Your South Wales Wedding - Jan/Feb 2020 (Issue 71)

All the latest from around the region Nearlywed NEWS A FUN DAY OUT The Royal Mint in Llantrisant has won Tourist Attraction of the Year at The Welsh Hospitality Awards. The company welcomes thousands of visitors every year and offers a range of wedding jewellery. Karina Voisey, the head of The Royal Mint Experience, said: “We’re thrilled to receive this award. We aim to deliver a great and memorable experience to everyone that visits and most importantly get everyone intrigued about the coins in their pockets. This is a well-deserved credit to our fantastic retail staff and tour guides who pull out all the stops to make every visit a memorable one.” To find out more, visit royalmint.com A DREAM COME TRUE Pink Butterfly Brides was recently featured in BBC One Wales’ new show The Wedding Dress Shop. The series tells the story of how the store helps brides-to-be find the perfect gown. Run by bespoke dress designer, Samantha Buca the team prides themselves on discovering every detail of their customers’ lives before finding or making their dream dress. Samantha’s ethos is whether you’re tall, short, plus size or petite “every girl deserves to look and feel amazing.” To watch the show, visit bbc.co.uk and for more about the boutique check out pinkbutterflybrides.co.uk A personal touch The Vale Resort’s new craft spirit distillery is now offering brides-to-be the chance to make their wedding favours. Couples can attend a tour in the basement of the 400-year-old Hensol Castle and make miniature gins that they can give their guests on their big day. The managing director of the Vale Resort, Stephen Leeke, said: “This is a hugely exciting development at the Vale Resort and another critical step forward in the overall redevelopment of the historic Hensol Castle. The distillery experience set in the basement of a beautiful Grade 1 listed building will be something totally unique, not just in Wales but globally. It is a key part of our strategy for the re-development of Hensol Castle and its destination restaurant, which will focus on the very best of Welsh food and drink. We’re confident the distillery and restaurant will attract local trade as well as national and international visitors, and we will be working closely with Visit Wales, the Vale of Glamorgan Council, and other local attractions to bring new markets to the area. It will provide another compelling reason for tourists to visit south Wales, helping to drive the overall economy of the region.” For more information, visit hensolcastledistillery.com PICTURE PERFECT The Oxwich Bay Hotel in Swansea has won Best Wedding Venue in South and Central Wales at The Welsh National Wedding Awards 2019. Natalie Lake, the wedding and occasions sales manager, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to win this award again and cannot thank our couples enough for taking the time to vote for us. The award is a testament to the personal service we offer, from the couple’s very first visit to our venue where they meet our team, to the ongoing support before, during, and after their special day. We pride ourselves on building excellent relationships with our couples, in order to make their dream a reality.” To find out more, visit oxwichbayhotel.co.uk Martyn Poynor YOUR ESSENTIALS 15