Your South Wales Wedding - November/December 2020 (Issue 76)

REAL WEDDINGS 33  “It had a satin bodice, tulle skirt and jewelled belt,” shares Rhian. “It looked elegant but with a lower neckline and split sides to give it a more modern look. The staff were all friendly, helpful and genuinely seemed to love helping brides find the perfect dress. I accessorised with a full-length veil and a pearl and crystal bracelet that my dad bought me as a gift. I also had my nails painted champagne gold with our initials painted onto my ring finger. Becky from Magenta Health & Beauty did an amazing job of bringing this fiddly idea to life.” Chris opted for a Ted Baker suit from Slater Menswear. “The groomsmen wore the same but with navy waistcoats and dark pink ties to match the bridesmaids’ dresses,” explains the bride. “He borrowed gold cufflinks from his dad, and wore a pair of Guardians of the Galaxy socks.” The bridesmaids chose lilac sequin dresses from Next. “The colour changed in different lights and looked wonderful,” adds Rhian. “Next offered a wide range of sizes which meant I could easily find something to suit my tall maid-of-honour and her 13-year-old daughter.” TIME TO CELEBRATE “As the guests arrived for the ceremony, we set up a few games in the marquee to keep everyone entertained,” says Rhian. “After the vows, we hired Timothy Tate – Classic Guitarist to perform. He played a range of songs from David Bowie to Louis Armstrong. In the evening, the house DJ kept everyone on the dancefloor. He even created an hour of songs that we had loved in our teenage years.” MEMORABLE MOMENTS “Several suppliers and guests commented on how calm we both were,” explains the bride. “I found there wasn’t much time to get nervous with so much going on, but Chris found time to have a leisurely McDonald’s breakfast with his groomsmen! We were so happy that the sun came out and gave us the golden light we were hoping for. We laughed a lot and had fun doing our photographs and Chris’ face already hurt from smiling time the ceremony started.” The couple loved the speeches. “My dad had my mum and sister in tears,” shares Rhian. “Chris, on the other hand, got everyone laughing with his anecdotes about why he loves me.” “All of our suppliers were wonderful and professional,” says the bride. “Our photographer, Natasha from Honeydew Moments, was so helpful and shared the things she’d learnt from doing so many weddings. She gave us some great advice about timings on the day and helped us find the perfect spots for our photographs. Lots of family members got involved in the final week with the last minute details. My auntie, Ceri, provided beautiful‌calligraphy and my auntie, Mary, helped add eucalyptus to the hoops despite having her arm in a sling! My granny ran the assembly line for adding ribbons to the favours, and I couldn’t be more thankful for their help.” HONEYMOON “We had booked to go to New Zealand for three weeks, however due to COVID-19, this had to be delayed,” shares Rhian. “We’re still planning to go and are very much looking forward to it! Trailfinders helped us plan the trip, which was so helpful as we had so much else on our minds. We did manage to get away on a mini-moon to Dartmoor, where we drank champagne in a hot tub and relaxed.”