Paul and Sarah's Wedding in Mumbles, Swansea

One of the first things we arranged was our venue. We wanted an intimate venue by the sea which would allow our 50 guests to stay overnight in one place, and we wanted somewhere we could have the ceremony and reception all under one roof. We did a lot of research online and made sure we prepared a detailed set of questions for venues based on our priorities to help us narrow down the search. We viewed 3 venues. From the moment we walked through the door we both looked at each other and just knew we’d found ‘the one’. The fantastic team at Norton House in The Mumbles were so incredibly welcoming and accommodating. We had the freedom to dress the venue as we wanted, and ended up with exclusivity for our wedding. Things like having a tasting menu and regular check-in with the coordinator helped to keep things running smoothly. We were so lucky with the venue as it meant we ended up having a full weekend to celebrate with our family and friends.

We also wanted to support local suppliers, and to find ways to add personal touches to our day. We were thrilled when we found Jan’s Bakery, an amazing baker who has been selling wonderful traditional Welsh cakes for over 30 years in Swansea Market. The bakery supplied a beautiful mix of heart shaped and traditional cakes which I dressed with fresh Gypsophila. We ended up with a unique cake display and no cakes went to waste!

Hair and make-up were daunting, so having trials early on was absolutely essential. Both our MUA and hairstylist were great and took time at the trials to listen to what I wanted and discuss options. I was able to try out different ideas and find a classic look where I still felt comfortable and like myself. Laura Jayne James MUA made the morning so much fun and very relaxed for the whole bridal party. My hair and make-up both lasted until we left the dancefloor!

Finding our outfits was a little different. My dress was a second hand find from StillWhite and my incredible mother-in-law altered it and added a belt from Etsy for a bit of sparkle - it fit like a glove, and I felt so happy and comfortable all day. I was able to stroll to the seafront for photos and hit the dancefloor. My husband Paul found his Skopes suits when we popped into town ‘just for a browse’ and he snapped his up then and there. I also went veil shopping with Paul as I trust his opinion – we had a fun afternoon trying on veils and he helped me pick out a simple fingertip one tier veil from Wed2B which complemented my dress perfectly!

The ceremony itself was a joy. We had found Nia Sian Davies, an incredibly talented local harpist, who learnt some new pieces just for us. She played for us during the ceremony and during the drinks reception. Our music choices were:

Entrance: I can’t help falling in love with you – Elvis Presley

Signing: ‘Married Life – the Film Theme from Up and ‘Comptine d'un autre été’ the Film Theme from Amelie

Exit: The theme from the A-Team TV Show (which sounds rather excellent on the harp!)

We had written our own vows, had both Welsh and English touches in the service, and had two readings which we had personally selected. My auntie read the classic ‘The Art of Marriage’ by Wilferd Arlan Peterson. One of our bridesmaids read an adapted extract from ‘All I know About Love’ by Dolly Alderton which got a few giggles from the congregation. We also both decided to give speeches at our reception as we felt it was important that we both thanked family and friends equally. Whilst we knew what the vows contained we manged to keep elements of our speeches a surprise and it was lovely to hear the other speak at the reception.

Our photographer Hannah at Scoularfish Photography is one of the friendliest and accommodating people we have ever met. We had been let down by our initial supplier a month in advance of our wedding and had a brief panic until we found Hannah who stepped in to save the day. We were blown away by how she managed to put everyone at ease, so even a very nervy groom managed to relax in front of the camera.

We both loved the day and were so grateful to have a full weekend to catch up with family and friends -it also meant we had plenty of time to organise the décor in the venue the day before which always takes longer than you expect. One of the best decisions we made was factoring in time after the ceremony to take 10 minutes by ourselves as a couple to just breathe and enjoy the moment. We also had a mini-moon so that we had a few days to rest and recharge before heading back into work – we really recommend a little bit of time off if you can as it is quite a whirlwind. We kept many traditional elements but were not afraid to mix things up. We didn’t have a traditional tiered cake, throw the bouquet, or have a confetti shot and I loved giving a bridal speech - do the day your way!