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Kirsty and Aled Summer Wedding

Kirsty and Aled - Summer Wedding in a South Wales Historic Venue


Amelia Mortimer
Amelia Mortimer Updated:
7th of July 2022

After being inseparable for 6 years, Kirsty said "yes" to Welsh rugby player Aled's proposal while on holiday in Palma. They tied the knot on 'freedom day' at Fairyhill in Wales, on Saturday 7th August 2021. With beautiful floral arrangements and a classic theme, Kirsty and Aled had an unforgettable wedding journey. 

The Venue

Kirsty and Aled fell in love with Fairyhill by Oldwalls, in Gower, South Wales. They loved that the venue was old with a modern twist, and had lots of little cwtches (cubby holes) and individual rooms. They particularly loved the beautiful venue grounds which stretched for 24 acres and provided the most amazing backdrop for their wedding photos.

The day before the wedding, the couple were staying in one of Fairyhill's Rustic Retreat cottages, Cerrig Glan. Their Fairyhill wedding coordinator, Greg, knocked on their door and told them they would be getting married on 'freedom day', which meant the couple could hug and dance with their guests, among other things. Kirsty explains, "We didn’t know the plan or what was going to happen until a day before, our wedding was on the Saturday, and the Welsh government announcement was on the Friday. We had goosebumps, I just couldn’t wait to hug everyone. The staff working in Fairyhill were also emotional, our venue managers Jo and Mark were so good to us, they couldn’t have done enough for us."

The Theme

Opting for a classic, timeless theme, with lots of neutral tones, the couple wanted to match Fairyhill’s signature look. Their flowers by Jan Lima took centre stage with stunning white roses and green foliage. Overall, the day was beautiful, simple and elegant.

The Fashion

Kirsty wore a stunning Pronovias wedding dress. She first saw the gown online and knew instantly it was the one, so went straight to their flagship store in London. Kirsty says, "When I went to the store, I tried on so many dresses, big sparkly ones, but I just felt lost in them all. Plain was key for me and I always went back to this one. I knew I wanted sleeves, and the team added in button detail down the back of the dress to make it more personal to me. I felt so comfortable. I knew I could dance and move around in my dress which was so important to me. I wanted to be able to lift the kids and dance with them. I felt really special – It was the perfect dress."

The groomsmen wore dashing, tailored tuxedos from Moss Bros. Aled had his own bespoke jacket so that he’d stand out from his groomsmen, which was a velvet tuxedo with satin lapels. For a sweet, sentimental touch, he had their initials and wedding date embroidered inside the jacket. 

The bridesmaids wore stunning, off the shoulder, sage green dresses that perfectly matched the elegant, classic theme of the day.

The Ceremony

Kirsty wasn’t nervous at all throughout the morning, but felt emotional when she arrived at the ceremony. Their daughter walked down the aisle first, followed by the bridesmaids. As Kirsty walked down she could see Aled was emotional and welling up. They had a sax player, Oli James, who played during the ceremony. After they'd finished signing their names, they walked back down the aisle to 'Dancing in The Moonlight' and were ready for the rest of the day.

The Reception

Most of the wedding stationery was made by Kirsty and her sister in law. They created stunning, homemade place cards and a table plan which showed significant years in Kirsty and Aled's lives, with memorable photos from each year. The wedding favours, pick-n-mix, were Aled's favourite and went down a treat with their guests! Aled and Kirsty chose an acoustic version of 'I Really Like You' by Carly Ray Jepson as their first dance song, performed by their wedding band, Coverland. Their amazing wedding cake was from Amelia Dream Cakes. Matching their classic, timeless theme, they opted for a simple, textured look with gold flakes around the edges. One tier was lemon, one caramel, and the other was raspberry and white chocolate.

Advice

Kirsty also gave some advice to future couples planning their wedding: "Enjoy the planning, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Just keep on top of things and trust your venue. Fairyhill knew exactly what they were doing, and I had every faith in every person we booked for the wedding. Stay relaxed and don’t stress; Enjoy every moment. "

Suppliers

Venue:

Fairyhill Wedding Venue

Exclusive wedding venue, picture perfect setting

Swansea, Swansea

£6,500 - £15,000

Venues

Florist: Jan Lima Flowers 

Photographer: Rachel Lambert and Stacey Clarke 

Dress designer and flagship store: Pronovias

Suits: Moss Bros.

Videographer: Steve Ratcliffe

Hair: Katie Helen

Make Up: Alexandra Crean

Cake: Amelia Dream Bakes

Musicians: Coverland and Oli James

Photobooth: Ultrabooth

Amelia Mortimer

About the author


Amelia Mortimer

Recently married and a photographer herself, Amelia has an extensive knowledge of weddings, planning and photography. A voluntary events planner for her church, Amelia has the understanding of what is needed to make an event amazing and the passion to match. She is your best contact for advice on religious ceremonies, wedding planning and photography.

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