A Contemporary-Cool Outdoor Wedding at Fairyhill by Oldwalls, Swansea with a Jesus Peiro Dress

Gemma and Cameron created an on-trend yet timeless vibe to their August wedding day at the enchanting Fairyhill by Oldwalls

We have included third party products to help you navigate and enjoy life’s biggest moments. Purchases made through links on this page may earn us a commission.

Emily Deane

13 May, 2020

Friends and family

If you’re looking to do something a little different on your wedding day, you’ve certainly come to the right place for inspiration. Gemma and Cameron were clear from the outset that they wanted a unique look for their day and – with the help of the fabulously quirky Fairyhill by Oldwalls and talented florist Eve Francesca – they totally nailed it.

Gemma and Cameron’s wedding was a long time in the making, with a nostalgic Magaluf proposal six years before the big day.

“We met when we were both 18 years old. I was on my first girls’ holiday to Magaluf (who’s first girls’ holiday wasn’t?!) and Cameron was on his first boys’ holiday, and the rest, as they say, is history!

“For the proposal, Cameron took us back to where it all began – Magaluf! He took me to Pirates, which is a dinner theatre show in Mallorca. They have acrobatics, gymnastics and dancing. After the food, Cameron got on stage and popped the question!”

Photographer: Richard Savage Photography

The Wedding Dress

It was important to Gemma that both she and Cameron looked classic on the day so that when they looked back in years to come, the pictures wouldn’t feel dated.

Gemma’s stunning long-sleeved gown fit the bill perfectly: “I wore a Jesus Peiro crepe made-to-measure gown with petal detail sleeves from White Bride in Wales and my headdress was from Davina Lynch Hats.”

Gemma’s six bridesmaids wore burnt orange infinity dresses from Valdenize Soares, perfectly complementing the warm tones in the florals and décor.

The Wedding Venue

Gemma and Cameron had exclusive use and outdoor ceremony facilities at the top of their wedding venue wish list. As they wanted to marry in Swansea and invite a large number of guests, it ended up taking the couple a little longer to find their dream venue.

“I always imagined when I was a child getting married on a lawn in front of big beautiful house. I was open to getting married anywhere in the UK, but Cameron didn’t want to get married outside of Swansea.

“We originally considered Fairyhill six years ago when it was a famous hotel and restaurant and before the Oldwalls Collection had taken it over, but it wasn’t big enough for what we had imagined. We searched for six years and just couldn’t find the right venue.

“When we heard that the Oldwalls Collection had taken over Fairyhill we couldn’t wait to see the plans. The K room wasn’t built at this stage and all we saw was a virtual reality of what the room would look like and it was perfect. We instantly fell in love and knew Fairyhill was the one. We booked the wedding there and then, before the K room was even built! Once we saw the completed extension it certainly lived up to its expectations and blew us away. We absolutely loved the K room and the unique combination of contemporary and traditional architecture.”

The Wedding Breakfast

It wasn’t just the eclectic architecture and outdoor ceremony space that attracted Gemma and Cameron to Fairyhill. The couple were also more than a little impressed with the delicious in-house catering.

“We had a gorgeous five-course wedding breakfast; for starters we had smashed duck spring roll and baked perl wen tart; for mains we had roast sirloin of beef, and roast breast and ballotine of chicken (just thinking about the food is making my mouth water!); for dessert (my favourite part) we had sugar-glazed brioche bread and butter pudding and vanilla crème brûlée. The food was seriously out of this world!”

The Wedding Flowers and Cake

When it came to flowers, Gemma knew right away that she wanted to steer away from anything too traditional.

“I wanted something different, something chic and contemporary. I included all types of fruit amongst my bouquet as well as pampas grass.”

One of Gemma’s bridesmaids created the stunning two-tier wedding cake and florist, Eve Francesca, dressed it with roses and fruit. “It was a really chic and modern look.”

The Décor and Special Touches

The stunning and contemporary table touches were put together by The Luxe Touch.

“I wanted a banquet hall theme for the wedding breakfast with white table cloths, black napkins and gold cutlery. We also included a gothic element with black candles in the evening.”

The Entertainment

The couple chose to have a string quartet play during the ceremony and to surprise guests with The Singing Waiters while tucking into their incredible wedding breakfast.

Gemma and Cameron got everyone in the party spirit by having guitarist, Wolfie, play after the food. Guests enjoyed the soundtrack as they watched (and joined in!) with the footie goals, basketball and air hockey which were set up for the little ones on the terrace by the couple.

“To top it off we danced the night away to The Soulskunks later in the evening.”

When it comes to advice for couples planning their weddings, Gemma recommends stealing some time alone together on the day and, of course, making the most of that delicious food you worked so hard to get right!

“Try and spend as much time together as possible, the day goes so quickly! Enjoy it, hold hands and, most importantly, eat the evening food! We were so busy talking we completely forgot about the buffet, so we took a plate to the honeymoon suite, but the kids got there before us!”