Yearly Archives: 2016

David Bowie Jazz Festival Wedding with Seven Venues!

Jack Knight Photography

December 30, 2016

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Jess and Dan got married in Manchester in July. They met in Brighton Pavilion Gardens, where Dan also proposed, in 2009. A major reason for them getting married was due to Dan being diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2015. “We’d been talking about getting married for a few years already” said Dan, “but a big life threatening illness does wonders for making you do things more promptly. On hearing the news of my illness, Jess asked me (still in my hospital bed) if we should get married. I said ‘of fucking course’ and the rest is history.”

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Their wedding was inspired by love, music, colour, joy and bees (!) so they decided their theme should be ‘colourful, fun and Bowie’. “David Bowie is our hero so we had to include him in there” explained Dan. “We’re also huge fans of garish and clashing colours, so we asked our guests to adhere to a colour scheme of turquoise, orange and purple. It turned out amazing!”

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Boho Inspired Shakespearean Wedding in a Cave

Lucy Turnbull

December 29, 2016

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Michelle and Marc were married in June in a cave! Their wedding theme was ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream meets woodland’ focusing on nature and on having an inside outside vibe. “As a massive Shakespeare lover Shell chose the theme, A Midsummers Nights Dream, for the wedding” said Marc, “2016 is also the 400 year celebration of Shakespeare so it couldn’t have worked out better!”

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For the ceremony they decorated the cave with candles, old books and ornaments. The ceremony was followed by canapés on the lawn served with Pimms, “We borrowed lots of antique books supplied by the family and had them in piles covered with lit pillar candles which created the most incredible atmosphere” Marc continued, “we also used wild ivy and copper fairly lights everywhere so it looked like a gothic fairytale! It was simply stunning.”

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Weddings of the Year, 2016

December 28, 2016

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I published close to 400 real weddings on the blog in 2016 (WHAT?!) and while every single one is special and beautiful and wonderful in its own way, there are always a few that really stand out. Here are my top 20 weddings that I shared throughout the past year. Did your favourite make the list?

If you want to check out more ‘best of’ posts, why not check out my real wedding round ups for 2011, 2012, 20132014 and 2015 too?!)

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Minimalist and simple industrial wedding

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Tattoo lover’s vintage Vegas elopement

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Back to the Future Wedding on October 21st 2015

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The princess and the pirate punk

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Heartbreak Hotel: An Elvis & Priscilla Editorial for Rock n Roll Bride Magazine

Devlin Photos

December 27, 2016

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Jacket: Next Shoes: Faith Bodysuit: ASOS Rings: House of Bourgeois from Folly Boutique

One of the most fun and creative parts of my job is the editorial fashion shoots that I create with my INCREDIBLY TALENTED photo shoot team. For issue 10 (Sept/Oct 2016) we wanted to channel one of the original Rock n Roll couple: Elvis and Priscilla Presley. We used just one model, Tarla, who was actually the perfect Elvis and Priscilla, and we shot at Hotel Pelirocco in Brighton.

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Dress & Top: Poppy Dover Shoes: Charlotte Mills

This editorial was created to pay homage to their 1967 wedding at the Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas. Their iconic wedding images refuse to date, and to this day are still used as inspiration by so many Rock n Roll brides.

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Top: Poppy Dover Trousers: Otaduy

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Rock n Roll Bride Magazine Issue 12 Available for Pre-Order Today!

December 26, 2016

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Did you have a fabulous Christmas? I sure hope so! I’m getting super excited for 2017 now, not least of all because the brand new issue of Rock n Roll Bride magazine hits the newsstands on January 5th. However if you’d prefer to stay inside and hide from the frigid weather you can pre-order your copy from us right now. It costs the same as in shops, £4.99, and UK delivery is still completely and utterly FREE. Can you believe that we’ve now done TWELVE ISSUES? That’s two whole years of Rock n Roll Bride in print!

So, what’s inside this anniversary edition? Well, first of all we need to stop and bow down at the beauty of this cover. Some of you may recognise at least one half of this gorgeous pair, because it’s fashion blogger Nicolette Mason. She married Ali in Brooklyn and I am THRILLED BEYOND BELIEF to have them as our first ever same sex cover stars! Being inclusive is something I’m super passionate about and I’m so happy that this incredible image, taken by Clean Plate Pictures, is gracing the cover. Their full wedding story is featured inside. I can’t wait for you to read it and, of course, swoon over all the gorgeous details (spoiler: they only used female or LGBT wedding vendors!)

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Each one of the 11 exclusive real weddings featured within this issue is amazing and totally different to each other. So whatever style of wedding you’re having you’re sure to find some ideas you’d love to steal. We have a retro, nautical inspired day, a gothic autumn wedding, one where there were owls as the guests of honour and another where they said “I do” on top of a glacier… And that’s just for starters!

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The End of 2016 (Everything Will Be OK)

Made U Look Photography

December 23, 2016

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Is it the weather? Is it the time if year? Is it the fact that for a lot of people 2016 has been a bit shit and there’s way too much uncertainty about what’s to come in 2017? In all honestly, I don’t really know what the reason is (probably all of the above!) but the impending end of 2016 has felt like no other year I can remember.

I am an annoyingly positive person so wanted to close the year out with a little reminder to you that EVERYTHING WILL BE OK… and if it’s not, you’ll figure it out. Whatever you’re feeling apprehensive about – where your business might be headed, how you’re going to get everything on your wedding planning to-do list done, your relationship, your family, your bank balance – whatever it is don’t forget that you are in control of your life and 2017 is a brand new year and a fresh new start. Yes, its a massive cliché but I am a firm believer in always looking for the positive in every situation.

While I’m not one for new year’s resolutions (is any concept more likely to make you feel like a massive loser when you fail?) I do think the end of another 365 days is the perfect opportunity to take stock, look back and realise just how much you’ve achieved – I bet it’s more than you think!

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Art Deco Glam Meets Downtown Loft Wedding

Dallas Kolotylo Photography

December 22, 2016

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Sarah and Justin were married in Yaletown, Vancouver, in October. Their wedding theme was eclectic with a bohemian, art deco glam feel. “We wanted our guests to be relaxed as well as showcase our personalities” explained Sarah, “so we had a relaxed reception with food stations and canapés rather than a sit down meal.”

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The couple had a candlelit, romantic, dreamy ceremony with unique rather than traditional vows. “My favourite part of the wedding was the ceremony” said Sarah, “especially the moment when I walked into the room and down the aisle – I was just blown away with how amazing the room looked and even smelt.”

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Meet Our Bicester Village Competition Winners!

December 21, 2016

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Back in November I was super excited to host a competition for two readers to win a £2000 shopping spree at Bicester Village. Our lucky winners were Vicky, who brought along her mum, and Rachel who visited with her sister and her mum. I wanted to catch up with them both because I thought it would be fun to see what they bought and find out what their experience was like.

Rachel is marrying Scott at a festival in Lincolnshire in July 2018. Their wedding is going to be festival inspired with lots of art, performances and music, so she wanted to find quirky, colourful things to match that theme.

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Vicky is marrying Andy in October next year in an industrial chic style wedding with lots of metallics, lights and distressed wood everywhere! She went to Bicester Village hoping she’d find her wedding shoes or maybe even their rings.

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My Little Pony, Rainbows & A Bride in Bunny Ears

Mark Wallis Photo

December 20, 2016

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There’s nothing I love more than seeing brides wearing the collection I designed with Crown and Glory on their wedding days (except maybe wine, but that’s a completely different story and not relevant to today’s wedding…) So when Vicky and Andy’s adorable Asylum Chapel wedding landed in my inbox, and I saw that Vicky was sporting some rather fabulous Liberace ears. I knew I had to share it!

The funniest thing is, Vicky was actually wearing bunny ears when she and Andy first met! “We met in a pub and were introduced by a mutual friend about fifteen years ago”, she explained. “For some reason I had on bunny ears – so knew I had to incorporate a pair in our day somehow!”

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“In terms of our theme, at first I joked that it should be ‘Ponies and Rainbows’ but then it kind of stuck! Our 11 bridesmaids were all dressed in different colours of the rainbow and our dear friend and bridesmaid, Jules, made us a My Little Pony and rainbow wedding cake!”

“Everything about the day reflected ‘us’ and was a joint effort including the dress shopping! Our invites took their inspiration from our tattoos, the table centres were based on our favourite things including: Twin Peaks, Marvel and DC comics, Tim Burton, Jay and Silent Bob. Our readings were a poem by Bob Marley and a soliloquy by The Log Lady from Twin Peaks. I walked down the aisle to Gigantic by The Pixies.”

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Festive Farm Wedding… With Reindeer!

Kellee Quinn Photography

December 19, 2016

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As soon as I saw this festive photo shoot, complete with real life reindeer, I knew I had to share it. With Christmas just around the corner (less than a week to go!) it made me feel all warm, snuggly and super, duper excited for the big day!

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Photographer Kellee Quinn from the south west of Scotland told me all about it. “Harelaw Farm was the perfect choice of venue (it’s where I’d get married if I hadn’t shimmied up the aisle with my husband already) and it also just happens to be next door to this new wedding venue (their first wedding is April 2017)…. a Reindeer Farm!! ‘Pogo’, who is in the shoot, is more like a pet and the owner of the biggest antlers I’ve ever seen.”

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Wes Anderson Inspired Winter Wedding

Joanna Brown

December 18, 2016

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The inspiration for Nicole and Theo;s winter wedding was the colour palette of the Wes Anderson film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Other than that they just wanted the day to be relaxed.

“We used the reds, blues, and yellows of the film throughout the wedding”, said the bride. “We had a winter wedding in February, which meant being prepared for a cold, rainy, dreary day. In the end, the rain held off, but we did have a number of big yellow umbrellas on hand!”

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“There were some DIY elements to the wedding, including hand crocheted hearts in our wedding colours. These were sprinkled on the tables during dinner, and I was pleased to see guests wearing them and taking them home. We also had some retro elements, including hand-assembled bags of penny sweets as favours, which my family helped me assemble while jet-lagged a couple days before the wedding!”

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Celestial, Crystal & Bohemian Wedding in Dublin

Emma May Photography

December 17, 2016

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When jewellery designer Kayleigh married Neal in Dublin, they picked a theme to reflect the bride’s passion. Being obsessed with raw crystals and metallics meant they ended up with a theme that included stars, crystals and a touch of boho.

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“We really didn’t want a traditional wedding with a church and hotel ballroom, it’s just not us”, said Kayleigh. “Even though it turned out a bit more traditional than we thought, I think our personal touches made it our own. We didn’t want to feel like strangers at our own wedding. The main thing for us was for it to be cheap (we planned everything on a shoestring!) and easy for our guests, and for everyone to have a nice chilled time.”

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How to Rock Your Winter Wedding Photos

December 16, 2016

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For many couples, the idea of hosting their wedding in the winter is a really romantic one. A cosy day filled with log fires, twinkly fairy lights and hot chocolate, what’s not to love? Not to mention the fact that you’ll probably save a ton of money with off-season deals! But have you given much thought to how your photos are going to turn out? A winter wedding means less light and if you’ve been carefully curated inspiration boards with images of couples in summer fields or backlit with pretty sunsets during ‘golden hour’ (just as the sun goes down where the light is oh so perfectly pretty!) then you might be in for a bit of a shock.

Make sure you are looking for realistic inspiration for your winter wedding photographs by looking at photos that were actually taken in winter and in a similar location to yours. There is no point pinning pictures of a couple frolicking around the Las Vegas desert or casually strolling along the beach in California if you’re getting married in Milton Keynes in December!

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If you are having an indoor winter wedding, earn bonus points with your photographer by considering the lighting inside your venue. From a photography point of view, downlights and uplights are a real nightmare. They both create pools of incredibly bright light and if you’re standing under them you’re going to get really ugly shadows under your eyes and nose. If your venue has directional lighting that’s fine, but I wouldn’t recommend having the key moments (ceremony, speeches) with them right behind you. 

Late afternoon winter light can be very pretty, but the sun goes down quickly. Be optimistic in your planning process and set aside some time for your portraits. If you are getting married in the late afternoon, by the time it comes to doing your formal pictures, it will be dark. Any ceremony after 2pm really limits what can be done afterwards. In the depths of winter it starts getting dark as early as 3pm in some places, so make sure you remember that if you’re doing the bulk of your planning over the summer when it’s light until 10pm!

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Medieval Castle Wedding with Owls, Faeries & Spray-Painted Animals

Ed Godden Photography

December 15, 2016

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Victoria and Gav were married at Bolton Castle, one of the country’s best preserved medieval castles. The American bride met her British groom when he came over to New York City with a band he managed. After moving around the world together (NYC, LA, NYC again and then the UK) they decided to marry in June of this year.

“I would describe our wedding theme as ‘High Fashion Flower Faeries of the Dales… also, owls!’ Is that a theme?” the bride laughed. “Another way we described it to people was ‘Game of Thrones Chic’ and I think that’s pretty accurate. For the longest time we didn’t have a clue what we wanted the wedding to look like. The castle and the surrounding Yorkshire Dales really did a lot of the work for us in terms of vibe and, to a certain extent, decor. The place just oozes magical faerie kingdom gravitas.”

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“Bolton Castle was really the catalyst for the inspiration. We had been engaged for four years, but due to getting busy with work and touring we never quite had time to get round to planning a wedding. We relocated from New York to (Old) York at the beginning of 2015, and while we were exploring the Yorkshire Dales in the spring, we saw a building far away in the distance and decided to investigate and drive closer. It turned out to be Bolton Castle. We were totally wowed by the gardens and location and we both thought this would be a great place to get married. In that moment decided to plan our wedding. We wanted to have a wedding that encapsulated the quirks of our personalities and had flavours of the beautiful surroundings we were in but also captured our US and UK roots.”

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Win £200 to spend on Rock n Roll Bride x Crown and Glory!

December 14, 2016

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It’s nearly Christmas and you know what that means… PRESENTS! As a big massive thank you for all your love, support and enthusiasm for Rock n Roll Bride this year, Sophie of Crown and Glory and I have decided to host a contest for one of you to win an enormous £200 to spend on our collaborative range!

You could get all your bridesmaid hair accessories, a veil for yourself and have money left over for a DIY flower crown kit to play with for that. What a treat!

If you’re not the lucky winner, don’t worry, because ten runners up will each win a copy of Rock n Roll Bride magazine too. Exciting!

So, there are FOUR ways to enter and each one you do gives you another entry. The more of these you do, the more chances you have of winning! To enter you can:

1. Follow both of us on Instagram (Rock n Roll Bride and Crown and Glory) and share the photo from the top of this post on your account. In the caption explain what you’d buy if you won. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #rockglory so we can see your entry, and your account must be public for us to find you.

2. Tag at least three friends in the comments of my Instagram of the same photo.

3. Like both Rock n Roll Bride and Crown and Glory on Facebook and share this photo from my Facebook page to your own wall (just hit the ‘share button’).

4. Tag at least three friends in the comments of the photo on my Facebook page.

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Frida Kahlo Inspired Wedding in Mexico

Pierce Lifestyle Photography

December 13, 2016

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Kelli and Danny’s Mexican wedding was themed around the location, a garden. They wanted an outdoor wedding and Casa Hyder in in San Miguel provided the perfect setting. They also wanted something super colourful!

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“We also wanted to play with all the colours that come about naturally in San Miguel”, said the bride. “Frida Kahlo was also a major inspiration, which is why all the bridesmaids had colourful flower crowns. I was bored of attending weddings where everything was white, and wanted a real pop of colour. I think this got everyone in the party mood! For decorations we used a lot of hanging flowers. Our tables were wood with lace runners and candles. We also had a lot of succulents and bougainvilleas.”

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A Wedding Inspired by Colour, Sugar Skulls and Blink 182

Sharon Cooper Photography

December 12, 2016

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Emma and Adam got married in Bedford in May. Their wedding theme was colour, sugar skulls and Famous Stars & Straps (a clothing brand started by Travis Barker of Blink 182). The most important aspect for them was everything being colourful, which included the bride’s dress from The Couture Company. It had personalised embroidery on the back: two skulls, one with purple hair (for Emma) and the other with an ‘F’ embroidered onto the skull (for Adam). The bride also DIY’d her own button bouquets and buttonholes (made a year in advance!), with the help of her mum. They used multi-coloured buttons and pom poms.

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The ceremony was very short and tearful. “We had all the traditional vows in front of our closest friends and family”, explained Emma. “It was at this point that I discovered that when I try and hold back the tears my top lip quivers, ha ha! Adam was very good at holding his emotions but I nearly went when I said ‘I do’.”

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Vibrant Mexican Inspired Wedding Ideas

Dekker Photography

December 11, 2016

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Inspired by the rich hand-crafted details that are so abundant in Sayulita, Mexico, Dekker Photography partnered with local wedding planners Sayulita Dream Weddings to create this vibrant beach picnic elopement shoot. Their starting off point was the incredible dress that their ‘bride’ wore and OMG I don’t know about you but I NEED one!

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“I approached Sayulita Dream Weddings with the idea for a shoot based around the gorgeous hand-embroidered gowns from Sayulita’s famous Pachamama boutique“, explained Photographer Beth. “The idea grew from there. We wanted a vibrant, rich colour palette with many hand-crafted details.”

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Folklore & Fantasy Pagan Woodland Wedding

Greg Jackson Photography

December 10, 2016

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Jay and Wisia had a Pagan ceremony in the woods. They wanted their wedding theme to be folklore and fantasy inspired without being too cheesy.

“There’s a fine line between themed and fancy dress”, laughed the bride. “Our special day was a cross between Viking and Elvish visual themes with elements of Pagan.”

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“We were inspired by our love for one another and the love that surrounds us from all the incredible people we know. Other than that, it was influenced by our favourite films, TV episodes and books such as LOTR, The Hobbit and Vikings. We were also deeply inspired by our favourite place to be together… the woods!”

“There are several things that we did that were particularly unique whilst staying very ‘us'”, she continued. “First of all we picked our own surname. We became Mr & Mrs Ælf‎ær (an old English name meaning ‘whole’ that we had chosen together).”

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Honeymoon Travel Guide: Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa

December 9, 2016

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Our third and final stop on our dream vacation with Hilton Hotels was a visit to Northolme Resort & Spa. It was very different to Allamanda and Labriz and if the idea of somewhere quiet, child-free and with lots of places to explore appeals to you then I think you’re gonna like it!

Ian Fleming was staying in this very hotel when he wrote For Your Eyes Only, and once you see the view you’ll quickly realise why it inspired him so much. Unlike the other two resorts, Northolme is set up in the hillside, rather than right down on the beach. There are beachy areas just below, which you can walk down to through the villas, but the higher vantage point means it boasts the most spectacular panoramic view of the ocean. Plus, being located on the North West of Mahé it means that you can experience some of THE MOST incredible sunsets (see above!)

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Northolme felt like a secret and secluded hideaway nestled among the hills. Only a 25 minute transfer from the Seychelles International Airport, it’s surrounded by lush tropical gardens, crystal clear waters and a sheltered white-sanded beach.

I think he likes it – ha!

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