Hannah & Ant’s Romantic Riverside Elopement at Ever After

Hannah & Ant eloped to one of our favourite venues in Devon – Ever After. The team behind this stunning barn and outdoor venue are elopement specialists and have created the most perfect solution for couples looking to marry in a simple but stylish way. Hannah & Ant absolutely fell in love with this venue (and their A-team of suppliers!), and we can absolutely see why thanks to Clare Kinchin Photography perfectly capturing their intimate day.

Hannah says…

We found Ever After while researching elopement options in Devon and Cornwall and were umming and aahing about whether to choose something by the coast or go for something with more of a woodland vibe. One of the things (aside from the stunning setting) that really swung it for us was the all-in package that Nicola and her team offer. The mid-week elopement package was really appealing to us – especially during Covid times – as everything is organised for you (with plenty of opportunities to personalise) and the suppliers at Ever After work like clockwork! This meant all we had to worry about was what we were going to wear and what delicious treats we wanted to eat!

After much admiring Ever After on Instagram, flicking through tons of Clare’s real wedding images and reading a handful of blogs from other people who had got married at Lower Grenofen, we decided to go for it! Nicola had a last minute cancellation because of Covid and we snapped it up straight away! Nicola was able to hold the booking for us for a week while we made our final decision and booked the registrar, and then everything from there on in was smooth sailing.

I thought choosing my dress was going to be the most stressful part of our elopement wedding because not only were we in a lockdown where all-but-essential shops were closed, but we also only had around 8 weeks between booking the wedding and the big day. Normally, bridal shops suggest finding your perfect dress around 9 – 12 months in advance (!) so unfortunately choosing a designer gown or having one made was off the cards.

Thankfully, I was able to do a virtual consultation with Annabel and Marissa from Belle of the Ball Bridals, Melksham where they showed me around 10 dresses based on my style and size. There were a handful that I liked and I was able to pick them up the same afternoon to try them on at home! Of course, as the story so often goes, I fell in love with the first one I tried on and none of the others quite matched up.

As it was a sample dress it had to be dry-cleaned and then altered all within the space of a couple of weeks but thanks to Annabel’s master seamstress Frances, my Mori Lee dress ended up fitting me like a glove! I couldn’t have been happier.

My hair and make up were done by the amazing Ever After suppliers – Ashleigh from The Hair Lounge and Tyler from No.5 Aesthetics and Beauty Clinic – who made me feel both relaxed and beautiful on the day!

Ant was lucky enough to order his suit online and find the exact one he wanted first time too. He opted for a blue and beige tweed combo from Marc Darcy and as neither of us had discussed what we were wearing with each other beforehand I was just as stunned at how amazing he looked as he was with me!

With Ever After being such a spectacular venue, we didn’t really want for much when it came to décor. All we asked for was something fairly rustic and minimalist, and Flora, Sally and the team created spaces that were absolutely wonderful. The ceremony barn was simple yet elegant and we loved the olive trees at the entrance – a lovely nod to Ant’s Greek family – and the terrace where we enjoyed our afternoon was chic and cosy!

Again, with the flowers, we pretty much left it in the hands of the supplier – Amanda from Flowers Et Al. I knew I’d like some dusty pink hues running throughout the bouquet and perhaps some eucalyptus or fern foliage, but other than that I was open to ideas. I sent Amanda a Pinterest board and discussed some options for flowers for my hair (note: NOT gypsophila no matter how pretty it looks online!) but I had no real idea what would turn up on the day. When the flowers and buttonhole arrived the morning of our wedding we were blown away by how beautiful and fragrant they were – peonies, roses (including the incredible Westminster Abbey Rose), cute little wax flowers, and two different types of fern!

The catering for our wedding was done by the talented team at Taylor’s of Tavistock (wow – that’s quite some alliteration!) who provided us with canapés, a three-course meal and a platter of goodies to enjoy later on in the evening. We are both vegetarian so opted for some tasty dishes including a beetroot, feta and walnut starter, a Welsh rarebit and asparagus tartlet and a chocolate dessert that felt like it was sent from cacao heaven!

Our cake was again organised in tandem with Ever After and while this meant we didn’t get to do any of the fun cake-tasting sessions of a traditionally-organised wedding, we knew we were in great hands! Harrie from Boo to a Goose allowed us to choose the flavour and style of our cake and, of course, we were wowed by what she came up with. Harrie has a stunning Instagram page so we were never in doubt that it would look amazing, but the taste of our gorgeous lemon cake was out of this world! We were happy we didn’t have to share it with anyone 😉

Our photographer was the wonderful Clare from Clare Kinchin Photography and as soon as we met we knew we were in good hands. Clare made us both feel at ease from the moment she arrived, helping me into my dress and suggesting the best spot for our ‘first look’ photos before we walked down to the ceremony together. Clare knew all the best spots around the garden and woodland so we were able to just wander and admire the views while she snapped away.

Of course, we knew how beautiful the venue was in person but we were still overwhelmingly impressed by Clare’s talents when we opened up our images the weekend after our wedding. Her eye for framing and capturing candid moments is amazing and we love, love, love our photographs!

Best part of the day

There were so many ‘best bits’ about the day for us. Ant, being able to wander down to the riverbank in the morning to write his vows; the barn balcony where we were able to do a morning yoga session together with a background of birdsong; our ceremony with Baxter, the registrar; our sumptuous meal and cake; and just the seamless flow of the day and the incredible setting that Nicola (and nature) have created!

From one couple to another…

If you’re on the fence about whether to elope at Ever After, Lower Grenofen because you haven’t visited or you don’t know the suppliers – don’t worry! Just do it! You’ll be blown away by the effortless professionalism of everyone you meet and the venue and locale are simply spectacular. Go, book it now!

Venue Ever After

Photography Clare Kinchin Photography

Flowers Flowers et Al

Cake Boo to a Goose

Catering Taylors of Tavistock

Hair The Hair Lounge

Makeup No.5 Tavistock

Dress Mori Lee at Belle of the Ball Bridal

Suit Marc Darcy