Krista & Chris
Krista & Chris
Ceremony and reception venue: The riverside Bathing Hut, the Swimming Pool (keep reading…) and the Castle Dining Room
We met...
In January 2020. Our first date was at a Cocktail Bar in Soho, although Krista had watched Chris play rugby 20 years ago when he was in the Navy. We had been in the same places at the same time throughout the years, so we are unsure how we never actually met beforehand!
First impressions of your partner…
Chris - Glamourous, elegant, strikingly beautiful and the kindest person I’ve ever met. She has an amazing smile and wit which I adore.
Krista - The way he smiled instantly told me he was a kind person it had such warmth and sincerity. He is also incredibly loyal which is a gorgeous trait. Along with the fact he is beautiful to look at!
How did your proposal happen (when and where)?
Chris proposed to Krista in luxurious cabana on a private beach while on Holiday in Gocek, Turkey in September 2020. The engagement ring had travelled all the way there in our beach bag and Krista had been rummaging in the bag several times for various things (mainly her sunglasses) – luckily the ring was never discovered, and I was able to surprise her as planned. We were discussing holidays and how a certain destination looked like a Honeymoon – how could we go there without being married?! At that point, I pulled the ring out of nowhere and asked her to marry me!
Length of engagement…
1 year and 1 week
In three words, how did you imagine your wedding day?
Fun
Personal
Talked-about
Were you inspired by anyone on social media? Pinterest/Instagram etc?
We deliberately didn’t spend hours looking at “inspiration” posts. We wanted our Wedding to be personal to us, not a series of recreated social media pictures.
What were your wedding theme/colours?
Burnt Orange and Gold. We didn’t want a traditional theme, but instead to keep things less formal than usual – the bridesmaids all wore different styles of dresses that suited them individually (and Flip Flops! Not your usual choice of footwear, but a year-round obsession for Krista and her bridesmaids!). The ushers and groomsmen were given free reign to personalise their suits with their own choice of socks and pocket squares, knowing that these wouldn’t match but would bring vibrant colour and really allow all their personalities to shine through. The Wedding Breakfast was a “family service” ploughmans on each table, not a traditional 3 course meal or a line up buffet. All our guests loved the way this informally encouraged them to interact and talk together!
We chose our venue because…
We loved the setting, and felt that Pentillie really bought together our medical and military backgrounds. The Castle had previously been used as a maternity hospital and R&R site for the armed forces (Krista being a Nurse and Chris a retired Naval Officer). Being married right on the River Tamar felt really special as its our home and where we both grew up. Also having exclusive use for the whole weekend was fantastic – we had all our guests back on the Sunday to continue the celebrations with a Pool Party!
We chose our wedding outfits because…
Wedding dress - A bespoke dress designed by Mariola B for Pronovias, after a long discussion with the designer describing Krista and Chris’ relationship, their personalities and the venue, Krista opted for a classic silhouette A-Line Mulberry Silk Dress (complete with pockets to satisfy Krista’s love of dresses with pockets), a detachable Lace Bolero, and a full length Rose Lace Veil. For the evening, the Bolero and Veil were removed to create a second look from the same dress.
Groom’s suit – Chris chose a bespoke mismatched suit from Roomten on Saville Row, a Navy Tweed Jacket, light Grey Herringbone waistcoat and Dark Grey Trousers completed with a Hermes signature Orange Tie. We didn’t want Morning Dress and felt this mismatched suit reinforced the lack of formality to the day. A bright, multi coloured silk print pocket square of London Landmarks by Rampley, added a clash of colour.
Please give a brief account of your wedding planning story i.e. priorities, highs & lows, challenges.
We were incredibly lucky with our planning, even with COVID looming in the background, we were able to secure our first choice venue and all our first choice suppliers. We deliberately used small suppliers which we had a connection with. Many of them were known to us from school or from working as nurses in the NHS. Much of what we had in mind was slightly different to normal requests, so using small suppliers made all of that possible. COVID restrictions and living 200 miles away from them all meant we couldn’t meet any of our suppliers until well into the planning process, but because of our trust in their work and knowing them personally relived a lot of that apprehension.
How did you feel as you walked down the aisle / saw each other on the day?
Chris – I was pretty dumbfounded when I saw Krista walk in – there was an audible gasp in the Bathing Hut from all our guests. She looked absolutely beautiful, it was a very special moment. I think the smile on my face summed up how I felt that she would very shortly be my wife!
Krista – The Bathing Hut at Pentillie is an incredibly intimate venue with a very short “aisle” – I was very worried that I would trip having not walked in heels for nearly two years (thanks COVID!). I had been really calm all morning, but seeing my Dad so emotional had a big effect on me, this was the realisation that I was actually getting married to Chris, which meant the world to me. As soon as the door opened into the Bathing Hut, I could hear the music playing and I started to walk in, all I wanted to do was to see Chris. As soon as I saw him stood there with his beautiful smile I felt on top of the world, as this is everything we had ever wanted.
What was the song for the first dance?
Nobody Does it Better – Carly Simon
What was your favourite part of the wedding?
Two moments stand out - After our wedding breakfast, we had an Ibiza style Champagne pool reception, complete with a Saxophonist playing and inflatables, as our evening guests arrived. Later that evening, Chris performed a secret set of three songs with his old band after our first dance!
What was the most important investment for you? For example, food, drink, clothes, honeymoon?
Having the right venue was so important for us. We wanted the privacy that exclusive use brings and somewhere that ourselves and guests could really relax and enjoy the day. On top of that, the team at Pentillie could not have done more for us – the level of service and attention to detail was something else. We did not feel like another Wedding on a conveyor belt, but that our day was unique and all about us.
What is your top tip for other couples?
Enjoy the process and make your Wedding all about you as a couple and not what you think everybody else expects. By doing this it will make it exciting and not stressful!
Suppliers:
Photographer & Videographer: Ray McShane Films
Brides Dress: Designed by Mariola B for Pronovias, The Wedding Dress Shop
Brides Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Hair: Lena Kay
Make-Up: Jessica Warren
Grooms Outfit: Roomten Savile Row with a Hermes Tie
Grooms Shoes: Barkers
Bridesmaid Dresses: Sorella Vita Sequin Metallic Collection
Bridesmaid Shoes: Havaianas Flip Flops
Groomsmen Outfits: Empire Suits
Flowers: Sarah Glanville at Hyde Park Florists
Stationery: Pure Invitation (Invites), Wedding Lux (Menus, Name Place Cards & Table Plan)
Caterer: Zoe & Ade Edwards
Evening Caterer: Lemon Jelli Events
Wine: Freedom of the Press Winery & Graham Beck Sparkling
Cake: The Cheeky Cake Company
Saxophonist: Dave Wright Sax
Band: Ride the Fire
Transport: We asked Pentillie if we could use their “Gun Bus” to transport the guests and Krista to the ceremony venue – it was a first for them and they couldn’t have been more accommodating. The owner of Pentillie, Ted Coryton, even volunteered to drive our guests which was a lovely touch. Chris was driven to Pentillie by his good friend Neil in his Aston Martin DB11.
Our wedding coordinator Chrissie would be delighted to show you around Pentillie! To book a time to suit you, please call 01579 350044 or email weddings@pentillie.co.uk.