Regular readers will know that here at Celebrant in Cornwall, ceremonies in holiday homes are one of our very favourite things! Whether it’s a wonderful wedding, or a romantic renewal of vows, there’s something about a holiday home which feels super special and personal.
This month we thought we’d share some of our experiences and tips - as well as some of our favourite holiday home ceremonies in Cornwall!
But first - why might you consider a holiday home for your wedding or renewal of vows? And is it even possible? Well, we’ve been lucky enough to officiate many a wedding or renewal of vows in a holiday home, and for us, they are always an absolute delight - and it seems holiday companies in Cornwall are being more and more open to this as a concept!
It’s a really relaxed and personalised approach to your celebration - you arrive, you settle in (either with or without friends and family), you can set up for your ceremony and celebrations at a gentle pace (with or without the support of suppliers), and it’s generally all without the usual stresses. Timelines can be more flexible - you can fit in trips to the beach, a daily swim or surf, enjoy your favourite walks or restaurants … and you can make it really affordable - particularly if you are happy to accommodate guests for a few nights to help with the costs.
Then - how to go about booking it? We always suggest that you are upfront with the holiday company or owner that you want to host an event - plenty of them will advertise homes suitable for weddings or celebrations, and if they don’t, it’s worth asking. But don’t keep your intentions a secret from them and risk losing your booking should they be unhappy with your plans! We’d also suggest if you have your heart set on somewhere with the perfect outdoor space, try and ensure there is an indoor option too - or perhaps having a small marquee might be an option. And the other key practical things are: consider parking (the bigger the house, the more parking) and noise - if your holiday home is in a residential area and you’re planning on partying til 2am, you might want to choose somewhere more suited to this! And, obviously, what are the facilities like? Is the kitchen big enough for caterers or will they need to set up in a small marquee? Are there sufficient bathrooms for your guests or will you need some portaloos? And what about power - if you need it outdoors, will you need a generator?
What else do you need to think about? Will you want a photographer to capture those key moments (we’d highly recommend this - once everyone’s had a few drinks, the photos they all planned to take go out the window, or end up being a bit squiffy!). Do you need to hire in any chairs or decor? What about caterers - a cake - a florist? Hair and make up? And maybe you might even want an on the day coordinator if you don’t want to go completely DIY! But truly, you can make things as simple, or as detailed, as you want.
So let’s look at a few of our favourite places for a holiday home wedding!
Our most recent holiday home booking was for Sharon and Ben who asked us to create and deliver a ceremony for a renewal of vows at a gorgeous new holiday home called The Avalon in Tintagel. It was an unexpectedly warm day, and we were able to deliver the ceremony outdoors in the beautiful gardens, as hoped for. (The couple did all the decor themselves - it looked totally stunning!)
Amber and Rob booked us for one of our dream holiday homes - Northcott Beach House (check out the link for some fab pictures!)- a truly incredible house in one of the most breathtaking locations. This was a delight of a wedding, with lots of suppliers providing support to give the couple the best day ever, and the location lent itself wonderfully to photos on the beach below!
We were booked for a ceremony at Carn Du at short notice when there was a mix up by the registration service and the couple opted to book a more reliable celebrant ! This stunning house overlooking Mousehole even had its own swimming pool - Martin and Ruth booked some fabulous caterers and everyone stayed locally to enjoy as much of the party as possible!
Another truly stunning holiday home for a celebration is The Stack House in mid Cornwall - featured also in the main photo above. Now while this home is licensed for legal weddings, lots of couples still want the personality and personalisation of a wedding celebrant! Which is exactly why we were booked for this location - the June weather wasn’t perfect but the covered ceremony space is designed to accommodate this!
The Big Beautiful Beach House - also known as Porthpean House near St Austell - also has a licence for weddings, but it doesn’t stop couples from booking a celebrant! You might have seen this house in the Richard Curtis film ‘About Time’ with Bill Nighy - and just like in the film, it really is the perfect place to gather all your family and friends, with access to the lovely beaches just down the road.
Our booking for Trevillet Mill near Tintagel was probably one of our favourites. Our couple, Kate and Joe, had a connection with the family who own it, so we don’t know if they are always open to bookings for weddings, but this was an incredible day in so many ways, and in the most romantic and enchanting place for photos!
And for some true luxury, we do like our visits to Polzeath and Rock! The home of 'the' holiday home! We delivered a deeply moving ceremony for a couple celebrating 40 years together at Parkers Place in Polzeath, perfectly positioned for family trips to the beach and sundowners on the balcony. And we also loved the small intimate wedding we created for a couple celebrating their wedding at Little Moiety - the first holiday home in which we’ve found ourselves going between floors in a glass elevator!
So there you go - just a few of our happy memories, but there are many more we could tell you about!
Of course, we haven’t mentioned the actual ceremony in any detail - because this is something we’d LOVE to talk to you about in person! But just like your celebration, your ceremony can be as simple or as detailed as you want, and we price it accordingly. We are seeing an increasing number of couples opt for something a little simpler - perhaps just themselves, or with their children - which means you have a lot more flexibility on your location, and we highly recommend leaving your holiday home and heading to a beach or cliffside for your ceremony. But we are always delighted to advise on the best places for your ceremony - it’s all part of the service!
Any questions? Do get in touch. We can set up a phone or video call, or just bounce around some emails with you, with no obligation to book. And in the meantime - happy holidays!
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