A Beautiful Boho Wedding: The Love Story
Sarah Hensby, a talented event designer, and Ben Tempest, a professional chimney sweep, first ‘connected’ in the summer of 2019 when Ben courageously slid into Sarah’s DMs. Despite knowing of each other from their younger years, it wasn’t until that fateful online encounter that their love story truly began.
Three days after their virtual meeting, they went on their first date, a rainy walk around a local beauty spot in Wakefield, where Sarah was living at the time. Sarah’s waterproof coat and walking shoes weren’t her usual style, but Ben loved her ability to adapt.
“He was everything I wanted and brought such a calm to my life.”
They spent the next few months seeing each other mid-week and over the weekend, and by Christmas during a trip to Berlin, they had already started planning their future together.
“We agreed we knew what we wanted and that age gave us the perspective not to hold back.”
Sarah planned to move back to Hull with her son, Remy, to live as a family with Ben. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, so Ben moved to Wakefield to live with them instead, which only brought them even closer as they navigated the challenges together. Their bond only strengthened through the trials, including Sarah’s redundancy on the day their house sale went through in August 2020.
Ben proposed to Sarah during Christmas 2021 in Edinburgh, at a park fountain overlooked by the castle—a spot he fondly remembered visiting with his Granny as a boy. Despite the noisy funfair nearby, the proposal was perfect, complete with a placeholder ring that allowed Sarah to choose a vintage-inspired piece later.
“Ben had bought me a placeholder ring for the proposal, knowing I would be quite particular about such an important piece. Afterwards he was pleased with this decision, as even I struggled. I had always wanted a vintage ring with an old stone. Something with a story.
I even put a deposit on a ring ahead of our ‘shopping day’, much to Ben’s disappointment! He was thrilled though when I didn’t end up with that ring (they still have my deposit!!) and I chose something we’d seen together. Not at all vintage, more circa 2001! It has a square central stone and 2 triangular stones either side. Far more modern than anticipated!”
Choosing the Perfect Venue and Vendors
Sarah and Ben initially dreamed of an Ibiza boho wedding but quickly pivoted to Cyprus, finding their perfect venue in Liopetro. The rustic charm and stunning backdrop of Liopetro made it an ideal choice, eschewing the typical shiny marble and crystal chandeliers for a more natural, boho wedding aesthetic.
“I love Ibiza and I’ve been to a beautiful wedding there. Unfortunately we couldn’t make that work, but within 48 hours of deciding to look at different options, we landed on Cyprus and our venue. It was meant to be!”
“With that came looking for the important suppliers to pair with such a stunning venue. Honestly, I believe I saw Beziique’s work first, and didn’t once look for other options. Ben was on board and that was it, sold!”
Beziique’s photography captivated Sarah immediately, and after meeting Nick in August 2022, they knew they had found their match in vendors. Nick and Aimie’s positivity and personality assured Sarah and Ben that their boho wedding day would be in good hands.
“If we didn’t know by then, we certainly knew at that moment that Nick and Aimie were our kind of people, and this was going to be fun!”
The Big Boho Wedding Day
Sarah wore a breathtaking Riki Dalal dress, a tight-fitting, backless boho wedding gown that had been tailored to perfection by an amazing seamstress. Her look was completed with a cathedral veil borrowed from a friend, drop crystal earrings, and a simple diamond bracelet from her 21st birthday. Ben looked dashing in dark chinos, a neutral blazer, and a sage tie.
“My veil was borrowed from a friend, my dress was new, my maid of honour bought me a garter with a blue ribbon… and Ben volunteered to be my something old!!”
The bridesmaids wore sage green, embellished dresses with a vintage, flapper girl style, while the groomsmen matched Ben, differentiated only by their slim ties versus Ben’s bow tie.
Ceremony and Reception
“Liopetro offers the beautiful rustic boho wedding look, but done very very well.”
The Gold Package at Liopetro included welcome drinks, a garden reception, and an evening reception, ensuring guests were well taken care of. The dinner was a highlight, with everyone raving about the stunning food. Gavin from Definitive Disco and Victor Sax provided the perfect musical ambiance, seamlessly creating a vibe that kept the celebration lively.
“We also gave our guests a token for a drink for during the dinner/speeches to make it as all inclusive for them as we could. This was our way of giving back, we appreciated the cost of coming out to Cyprus so much.”
Sarah and Ben’s first dance for their boho wedding was to James Bay’s “One Life,” a moment of pure romance under the Cyprus sky.
Boho Wedding Décor and Personal Touches
“I’m not a typical boho wedding girl so I was really led by what I felt would suit the venue. I didn’t want to go crazy with the dressing as it’s just so beautiful already.”
The boho wedding theme carried through the floral arrangements and décor, with pampas grass and roses creating beautiful bouquets and simple table decorations featuring eucalyptus and glass hurricane vases with candles. Personalised love letters served as unique favors, replacing traditional guest books with heartfelt messages from the couple to their guests and vice versa.
“We didn’t want favours as such, but instead we wrote Love Letters to our guests. Each one personalised with a message from us to them, on why we love them so much and why they are special to us. They then had to write back on the reverse as an alternative to a guest book. They didn’t want to part with them so I had to promise to do a re-print for them to keep!
We also had acrylic name tags, like a luggage tag, which I think most guests took with them, so perhaps they were more like a favour.”
Memorable Moments
One of the most touching moments was Sarah’s son, Remy, coming to the bridal suite for the first look, ready to walk her down the aisle. Additionally, an audio message Sarah recorded for Ben played as she walked down the aisle, leaving a lasting impact on everyone present.
“We missed our sunset photographs! Speeches tend to be drab and if ours had been I might have been upset, but honestly we were all laughing so hard and enjoying ourselves that we didn’t mind.
It actually worked out for us as Nick and Aimie had a slot later in the week, so we agreed between us to get togged up and go back over.”
Although they missed their sunset photographs due to extended speeches, a later photoshoot provided a unique and intimate experience, ending with a meal in the village—a beautiful addition to their wedding memories.
“It was all amazing, and we’re so lucky that we get to say that. Nick was the conductor of the day, making sure we were where we needed to be.”
Advice for Future Couples
Sarah’s tip for future couples is to trust the process, especially when working with Liopetro. Patience is key, as the end result will be worth every moment of anticipation.
Venue: Liopetro
Bride’s Dress: Riki Dalal
Grooms Suit: Moss Bros, M&S
Videographer: Island Films
Wedding Content Creator: Socially Michelle
Wedding Rings: Hockley Jewellers
Wedding Cake: None – “Ben is coeliac, and we jointly felt that it wouldn’t get eaten after the dinner and dessert”
Flowers & Decor: Maria Vamvatsouliu Flowers & Marry Me Cyprus
Transport: Jack & Sons
Classic Car & Motorbike: Beziique
Entertainment: Definitive Disco, Victor Sax and Coral Bay Dancers
Hair: Renoir
Invitations & Stationery: Cartalia
Wedding Planner: Liopetro
