Beautifully Boho Jersey Beach Wedding

Now hands up who would love their wedding day to start with a swim in the sea? Doesn’t it sound like a lovely relaxing way to kick everything off? That’s exactly what Anna-Marie did when she wed Jonathon in Jersey on the 4th August 2018.

Everything about their day is bohemian and ever so laid back. Following a very special ceremony in the same church that both of their parents were married in, they headed to a friend’s field where a beautifully beachy marquee awaited them and their guests.

From the beautiful rich florals to the gorgeous rustic décor and pallet seating, I think you’re going to love this celebration. My personal favourite is the floral garland adorned barbie jeep that Anna-Marie and Jonathon drove to the reception in. Anna-Marie’s first car – how’s that for wedding transport!?

Our pair adored their pictures from Peakography and it’s very easy to see why.  Colin and Rae, you captured the joyful vibe of their day perfectly and we’re really grateful to you for sharing.

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The Proposal

Anna-Marie: I decided that after 15 years of being together (on and off) I would do the honours and ask Jonny to marry me! I didn’t want it to be too over the top or in public, so I decided to take him for a weekend away to the market town of Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire.

We drove there and started our weekend with a peaceful walk through the Countryside of Forty Green, a small hamlet in the Parish of Penn, just a couple of miles from Beaconsfield. It is surrounded by ancient beech woodlands, grazing pasture and quiet country lanes, giving it a wonderful feeling of seclusion. It was there that I got down on one knee and asked Jonny if he wanted to be mated for life. Lucky for me, he said yes!

We then went for a few celebratory drinks and lunch at the Royal Standard of England Pub, the oldest Freehouse in England! Followed by a few nights at the Crazy Bear Hotel Beaconsfield. We rounded off the weekend with yet more food and drinks at The Albion pub in Islington with our family and friends.

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The Vision

We wanted to try and create a relatively relaxed vibe for our friends and family, essentially a big feast and a fun party as opposed to a formal wedding environment. Myself and Jonny are both from the island of Jersey so we both knew that we wanted to be married there. Our vision was to try and incorporate the beach where possible and include as much fresh seafood and local produce as possible.

The Planning Process

I was reluctant to set aside any money in the budget for a wedding planner and since my job involves organising people and money, I knew I’d be able to plan it without too much difficulty- not to mention a huge amount of help from my husband, bridesmaids, family and the most fantastic and organised Mum! Being based in London presented a few logistical issues, but thanks to my Mum who lives in Jersey, we were able to work as a team and create a fantastic party.

The Venue

Both of our parents were married in the Church of St. Brelades, one of the oldest Christian sites in Jersey (the current building has been serving the local community for over 1000 years!) so it was important to us both to be married there. I wanted it to be a joyous and lively ceremony, so that everyone would feel involved no matter what their beliefs. The Progressive School of Music sang beautifully and created an energetic and cheerful atmosphere- We left the church to Fat Boy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ followed by a bouncing bridal party.

As well as being a beautiful church laced in history, it is situated right next to the beach of St. Brelades, with its palm trees and soft white sand it made perfect sense to head down to the beach to kick start the celebrations once the Ceremony was over!

After some bubbles and oysters on the beach, myself and my ‘husband’ hopped into our Malibu Barbie Suzuki Jeep (My first car from when I was 17!) and drove the short distance up the hill to a family friends’ field where our Marquee was ready and waiting for us. We grabbed a drink and waited excitedly for our guests to arrive in the shuttle coaches.

We chose the field as our venue as it was in keeping with our relaxed vibe whilst being just a three minute drive from the church and the beach. It was also large enough to accommodate a marquee for 200 people and kitchen services/ toilets.

Your Outfits & Accessories

I knew that I wanted a fairly bohemian look, nothing too ‘big’ or embellished. I started by looking at a lot of Australian Wedding dress designers as I found their style to be beachy and ethereal. Anna Campbell in particular had some gorgeous dresses, however nothing seemed to suit my shape.

A friend recommended that I try The Mews in Notting Hill, a boutique that specialises in French Bridal Couture. The Mews provided that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ for the bride that is looking for something unique yet effortlessly beautiful. I immediately fell in love with a dress called ‘Ruiz’ by Laure De Sagazan, which was simple, elegant and extremely pretty. Made with French silk and lace, it looked like something out of a Jane Austen novel and was just what I was looking for!

Jonny is 6.5ft and has a distinctive taste in style, so he thought it was best to have his suit custom made. He had it made by Beggers Run, who design and create some really unique suits

Beauty

My makeup was done by Gabby Mauger. I wanted a fairly natural look but topped off with a load of glitter too!

Hair by Christina at TLC hair- the aim was to create volume, curls and an effortlessly messy look.

Bridesmaids

Everybody chose their own outfits and free styled! We had a rough colour scheme of Gold, Black and dusky pink. Any style welcomes, dresses, skirts and onesies!

Groomsmen

All the guys wore their own Navy suits and burgundy ties, created a slightly mis matching look, but they were all very handsome and pulled the look off well!

The Readings & Music

We had ‘A Lovely Love Story’ by Edward Monkton (with a few bespoke lines to make it more personal!), neither Jonny or myself are overly sentimental or soppy, so we felt that this reading really suited us. It tells the story of two dinosaurs finding love and living harmoniously together…. What’s not to love??

Our church music was performed by The Progressive School of Music. Robyn Lezala and Laila Begg absolutely nailed it with their versions of ‘Enjoy the Silence’ by Depeche Mode and ‘Praise You’ by Fat Boy Slim. They were creative, joyful and got the people going!

The Flowers

Ffi did all the bouquets/church flowers and provided the flowers for the Marquee, however a large group of enthusiastic and creative women (all my Mum’s friends) rallied round and decorated the venue in a few hours!

The Cake

Made by my mother’s own fair hands! Despite knowing her to be a fantastic cook, she still amazed us by saying that she wanted to make the wedding cake from scratch herself. She made the most wonderful triple layered fruit cake and spent a huge amount of time feeding it booze!

Your Photographer

The fantastic PEAKOGRAPHY! The shots were candid, honest and beautifully tell the story of the day. From our morning swim, to everyone shaking their tail feathers in the early hours of the morning, Colin and Rae were there to capture it all. Their style is unique and creative, it perfectly matched our brief of capturing ‘moments’ as opposed to pre-arranged shots.

The Details & Décor

All our details and decor reflected the laid back and beachy vibe. Hand tied flowers as centrepieces down our long tables, names were written on to shells for place settings, local landmarks were painted onto driftwood as our table names and an outdoor ‘lounge created with bohemian cushions and throws on pallet furniture for relaxing.

The Honeymoon

Croatia! It was amazing! Perfect weather, three beautiful locations- Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik-  swimming every day in crystal clear waters, boat trips, Oyster tours, eating our body weight in seafood…what more could we ask for!

Memorable Moments

• Starting the day with a sea swim, followed by the traditional ‘She’s getting married in the morning’ sing-along sesh and bubbles at my favourite Bay with all my lovely pals and family.
• Walking with my uncles and bridesmaids from the St. Brelades Bay Hotel, past the beach and over to the church and hearing the excited buzz from all our friends and family waiting inside the church.
• Walking/bouncing out of the church as a married couple to our friend Robyn Lezala and the Progressive School of Music singing ‘Praise You’ by Fat Boy Slim.
• Driving from the beach drinks to the party field with MY HUSBAND in my little Suzuki jeep and seeing all our friends and family waving us off.
• The look on Jonny’s face when my maid of honour (the legendary Lucy Jordan) introduced the surprise wedding film that we had made for him.

Advice For Other Couples

Have fun! Don’t lose sight of why you’re there and what you’re doing. This day is all about you and your other half and celebrating all you have together.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

What a special day in a special place! Thank you Anna-Marie and Jonathon for sharing everything with us today. Rachel x