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Every wedding day involves food in some shape or form. In the UK, traditionally, the first meal after your wedding ceremony is known as your wedding breakfast. This phrase causes all sorts of confusion as it does not refer to breakfast i.e. croissants and cereal at all. It is the traditional name for the celebration meal served after your wedding ceremony. This goes back to the times when a couple were required to fast ahead of their wedding ceremony so that they would be able to receive Holy Communion at the church ceremony. Who knew? Whether you have a formal sit-down meal, or a more relaxed approach to your celebration food, we’re sharing our top 5 unusual wedding food ideas that we think are real winners! 1. Seafood from Indulgence Catering, Newlyn, Cornwall Chefs Rebecca and Robin know their audience and they also know their fish. They also know how to please a fish loving crowd, we love their: BBQ lobster served with chips and salad. Amazing seafood sharing platters including fresh crab, lobster, oysters, prawns, langoustines, mussels any anything else that’s in season served with Baker Tom’s crusty bread and lashings of home-made mayo. For a larger group a must is their paella cooked outside in a massive paella pans. You can choose your key ingredients with the chefs who’ll guide you in terms of the best available options for the time of your wedding. Vegan and veggie options available as well as seafood, meat and mixed. 2. Sustainable wedding grazing by AVO Catering Matt and Danny are passionate about utilising the best local produce to in a considerate and contemporary way that total embraces sustainability and eco-friendly practices. We think they are on to something here. Enjoy relaxed grazing style eating with your nearest and dearest, totally guilt-free, yet certainly not compromising on taste or quality. Hers a few items from their huge array of options to start you salivating: AVO Falafel, pink onions, tzatziki, pomegranate, coriander cress. (v) St Ives hot smoked salmon salad, Cornish new potatoes, caper berries, watercress, wasabi mayo. Indian chicken salad, turmeric rice, fresh salsa, toasted almonds, mango, mint yogurt dressing. For more information on sustainable wedding catering take a look at Avo Catering website. 3. Global fine dining with a very special twist by Chef Fiona NZ Fiona is a real gem and very much focused on smaller intimate weddings. She develops personalised exquisite tasting menus that will take you on a unique journey. Maybe reflecting travelling the two of you have done separately or together leading to your wedding day? Fiona forages and grows some of her own ingredients giving her food remarkable flavours that really are out of this world. Read more about intimate wedding dining on her website. 4. Ben and Sammy of Woodfired Weddings Ben, Sammy and the team at Woodfired Weddings provide a very special dining experience. Everything is cooked over a wood fire and served at central tables for the most amazing outdoor (or indoor) shared dining experience. The guys will create a personalised menu based on your preferences/theme and dietary requirements. For inspiration see more on Woodfired Wedding Instagram feed. 5. Vegan To You Anna, owner at Vegan To You is not a preachy vegan. Far from it. She lets her food do the talking. Her philosophy is to show omnivores that vegan food can be exciting. They may not become full converts, but she creates food everyone will enjoy and some might choose to eat less meat as a result. Her passion for plant-based food is clear in her innovative and mouth-watering menus including great dishes such as crispy fried polenta topped with garlic and rosemary mushrooms, maple tamari seared tofu with black kale, sweet potato, cauliflower rice and miso vinaigrette and a dessert I long for, pina colada brulee. Take a look at her vegan wedding menus here.

Step by step guide to eloping Eloping is arguably the most romantic way to get married. It’s truly just about the two of you and has that unique breath-taking historic context of the two of your running away, just you two vs the world. If you are considering eloping here’s an essential guide to the steps you will need to take to arrange your perfect elopement wedding. 1.Decide whether you want to have a legal elopement wedding ceremony or a celebrant led ceremony. You have two options: (a) A legal wedding ceremony that means that you are legally married at the end of the ceremony. This has to be led by a registrar in England and Wales and held on approved premises. If you are getting married in Scotland a registered celebrant can conduct your legal ceremony at any location they are happy to travel to and you have the permission of the landowner. (b) A celebrant led ceremony which can be held anywhere your celebrant is prepared to travel and where you have permission from the landowner. You will not be legally married at the end of this ceremony so you will need to go to the registry office literally to do the paperwork either before or after this, at home or whilst you are away. If you are coming to the UK to elope or from the UK eloping abroad you will need to consider laws in your relevant countries. Every country is different. For example, in the USA a celebrant led ceremony in the UK can be easily made legal on your return to the USA as long as you request a certificate signed by you and your witnesses and celebrant and have photography of your ceremony. 2. Decide where you want to have your elopement wedding You can in theory elope anywhere in the world. However, if being legally married is important to you’ll want to be sure that your marriage is legally binding in your home country. Check this before booking. Getting married abroad can store up unexpected issues for the future e.g. on the death of one partner, proving your marital status so that your estate flows from one partner to the other free of inheritance tax can be challenging if all your paperwork is in another language. Every option exists in terms of location: atop mountain, in secret woods, on a deserted beach, a romantic castle or in sumptuous sub-tropical gardens. You will know what appeals to the two of you. 3. Think about how long you want to be away for your elopement Your wedding bubble is a beautiful place, and once you get there it’s a hard place to leave. Think about how long you want to be away from home enjoying your newly married status and book accommodation that’s a little bit special. Indulge yourselves, this is a once in a lifetime experience. 4. Make sure witnesses are provided Most legal wedding ceremonies across the world require witnesses and all of our small wedding venue partners are happy to provide witnesses for you. Check with your chosen venue to ensure you understand whose responsibility this is. 5. What other services do you want to arrange for your wedding day and stay? On your wedding day you may want to arrange bridal hair and make-up, a beautiful meal, flowers, photography, videography, transport etc. The hidden challenge here is that many of these service suppliers you might find on line will not provide services to small weddings as the orders are too small and fall below their “minimum spend”. At Petite Weddings we only work with a suppliers’ that love small weddings and are happy to provide their services in miniature form for elopement weddings. Ensure your chosen venue can help you with this aspect of your elopement planning. 6. Practical steps once you have made all your decisions (a) For a legal wedding ceremony · Reserve your venue (and accommodation if required) · Call the local registrar to book them (by law you must do this yourselves) · Confirm the time the registrar is booked for with your venue and pay deposits · Book your preferred wedding day service suppliers and pay deposits · Give notice of your elopement wedding at your local registry office (usually nearest to where you live). This must be after you have booked the registrar for your wedding ceremony and at least 5 weeks before your wedding · Confirm all bookings for your wedding day and make final payments · Enjoy your runaway wedding day! (b) For a celebrant led ceremony · Reserve your accommodation if require · Reserve your celebrant and pay your deposit · Book your wedding day services and pay deposits · Work with your celebrant to finalise location and develop a bespoke ceremony that works for the two of you · Confirm all suppliers and finalise details and payments · Be ready for a very special wedding ceremony! If you want to legalise your celebrant led wedding in the UK you can do so by arranging a no-frills appointment with the registrar to do the paper work. If you have any questions or need further advice we’d be delighted to help you.

The nights are drawing in and the clocks have gone back by one hour and Strictly has shown the Halloween Special. Winter’s finally taking hold and we’re in full-flow with our winter wedding season. Traditionally weddings tend to take place in the summer months. There’s a story behind this. June has historically been the most popular month to get married, and still is. June is named after the mythical Roman goddess Juno who was the protector of all women in all aspects of life, particularly in marriage and childbearing, and so June has long been a popular choice. However, there is increasing demand for winter weddings, and we know more and more of our couples are totally sold on the romance, intimacy and special nature of the amazing intimate winter weddings that our venues are lucky enough to host. Creating a wedding day that’s truly original and has your own stamp on it is challenging. Here’s a few of our winter wedding ideas to get you started on a different and original wedding day… Winter weddings styling is the best Take full advantage of the colder weather and shorter days for a dusk wedding ceremony lit by candles and sparkly lights by a crackling wood fire. After your ceremony, rather than have your guests create a confetti-tunnel, ask your guests to use sparklers instead to create a sparkler tunnel that will provide a stunning photo-opportunity and lots of fun for all. For your ceremony room and dining, embrace seasonal fur, antlers, ivy, moss, succulents, snow drops and wintery twigs. Paired with pearl strings, oodles of candles and fairy lights. Think cosy Skandi-intimacy. And don’t forget the mistletoe! Make your dress a winter fairy tale dream come true. Consider fur trim and or a cape. Add rich wintery colours like deep-red velvet, pine green, chocolate brown, ice blue and greys to really make a statement. Instead of a flower crown you could consider a crown combining, wild winter berries, feathers and foliage. Get seasonal with your food and drink choices From mulled wine arrival drinks, to single malt whiskey shots to toast the bride and groom through to rich red wine with your meal and then coffees laced with spirits, winter just lends itself to comforting drinks. Food-wise, swap light spring and summer options, with hearty comfort food. Imagine piping hot homemade soup with hunks of fresh crusty bread, roast beef with red wine jus accompanied by roasted winter root vegetables and round-off with sticky toffee pudding served with custard and cream. It’s far from traditional wedding food, but it’s what we all love, right? “Out of season” – the biggest secret locals won’t tell you! The summer months in the west country are renowned for being busy – lots of traffic and traffic jams, packed pubs, restaurants and beaches, and queues for everything from pasties to ice-creams. Here’s the best part of winter weddings – you get the west country at its uncrowded-best, meaning easier and cheaper travel and accommodation, available tables in country pubs with roaring fires, bracing walks on deserted beaches and much more. Keep your wedding intimate One of the most magical aspects of a winter wedding is the intimacy the season creates. The desire to hunker-down and share drinks and stories round a fire, wrap up warm and go for walks to return to a piping hot casserole works best with smaller groups. We’d suggest a maximum of 20-25 people in total so that the feeling of winter intimacy is not lost. Easy access to suppliers of choice It’s a quieter time for wedding service suppliers e.g. photographers, florists etc. this means you’re more likely to be able to book your first choice suppliers and they’ll have more time and energy to devote to your wedding than at the height of wedding season when the best of them are stretched to the limit. A winter wedding can save you money You can access your real dream venues at much lower prices in the winter months, generally November to March excluding school holidays. In some cases up to 50% cheaper. With such changeable weather patterns in the UK now, it seems crazy to pin your hopes on a dry day in June without a viable plan B. With a winter wedding you plan to be inside from the get go, and if the sun shines and you can get outside for photography (which you often can in our experience!) then all the better. If a winter wedding is something you’d like to find out more about take a look at some of our winter wedding packages here or email jane@petiteweddings.co.uk.

What is an elopement? The true definition of eloping is "running away," it has a slightly different definition in relation to weddings. Technically, eloping means to get married without telling anyone, especially your parents. However, lots of the couples we arrange weddings for do tell their parents, in fact many invite them to join them for their special runaway wedding day. Why do couples elope? There are many reasons for considering elopement ranging from financial considerations, awkward family politics, personal preference for a very private ceremony, a second or subsequent marriage where the couples wish to create a new unique experience that’s very different to their first wedding ceremonies or purely romantic spontaneity! Whatever your reasons for considering an elopement wedding we hope we can help you. How do we elope? If you have decided that elopement is for you, we have come up with five questions to consider to help you create your perfect elopement. How much do you wish to spend? Your budget is important, in fact many couples choose an elopement wedding as they have other financial priorities. Think about how much you want to spend and what your priorities for that budget are. Do you want to spend more of our accommodation and less on a dress, not have a videographer but spend more on photography? There is no set formula here and your budget will come down to how much you feel comfortable spending and where you want to allocate this money. When would you like to elope? Many of the elopement weddings that we arrange take place at relatively short notice, some as an immediate as six weeks in advance, where part of the romance is the spontaneity of getting married. Equally, we sometimes start working with some couples up to 2 or 3 years in advance of their wedding day. For these couples there may be a particular date of significance that they want to plan towards, or, a time of year that they prefer. Elopement weddings are available all year round so there’s usually plenty of choice! Where should we elope? Elopements are not confined to Gretna Green. Within our Petite Wedding Venue Partner Collection can from choose beautiful country house locations, unique properties overlooking the sea, subtropical garden settings, rural barn weddings, historical properties with luxurious accommodation or even a tiny castle by the sea. Take a look at our beautiful elopement options here. Your legal elopement ceremony can be followed by a blessing on the beach or in the woods if you want to have that special moment over and above the legal ceremony to make some heartfelt promises to one another in an idyllic location. Talk to us about how to arrange this very special extra touch for your wedding day. Who should we invite? You do not have to invite anyone if you don’t want to. Our venues can all provide witnesses should you wish. This is super-romantic and means that you can focus 100% of your attention and budget on spoiling each other rotten on your wedding day. However, many of our couples elope with their children or parents, or both, creating a beautiful family day filled with love and emotion. Both options are wonderful experiences and there is certainly no right or wrong here. What services do you wish to include? You don’t need to book any wedding day services if you do not wish to have them. We recommend you consider a photography and/or videographer to capture your elopement memories for sharing with those you love after the event and long into the future. You may also want to consider flowers, bridal hair and make-up and catering options. Each of our venues works with a group of great local suppliers who are happy to provide their excellent services for small weddings. Or you can choose your own wedding day team for your wedding day. How much is an elopement wedding? Our average cost of a three-night stay and elopement wedding day for 2 is £2500-£3500. For those who extend their stay and invite others obviously the price rises. It is possible to pay less than this but we recommend a minimum budget of £1500 for a ceremony only with 2 hours photography and no other services. What does an elopement wedding look like? We’re so pleased to be able to share an example of a recent elopement wedding at Fallen Angel captured by the talented and very lovely Verity Westcott. Wanmenghe and Chris wanted to have a celebrant led wedding ceremony that would bring their parents together for the first time (both set of parents live abroad). Travelling from London the couple created a beautiful elopement wedding day in Cornwall. Their ceremony was led by celebrant Rebecca Morris and food was provided by Indulgence Catering. Bridal hair was by Hair by Emma C and make up by Sally Orchard. As you can see from the gallery below, it was quite a day! More information about elopement packages If you are interested in exploring our elopement options further please email jane@petiteweddings.co.uk or call on 07411117294. We’d love to help you further!

Can I get married in the beach in Cornwall? Getting married by the sea is one of the most romantic and beautiful ideas in terms of location. It offers that unique combination of a beautiful, ever-changing backdrop, the classic feel of sand, sea and sky stripes and plenty of space for fun and original ideas. However, there are practical considerations that you’ll want to take into account before you plan a runaway wedding to the coast to avoid disappointment or even disaster! In this blog post we share ideas and insight for the perfect intimate wedding by the sea based on our experience gained through arranging weddings for hundreds of wonderful couples over the years. Photography by Verity Westcott. Where can I get married? In England and Wales there are strict rules governing where your legal wedding ceremony they take place. Unfortunately your cannot have a legal wedding ceremony just anywhere. To have a legal wedding ceremony you must choose either licensed wedding premises, i.e. a venue in possession of a wedding license issued by the local county council or a registry office for religious premises e.g. a church (although there will be additional criteria that you will need to meet as stipulated by the religious premises of your choice). At a licensed wedding venue your ceremony can take place in the areas licensed by the council. This means as a minimum that the signing of the register must take place in permanent,covered structure E.g. A building or garden pagoda. There is some flexibility around this arrangement which allows for the majority of your wedding ceremony to take place outside so long as the signing of the register takes place at the venue in the permanent, covered structure prescribed under current wedding legislation. For some couples this flexibility does not go far enough. They choose to have a legal wedding ceremony, followed by a blessing in a location of their choice e.g. On the beach, in the woods or in the grounds of their chosen wedding venue. This approach allows the you total ownership over the content of your blessing. This is because it is not restricted to legal wording and legally acceptable content. Furthermore you are able to have this second ceremony in a location of their choice agreed with the celebrant. Your celebrant will work with you to ensure you have the necessary permissions from the landowners to ensure that you can enjoy your wedding ceremony on their land without issue. For smaller gatherings there is usually no need to apply for a permit, and your celebrant will be able to advise on this matter. Photography by Emma Griffin of Griffin Photography at Porthpean House. Making outside part of our wedding day Of course, your wedding day is far more than just ceremony and a beach blessing it’s not the only way to incorporate the beach and/or the great outdoors into your wedding day. Many couples choose to retain a more traditional ceremony and get creative with the rest of the day. Gone are the days of a church wedding followed by a reception at the local village hall. The days of the chain hotel dominating the wedding venue market are also disappearing fast. We're seeing couples increasingly shying away from more traditional wedding day models and seeking out far more unusual venues, multiple-locations bespoke services and activities to really make their day belong to them in a very personal way. This might include: a pre-wedding group surf on the morning of your wedding taking the dogs for a walk on the beach after their wedding ceremony taking a dip in the sea with their guests a game of "team groom" vs "team bride" cricket flying kites on the beach a beach sports day picnic baskets in grounds of their chosen venue croquet or other garden games on the lawn taking a boat from your wedding venue to a hidden beach for an evening BBQ and much more. Moreover, the majority of our couples choose to take their photographer outdoors with them to capture unique fun in the fabulous locations they have chosen. This means all those precious memories you create won’t just be stored in your heads but form a truly unique set of wedding photographs and videography to share with others, dip back into over the year and provide something truly worthy showing your grandchildren. You can see some highlights of the beautiful memories we’ve been creating with our couples and captured by super talented photographers including Emma Griffin of Griffin Photography, Verity Westcott, Joey Lamb and Sarah Barratt of Checkered Photography on this page. Photography by Joey Lamb at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens and Marazion Beach. What time of year is best for getting married by the sea? The summer months seem the obvious ones to pick for a seaside wedding. However, beware as there are some issues with these months: - Many venues do not offer weddings or restrict wedding numbers in these peak months as their properties are also used for holidays. - It’s the most expensive time for venue hire in most cases, although some venues offer flat pricing all year round. Talk to us if this is something you are interested in and we can point you in the right direction. - The roads, beaches, restaurants, other wedding suppliers are very busy and although it’s by no means impossible, you will potentially need to book well in advance or need to compromise on exactly what you’d like on your wedding day. - Guest accommodation, flights and rail travel will cost more than usual. We have arranged outdoor weddings all year round in the South West where we have a milder winter than most. We always advise choosing a venue with a great plan B should the weather not be favourable, this is the UK after all! Our favoured months are March – May and September to October as you benefit from generally lower prices, less crowding and more choice, yet the weather is very often as good as if not better than the prime summer months of June/July and August. Photography by Sarah Barratt of Checkered Photography at Cosawes Barton and nearby beach. Wedding Venues by the sea We work with some amazing handpicked venues and can recommend the following beautiful wedding venues that offer intimate legal wedding ceremonies and celebrations offering amazing indoor and outside space right by the sea: Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens and Tremenheere Kitchen, Mounts Bay The Cove Cafe Hayle Towans Porthpean House If hidden countryside locations offering very special rural, woodland and secret garden locations are more your thing, then we can recommend these venues all within 15 minutes drive of the sea: Cosawes Barton Treseren Freida and The Moon Stennack Farm To find out more email jane@petiteweddings.co.uk– we’d love to be able to help you!

Introducing Frieda and The Moon Frieda and The Moon is one of our newest wedding venues that fits the petite wedding ethos to perfection! It’s the perfect destination for a quiet wedding for two, and is licensed for wedding ceremonies for a maximum of 20. We particularly love the unique accommodation, the super-chilled vibe and remoteness of this idyllic hideaway in the south Cornwall hills. Also, you get as much help and support as you want from marvellous owners Paul and Babs as part of the deal, making arranging a runway wedding is super-easy. This is a relaxed wedding venue that’s the perfect destination to bringing your own conventional or unconventional wedding ideas to life. To bring the venue to life we're sharing an amazing styled shoot by Griffin Photography. About the venue Paul and Babs have transformed a 13-acre smallholding to create a wonderfully romantic hideaway that has a remote get away from it all location, yet with all the creature comforts you would want for your wedding day. The accommodation is amazing. There are two unique, hand built luxury cabins set amongst the trees in the wooded paddock. Both are exquisitely styled and have en suite bathrooms and basic cooking facilities. Each cabin has its own cedar-wood hot-tub, fully equipped en-suite bathroom, mini-kitchen and a sumptuous king-sized bed.  Expect to be cosy whatever time of year you choose as The Observatory has a wood burner and The Tabernacle enjoys under-floor heating. But it’s the interiors we really love. Think decadent colours, stained glass windows and luxury all spun together with an astronomy theme to create a truly unique feel for your wedding stay. No detail has been missed including a unique roof light over the bed in The Observatory so you can lie in bed stargazing. There is a separate purpose built oak-framed wedding studio for your ceremony and celebrations, with beautiful views over the landscaped circular terraced lawns and the animal (yes animals!) including sheep and alpacas. By night the landscape takes on new perspective and if your are lucky, with great conditions for stargazing. Frieda and The Moon is not just for elopement weddings. You can share your wedding day with a group of up to 20 and we can recommend additional accommodation to suit all budgets close by. What might an intimate wedding look like? Paul and Babs get in touch with you ahead of your wedding to understand exactly what you have in mind for your wedding day. Whether it’s laid-back, different, quirky or traditional, these guys are more than happy to help you bring your small unique wedding to life. We recommend you arrive the night before your wedding. You can settle in and enjoy a homemade cream tea and bottle of Prosecco in your accommodation. Your main job will be to relax into the peaceful surroundings. Enjoy a restful evening and maybe head out to one of the plentiful localpuns of restaurants that we can recommend. There are some great ideas on Paul and Bab’s blog. You can read more here. On the morning of your wedding we recommend you order a champagne breakfast hamper from Paul and Babs to start your day off in style. Your flowers can be delivered, a stylist can be booked to do your bridal hair and make up and your chosen photographer will arrive at a time of your choosing to capture your memories. Whilst you enjoy a leisurely morning getting ready the owners will be arranging The Studio your wedding ceremony to look just as you wish. Once you have met with the registrars you’ll take the short walk from your accommodation through the natural arch to your ceremony in The Studio where your intimate wedding ceremony will take place. Whilst you are enjoying some informal and relaxed photography after your ceremony and a toast drink, The Studio will be rearranged for your chosen wedding meal.  The owners provide a beautiful high tea, homemade pizzas baked in the wood oven or something more substantial depending on your preference. For the perfect runaway wedding we recommend a minimum three-night stay although you may prefer a week to extend your wedding bubble as long as possible. Next steps You can see more and read about some example packages here. If you'd like to know more please email jane@petiteweddings.co.uk.

Cosawes Barton is the perfect venue for couples looking to elope or enjoy an intimate wedding with their nearest and dearest. We love this venue because it combines five star accommodation in the beautifully converted barns for up to 18 with both an outdoor wedding option in the garden pagoda and an option for your wedding ceremony in the gorgeous courtyard barn. Cosawes Barton is set in 17 acres of gardens and woods and these provide an ever-changing backdrop for our couples' weddings. It offers a really flexible approach meaning you can create your own unique wedding day. For example, you can enjoy your wedding meal in one of the cottages or the courtyard barn, there is plenty of space of garden games providing fun for all the family and the courtyard barn provides the perfect space for evening entertainment. For group of 30-40 a marquee can be added. On top of this owners Andy and Louise and the best hosts. They are there for you when you need them but certainly not intrusive. They have worked hard to create a real oasis where defy you not to fall into the super relaxed vibe of the place. Cosawes Barton is family-friendly and having a family of their own Andy and Louise are happy to recommend things to do locally that will please all the family! It's just 15 minutes drive from amazing beaches and the market towns of Truro and Falmouth - your only complaint might be that three nights is not long enough. Don't worry you can always extend your stay! We work with an amazing group of local suppliers at Cosawes Barton to provide an additional services package that can be bespoke to your own requirements and tastes, again meaning your wedding day will be unique to you and reflect your ideas and fit within your budget. Here's an example of a wedding earlier in the month that saw Mandy and Harvey wed in the sunshine. Their amazing wedding day team included: Photography:Griffin Photography Flowers: Tide Flowers Wedding day catering and cake: Indulgence Catering Bridal hair and make up: Jules Spurgeon of So Buff We hope this brings to life the possibilities available at Cosawes Barton and inspires you to consider an intimate wedding at this amazing venue. To find out more contact jane@petiteweddings.co.uk or call on 07411 117294. We'd love to hear from you!

A wedding cake is a traditional part of wedding days that can be traced back medieval times. You shouldn’t feel compelled to have one. After all, Petite Weddings are all about breaking the rules, or at least bending them to ensure you have exactly the sort of wedding day you guys really want. If a wedding cake does take your fancy you might want to read on as we draw on past traditions and current trends to give you some inspiration you to be bold in your wedding cakes decisions and discover a way of bringing something of yourselves to your choice. Why do we have wedding cakes? Back in medieval times a wedding cake was actually a pile of wheat-based buns rather than a single cake. This bun pile and all the other baked goodies for the wedding feast were piled up and if the couple managed a kiss over the tower of sweetness without toppling it over they were assured of a prosperous life together. After this the bride would go somewhere private to cut the cakes on her own – symbolising the impending loss of her virginity on the wedding night. Every guest would be given a bit of cake and they’d then throw the cake at the bride to encourage fertility. Tiers and pies A French chef visiting Britain in the 15thCentury introduced the use of sawn-down broom handles to provide stable stacking for the wedding cake “pile” However, the tiered cakes we often see today did not come into being until the 18thCentury. The story goes that William Rich a baker’s apprentice in Ludgate Hill fell in love with the baker’s daughter. When he proposed he was keen to impress and design a tiered cake that draw inspiration from St Bride’s Church spire. Sadly no images of this beauty can be found, but by the time of Queen Victoria’s wedding to Prince Albert tiered wedding cakes were certainly “the thing”. By this point refined sugar had become more accessible, albeit expensive and the bigger and whiter the cake, the wealthier the bride and groom. And we thought Instagram was to blame for wedding oneupmanship! For a period in the 17thCentury “the cake” concept was replaced by “bridal pie”. The pie was a savour dish filled with anything from sweet breads, minced beef or mutton. There was a sweet tradition that went with this incarnation of the wedding cake. A glass ring would be hidden in the cake and if a woman found it she would be the next bride. In the USA charms are often added to the cake each with a different meaning e.g. heart meaning true love, a wishing well meaning your wished will come true, a highchair meaning children are on the way and many more. These are lovely ways to make your cake cutting and eating a lot of fun, but do warn your guests as otherwise it might mean a few unnecessary trips to the dentist! Austerity in the war years In the 19th Century two world wars meant rationing and a creative approach to making a wedding cake. For many during these periods a wedding cake become a mini-community project with friends and relatives donating rations to ensure there were sufficient to make a wedding cake. There are also a few devious tricks we wouldn't necessarily recommend like using gravy browning to make a fruit cake look richer (and taste saltier!) and using a cardboard cake with a much smaller real; cake hidden inside. Modern day wedding cake traditions Today your cake doesn’t have to be a fruit-cake, white or in fact be a pie! And that’s no bad thing. What’s more a bunch of modern day wedding cake traditions have evolved including: · Cutting the cake and feeding each other the first bite – a sign of togetherness, love and affection, and sometimes a chance to smear cake over your new spouse’s face. We recommend caution here. · Saving the top tier of a fruit cake for your first child’s Christening – Fruit cake keeps for ages and can get better with age, it's a little outdates these days with many couple getting married after they have children or indeed option not to have children at all. · Sleeping with a piece of cake under your pillow – this sounds messy and it is. The theory is that a single woman who does this will dream of her future partner that night. We’re dubious, but it’s a bit of fun. Inspired? Why not have a think about these ideas? We've drawn on some of the history behind the wedding cake and come up with our favourite modern twists on these traditions. A wedding pie: We love this wedding pie that’s a marriage between a traditional Chinese wedding pie, and an old-school British pork pie.  www.ladyandpups.com/2014/11/30/molly-yehs-wedding-pie/ A modern day twist on the pile of buns: We adore Emily Hankins cakes, and these edible teacup cakes really are to die for. https://www.instagram.com/p/BxesuRTgrTH/ Don’t fancy a cake? Why not have some personalised biscuits? These beautiful handmade biscuits by Oona’s Cakes include local edible flowers – just gorgeous! https://www.instagram.com/p/BytDQNzHvJP/ A modern wedding stack: If you’re not big cake people, perhaps you enjoy cheese? We can recommend Newlyn Cheese and Charcutierie – their cheese is devine and they’ll bespoke your stack to include all your favourite cheeses. Shipping available across the UK. https://www.facebook.com/Newlyn-Cheese-Charcuterie-120262954708698/ “Austerity” wedding cakes for the budget conscious. By far and away the best value for money and the biggest crowd pleasers are naked wedding cakes. These can be made to scale and decorated in line with your wedding theme and flowers. You can also choose from a range of sponge flavours and fillings including strawberries and fresh cream, cheese cake, carrot cake, classic vanilla with butter cream and jam and much more. These options are easy to make vegan friendly too. Chef Indulgence Catering provide lots of our couples with these perfect cakes. www.indulgence-catering.co.uk A white wedding cake with tiers and a modern twist: White wedding cakes are still a bug crowd pleaser and look stunning whilst giving a nod to the past. We love Claire of Claire’s Sweet Temptations seaside themed white wedding cake – just perfect for seaside lovers and weddings by the sea.https://www.clairessweettemptations.com/wedding-cakes-2/ Getting married in a colour other than white? Why not match your colour theme to your cake. Here’s a lovely example by Jenna at Jenna’s Signature Bakes https://www.instagram.com/p/BVxifxsHccN/ Wedding cake tiers don’t have to be straight: a wonky by design wedding cake can be a real wow and it’s likely to be totally different to anything anyone has seen before. We love this example by Amazing Grace Cakes.https://www.amazinggracecakes.co.uk/hampshire/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Wonky-Wedding-Cake-2.jpg

When you imagine a destination wedding you may think about the Caribbean, Spain, France or Italy or maybe even the Seychelles or Mauritius. All of these places offer wonderful wedding day experiences, but offer challenges to many couples too. Cost can be a barrier, logistics in term so getting your nearest and dearest to your destination wedding abroad may mean compromises on your guests list, some resorts have a "conveyer belt' approach to weddings. What's more, it's not always easy to arrange a wedding abroad where there are time zone differences, local rules and regulations and different cultural approaches to all things wedding. On a practical note, the value of the pound has decreased in recent years meaning it generally buys less abroad than it did three years ago. On top of that none of us can ignore our travel plans sit within the context of a dying planet and feel compelled to make efforts to reduce our carbon footprint through conscious decision making. Treasures on our doorstep This all might seem a little negative, but actually it's a cloud with a silver lining. Having to think more about the merits of a wedding abroad focuses the mind and allow us to appreciate the hidden gems we have sat on our doorsteps. Petite Weddings offers access to destination weddings in Cornwall and Devon - are area of the UK that has a beautiful coastline, large areas of outstanding natural beauty and a thriving small wedding sector which offers choice and fantastic value for money. Whether it's a beach wedding, a wedding and honeymoon package or a destination wedding planner UK that you are looking for we'd love to be able to help you. We work with a unique set of handpicked venues and talented local suppliers who all understand the concept of an intimate wedding. Most of our couples (but by no means all!) come from outside of Cornwall and Devon and we're all skilled and practiced in working with couples remotely to get a great understanding of your requirements and to be your people on the ground to ensure the planning and preparation is exactly as it needs to be to ensure the perfect wedding day and stay in the West Country. Destination wedding UK We work with each couple to identify a suitable venue for the type and size of intimater wedding they want. We cater for couples eloping and can provide witnesses, up to intimate weddings for up to 80. Any larger than this and we'll refer to you to others who specialise in more traditional weddings. We can put your whole wedding day team together including photography, videography, bridal hair and make up, catering, flowers and styling, transport, wedding co-ordination and planning and much more. We can arrange every detail for you or some couples choose to "pick and mix" with this aspect of our service, i.e. we arrange part of their service team and they fill in the gaps. Others wish to arrange all their additional services themselves. Whatever your preference we're happy to work with you to make your day unique an personal to the two of you. Here's a blog post from Clara Cooper a fabulous photographer chosen by the couple capturing a beautiful Petite Wedding from last weekend which was arranged via us at Chypraze Wedding Barn. You can read more and see Clara's awesome work on this beautifully bohemian wedding day here. Honeymoon packages Hannah and Matt stayed at Fallen Angel. Many of our couples combine their wedding day with a short stay for their friends and family at our venues or close-by - some make it part of their holiday and others extend their stay with a personalised Fallen Angel Honeymoon Package including treats and activities of your choice should you wish. You can see more of this special honeymoon retreat in Mousehole in the video below featuring drone footage by the wonderful Love Kernow. Find out more Get in touch today to find out more about how we might help you creat your very own destination wedding UK or Fallen Angel Honeymoon Packages. Email jane@petiteweddings.co.uk - I'd love to help you on your journey!

Why do people elope? How do we elope in the UK? How much does it cost to elope? How do I tell my friends and family that we are eloping? We’ll be answering these key questions in this frank and honest article. Why do people elope? If you are engaged many congratulations, enjoy the moment. But do be prepared for a huge step-up in the level of interest/interference you may be about to face. You’ll need to get used to answering questions, like “ How’s your wedding planning going?” “Have you found a venue yet?” and a shrug of the shoulders in reply just won’t do. Answers, your friends and family will need answers. Then there’s the advice/interference that comes at every juncture. “When your cousin got married….” “Couldn’t Auntie Maud make your cake?” And so it begins. Traditional wedding fever requires strength, focus and a UN peace-keeping force to navigate the months running up to your big day. And let’s not forget all those traditions and rules associated with nearly every aspect of a traditional wedding – from seating plans to buttonholes, invitations to favours there seems to be an unwritten rule book dictating what is expected of you as the couple getting married. This is simply too much detail for many of us, and distracts from  what really matter, where this all started, your live for each other and the anticipation of what should be the happiest day of your life. Over 60% of the couples that choose to elope with Petite Weddings cite family politics or complicated families as the reason for eloping. Of this group 32% have started going down the traditional larger wedding route and decided it’s simple too horrendous to be dealt with. Aside from this primary motivation to elope others choose elopement as it offers a more intimate experience and/or they dislike the thought of being front and centre on a huge stage on their wedding day. For others the reduced cost of an elopement when compared with a larger wedding allows them to balance their financial priorities. With the average wedding in the UK costing £25.000 and our elopement packages averaging £2500, you can see the attraction of this option. After all which if us really has that type of cash to throw around on a bunch of people that will not necessarily appreciate the cost? Marriage should be about personal commitment not financial. The final reason we see on a regular basis is those who have perhaps been married before and want to have a special day that is nothing like their experience the first time around. And why not? How do we elope in the UK? Back in the day elopement in England and Wales was a trip across the border to Gretna Green where you could marry legally at age 16, without your parents’ consent. As I was explaining to a local vicar recently, the definition of elopement has relaxed to cover far more. It’s remains a time when two people travel away from home to a far-flung place, filled with romance and get wed, either totally on their own or with a small band of supporters. We’re easy either way and we do a lot of both. It’s very simple. First you need to decide if you want to have a legal wedding ceremony, or whether you do the legal documents beforehand at your local registrar office and have a celebrant led ceremony. A celebrant led ceremony can be anywhere that you have the permission of the landowner to conduct your ceremony – and what’s more your ceremony can be totally bespoke with heartfelt vows, promises that you really mean and rituals such as tying the knot, jumping the broomstick and the sword. It can even take place on the beach. Pure bliss. In the UK if you want to have a legal ceremony you will need to: Reserve an approved venue of your choice (all our venues are approved - see more here). Book the Cornwall Registrar in 0300 1234 181. Once you have a time confirmed we can confirm your booking with your chosen venue and you pay a deposit to reserve your date. Let us know which, is any of the additional services you require and if there is anything else you want to add to your special day. We’ll reserve your services and introduce you to our tried and tested suppliers. Nearer the date of your wedding we will put a timeline together for your approval and brief your supplier team. If you require witnesses we’ll help you with this. If you require accommodation for guests we can also make recommendations here. And that’s it in terms of arrangements! How much does it cost to elope? The answer as always is that it depends. Our average elopement package costs £2500, with some costing a bit more, some a bit less. The costs you need to consider are as follows. We've used a combination of a three night stay at the ultimate love nest in Mousehole Cornwall, Fallen Angel, Pengersick Castle for your wedding ceremony, 2 hours photography with Griffin Photography, a bridal bouquet and buttonhole by Gorse & Thorn, bridal hair and make up by Jules of so-buff.com and an Indulgence Catering three course private chef meal and naked wedding cake for two. Accommodation - £900 Venue - £500 Registrar - £489 2 hours photography - £425 Bridal bouquet and buttonhole - £100 Bridal hair and make up - £200 Private chef wedding meal and mini wedding cake - £250 Total: £2864 These costs are based on summer prices and we offer similar winter packages staring at other venues starting from £1500. You can see more of our packages here. How do I tell my friends and family that we are eloping? Everyone is different and there is no right or wrong way to deal with this. Some of our couples have expanded their wedding group from just the two of them to them plus their parents/children/very closest friends as they have told them before the event and decided to include them and no one else. Even if they do not want to come, you have the advantage of being able to include them if you and they wish and this can save hurt feelings. Equally we have other couples who tell nearest and dearest after the event. If you choose to do this it’s a good idea to make the communication personal – either by phone/Skype or better still face to face. Some couples like to have a wedding party or reception back home after the wedding where they can enjoy a relaxed celebration with a wider set of family and friends. The choice is ultimately yours. If you want to take back control of the best day of your life you could do worse than book an elopement wedding. To find out more, contact jane@petiteweddings.co.uk.We look forward to helping you.

Cosawes Barton - the perfect winter wedding venue We partnered with this lovely venue 18 months ago and we're delighted that we've arranged 59 weddings at this beautiful intimate wedding venue so far. The feedback we get from couples is always always so heart-warming. Here's what Barry and Sarah who go married this month had to say. "Hi ladies I just wanted to thank you all for making our wedding day so special. From start to finish it was fabulous and no stress at all. The location is perfect and you all so nice. Both of us are feeling sad it’s all over. Hope you are all well and again thanks so much for everything Barry and Sarah" Winter weddings at Cosawes Barton Winter weddings at Cosawes Barton involve log burners, fur, mulled wine, cosy barn ceremonies, and the warmest hospitality. One of the most magical things about this unique wedding venue is the gardens and the natural backdrop this provides all year round for stunning photography. Clever planting and diligent care by owners Andy and Louise mean that whenever you choose to hold your wedding here the gardens looks stunning. On top of this the 17 acres of woodlands and nearby Gylly Beach provide a dramatic and unique combination of settings for your wedding photography. You can see some photographs from Barry and Sarah's special day - see if you can spot their very special guests! Why Cosawes Barton Weddings? If you're considering a wedding at Cosawes Barton here's the key features we hope you'll enjoy. 1. 5* luxury accommodation for up to 18 in the three luxury cottages at Cosawes Barton, with great alternative accommodation close by for an extra guests on your wedding day. 2. Child and dog-friendly accommodation and 17 acres of play space! 3. Your complete wedding arrangements taken care of by Petite Weddings suppliers group should you choose, providing a stress-free way of arranging your wedding from start to finish. This route has the advantage of using tried and tested suppliers who not only get rave review, but also work together regularly at Cosawes Barton and our other venue partners. They really are the best of the best. 4. Prices include professional wedding planning and on the day co-ordination meaning everything is just perfect on your wedding day. 5. Total flexibility and free-thinking in terms of what your day looks and feels like. The owners Andy and Louise have created a fabulously chilled small wedding venue, and they are very relaxed about you creating a day that is unique to you. 6. The owners want to keep things special for you so there will never be more than 2 weddings in any one week, and often it is only one wedding per week. This means you will have their full focus and attention when you need it, and left to enjoy the moment in peace when you don't! Find out more To find out more about this wonderful small wedding venue take a look here or email jane@petiteweddings.co.uk or call on 07411 117294. We'd love to hear from you. #CosawesBartonWeddings #Winterweddingvenue #intimateweddingvenue #uniqueweddingvenue

Intimate wedding experiences – authentic weddings and how to pull them off Time to be controversial and authentic. Many of our couples contact us as they exploring elopement options or intimate wedding experiences, seeking a more personal wedding experience. Something that feels more like them, something more authentic than a traditional big wedding. I was chatting to venue owner this week who has been married for 30 years. We were wondering incredulously, retrospectively at the lack of choice and pressure there was back then (not so long ago really!) to have a certain type of wedding day. How weddings used to be It was either the church or the registry office for the ceremony and then on to either a village hall or local hotel for the wedding breakfast and celebrations. Our generation were obliged to invite certain family members and friends of our parents’ as it was the done thing. The whole experience was formulaic and was more about keeping up appearances than any thoughts or preferences the couples themselves may have had. Thankfully todays’ couples have far more choices. What makes an authentic wedding experience? There is much talk about living authentically. But what does that really mean when it comes to having an authentic wedding? To have an authentic wedding, it’s not enough simply to try to be yourselves on your wedding day. First you have to know yourselves as a couple and be clear about your joint values and desires for your wedding day. Challenge each other, explore possibilities and go with your gut feelings. Only the two of you know what will really make your day perfect. Take time to build this picture together. Having a clear vision of what’s OK and what’s not up front will provide a line in the sand that you can keep referring back to as your wedding day plans evolve. Consider, size, the vibe you want, who you really want around you, budget and style. Do write this down. Not only will this help you make decisions along the way and keep you true to your own values and desires, it will also help you explain your decisions to others in a clear consistent and compelling way. When it comes to the details, don't be constrained by rules or tradition. Your wedding really is a blank sheet of paper. Consider what’s important about your day to you and what's not. Think about things like: who do you really want there; where do you want to have your ceremony; what type of ceremony do you want to have; what do you want to say to one another; where you get ready and who with; do you want to be separate or together; do you want a first look moment; where will this be; what will you wear; will you have rings; do you want to incorporate music; do you want to have an environmental conscious wedding; do you want to create your own traditions and so much more? Take responsibility and be true to yourselves By taking responsibility for your wedding day and your choices, you are not acting in isolation. You’re welcoming of feedback from others, interested to hear other points of view, and always open to learning more. Do take inspiration from others and listen to what other might have to offer in terms of ideas, but ultimately make our own decisions and own them. It’s easy to be leant upon by relatives with their own ideas and expectations. They’ve had their turn, or they will have it, so listen, acknowledge but only follow advice if it feels right for the two of you. You are not duty bound to please everyone on your wedding day. Equally it’s easy to get suckered down the “Instagram Wedding” route, but let’s be honest, who really wants to stand on stilts under their wedding dress, who really wants to have a wedding cake that’s bigger than them and have to cut it with a huge sword? I use extreme examples, but my point is this: sure draw on the all the resources around you for inspiration and ideas but always check back to your own personal vision to make sure you are being true to yourselves. Be ready, as those around you attempts to control or manipulate your wedding plans. You will need to be ready to resist external pressure to avoid the trap of going along with how others think or expect if you are to have the wedding day you really want. This doesn't mean not listening or excluding others, but it does mean weighing up suggestions rationally, reaching your own judgment, and then hold your ground based on what you think rather than compromising yourselves. There will be plenty of ways of involving those who want to help when it comes to putting your plan into action. Some of those closest to you may need this re-assurance! In these ways, the two of you own your wedding decisions and take responsibility for your actions, fully knowing the consequences. We wish you luck and if you'd like any help or advice in planning an intimate wedding in this way please do get in touch by calling Jane on 07411 117294 or email jane@petiteweddings.co.uk. Looking forward to hearing from you! The images here are from a beautiful example of Lorna and Jon’s authentic wedding that we arrange for September 2018. These lovely images are by Verity Westcott. #Intimatewedding