Queer Wedding in Cornwall with DIY Details at Three Mile Beach

Mads (she/her) and Claire (she/her) met just before the world shut down and ended up spending the start of the pandemic falling in love over margaritas and experimental cooking. Fast forward a few years and they were planning a wedding on the Cornish coast with DIY details, a celebrant friend, and a party that ended with a questionable rendition of Wonderwall. Here’s how it all came together.

How did your story begin?

We met in 2020, on Hinge. Claire skipped the small talk and locked in our first date fast, which ended up being at Lady of the Grapes in Covent Garden. Two weeks and six dates later, we decided to do lockdown together thinking it’d last a fortnight. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. But in that time we cooked, walked, planned future adventures and accidentally fell in love.

What led you to your wedding venue in Gwithian?

We were set on a venue with a beach view which narrowed things down quickly. We also wanted something casual that didn’t feel too formal or staged. Three Mile Beach fit perfectly. Bonus: the team there, especially Jasmine, were absolute legends who helped with everything including a lift in their Jaguar.

How did you keep the planning manageable, especially after moving to Denmark?

A friend’s master spreadsheet honestly saved us. We didn’t want the wedding to take over our whole lives so we paced it out, kept ideas realistic, and stayed within budget.

Pinterest helped loads too, especially with one of us being a visual thinker.

You mentioned DIY details. What did you make yourselves?

So many things. Mads’ mum made our seating chart out of an old bodyboard. Claire and I had a candle dyeing night for the tables, and we wrote personalized letters to each guest. There were definitely more crafting evenings than we’d planned but it made everything feel really personal and grounded.

What was your ceremony like?

We asked our friend Dan to officiate and he totally nailed it. We included readings from Jeff Foster, Mari Andrew and bell hooks, which felt really reflective of us. Then came the vows, Mads wrote a song, Claire wrote a recipe book. It was chaotic, heartfelt and brilliant. No one made it through dry-eyed.

How did the day unfold?

We got ready with our bridesmates at Three Mile Beach, dodged Cornish hail, then decided to move the ceremony indoors. We snuck off for windswept photos with Mollie (worth it) before the ceremony. Then it was drinks, speeches, dinner, and a cocktail hour while we ran to the beach for golden hour shots. We ended the night on the dancefloor and, yep, with Wonderwall.

What were some of your favourite moments?

The vows, 100 percent. Seeing everyone’s faces during the ceremony was surreal. Taking sunset photos on the beach with Mollie was unexpectedly fun. And the last song on the dancefloor when I grabbed a guitar and tried to lead a singalong… maybe not viral material, but definitely a core memory.

Mollie McAusland, our photographer, was incredible. She made everything easy and fun. Jen from Twigs and Green took our vague floral ideas and made them magic. And the crew at Three Mile Beach went above and beyond, helping out with last-minute things and just generally being legends.

Photography by Mollie McAusland

Cake Maker Polly Webb Cakes
Ceremony Venue The Rockpool
DJ DJ & Sax
Dress Boutique Creatiques
Dress Designer Aje. & Justin Alexander
Florist Twigs & Greens
Makeup Sally Orchard MakeUp
Rings Mor Studio
Venue Three Mile Beach