Like many couples, Ladi and Mike met online, and like many, they weren't sure if they should meet or not. But they did and today we celebrate their wedding by the coast at Ocean Kave in Devon. Filled with thoughtful details and bold sunflowers this wedding captured by fine art photographer Victoria JK Lamburn is a pleasure to share...
What a handsome pooch...
Ladi and Mike met online, and it wasn't quite love at first click. Ladi tells us... We met online like so many of us these days. Chatted for a few weeks. Mike was not sure if I was a bit weird so kept holding off and not meeting. His friend was renovating a house and she had a burst water pipe so cancelled dinner and he still needed to eat so agreed on a date. Needless to say, I nailed it and won him over from the minute I met him. Jokes aside it went really well and we both did not want the date to end.
Well and truly won over, Mike decided to propose. He tells us... I knew for months before that I wanted to propose and bought a ring from the laines in Brighton and decided that a holiday we had planned to the Caribbean (Barbados and St Lucia) would be an opportune time. I had spotted a quiet secluded stretch of beach just up from our hotel which I thought would be perfect as there would be nobody around but us. I made an excuse if needing to go back to the room and snuck off to write a message on the sand in coral rocks "will you marry me?" We had a lovely day by the beach and later that day I suggested we go for a walk along the beach. Ladi spotted the message in the sand and pointed it out, not realising at first what it was, and as he started reading it aloud I dropped onto one knee and asked him to marry me.
The wedding on the coast of Devon exuded Mike and Ladi's personalities through and through. They describe... Our wedding was not a day but a long weekend focused on bringing together two crazy families (Czech and Jamaican roots) alongside very close friends. People flew in from around the world the whole weekend was filled with love and laughter making it very relaxed and chilled by the sea. We are massive foodies and love supporting local business and farmer by feeding our guests local fish and chips caught off the shores of Devon on Friday. On the Saturday (the actual wedding day) we served a local seasonal delicious 3-course meal.
To get the party started rum cocktails were served, followed by a free bar all night. Ladi and Mike remember... The entire wedding party started singing and dancing along with the gospel choir straight after the ceremony. Ladi's dad bought everyone rainbow umbrellas which were a surprise and we got amazing footage of everyone holding them in the air and spinning them from the video drones. We had zero "obligatory invites" everyone who came to our wedding was there because we really wanted them there. We thought through all the details in depth to make sure that everything was very "Ladi & Mike", to name a few things, rum-based welcome drinks to represent Mikes Jamaican heritage, thistles as buttonholes to represent Ladi's Scottish background, a succulent plant for every guest as a favour, goodie bags for all the kids with their names written on them, sweetie station with personalised sweetie bags.
What gorgeous scenery, and what a gorgeous couple...
Ladi and Mike offer some wedding planning advice... Your wedding is exactly that, YOUR wedding. It is not everyone else's day so make it exactly what you want it to be, don't try to please everyone else or do things because you feel you should. Be true to yourselves, whatever that might be, let your personality and individualism shine through so that your guests come away saying "that was so them". Enjoy planning your wedding and don't let it stress you out. Focus on the small details as they add up to a big impact overall.
For their honeymoon, Ladi and Mike then travelled Asia for a month. They recommend... Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam. We stayed in some incredible hotels including The Raffles and Song Saa private island in Cambodia and saw some amazing things.
Huge congratulations to you both and thanks so much for sharing your wedding day with us all. A big thank you also goes to Victoria JK Lamburn for sharing her work with us. To see more from Victoria JK Lamburn visit vickylamburn.com
The Wedding Details
- Venue: Ocean Kave
- Shoes: Ted Baker
- Flowers: Blooms of Bideford
- Grooms suits: Hugo Morris
- Wedding Bands & Best Men’s Cufflinks: Baroque Jewellery, Brighton
- Cake: Mrs Smudgers Kitchen
- Stationery: Little Lights Invites
- Ceremony/Reception Music: Gospel Touch and Abi Flynn & Band
- Photographer: Victoria JK Lamburn
- Fireworks: Brightburst Fireworks
- Fish & Chips: Kates Plaice
- Drone and Videographer: Juan
