Your South Wales Wedding - March/April 2023 (Issue 90)

DRESSED TO IMPRESS “I wore an ivory fitted dress with a low back and cap sleeves from Chic & Elegant Bridal Wear,” shares Rebecca. “I thought that I was built for a classic A-line, princess-style dress or something along those lines, but when I went to see Linda at Chic & Elegant Bridal Wear, she asked me to choose a few dresses that I thought I liked and the same from the people attending the dress fitting. Following this, she pulled out some dresses she thought would suit me. One of which was completely different to what I thought I would have, I was self-conscious about my figure, but this dress made me feel like royalty. I knew it was the dress for me and every time I tried it on, I felt just as special. I accessorised with my sister’s veil, which she bought from the same shop 16 years prior, a hair slide, earrings, a necklace and a bracelet.” Nathan and the groomsmen opted for Marc Darcy suits. “Nathan bought his suit before I’d chosen my wedding dress; we were out shopping and saw his suit in a window and he fell in love with it,” explains the bride. “It was on sale, and they only had his size left, so we couldn’t leave without it. The groomsmen had the same suit but with a different coloured waistcoat. “The bridesmaids chose burnt orange dresses from Thedaintyard,” adds the bride. “These were perfect as the girls could choose how to wear the dress. This was particularly important to me as there was an age range of 13 to 30, each with their own style, so I wanted them to all feel comfortable. I also had a bridesman who chose his suit to complement the bridesmaids and had a matching tie.” MEMORABLE MOMENTS To keep everyone entertained, the couple provided games for people to play throughout the day and activity packs for the children. They also created a Spotify playlist made from songs that their guests sent them before the wedding. “We were both so excited to celebrate with our friends and family,” reveals Rebecca. “As the wedding had been postponed due to the pandemic, we had had an extra year to get excited and we were ready for a party after the ups and downs of the various lockdowns. Nathan was initially more nervous than me, there are photos of him taking deep breaths as he waited for me to arrive but overall, we were just grateful to be able to celebrate with the people we love and have people there that we didn’t expect to make it to the wedding. I felt completely relaxed throughout the whole day and just tried to enjoy the experience and feel gratitude for the people who had made the effort to travel to celebrate with us. “We climbed a sand dune to get some amazing photos; this was a lovely moment for Nathan and I to catch up about our mornings and what we had done the night before,” continues the bride. “It was precious to have that time as the rest of the day was so busy that we didn’t stop. One of my favourite moments was during the father-daughter dance we called up Nathan and his mum; Nathan’s mum has a life-limiting illness and we all thought she wouldn’t be with us for the wedding day – particularly when it got postponed for an extra year! However, she made it and this will forever be a memory that we hold close to our hearts, and I’m so glad we caught it on camera.” Nathan made everyone chuckle during the ceremony. “He couldn’t get the ring on my finger, and needed my help, which I made fun of him for, but then I couldn’t get his ring on either,” laughs Rebecca. “During the speeches, my dad wrote a really lovely poem and read it out in his best impression of Ray Gravell to sound as Welsh as possible. We all thought it was over, but then he surprised us with a second speech! It was worth it in the end though, even if we were ready for food. We couldn’t have asked for better friends and family who all went above and beyond to make the day special, but I’m so grateful for those that made speeches and did readings on the day. “We were so lucky with all our suppliers; every single one went above and beyond to make sure we had a great day,” adds Rebecca. “Our photographer and videographers captured wonderful memories, and we couldn’t have been happier.” 42

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