Your South Wales Wedding - September/October 2020 (Issue 75)

REAL WEDDINGS 33  L eanne and Kevin first locked eyes at work. “We knew each other, but it wasn’t until I decided to take part in a charity mountain climb that we started messaging,” says Leanne. “Kev was an avid hiker, I, on the other hand, hated it, so he was my advice guru. Over time things started to progress as did the flirting. I eventually plucked up the courage to ask him out, and on October 15 th , we went on our first date. Further dates followed, and we quickly realised how we felt about each other.” Kevin asked Leanne to marry him on 7 th June, 2017 at Newton Beach. “It’s where we went for our second date,” explains the bride. “Although we had talked about getting married, the proposal was a complete surprise. He gave me a beautiful Tolkowsky princess cut diamond set in a beautiful band, which was perfect.” SETTING THE SCENE “Bryngarw House is a beautiful building set in picturesque grounds,” shares the bride. "We loved the décor, ceremony room and marquee. There was also a large bridal room and space where the boys could relax before the service. It was Bliss and Naomi that really helped make up our minds though. They did everything they could to make our day perfect. We knew right away it was where we wanted to spend our special day and start our new life as husband and wife.” The happy couple decided to have a romantic and elegant themed day. “It’s well known that I’m partial to a bit of bling, so we decided to add diamanté touches to the place cards, table numbers and table plan,” adds the bride. “Our table numbers reflected dates that were special to us and on the back of each one was a small picture of what the date represented.” “We asked my cousin to design and paint a welcome sign,” says Leanne. “She also made a chalkboard for our sweet table, cards, gifts and a fingerprint tree, which incorporated our colour scheme and love of flowers.” For their big-day blooms, the couple turned to Best Buds by Samara. “Roses and freesias have always been a favourite of mine, so I knew I wanted them in my bouquet,” explains the bride. “Sadly, my grandparents passed away, and as I was so close to them, I decided to incorporate a flower charm into my bouquet. I made all the artificial arrangements to decorate the entrance, conservatory and hallway. These matched our theme perfectly, and I finished the look with handmade lanterns to line the aisle.” Leanne and Kevin incorporated their love of cake into their favours. “We love sweet treats, so it was only fitting that we purchased Welsh cakes to give our guests,” says Leanne. “I made little thank you tags to add a nice, personal touch.” To keep their guests happy, the lovebirds created a sweet table. “I bought jars, letters and ribbons and made my own table,” shares the bride. “It tied in with our theme, and by the time we got back from our evening photographs, it was almost empty! Clearly, I’m not the only one with a sweet tooth.” DRESSED TO IMPRESS Leanne chose a Justin Alexander dress from Perfection Bridal Cardiff. “I chose it because of the intricate Chantilly lace,” shares Leanne. “It was so beautiful‌, and once I had it on, I knew it was the one. It took a while as I kept thinking about the cost, but Kev told me to ignore the price tags and choose the dress that I wanted, so I did and blew the budget right out the water! It was the only time I’ve ever listened to him, but it was definitely