Lydia & Dan

So Lydia & Dans Cardiff wedding is a little bit delicious isn't it. The mix of delicate blush pink with sumptious deep dark burgundy hues make this both romantic and sultry, and I can't get enough. The wedding flowers in particular are giving me all the feels with their giant dahlia heads, wild blooms and foliage matching all the wedding attire beautifully. The barn reception at Rosedew Farm is also making me weak at the knees. Just as special at night as it is in the day with it's bunting and fairy light decor. And just wait until you see the couples sparkler send off. Grace Elizabeth Photo & Film's set of images are guaranteed to have you swooning with delight, so sit back relax and savour every minute.

Our Story

Lydia the Bride: I bought the very first wedding dress I tried on, A gorgeous Augusta Jones gown called 'Sophia' from Laura May Bridal, Cardiff, handpicked by my mum. The floral pattern in the lace at the neckline and hem and the lace sheer back are my favourite details.

Grooms Attire

Dan wore a three-piece Fellini Tailored suit from Slaters, with a subtle check in the fabric, which was something that we particularly wanted.

The Venue

The wedding was at Rosedew Farm and it was exactly what we were looking for. The venue was a charming converted barn in the middle of the Welsh countryside and a few minutes from a pebble beach. The barn was a blank canvas and we were able to make it our own.

Colour Scheme/Decor

Our colours scheme was neutrals and pale pinks with burgundy, brought together nicely by the flowers. Dan volunteered to make giant marquee letters spelling out D & L. I might have doubted him at first, but he pulled it off and the letters looked fab outside the barn.

Florist

The Flower Hive was a really special find. When I met the florist, Eva, she was keen to understand my theme and ideas and do the best she could to provide the right colours. Eva grows the flowers herself and each bouquet is full of seasonal wildflowers arranged in a bohemian style. Eva also arranged beautiful hairpieces for me and my bridesmaids. The flowers added a bohemian touch and the arrangements were gorgeous. I’ve dried out my hairpiece and Dan’s buttonhole to keep as a reminder. My favourite wedding decorations are always the flowers. I wanted to use floral decorations to give a natural, bright and fresh look. To save on costs we bought flowers from a wholesaler and family and friends pulled together to bring some of my Pinterest inspiration to life. There was a hanging garland at the front of the church, which Dan and I stood under to make our vows. It looked more beautiful than I had imagined. All of the flowers at the venue were arranged by our family and friends. The hard work was worth it and we will forever be thankful for skill, time and buckets of foliage donated by our kind friends.

The Wedding Party Fashion

I had a bridesmaid squad of six and I wanted them to look and feel their best at the wedding. I was happy for them to choose their own dresses in shades of nude and pink. The first time that I saw all the dresses together was the day before the wedding and I was really pleased with how well they complemented each other. The girls looked gorgeous and each dress was unique to them.

Ceremony

The wedding ceremony was at the church that I had grown up attending, which was really special to us. The church was packed and it was wonderful to see so many loved ones there to celebrate with us. The ceremony was the most important part of the day for us. My dad is a pastor and he gave a short address during the ceremony, full of wisdom and encouragement. Dan’s sister Grace sang and played guitar while we signed the register. It was beautiful. Dan’s family are Asian and we had a Chinese tea ceremony at our wedding to honour our new family members and to celebrate this tradition. This was also a moment for us to be welcomed by our new families. We both wore traditional dress for the ceremony; I thought it was really fun to have two entirely different wedding dresses! The tea ceremony was a special moment for both families and we enjoyed keeping the tradition alive.

Entertainment

We had a Cardiff based jazz band called the Feathertones play at the evening reception. They were amazing musicians and definitely knew how to work a crowd. The band was great at giving contemporary songs a jazzy feel. The dance floor was packed and it was so good to look round and see everyone enjoying themselves.

Food

The wedding was catered for by The Farmers Pantry, who are passionate about bringing food directly from the farm to the table and sourcing local produce. We wanted to have an informal wedding breakfast and chose to have a barbeque-style sharing meal. The barbequed food came out on large wooden platter and it was wonderful to see our guests being brought together through sharing round the table. The food was delicious. Canapés: salmon, cream cheese and cucumber, honey glazed sausages, goats cheese and honey bruschetta. Main: Ginger, chilli and lime chicken, pork sausages, pork, smoked garlic and mushroom sausages, Argentine fire beef truffle. Couscous and roasted vegetables, green leaf salad, chickpea, tomato and basil salad. Dessert: chocolate mousse and raspberries.

Cake

Our wedding cake from Cakes by Hollie Jean was all about the taste. Each tier was one of our favourite flavours; lemon and poppy seed, red velvet and chocolate fudge cake. Hollie and I came up with the design together. It was dirty iced and decorated with fresh flowers grown by Eva at the Flower Hive. It was simple and very pretty.

Photography

Grace and Mitch captured our wedding day perfectly. They noticed the details and caught all the moments we might have missed. The photographs are beautiful and bring back all the emotion and joy of our wedding day.