Michaela and Dan’s Colourful September Wedding
Finding their Perfect Wedding Venue in Cornwall
Beginning their wedding planning in the throes of lockdown, Michaela and Dan’s first view of Camel Studio wasn’t quite the sun-dappled fairytale they might have wished for.
“The day we went to see the venue was stormy and horrible and awful… and Camel Studio was still beautiful!” laughs Michaela. “I thought: ‘If I love it in the rain and the wind and in miserable weather, then it will be perfect whatever the day is like.’”
The couple, who by then had been together for 10 years, took the risk amongst Covid restrictions to go ahead and book their wedding for September 2021. “We didn’t want to wait, and as we were quite keen to keep it small and bespoke, we thought we could hopefully pull it all together to get married in September,” says Michaela.
Finding their Perfect Wedding Venue in Cornwall
Beginning their wedding planning in the throes of lockdown, Michaela and Dan’s first view of Camel Studio wasn’t quite the sun-dappled fairytale they might have wished for.
“The day we went to see the venue was stormy and horrible and awful… and Camel Studio was still beautiful!” laughs Michaela. “I thought: ‘If I love it in the rain and the wind and in miserable weather, then it will be perfect whatever the day is like.’”
The couple, who by then had been together for 10 years, took the risk amongst Covid restrictions to go ahead and book their wedding for September 2021. “We didn’t want to wait, and as we were quite keen to keep it small and bespoke, we thought we could hopefully pull it all together to get married in September,” says Michaela.
“We loved that it wasn’t a standard barn or manor house,” says Dan. “It was something a little bit different, more contemporary, and feels like a studio rather than a barn. It’s so light and bright and modern,” he says, lauding not only the modern vibe of the studio, but also the help that Helen and wedding co-coordinator Phoebe gave in the run-up to the wedding. “Helen was so helpful. We must have pestered her so much, but she was so sorted, came back to us quickly, and always had a solution – often within an hour! It really took the stress out of any issues for us, especially as we don’t live close by.”
“Phoebe had a really good plan too, and on the Friday we arrived, we went through everything, which meant that on Saturday, we didn’t have to do anything except get married. It was so nice!” adds Michaela. “Leading up to the wedding, our DJ cancelled a few days before, but Helen and Phoebe were just amazing. We didn’t worry about suppliers coming or not coming, Phoebe took care of all of that. As soon as we got to Camel Studio, we just felt we could relax as it was all under control.”
Michaela and Dan’s lovely Ceremony
As the big day approached, Michaela was most excited about one particular element: “The flowers!” she says. “Also, I was just looking forward to being in such a lovely and peaceful and tranquil space and hopefully being able to get married outside.”
The morning of their wedding saw thick mist descending over the house and the valley, “which Dave promised would be gone by lunchtime”. The couple relished in a relaxed morning, with the men watching a rugby match and the women enjoying a slow couple of hours of coffee and chats as Michaela’s hairstylist worked her magic. “Once I had my hair done, I didn’t want anyone to see me,” she remembers. “We closed up the room I was getting ready in, then everyone left the house at about 2pm, ahead of our 3pm ceremony. It was all quite chilled and relaxed and informal.”
Luckily, Dave’s weatherman skills were correct, with the mist clearing in time for Michaela and Dan to have their much-hoped-for outdoor ceremony, something Dan and Michaela both remember as a particular highlight.
“There was a moment during the ceremony when it hit me: ‘Oh my gosh, we’re getting married!’ says Michaela. “We’d always said that’s the important thing – I was stressing about Covid leading up to our wedding, but I thought as long as we get there with our families, we’ll getting married. Then as the witnesses were signing the wedding certificate, it really hit me.”
Their Beautiful Reception
Guests were then treated to a drinks reception and garden games before heading into the studio for speeches and an “amazing” wedding breakfast of prawn salad starters, mains of pulled lamb shoulder with hummus, flatbread, quinoa and vegetables, followed by coffee crème brulees.
“Between the main course and dessert, the sun came out!” says Michaela. “We decided to go out and have some pictures then, but we stayed at Camel Studio, as it’s just so pretty in the gardens.” In the meantime, as guests enjoyed marshmallows around the firepit, the studio had been transformed by Helen and Dave, ready for the evening celebrations. “I changed my dress then too, as it was quite big and hard to dance in,” says Michaela. “My friends demanded I made an entrance, and I was announced back inside to a song they’d chosen… then the dancing started! That was another highlight for me – as we were dancing, I looked around and thought: ‘This is our wedding! Just dance and have fun!’ It was such a lovely feeling.”
As well as a well-packed dance floor until the party ended at 11pm, there was more food to come too. “We cut the cake, made by our friend Amy, and then later had wood-fired pizzas and a dessert platter too,” says Michaela. “There was so much food, but we didn’t want anyone to go home hungry!”
Michaela and Dan’s Advice for Planning a Wedding at Camel Studio
Reflecting on whether their big day played out as expected, Michaela is full of smiles. “It was better than I expected!” she says. “I was super excited about what it would look like, and honestly it was amazing, phenomenal. Helen, Dave and Phoebe made everything run so smoothly, it was so perfect for anyone attending, and we had such a wonderful time. It really was seamless – our wedding was way better than I thought!”
Citing the personal touch as one of the standouts of having a wedding at Camel Studio, Dan recommends anyone considering Camel Studio as their venue to “Go for it! You don’t feel like you’re just another wedding, and having a smaller wedding means it can be a bit more bespoke. It also allows you to speak to your guests and spend your day with everyone, instead of doing the rounds. It creates a really nice intimate atmosphere, and Camel Studio is the perfect and most beautiful location for it.”
Summing up their experience of their wedding at Camel Studio, he words it perfectly. “We had really high expectations and it surpassed all of them,” he says.
“The venue is stunning, the location perfect, the hosts couldn’t do enough for us and they went the extra mile. Everyone had such a great time, and that experience will be with us forever.”
Suppliers:
Venue: Camel Studio - www.camelstudio.co.uk
Photography & videography: Summit Imagery - www.summitimagery.co.uk
Coordination: Phoebe Rubinace of Piccolo Weddings - www.piccoloweddings.com
Flowers: Lafonia Flower Company – www.lafoniaflowercompany.co.uk
Food: AP Chef - www.apchef.co.uk
Cake: Slice of Yorkshire - www.sliceofyorkshire.com
Hair: Joy Louise - www.joylouisemua.co.uk
Words: Lucy Lawrence - www.instagram.com/lucye_lawrence