Venue: Fairyhill

Venu - Welsh Green Weddings
Flowers - Green & Wild 

Dress - WhiteBride

Hair - Talking Heads

Suits - Marc Darcy Suits 

 

Katie got in touch with me last year to ask if she and Simon could meet me to discuss their wedding and, crucially, to find out if I was the photographer for them! The first meeting can be a little daunting and feel a bit like an interview, but when Katie & Simon came down to the Wild West from Laaandan town it couldn’t have been more different!

We met for coffee to chat about all things wedding. Talk swiftly moved on to more urgent matters like ‘So what exactly is a Pret?’ (I don’t get out of Pembrokeshire all that much!) and before long we were comfortable enough to be on swearing terms and comparing TK Maxx bargains. I really liked them, and so was thrilled when they asked me to photograph their wedding!

As always, the months flew by and soon enough it was time to meet again, this time to actually talk about the wedding! They had also opted for a pre-wedding shoot which I include in my wedding package, and brought their new baby, Mabel - a black lab/retriever puppy! <3 

The weather on the day itself was a photographer’s dream - slightly overcast with a warm breeze, just perfection. The venue, Plas Hyfryd in Narberth, had recently had some renovation work and was truly living up to its name (‘Lovely Place’ in Welsh) when we arrived that morning.

My very capable assistant Jemeima and I popped upstairs where the girls were getting ready. Operation Wedding Prep was well underway; hair was done and Katie was taking her seat for makeup with the others done and looking beautiful. Phillipa Hughes was in charge of the makeup, it was my first time working with her and she was fab. As well as being a makeup pro she was a very handy wedding woman and it seemed there was nothing she couldn’t do!     The girls were mega chilled, without a hint of the stress and nerves that can sometimes be around during the pre-wedding prep. They were enjoying the morning, each with a prosecco in one hand and a cuppa in the other - girls after my own heart! Simon’s incredibly talented and very well dressed sister (I have since sought out and bought the dress she was wearing I loved it so much) arrived with the beautiful bouquets. Laura had done all of the flowers for the day; a lovely personal touch.
With hair and makeup done, the Bollinger popped and a toast to the day made it was time to put the dresses on. The bridesmaids wore floor length, grey wrap dresses, and Katie was in just the most spectacular Stella York gown from Janes Bridal in Lincoln It. Was. Lush. A royal-inspired, timeless dress with ballgown silhouette features, fabric covered buttons down the length of the train and, the best bit, pockets!
    

Leaving Katie and her girls to gather their thoughts and bouquets, we went ahead of them down the road to the church where Simon and the guests were waiting. Marrying them was Martyn, the vicar there who is always so nice and accommodating to me. They’re not always that forthcoming so it’s always very much appreciated.
  40 minutes later after a gorgeous ceremony filled with love and laughter (the perfect combination for photos) the guests flooded outside to congratulate the newlyweds and grab a handful of confetti for what was an epic confetti aisle, even if a mischievous Aussie did try to sabotage it with a very well aimed crotch shot! We kept the family back to take photos at the church, while others made their way back to the hotel to get the party started. Slowly we filtered the group down until just Katie & Simon were left for some couple portraits in the dappled shade of the trees surrounding the church.

It was really important to Katie & Simon that people were able to sit back and enjoy the day as much as possible, so at this point the only thing on the schedule was some down time to have a drink and catch up with their guests, which in turn gave me the perfect opportunity to capture some casuals in the sunshine whilst the guests indulged in the Pimms and prosecco that was on tap. Plas Hyfryd put on a delicious three course meal and the speeches were fantastic, inducing the perfect mix of tears and laughter. After the formalities it was back to relaxing on the patio for the guests as the sun slowly set toward a break in the clouds which I was definitely keeping my eye on, my hopes pinned on some golden hour magic before dark!
Dreams clearly do come true, and beautiful golden light began to trickle across the park. This was my moment to steal Katie & Simon away one last time, and we found a quiet spot in the trees across from the hotel. I encourage the couple to take this moment away from the busy party to just spend some time together to reflect on the day. They didn’t need any help from me; these two were so natural and happy together! I try to keep these moments as relaxed as possible, partly because it’s more fun for everyone that way, and partly because it allows the couple to show real emotion and laughter, which comes across beautifully in photos.

As we strolled back towards the hotel we could hear the band, Tough Love, starting up. I’ve seen them at weddings before and they are fantastic! This venue lends itself perfectly to the evening’s activities. Within easy reach there was the indoor dance floor where guests were most definitely enjoying the band, and the new outdoor seating with fire pits in the tables (cool huh?) perfect for enjoying the last of the twilight and reflecting on the day.
The time came for the first dance. For some couples dancing solo in front of all their loved ones doesn’t sound like the most relaxing bit of the day, and Katie & Simon styled it out with perfection. A few elegant turns before inviting all their guests to join them, which everyone was dying to do. This part is one of my favourites to capture, with the couple surrounded by friends and family enjoying the moment and the music.
As the evening progressed, the time came for me to leave. It had been a long day, but I was genuinely sad to be leaving this lovely couple - what fun we had! It was a total pleasure to be a part of their relaxed and beautiful celebration. We most certainly didn’t leave empty handed, as to put the cherry on top of a wonderful day they were kind enough to send us on our way with a bottle of champers each! That was so kind.

Katie & Simon, I hope our paths cross again someday. <3

Venue: Plas Hyfred
Make up: Phillipa Hughes
Dress: Janes Bridal
Band: Tough Love

Hello! Welcome to my first ever blog, go easy on me. My love of wedding blogs borders on an obsession, and so now that I’m capturing images that I’m dying to show off, what better way to do so than to try my hand at this blogging game?

I’m lucky enough to enjoy weddings (would be a little sad if I didn’t!) and I find them all special and unique in their own way. One of the great parts of my job is meeting so many new people, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t also relish a wedding where all the awkward ‘getting to know you’ part was done and dusted years ago. This wedding was one of those.

Sophie & I go way back. In my Cathedral Choir days I sang alongside her, her sister Alice & her dad Arwel. When you’re sitting together in a pew for hours at a time you get to know each other pretty well, and so when she asked me to photograph her wedding at St Davids Cathedral I was honoured and excited, as I knew it was going to be a beautiful special day.

And sure enough, when I met with Sophie and Ieuan a few weeks before the big day to find out what was in store, I was not disappointed. No stone had been left unturned and they had collaborated with some of the best wedding suppliers in the industry!

The day itself was in early May, and the sun was shining as we arrived early at Reinvention where the wedding prep was underway and the ladies were looking the part with their personalised robes on & rollers in! I always say that this is the part of weddings that I look forward to the most, all girls together giggling and getting excited, so it was a great way to start the day. After taking a few ice breaker snaps I headed down the road to Sophie’s parents’ house to capture some details and the stunning dress, but of course not before managing to set my car alarm off… so much for the people of St Davids’ Saturday morning lie-ins!

With that little drama over I finally got to indulge in what is truly one of my favourite parts of a wedding… seeing the dress for the first time!! I LOVE wedding dresses.. big ones, little ones, frilly ones, sparkly ones - I’m obsessed! Sophie’s elegant Augusta Jones number from Huw Rees Bridal in Llanelli was no exception, with it’s gorgeous appliquéd lace along the neckline and scattered on the nude colour tulle back, sleeves and cuff. Stunning!

Details captured, I walked over the road (love a local wedding!) to Grandma Betty’s where the boys were getting ready. I introduced Isaac who was second shooting for me on this occasion and covering the boys morning prep, which was going pretty smoothly. Also assisting was Jemeima, who is my most capable assistant and also just so happens to be my little sister. Leaving the boys in Isaac’s capable hands, she and I headed back over to Sophie’s parents’ house, where, updos perfectly pinned, the bridesmaids were getting into their dresses.

As I arrived I was welcomed by the sight of the wedding cars supplied by JJ Mchughs  that had now arrived to chauffeur the girls to the Cathedral. 
The flowers had also arrived; seven beautiful bouquets by Flowers by Annabel. They looked and smelled out of this world!

The bridesmaids dressed in beautiful floor-length pink gowns with shawls and a clutch to match.
 Flower girls’ bows tied and jewels donned we now just had to wait for Sophie to return so we could get her into that stunning dress and to her wedding!

She came in rocking a 1940’s style updo & ran up the stairs to get dressed. No dress reveal to the dad shot here as he was the one helping her into it! Dress on, shoes on, veil on and into the car sharpish - blink & you’d have missed her - what a woman!

Sophie and her family play a huge role in the St Davids community so when she arrived at the Cathedral she was welcomed by a hoard of people waiting to catch a glimpse of her before she linked arms with her dad and headed inside to the full naive of friends, family and perhaps most importantly - her husband to be!

Both Sophie & Ieuan are keen musicians and their service reflected that, with Simon Pierce on the organ and the John S Davies Choir singing. This was extra special as both Sophie & Ieuan sing with them and met in this choir.

Another personal detail to the service was that Ieuan’s dad, John married them. 
The impressive service was topped off with an exit through the west doors! A truly rare occasion in St Davids Cathedral so a real treat to capture.

Every bride wishes for a sunny wedding day, and every photographer wishes for a dry, not too bright day! That day Sophie’s wish was definitely winning so we headed to the trees to hide from the sunlight to capture the family photos before some dramatic indoor bridal portraits in the window light that had caught my eye during the service.

The reception was at Warpool Court Hotel . In between all the congratulations and laughter, we took some time to capture the group shot, showered the couple with petals and took the wedding party away for some less formal photos. We then left the couple to catch up with their guests and headed indoors to capture the room and beautiful details which were supplied by the incredibly talented  Megan & Claude


The guests were seated, grace delivered by Dorian and the most amazing food was served!
 Once everyone was fed we stole Sophie & Ieuan away one last time to capture a few photos before the sunset, getting them back as swiftly as possible for the speeches.
 As the day gave way to the evening, people mingled and the NR Swing Band arrived. Once they were ready we brought everyone to the dancefloor to witness the cutting of the beautiful cake created by Kayleigh’s Cupcakes   followed by the first dance. The band swung into their tunes and I couldn’t help but move my feet!
 I stayed to capture some of the funky moves being thrown from all angles before packing up for the day and heading home which was just a dreamy 5-minute drive away.

A truly magical day for a lovely couple, made all the more special by it being in St Davids - a place I love and am lucky enough to call home!

Dress: Huw Rees Bridal

Hair & Makeup: Nigel @ Reinvention

Cake: Kayleighs Cupcakes

Caterting & Decoration: Megan & Claud

Cars: JJMC Hugh wedding cards

Flowes: Flowers By Annabel

Choir: John S Davies

Ceremony venue: St Davids Cathederal

Reception venue: Warpool Court Hotel

2nd shooter: Isaac Wilson Photography  

Evening band: NR Swing Band