2021 took me as far north as Scotland and as far south as Cornwall, and my first of two weddings in Cornwall was Amanda and Adam’s incredible Camel Studio wedding. Set in glorious countryside near Washaway, this was my first visit to Camel Studio but I really hope it wont be my last. Amanda and Adam had been on a real wedding planning journey, having changed venue from a venue nearer home to Camel Studio for their wedding before the pandemic and then of course postponing because of the restrictions in place during 2020. It’s safe to say that their day was absolutely worth waiting for and Rhys and I had a brilliant day with them, and loved getting to know Helen and her team who supplied us with endless coffees, pizza AND a chauffeur service for portraits.

There are so many things about Adam and Amanda’s day I loved; one of Amanda’s bridesmaids, a previous bride of mine, Jo, couldn’t make the day because her son was poorly; there are so many photos of Jo on Facetime that although it was sad, it’s become a real story for the grandkids. Adam has a candle business so made all the candles for the wedding himself. I adored their pick and mix confetti station. The stamp of personality on everything, from vows, to music, to speeches, to DIY styling…  Just perfect. 

And the less we say about one rogue registrar, the better..!

How did you meet?

We met on tinder! One of my (Amanda’s) friends downloaded tinder for me and swiped right to Adam!

Tell me your proposal story:

I asked one of Amanda’s friends to invite her to go to the outdoor cinema at Stanwick lakes to see the greatest showman. Amanda being Amanda checked the site and saw that the film wasn’t actually on that night.. But we went along anyway! When we got there we could see that there was in fact no film on. But I convinced her it was a good idea to check around the corner. I started playing Ludovici Einaudi on my phone as we turned the corner. I’d been here earlier in the day and set up a candle lit picnic next to the lake! Thankfully all of it was still there!!

When I asked her, she said ‘are you serious?’ before saying yes! We drank some prosecco and ate some Greek gyros before heading back to the car. We got back to find our car had been locked in. We were stranded! My phone had died and Amanda’s had very little phone battery. We called her dad and explained very quickly before hers died too! Then we waited in the car hoping that he’d find us! Thankfully he arrived and drove us back home!

Why did you choose a Camel Studio wedding?

We always wanted a small wedding. Adam found Camel Studio after a Google search! We’d never actually visited Cornwall before but loved the look of the venue so took a trip down to visit! It was the Camel Studio’s first year for weddings so it wasn’t actually completed yet, but as soon as we got there we immediately fell in love with the beautiful view and simplicity of the venue. Also the owners were just so welcoming and enthusiastic. It made us so excited! Totally worth the 5 hour journey!!!!!

100 of the best Camel Studio wedding photographs

A summer wedding at Camel Studio

What was it you loved about your outfits and accessories that made you choose them?

I fell in love with the bottom of my dress. The way it fell, it reminded me of a waterfall! I didn’t really have many accessories. But I did wear a beautiful bracelet that was my grandmothers. It was filigree Maltese crosses (my dad is from Malta).

Adam tried and tested many different suits. Lots of different colours! He finally settled on a deep sage green suit, which somehow managed to match the back of his Ted Baker shoes! We decided as the weather was going to be bright we’d treat Adam to some new fancy sunglasses which we bought in Cornwall a few days before the wedding!

Tell me about the vision you had for your wedding including your theme/colour scheme/styling/flowers:

Sunflowers have always been my favourite flowers. They remind me of my granny as she always grows them. They’re so bright and beautiful and always put a smile on my face. It seemed an obvious choice for the flowers at the wedding! My mum actually spent ages growing sunflowers for the wedding but after having to postpone, they didn’t grow as well the second year!

My favourite colour is green, so it made sense to have lots of greenery around. My mum made all the bouquets with eucalyptus and ruscus leaves. We knew green white and gold would look beautiful in the venue so we spent 2 years buying gold candle sticks in charity shops and making candles. Of course there would be candles!!! We tried the table decorations on our own table. We wanted it to be simple but effective! And Adam has an excellent eye for style. He spent hours making signs for the day which I think added the extra personalised touch.

What was your first dance and why did you choose it?

Runaway by the Corrs. We hadn’t been dating long when Adam jokingly serenaded me with this song. The whole song. It was so funny and awkward all at the same time and it quickly became a running joke in our relationship and a song that meant a lot to us! We sing the song to each other frequently!

“Hannah actually photographed one of our friends’ weddings and their photos were RIDICULOUS”

What were the most wonderful parts of the day for you?

The ceremony was wonderful. It felt so personal just for us. We had a friend write a poem with me and read it for us during the ceremony which we loved!!! My sister also read a short reading which she cried all the way through. With happiness we hope! We wrote our own vows which added an extra special moment for us. And another friend sang for us while we signed the register.

Also, the food!!! Another reason why we chose Camel Studio for our wedding was because we knew they were offering an excellent chef! It was some of the best food we have ever eaten. Many of our guests also said the same.

Finally the band…They were insane. At one point they played their wireless guitars in the crowd of people while Adam and I got on the mic! Was just such a fun evening. And as someone who loves live music, I was impressed with how talented the band were.

Why did you choose Hannah Hall Photography as your photographer, and what was your experience of your photography on the day?

Hannah actually photographed one of our friends weddings and their photos were RIDICULOUS. Adam also can sometimes feel quite awkward in front of the camera and remembered Hannah being friendly at our pals wedding. We actually didn’t even consider anyone else! We loved the style and the colours in the edits. The natural style. Every photo I saw on the website I’d think ‘that looks fun, I wanna be at that wedding!’

On the day Hannah and Rhys were amazing. It was like you barely knew they were there… But they somehow managed to help when we needed, they certainly went the extra mile… Hannah’s tip with the Dioralyte to stop my headache made such a huge difference to the day for me!

They were great at getting the group shots we wanted. Hannah has an excellent way of telling people what to do in a firm but polite way. Quite impressive really!!
They even went the extra mile and set up a camera for us last minute to film our ceremony (as we had some family that couldn’t attend). When we went off to do the couples photos it was so lovely to have some time as husband and wife! A lot of the time we forgot we were having our photos taken!!! It all felt so relaxed.

What would be your best bit of advice to other couples planning their wedding?

 Choose Hannah as your photographer…. But seriously. If possible have an engagement shoot. Part of the reason we felt so comfortable was because we’d already had our photos taken and had started developing a relationship with her. Also we would 100% recommend a second shooter. One of our favourite things about looking back at the photos was seeing what our guests were doing while we were getting ready and having our couple shots.

Even if you do things yourself.. Weddings are so pricey! So be careful with budgeting!

If you can, write your own vows! It made our day feel so personal! If not both give a speech! That way you can say lots of lovely things to your new spouse!

A decent live band will always get the party going!

Brides – if your dress is tight fitting, consider a second dress/jumpsuit/ summer dress for the evening! I thought my dress was comfortable until I’d eaten loads of food and had something to drink! Having something to change into actually made the evening so much more fun for me! It wasn’t planned, I’d just shoved a white summer dress in my bag! but I’m so glad I did!

Find some time in the day to be alone with your new husband/wife. Even just for 10 minutes!

Amanda + Adam’s Camel Studio wedding happened with the help of…

Venue: Camel Studio / Dress Supplier: Donna Salado / Caterer: Philleigh Way Cookery School / Band: Ocean City

Save The Date! We’re getting married and we want Hannah as our photographer too!