On Saturday 5 September 2026, Eliza and Eddie got married and brought 70 of their favourite people down to the beach at Portmellon for their wedding reception. We closed The Rising Sun to the public for the day, turned the pub into their dining room and partied with them until midnight. It was one of the best days we've had here, and Eliza has kindly let us share some of her photos.
If you're looking for a small wedding venue in Cornwall by the sea, this is what a day with us looks like.
How did the day run?
Eliza and Eddie married at 1pm. While they were saying their vows, the florist brought the church flowers down to the pub and dressed the room, so everything matched from church to cove.
2:30pm: drinks reception. Guests arrived straight from the church to the bar, with photographs out front by the beach.
4pm: Champagne and seating. Champagne poured, the top table seated and served first, and everyone shown to their place from the table plan.
4:30pm: the wedding breakfast. Three courses for 70, served table by table.
6:15pm: speeches, then the cake was cut and the room turned round for the evening.
7pm: evening guests arrived, and the first dance followed at 7:30.
8pm: evening food, then dancing until midnight.
Eliza taking her seat at the top table for the start of her Wedding Reception at The Rising Sun Inn, Portmellon.
Behind the scenes there were seven of us on the floor, a written run sheet with every guest's name, seat and menu choice, and a kitchen working course by course. Every allergy was checked against the guest list the day before. You don't see any of that on the day, and that's the point.
What did they eat?
Eliza and Eddie chose a seasonal Cornish menu, with every guest picking their own starter, main and dessert in advance.
To start the table: sourdough and whipped butter.
Starters: Cornish crab salad with apple, fennel and sea herbs, or roasted heritage beetroot with goat's curd, hazelnuts and honey.
Mains: oven-baked sea bass with samphire and caper beurre noisette; free-range chicken breast with cider and wholegrain mustard; or wild mushroom risotto with crispy kale and Cornish Gouda.
Sides for the table: roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and wilted greens.
Desserts: dark chocolate crémeux with toasted hazelnuts and sea salt, or the "Bubbles & Berries" strawberry and Prosecco trifle.
The crab salad was the clear favourite: 40 of the 70 guests chose it. Every menu we do for a wedding is built around the couple, using Cornish produce in season.
The top table at Eliza and Eddie Wedding reception at The Rising Sun Inn, Portmellon.
What was the evening like?
By seven the tables were cleared, the bar was ready and the evening guests were walking in off the beach road. After the first dance came evening food, then dancing until midnight, with the sea just outside the door.
What did Eliza and Eddie think?
"Having our wedding reception at The Rising Sun was so special to us! 🤍 Growing up in Portmellon and spending my summers on the beach, I knew it would be the perfect place for our wedding reception. We were so lucky with the weather, and everyone could enjoy the venue or sit outside in the sunshine overlooking the beach. The whole day was so lovely and relaxed, exactly how we wanted it! 🤍"
Eliza, on her wedding reception at The Rising Sun, September 2026
Eliza and Eddie cutting their Wedding cake.
Why have a wedding reception in a pub by the sea?
A 17th-century pub on the beach isn't a hotel function room, and that's why couples come to us. You get old beams, low ceilings and the sound of the sea, with the cove right outside for photos. Guests arrive in a proper Cornish pub, not a conference suite.
Small and intimate: up to 70 seated for a wedding breakfast, on tables either side of the beams, which is right for couples who want everyone in one room.
The whole pub: for Eliza and Eddie we closed to the public for the day, so it was theirs from the drinks reception to the last dance. As locals themselves the entire village was on the guestlist!!
Food that's ours: menus written for each couple, cooked in our own kitchen, served by our own team.
Stay over: our letting rooms are upstairs, so the newlyweds can walk up to bed.
Easy to find: on the beach at Portmellon, a mile from Mevagissey and about 15 minutes from St Austell.
Table 2 flower display at Eliza and Eddie’s Wedding Reception.
The Blue Room at The Rising Sun Inn, Portmellon.
Can you get married on the beach in Cornwall?
A legal wedding in England has to take place at a licensed venue or a place of worship, so a ceremony on the sand itself usually isn't the legal part of the day. We aren't licensed for ceremonies at The Rising Sun. Most of our couples do what Eliza and Eddie did: marry at a local church or register office, then come down to the cove to celebrate. You get the beach wedding photos and the party by the sea, and the legal side is taken care of in the morning.
Thinking about a wedding reception in Cornwall?
Whether it's a sit-down wedding breakfast for 70, a full day-and-evening party like Eliza and Eddie's, or an evening reception after a ceremony somewhere else, we'll plan it with you from the first chat to the last dance. Tell us your date, roughly how many guests and what you have in mind, and we'll come back with ideas and a quote.
Ask about weddings and private hire at The Rising Sun
A huge thank you to Eliza and Eddie for having us on your day, and for letting us share it. Congratulations both.
The Rising Sun Inn, 2 Portmellon Park, Portmellon, Mevagissey PL26 6PL.
A drone shot of The Rising Sun Inn, Portmellon.