Tim and Adam met in Oxford in 2011 at an event organised by their university’s LGBTQ Society. “We shared a love of music, film, and video games, and I immediately thought he was kind, handsome and funny,” says Adam. “We hit it off, and shortly afterwards, Tim asked me out for a coffee.” Adam popped the question on Christmas Day in 2020. “It was our first Christmas together after almost 10 years of being apart on the big day,” shares Adam. “Christmas is Tim’s favourite holiday, so I gave him the ring as his final present, dropping to one knee as he opened it. The inside of the band was engraved with our initials and, in a nod to our love of video games, I placed it in a box resembling a chest from the Legend of Zelda franchise. It had been an incredibly difficult year for Tim, one that made us keenly aware that tomorrow is not a given. We had been discussing marriage for a while, and it felt like the right time to take this exciting next step.” SETTING THE SCENE “Tim is Welsh, and we liked the idea of Wales being the focal point of our celebrations,” explains Adam. “Craig Y Nos Castle is a delightful mix of gothic and whimsical and is situated in the beautiful landscape of the Brecon Beacons. Offering on-site accommodation, stunning views, period décor and a gloriously ornate Opera House, we knew immediately that it was a perfect fit for what we had in mind. The staff were incredible, anticipating everything we needed and providing a strong sense of reassurance on the day.” The couple chose the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party as the theme for their big day. “We used bunting in the conservatory for our wedding breakfast to amplify the theme,” continues Adam. “Our welcome sign was created from a mirror using white paint, custom stencils, and an easel. The orderof-events was designed to resemble a Wonderland signpost and was made from recycled cardboard.” Instead of wedding favours, Adam and Tim donated to the charity Mermaids and provided details about the charity on the back of their place cards. “Our centrepieces were thrifted teapots, filled with flowers, atop a fanned stack of books,” recalls Adam. “We used dried moss and MDF discs for the bases and added teacups, flowers, 3D-printed mushrooms, and pocket watches to the book ‘steps’ for interest. My mother took the lead on our flowers, putting everything together over two days in our base of operations in Blaenavon. “My sister is a wedding cake designer, but owing to the recent arrival of our second nephew, she was unable to be with us on the day,” adds Adam. “To get around this, she created a stunning, three-tiered showpiece with hand-painted details and a ‘floating’ top hat.” Craig Y Nos Castle provided the catering for the day. “The wedding breakfast was an afternoon tea, and each guest received a three-tiered cake stand with a delicious assortment of sweet and savoury treats,” says Adam. “The evening buffet was popular and included a good variety of hot food and salad options. Some of our fondest memories of weddings involve freshly made pizza, so we also hired Flour’d Up, a mobile pizzeria, to complement the buffet offering. This proved incredibly popular with our guests and allowed us to accommodate multiple dietary requirements.” DRESSED TO IMPRESS “Being non-binary, I wanted an ensemble blending the masculine, the feminine, and the gender-neutral,” shares Adam. “I was looking for something dramatic, empowering, reconfigurable, and comfortable. I opted for a white grandad collar shirt, a cobalt blue waistcoat, grey trousers cropped at the ankle, two white overskirts (one structured, one tulle), and a pair of black shoes. The waistcoat and overskirts were 43 REAL WEDDINGS
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