simply, “an amazing day”.

Originally planning a wedding for 80 in Australia, the Covid pandemic put paid to their plans, and the couple set about reorganising a much smaller wedding in Cornwall. 

“We’d done a lot of looking around online and in the end thought ‘We’re only going to get married once; we want something that works for us, so let’s find a dedicated smaller venue, rather than a bigger one that could also hold small weddings,’” says James. “We came to visit a couple of venues in Cornwall, and decided on Camel Studio,” says James. “We liked that it was dedicated to smaller weddings, so would suit our ideal of being small, intimate and modern.

As the planning was well underway, originally with a wedding for 30 in mind, the couple found themselves having to make lots of changes in the lead-up to the wedding, in line with ever-changing government guidance surrounding Covid. With the help of the venue, Danielle and James were able to re-imagine their day and had the team to help pull it off. 

“When things kept changing, Camel Studio were brilliant. Helen was lovely and even bought some new tables for us when, a week before the wedding, we got told we had to have 2m between tables, which meant we had to change our seating arrangements from long tables to individual tables.”

Having their own wedding coordinator, which is included as part of Camel Studio’s package, took off a lot of the pressure, and meant the couple could work with her to come up with ideas to make their wedding day perfect for them. “Hazel was phenomenal,” says Danielle. “I would 100% recommend a wedding coordinator. Hazel was incredible in the lead-up and on the day was invisible, just making sure everything went smoothly.” 

After such a busy lead-up to the wedding – which saw their guest numbers cut to 15 and new rules forcing multiple changes of plan – the couple arrived at Camel Studio the day before their wedding. “We got the tape measure out when we were setting up our seating arrangements, to make sure the tables were 2m apart!” laughs James, before the couple sat down to unwind for a very special evening, including an intimate private dining feast with their closest friends in the gorgeous on-site accommodation. “This was a great way to unwind and relax into the venue once everything was sorted for the next day,” says Danielle. “It was really fun.”

The combination of feeling relaxed and excited never left Danielle or James, flowing into the following day when they both enjoyed a chilled morning and leisurely breakfasts with friends, before the 3pm ceremony. 

And with the sun shining overhead – and Danielle beaming her way down the outdoor aisle in her Suzanne Neville gown – the couple took their vows under a bespoke arch adorned with stunning flowers by Tide Flowers. 

“Considering it was October in Cornwall, we very much lucked out,” says Danielle of their outdoor ceremony. “I really didn’t want to compromise on being outdoors – it was a very ‘Australian’ part of the wedding, which we really wanted, and the outdoor option was what sold us on Cornwall and the venue, so I’m so glad we could do it,” she reminisces. 

The ceremony was live-streamed for Danielle and James’ families in Australia and New Zealand, with the bride’s bouquet including a King Protea flower as a nod to their Australian connection. And what followed was one of their favourite parts of the day: a trip down to the nearby Camel River for photographs, while their guests enjoyed canapés, cake and games on the lawn, overlooking the incredible rolling hills of the Camel Valley.

“The colours were amazing,” says James, who distinctly remembers turning a corner to a spot they’d chosen for wedding photography, and all of them having a ‘wow moment’ at the deep autumnal shades that lit up the countryside. “It also gave us time to relax, let it sink in and enjoy each other,” he says. “Emma [of Freckle Photography] and Charlotte [of Charlotte Dart Film] were really casual and fun. We were chucking leaves around and it was all really enjoyable.”

Returning to Camel Studio, the big barn doors were thrown open to reveal the reception set-up ready for their feast. “No-one had seen it indoors yet, and we didn’t really know completely what it was going to look like”, says Danielle. “It had all been set up for us in the morning, and it looked absolutely amazing.” 

A taste extravaganza followed – with starters of “typically British cuisine” including Scotch eggs, fish cake, and soup, mains of pan-fried chicken, pork belly and fish, and desserts of St Ives Gin cheesecake, and a Cornish take on a Guinness brownie – which interspersed with pre-recorded speeches by the couple’s families, proving a particularly poignant part of the day. 

“It was an emotional roller-coaster,” James reflects. “We were very conscious of the fact our families couldn’t be there. After every single one, we were totally and utterly emotional. Speeches are always intimate, but with just our 12 closest friends there, they knew all the emotion behind every story in every speech.”

And the poignant moments kept on coming, as the couple and their guests made their way outside to enjoy a delightfully warm evening – “we only needed light jumpers!” says Danielle – around the firepit. Tucking into homemade pizzas as the evening progressed, made freshly from Camel Studio’s converted horsebox, was not only a top moment for Danielle and James, but something their guests particularly loved too. “The pizzas were amazing, and lots of our friends said that was a really great part of the day,” says James, revealing how they then all played a game of Mr & Mrs. As the evening began to wind down, the newlyweds were farewelled via a tunnel of their friends, left to retire to the sumptuous newly renovated Bridal Suite and reflect on what had been an incredible day.

“There was no pressure at any point in our day, we weren’t rushed anywhere. We had more time, and the day ended up being natural, smooth, and flowed very naturally from one moment to the next,” says Danielle, reminiscing.

Reflecting on their suppliers, Danielle and James couldn’t speak highly enough about them. “Everyone bent over backwards to make our wedding work,” says Danielle, with one of their standouts being the caterers, Avo Catering. “The food by was phenomenal. It was good food but also amazing presentation, and they were super understanding with any changes. We are foodies, and we loved it, it was exceptional,” she says. “And Camel Studio did a lot, Helen was a really great point of contact and helped so much. 

Plus, thanks to the venue’s location, the wedding weekend didn’t have to end there, with the couple and their guests using the Cornish celebrations as the perfect reason to extend their stay in Cornwall. “One of the main reasons for choosing Camel Studio was the gorgeous accommodation on site. This was a major bonus as all our guests were from London, and it meant they could make a holiday of it – everyone stayed down for the whole weekend. Without a doubt, I’m so glad we chose Camel Studio for our wedding.”

 Venue: Camel Studio - www.camelstudio.co.uk 

Photography: Freckle Photography - www.frecklephotography.co.uk

Coordination: Out of the Ordinary Weddings by Hazel Parsons - www.outoftheordinaryweddings.com

Flowers: Tide Flowers - www.tideflowers.co.uk

Film: Charlotte Dart - www.charlottedart.co.uk

Food: Avo Catering - www.avo.catering

Cake: Couple’s own  

Make up: Penny Pascoe - www.makeupartist-cornwall.co.uk 

Hair: Hair by Emma C - www.hairbyemmac.net 

Dress: Suzanne Neville – www.suzanneneville.com 

Words: Lucy Higgins