{"id":248603,"date":"2019-02-13T07:00:10","date_gmt":"2019-02-13T07:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com\/?p=248603"},"modified":"2024-05-07T13:32:55","modified_gmt":"2024-05-07T12:32:55","slug":"bodnant-welsh-food-wedding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/bodnant-welsh-food-wedding\/","title":{"rendered":"Personal Deep Burgundy Autumn Wedding with Brass Touches"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Red<\/p>\n

I am thrilled to be sharing with you Mike and Nia’s gorgeous wedding day, which was held on the 15th September 2018 at Bodnant Welsh Food in Conwy, Wales. The autumn season really complimented the beautiful deep, dark and moody tones, which included burgundy and plum in the greenery laden florals, alongside forest green touches in the attire. Just beautiful! There was also an amazing VW Beetle wedding car, which coincidently tied into the wonderful colour palette.<\/p>\n

The d\u00e9cor was kept pared back but really personal and much of it was DIY. Family and friends all came together to help craft their day of dreams, something I really love. In the barns, fairy lights and greenery were used everywhere, alongside brass accents in the details. The results were rustic meets luxe and super lovely to boot.<\/p>\n

Mike and Nia both looked utterly stylish too, with Nia wearing an open back gown with veil by Wtoo and Mike donning a wool herringbone suit in grey. Wow.<\/p>\n

We have Elaine Williams Photography<\/a> to thank today for sharing with us these stunning captures. They really do capture all the emotions of this wonderful day.<\/p>\n

\"Dress<\/p>\n\n

\"Stationery \"Bouquet<\/p>\n\n

\"Bodnant \"Dress<\/p>\n

The Proposal<\/h3>\n

Mike proposed in New York on December the 2nd<\/sup> 2016. Mike had always said that he wanted to buy a house before we got married so as this hadn\u2019t happened yet I wasn\u2019t expecting a proposal at all! I wanted to go and see the big Christmas tree outside the Rockefeller centre when we arrived and so off we went and as I was wondering around trying find a good spot to take a photo of the tree, I turned round to see Mike standing there holding a ring. A few blubbering minutes later I said yes!<\/p>\n

\"Dress \"Bodnant<\/p>\n

The Vision<\/h3>\n

We didn\u2019t really have a \u2018vision\u2019 as such, I shuddered when people would ask me what the \u2018theme\u2019 of the wedding was as I didn\u2019t want it to have a \u2018theme\u2019 I just wanted it to be personal! Me and Mike wanted the day to reflect \u2018us\u2019 as much as possible but without costing the Earth. We knew we wanted a venue that was relaxed, we wanted people to have plenty of good food and drinks, and we wanted to incorporate some of the things we love such as rum and gin, lots of food, all things brass and gold, dark moody colours, good music and so on.<\/p>\n

\"Card \"Peg<\/p>\n

The Planning Process<\/h3>\n

We started planning slowly after getting engaged, however, we also bought a house a few weeks after getting engaged. This house turned out to be much more of a project than we\u2019d originally thought (we\u2019re still renovating..!), which meant we had two very big projects running alongside each other. Because of this Mike wanted to leave the planning for a while but I didn\u2019t so we eventually settled on getting married in September 2018 (nearly two years later)\u2026.turns out this still wasn\u2019t enough time!<\/p>\n

The planning process was relatively stress free as we both had quite a clear idea of what we wanted (or more importantly what we didn\u2019t want) and we wanted to stay relatively within budget so we did most things ourselves (with the help of some incredibly helpful friends and family!)<\/p>\n

\"Bottle \"Bodnant<\/p>\n

Budget<\/h3>\n

We weren\u2019t really sure what a realistic budget would be for a wedding having seen articles about weddings costing between \u00a320,000 and \u00a3100,000!<\/p>\n

We eventually settled on a rough budget of around \u00a310,000 and probably did go over in the end but not by a lot.<\/p>\n

\"Bodnant \"Bodnant\"Bodnant<\/p>\n

The Venue<\/h3>\n

We got married at Bodnant Welsh Food in Conwy. Having had our heart set on a full DIY wedding (empty barn, shed, tipi or something of the like) we realised this was too far beyond our budget and so when we went to see Bodnant we knew straight away this was the venue for us. With its original beams, wooden floors and views of both estuary and mountains we couldn\u2019t have chosen anywhere better.<\/p>\n

\"Bodnant \"Bodnant<\/p>\n

The Readings & Music<\/h3>\n

I found this bit quite fun but also very tricky! Trying to find readings that were romantic but not too cringey, poetic but not too wordy was quite a challenge! We also wanted to have one Welsh reading and one English reading as we are both bilingual and so having a bilingual ceremony was important for us.<\/p>\n

Music \u2013 I walked in to Ludovico Einaudi \u2013 I Giorni.<\/p>\n

During the signing my friend Elan sang Elvis Presely \u2013 Can\u2019t help falling in love with you (accompanied by her boyfriend Dafydd on guitar), everyone commented on how lovely it was and let\u2019s just say this song now always makes me cry!<\/p>\n

We walked out to Beach Boys \u2013 God Only Knows for a bit of fun and a nod to Mike\u2019s Dad who loved them.<\/p>\n

Readings \u2013 As I said we had one Welsh reading read by my friend Llio which was \u2018Addewid \u2013 Guto Dafydd\u2019 and one English reading read by Mike\u2019s sister Teresa which was \u2018Love is friendship caught fire \u2013 Laura Hendricks\u2019.<\/p>\n

Our first dance was to an acoustic version of Biffy Clyro \u2013 Mountains.<\/p>\n

\"Confetti \"Bodnant<\/p>\n

Groomsmen<\/h3>\n

Mike chose his little brother Steve as Best Man which conveniently left us with two brothers to be ushers! My brother Alun and Mike\u2019s older brother Graham were our ushers and Gwion (Mike\u2019s Nephew) did a great job as our ring bearer.<\/p>\n

Best Man (Steve) wore a suit from Asos, and the ushers (Alun and Graham) wore trousers and waistcoats from Marks & Spencers and Next. Rather than go for \u2018matching\u2019 we chose a general colour (grey) and a texture and allowed them to choose between various different suits.<\/p>\n

They all wore their own white shirts and all wore forest green ties bought online.<\/p>\n

\"Bodnant \"Red<\/p>\n

Bridesmaids<\/h3>\n

I had one bridesmaid, my sister Sara, as I just couldn\u2019t choose between my other family and friends! I wanted to keep it simple too with minimal fuss and so chose to have my one and only sister as bridesmaid. We wanted to keep the colours quite \u2018earthy\u2019 and so opted for forest green for my sister and for the men\u2019s ties.<\/p>\n

My bridesmaid (Sara) wore the \u2018Mykonos\u2019 dress in forest by Rewritten, shoes from New Look, and hair pins by \u2018Little Nell\u2019.<\/p>\n

Mike\u2019s nieces, the flower girls, wore dresses from John Lewis and little white sandals from Next.<\/p>\n

\"Dress \"Dress<\/p>\n

The Flowers<\/h3>\n

Our bouquets, buttonholes and the flower girls\u2019 flower crowns were beautifully created by Rebecca from Ivy Pip & Rose. Everyone kept asking if we had planned for the flowers in my bouquet to match Mike\u2019s VW Beetle but we hadn\u2019t it was just a very happy coincidence! All I knew was that I wanted lots of greenery, some dark plums and that I loved Proteas and Dahlias. Rebecca incorporated all of these things beautifully.<\/p>\n

As we were a bit tight on budget we created foliage garlands for the tables and beams ourselves (thanks to Kathy my mother-in-law and my friends for the help). We also used old gin and rum bottles we (and friends) had collected over the year to hold foliage and hydrangeas we\u2019d foraged from around our homes. Although this bit was fun, do not underestimate the amount of time it takes and the amount of flowers\/foliage you need to make a place look full! I thought we had loads but actually we could\u2019ve done with some more!!<\/p>\n

\"Dress \"Bouquet<\/p>\n

Your Outfits & Accessories<\/h3>\n

Nia \u2013 For a girl who spends most of her time in black jeans, a tshirt and a leather jacket it was hard to think of myself in a long white dress! After visiting around 6 bridal shops and trying around 30 dresses I kept coming back to the Lenora. My dress was the Lenora by Wtoo Watters bought from The Silk Loft in Felinheli. I knew I wanted something a little different and something with sleeves and the Lenora fit the bill perfectly. I particularly loved the open back as I didn\u2019t want to be completely covered up.<\/p>\n

Katie at The Silk Loft also suggested adding a small train which was a gorgeous touch and with the addition of a long veil (also from The Silk Loft) I felt like a superstar.<\/p>\n

My \u2018day shoes\u2019 were from Miss Selfridge and my \u2018party shoes\u2019 were leopard print sandals from Topshop (my faves). My beautiful headpiece was by \u2018Naturae Design\u2019, earrings by Sarah Brown Jewellery and my bangle was my grandmother\u2019s old bangle that she\u2019d been given by my late grandfather which was rather special.<\/p>\n

Mike \u2013 Mike always knew he wanted a three piece, something special that he could wear again as he very rarely has to wear suits (being an aircraft engineer by trade). One unique thing Mike raised quite early on was that he didn\u2019t want me to see his suit. He said \u2018If I\u2019m not allowed to see your dress then you\u2019re not allowed to see my suit!\u2019 and actually this turned out to be a really nice surprise for both of us on the day!<\/p>\n

Mike wore a grey herringbone wool three piece suit bought and tailored from Walker Slater in London. His boots were by Redwing London, arm cuffs from John Lewis, and he wore cufflinks that he hand stamped with his late father\u2019s initials.<\/p>\n

\"Groom \"Bouquet<\/p>\n

Beauty<\/h3>\n

My make up was done by the wonderful Fflur Hogan and my hair by my brilliant hairdresser Kate Parry.<\/p>\n

Both of these women are masters at their work and when they asked what I wanted I just said I wanted to \u2018look like myself but on a really really good day!\u2019. I never look very \u2018put together\u2019 and don\u2019t wear a lot of make-up and so I feel that these ladies put a lot of effort into making me look my very best without making me look too \u2018done\u2019 which was just what I wanted!<\/p>\n

\"Red \"Bodnant \"Red<\/p>\n

Your Photographer<\/h3>\n

Now then\u2026this was where Mike left me to it. I spent hours, if not days looking for a photographer, looked through lots of websites and eventually landed on Elaine! I knew I wanted someone who did documentary photography well, who\u2019s photos showed all the deep colours of the day and who told the story of the day through their photographs\u2026.and this is how I found Elaine! Elaine\u2019s photos have a certain \u2018moodiness\u2019 to them which I loved!<\/p>\n

What I love most about our photos is that Elaine has managed to capture the emotion of the day (from the laughter to the tears). I was worried that I would regret not having a videographer but after seeing Elaine\u2019s photos I don\u2019t regret this one bit!<\/p>\n

\"Bodnant \"Fairy \"Rosemary<\/p>\n

The Details & D\u00e9cor<\/h3>\n

Making the most of Mike\u2019s creative family we opted to do all of the stationery and d\u00e9cor ourselves. Our invites were hand drawn by Mike\u2019s niece Mia and then designed by Steve (the Best Man). We printed them ourselves and then purchased a personalised wax seal as a finishing touch for the envelopes. Our guestbook was screen printed by the Best Man\u2019s girlfriend (Lucy).<\/p>\n

For d\u00e9cor we collected lots of brass candlesticks from charity shops, car boot sales and so on to place on the tables with grey candles bought online. On each place name we put a sprig of rosemary and myself and Mike hand stamped each place name on a piece of brass which each guest could keep as a keyring afterwards.<\/p>\n

As a \u2018favour\u2019 we had miniature bottles of Bombay Sapphire gin and Kraken Rum (these went down very well) and as mentioned earlier tables were adorned with foliage garlands and flower filled gin and rum bottles.<\/p>\n

We spray painted a terrarium bought from Ikea to hold the cards, used a peg board for the order of the day and created the table plan ourselves simply using blackboard paint and a paint pen.<\/p>\n

My favourite piece of \u2018d\u00e9cor\u2019 was the vintage style \u2018face in the hole\u2019 board we\u2019d made as a sort of personal photo booth\/welcome board. These have turned out to be some of my favourite photos of the day!<\/p>\n

How could we forget the most important detail – the car! This 1966 volkswagen beetle has been in Mike\u2019s family since it was created. It was his Nain (Welsh for \u2018grandmother\u2019) Dilys\u2019 car which was passed down to Mike\u2019s Dad and then to Mike. Mike has lovingly restored it since his Dad sadly passed away which made having it as part of the day an extra special moment.<\/p>\n

\"Table \"Bottle \"Cake<\/p>\n

The Cake<\/h3>\n

Our beautiful and delicious cake was created by the amazing Lynwen from \u2018Aderyn Melys\u2019. I wasn\u2019t going to have a cake but having tasted one of Lynwen\u2019s cupcakes at a food fair I knew I had to have one of her cakes as the wedding cake! She created a lovely two tier cake, the first tier being plain chocolate, the second being chocolate and peanut butter finished with a caramel drip on top (I still have a bit stashed in the freezer for desperate times!)<\/p>\n

\"Cake \"Bodnant \"Bodnant \"Bodnant \"Bodnant \"Bodnant<\/p>\n

The Honeymoon<\/h3>\n

We had a small honeymoon for a few days immediately after the wedding, to the Amalfi Coast in Italy where we just drank and ate and slept! I would highly recommend going away (anywhere) after your wedding just so you can sleep and relax!<\/p>\n

We are hoping to save up to go for a longer trip to Canada next year, but in the meantime we have a house to finish!!<\/p>\n

\"Leopard \"Bodnant \"Bodnant<\/p>\n

Memorable Moments<\/h3>\n

Every single moment of the day. We had the best day of our lives (clich\u00e9..) but I think our favourite moments were:<\/p>\n

– Seeing each other for the first time and actually getting married!<\/p>\n

– Having all our friends and family in one room to celebrate with us.<\/p>\n

– The silent disco!!<\/p>\n

– Seeing my grandmother dance to Wheatus – teenage dirtbag\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026but I think my favourite moment was dancing with Mike to the last song of the night which was Greenday \u2013 Good Riddance with all our family and friends around us.<\/p>\n

\"Bodnant \"Bouquet \"Bodnant \"Bodnant \"Bride \"Bodnant \"Bodnant<\/p>\n

Advice For Other Couples<\/h3>\n

– Try your best to do what you <\/u>want to do and what reflects you as a couple (we had a lot of opinions along the way but we stuck to our guns and everyone had an amazing day!)<\/p>\n

– Don\u2019t sweat the small stuff. Being the control freak that I am there were things on the day that weren\u2019t perfect, but I genuinely didn\u2019t care (and no one else even noticed!)<\/p>\n

– Remember the reason why you\u2019re having a wedding. It\u2019s not for Instagram or Pinterest, it\u2019s not for your family or friends, it\u2019s because you (hopefully..) want to spend a long future with the person you\u2019re marrying and want to celebrate this in a really good party!<\/p>\n

\"Fairy \"Bodnant<\/p>\n

Credit Where Credit Is Due<\/h5>\n
\n
\n

Photographer
\nElaine Williams Photography<\/a><\/p>\n

Bride\u2019s Dress & Veil
\nThe Silk Loft<\/p>\n

Headpiece
\nNaturae Design<\/p>\n

Ring & Earrings
\nSarah Brown Jewellery<\/a><\/p>\n

Groom\u2019s Suit
\nWalker Slater<\/a><\/p>\n

Groom\u2019s Shoes
\nRed Wing London<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Bridesmaid Dress<\/strong>
\nRewritten<\/a><\/strong>
\nWedding Suppliers member – Bridal Fashion<\/p>\n

Make Up
\nFflur Hogan Makeup<\/p>\n

Hair
\nKate Parry<\/a><\/p>\n

Cake
\nAderyn Melys<\/p>\n

Flowers
\nIvy Pip and Rose<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Mike and Nia, thank you ever so much for sharing your beautiful nuptials with us. It’s been an honour to share your story xo Lou<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am thrilled to be sharing with you Mike and Nia’s gorgeous wedding day, which was held on the 15th September 2018 at Bodnant Welsh Food in Conwy, Wales. The autumn season really complimented the beautiful deep, dark and moody tones, which included burgundy and plum in the greenery laden florals, alongside forest green touches […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":248623,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,48],"tags":[357,6189,1078,439,3636],"class_list":["post-248603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-weddings","category-rustic-wedding","tag-autumn-wedding-ideas","tag-bodnant-welsh-food-wedding","tag-burgundy-wedding","tag-wales-wedding","tag-wtoo-wedding-dress"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":248623,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2019\/01\/Bodnant-Welsh-Food-Wedding-Elaine-Williams-Photography-20-300x200.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248603\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}