For Heidi and Lloyd, it was love at first sight. “We met in a night club 10 years ago and have been inseparable ever since,” says Heidi. “Over the years, we grew closer and in 2018, Lloyd popped the question during a holiday to Rome. He gave me some preserved roses with the ring at the centre of the bouquet. It was a complete surprise, and although we’d been together for six years, we’d only just bought our first home together, so I wasn’t expecting an engagement. Lloyd booked the trip for us as a small getaway, and he didn’t disappoint with his choice of hotel. We stayed at Aleph Rome Hotel, and it was so special and beautiful. I was completely shocked but over the moon.” SETTING THE SCENE “As soon as we saw Hensol Castle, we knew it was the one,” shares the bride. “We fell in love with every aspect of it, from the stunning grounds to the picturesque views of the castle. Not forgetting the gorgeous private lake, which we knew would look great in pictures. It had so much character and was perfect for the fairytale wedding that I’d always dreamt of. “To decorate the space, we used gold chairs and charger plates from Be Our Guest Events,” adds Heidi. “We also used a gold frame to display an LED sign behind the top table, which lit up the room.” For their favours, the couple gave their guests miniature bottles of flavoured gin and Jack Daniels. These were put next to the place names, which were cut out of gold acrylic. This tied in well with the couple’s table plan, which was clear acrylic with gold table numbers. “The centrepieces grabbed everyone’s attention,” explains the bride. “We had gold stands in the centre of each table with artificial white flower balls on top supplied by Be Our Guest Events. The flowers played a massive part in our wedding theme. Hilary’s Floral Design made my bouquet which was filled with white and ivory flowers with a small amount of greenery. We had a bespoke flower arch, which made the beautiful castle entrance even more stunning. We also had a fresh flower garland draping down the amazing staircase, and a spray of flowers on the fireplace and ceremony table. We later used the ceremony table display as the top table centrepiece.” The couple’s big-day bake was made by Ponty Carlo Cakes. “It was breathtaking,” recalls Heidi. “It was made up of four tiers, all of which were decorated slightly differently to suit our theme. The bottom tier was vanilla and raspberry sponge covered with sugarpaste and paper ruffles, which sat in a hydrangea skirt made by Hilary’s Floral Design. The second was strawberry and champagne, with the third being a chocolate and salted caramel sponge covered in light gold icing. The top tier was white chocolate and passionfruit, with our initials in acrylic gold. We also had a seven-tier chocolate-covered strawberry tower from Fruity Bouquets and a Welshcake tower from Calon Lân Cakes.” To transport Heidi and her bridal party to the venue, the couple hired a white and black vintage car from Prices Wedding Cars. DRESSED TO IMPRESS Heidi wore a Martina Liana gown called 1078 from Laura May Bridal. “The detailing was out of this world, and the ivory lace and sequins showed off my figure perfectly,” remembers Heidi. “It had a V neckline with the most magical beaded train. I accessorised with a floor-length veil, a silver comb and Christian Louboutin shoes, which had small diamond rhinestones covering the toes that could be seen as I walked.” Lloyd chose a bespoke tux handmade by Nathan Palmer. The suit was black with a velvet jacket, making him stand out from the groomsmen who all wore black tuxedos. “The suit was second to none with velvet detailing going down the side of the trousers,” says the bride. “All the 41 REAL WEDDINGS
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