Our Wedding : The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Planning a wedding is serious stuff. You don't want your hard earned money ~ and let's face it, it's a lot of money ~ to be wasted on an unreliable company. To be honest, you don't want that at any event, but especially on your wedding day, one of the most nerve-wracking and stress~inducing days of your lives!

The general consensus is to personally meet with all of your suppliers, and go with your gut instinct. Sadly, we don't all have that luxury, and there were one or two of our wedding suppliers that we didn't meet with beforehand. I think the best way to find your wedding suppliers is through word of mouth, whether that be through friends and family, recommendations from other suppliers you've chosen, or real weddings from bridal blogs. I thought it'd be helpful to 'pay it forward' to other Welsh brides, and provide a list of our wedding suppliers ~ the good, the bad and the ugly!

O&C Photography

I cannot put into words how incredible this husband and wife duo are. Owen and Charis were the only photographers we met in person, after being the most friendly and helpful over emails. We went to see them at their home and saw an abundance of gorgeous photo albums in varying styles and price ranges. Charis had baked a banana and chocolate chip cake for the occasion and they were so welcoming in their beautiful, cosy home. They were very easy to get along with and made us feel so comfortable. The 4 hour round trip was completely worth it {despite my travel sickness} and we knew even as we were waving goodbye that they would be our photographers.

On the day, Charis was worth a million dollars. She was actually the one who got me dressed, so thank you Charis! If it was left up to me and my Mama, my groom would still be waiting now... The photos were given to us within 3 weeks and they are nothing short of phenomenal. They captured all of the little details, which were important to me as a DIY bride, and they captured the tender moments, the funny moments, and the heartwarming moments. They've managed to make me look beautiful in the pictures, which is no mean feat! The also captured my Father~in~Law, at his happiest and cheekiest, so the beautiful photos are even more precious now since he sadly passed away. I really cannot recommend them enough ~ and if you need further recommendations, their fabulous work is often featured on Rock My Wedding and Love My Dress!

The Orangery at Margam Country Park

After 30+ venue searches, we finally chose Margam Orangery for our wedding. I was apprehensive about booking the Orangery ~ I'd been to a wedding there in the past and thoroughly enjoyed myself, but I was put off by the fact that it is the only decent place to get married in my little town. I didn't want people to roll their eyes when I told them our wedding venue, but in fact, it was quite the opposite! As soon as we set foot in the door, we knew we would be getting married there.

The 18th century Orangery, with it's vast ceilings and impressive architecture, is set in acres of gorgeous grounds, and despite being accessible to the public, it felt private, secluded and intimate. The staff were absolutely incredible ~ particularly Claire and Deb ~ and nothing was too much trouble for them. We were even impressed with the waitresses and bar staff, who happily helped my brother and I compete for the most deadly combination of spirits later on in the evening! The food was delicious and plentiful {many guests ended up taking doggy bags home!}, so don't be put off by the lack of menu tasting beforehand.

My one complaint, and it really is minute, is that we weren't allowed access to the gothic mansion for photos. There is currently a period drama of some sort being filmed there, so if your wedding clashes with the filming schedule, you can't access it. Other than that, everything was absolutely perfect. The venue complimented our Winter Wonderland perfectly, with cosy candlelight and huge Christmas trees with twinkling fairy lights. I really cannot recommend the Orangery highly enough ~ I still have guests telling me how impressed they were!

Cariad Bridal / High Society Occasionwear

I got my dress from Cariad and my bridesmaid's dress from High Society. My dress was by Amanda Wyatt, which was fabulously made, but the service from Cariad is what made my dress experience so special. As a larger lady I was dreading going dress shopping. Vanessa from Cariad cornered me at a bridal fayre and she immediately knew what was causing my reluctance to go dress shopping. During my wedding planning, I met with a few different girls at Cariad and every time I was treated like a superstar. The worst part of wedding planning quickly became my favourite and I even started looking forward to my appointments. I've never felt beautiful nor confident, but standing in the middle of the wedding shop I felt on top of the world! It was a really personal service and I am so grateful for Cariad Bridal making my wedding dress dreams a reality.

I'm happy with the service we received from High Society but it felt less personal. We were in and out within 10 minutes having purchased my bridesmaid's Dessy dress though, so in fairness to them, they were great in the short amount of time we met with them!

Chair Covers and Bows

Chair Covers and Bows provided us with our chair covers {and bows, obviously}, our twinkly dancefloor and two cherry blossom trees. My husband found this company and we initially booked them for their competitive prices, but they were honestly the best company for the job. We met with David quite a few times and he always showed interest in what we had to say. I loved that amongst the hundreds of brides and grooms he saw throughout the year, he remembered us and our plans each time he saw us, whether through appointments or bumping into him at wedding fayres. It felt like a personal service and he always made us feel like we were the most important clients. I'm pretty damn sure he treated everyone like that!

As well as top~notch service, we were overjoyed with the actual products. The crisp white linen and beautiful charcoal bows looked stunning, and the cherry blossom trees were utterly fabulous ~ the icy blue colour really went well with the Winter Wonderland look we were aiming for. The best thing? Our twinkly dancefloor! We managed to get it for a bargain price as we had an introductory offer, but I'd absolutely pay full price for it! I loved seeing it twinkle beneath us as we shuffled awkwardly for our first dance, and it was enjoyed by both children and adults...

Candy Cart Magic

This is the first of our suppliers that we didn't meet with and they provided, as the name suggests, our candy cart. My husband actually booked the candy cart as a surprise for me ~ well, he would have if I hadn't found out about it... I always manage to ruin surprises! We decided to just book the cart and get the vases and sweets ourselves, but Candy Cart Magic offer a range of packages including an amazing fairytale castle if you want one for your daughter's birthday party! The cart was a real talking point, both on the day and now, and we are very happy with our Willie! My husband only booked this a week prior to the wedding and he thinks the service was great. They answered any queries promptly and was very flexible with regards to what we wanted. It's the nicest cart and candy service I've seen in South Wales, without doubt. Essential for a wedding? No, but definitely worth it!

Little Charm Bakery

I was quite specific with my cake design, and I initially had trouble finding someone local who would make the cake balls for us. Kelly from Little Charm Bakery was open to our design and really helpful during our brainstorming session ~ this was before we'd even booked her! She travelled to our home for the initial consultation and cake tasting, bringing with her an incredible batch of flavours and a slither of fruit cake, which was utterly delicious. A few weeks before the wedding, I started obsessing over the cake and how it would look. I sent a few emails, a number of pictures specifying exactly what I wanted, and Kelly was wonderful. I can't imagine I was the easiest bride to work with, but she took it all in her stride. I didn't get to taste my wedding cake, sadly, but I've heard nothing but positive things. When my Mam collected us from the airport from our honeymoon, the first thing she said was how delicious the cake was! I love how the cake looked and despite not tasting any of my actual wedding cake, she certainly passes the taste test as we've sampled a fair few scrumptious cupcakes from her.

Neath Male Voice Choir

Despite not having a religious ceremony, I knew I wanted a choir. I get goosebumps as soon as they start singing, and when we listened to their rehearsal, I cried! Their repertoire wasn't overwhelming, and my hopes of cheery Christmas songs being sung was quickly dashed, but the romantic songs that they sung were just spine~tingling. As you can see, they all looked so smart and handsome in their formal suits too. Absolutely gorgeous and one of the most talked about parts of the day! Loads of our guests, both men and women, shed a tear, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end when I think about them singing 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight', even now, three months later.

Happy Days Cars

Happy Days Cars were another company we didn't meet with beforehand but I'd recommend them over and over again. The vintage blue Buick we chose was absolutely gorgeous and it attracted lots of attention! It's a bit different to the usual vintage style wedding car, which is why I fell in love with it. The interior seats and floor was lined with a soft, luxurious faux cream fur and was so comfortable. It had plenty of room for my big dress and the driver was so pleasant and immaculately dressed. I asked the driver to post the keys through my letterbox when he had dropped me off but I think he forgot... Perfect wedding car if you are looking for something old, something blue, or just something different and opulent.

Caitlin's Creations

Caitlin's Creations were the final company we booked without meeting and to be honest, I don't know if we'd use them again for our hypothetical next wedding. Emma supplied us with our table centrepieces ~ white manzanita trees with crystal garlands dripping from the branches. The product was lovely, exactly what we wanted, but the service could've been a lot better. Communication was slow, which was very worrying during the week leading up to the wedding and we were trying to co~ordinate a time for her to set up.She also didn't collect the trees from The Orangery, which was an inconvenience to them. They had to phone us when we were on honeymoon, which wasn't the most pleasant of phonecalls to be having, so we went to collect them when we returned, and again, our emails were left to linger in her inbox. It took over three weeks after the wedding for Emma to collect them from us ~ which was a pain to be honest. Great product, fantastic price, but lack of communication and organisation was a major disappointment. She has a successful stationery business, so it would appear to me that her focus and time is spent there as opposed to the decoration side of her company, which is a shame.

Hope there are some Welsh brides out there who found this post helpful. Some of the websites listed aren't kept up to date, but there are links to their Facebook pages from their sites which is updated regularly. Definitely check them out!

♥

Favourite Products ~ February 2013

Hello *waves* ~ it's been a few weeks!

{Those of you who follow me on Twitter may already know, but my father in law sadly passed away on January 24th. I took a step back from the Internet to comfort my husband, support our family and of course, grieve. Before I delve into my post I just wanted to thank you so much for your kind tweets and supportive emails. It really means a lot that people would take the time out of their day to think of us and send us some words of comfort.}

While I've been away, I missed my monthly favourites post for January, so this is a little round up of things I've been loving so far this year.

Firstly, I've been obsessed with this shampoo and conditioner ~ Organix Macadamia Oil. These two bottles are less than 400mls each, yet the shampoo is still half full and the conditioner has about a quarter left. That's testament to how little you need as I bought these almost three months ago! The macadamia oil can be felt immediately in the shampoo, yet it lathers up wonderfully and does a great job of leaving my hair feeling clean yet nourished. The conditioner feels silky and as soon as I smother my hair in it, I notice my hair tries to absorb as much it can so it leaves behind a smooth residue. Not greasy, but definitely oily. I try not to put too much near my roots as the oil in the shampoo is suffice. Once I rinse it off, my hair feels in gorgeous condition, looks beautifully healthy and has a really lovely shine. The added bonus is these smell fantastic ~ almost fruity! I was looking for an alternative to John Frieda and I definitely think I've found it.

The next hair product I can't see myself living without is Phyto 9 Daily Ultra Nourishing Botanical Cream. Another NYC purchase and I've used it after every wash since. It's for severely dry hair, which mine is after years of damage and neglect. It's a leave in conditioner that has the texture of a smooth balm, and you massage it through the lengths of your damp, freshly washed hair. It's made from plant extracts so it kind of has a boring, herbal scent, but it doesn't bother me in the slightest as the results are just phenomenal. It is lightweight and absorbs instantly, leaving my hair tangle free and ultra hydrated. You only need a pea sized amount but when I want to give my hair an extra treat, I use a little bit more. It doesn't leave my hands feeling sticky afterwards, nor is it sticky to the touch once my hair is dried and styled. I don't normally see instant results when it comes to hair care products, but from the first application I've been hooked. It works well with the Organix shampoo and conditioner too as they both contain macadamia oil. My hair has never been in such good condition!

The third and final hair care product in my current favourites is the L'Oreal Preference Wild Ombré kit. I instagrammed a picture of myself recently, saying 'Goodbye blonde...'. I was having my hair dyed a light brown in preparation of ombréing it. The hairdresser put a few blondes back through the lengths but it wasn't as noticeable as I'd hoped, so when I saw this I had to give it a go. This kit is nothing special, after all, it's just a box of bleach, but the shade of blonde my hair has gone is really, really lovely, and it was super simple to use. It hasn't damaged my hair as much as other box dyes seemed to. There's no need for me to repurchase this for a while ~ that is the beauty of ombré hair, obviously ~ but this kit comes highly recommended by me!

Out of sheer laziness, I have been wearing minimal make up recently, but one of my staples is a Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in the colour 'Chic'. I bought a few of these blushes especially for my wedding day, but this is my favourite for everyday wear. I think they are the most perfect formulation for a blush. It's water~based, so very liquidy, but you need a tiny dab for excellent pay off. It can be built up nicely so you have ultimate control over the depth of colour, and it is really long lasting. It applies and blends nicely with my fingertips, but for a flawless application I prefer to use the Daniel Sandler Waterbrush. 'Chic' is a neutral beige~peach with orange undertones, which isn't as scary as it sounds! I find this colour really easy to wear, even with my naturally red cheeks, and compliments a smokey eye in much the same manner as an everyday look.

Once I find a signature scent, I am faithful to it for years. My Signature scent is Calvin Klein's 'Euphoria', but I also dabble in the original Jimmy Choo and Chanel 'Chance' perfumes too. I don't know whether the start of the year brought a desire for something new, but I've found myself reaching for my Vera Wang 'Princess' on an almost daily basis. I am a fan of heavy perfumes, but this is quite a fresh, delicate scent. It is a little bit sweet, a little bit floral and a little bit fruity, so is more cutesy feminine than a sexy evening scent. I adore the bottle too ~ the epitome of girliness! It is easy to go overboard with this though ~ despite being a soft scent it lingers all day!

Model's Own nail polishes are amongst my favourites and a colour I've been wearing to death has been 'Champagne'. This is a cool, pale, metallic gold, but I've noticed that when I'm out in natural light, it has a hint of rose~gold. Very pretty! It's a neutral colour, so wouldn't look out of place when you need to be conservative, but the metallic finish makes it edgy enough for weekends or nights out. It is really versatile, very pretty, and has a dreamy consistency, making it easy to apply. It is long lasting too, even without a base/top coat. One of my absolute favourites ever, not just this month.

What have you been a fan of lately?

 ♥

Little silver memories

One of my favourite pieces of jewellery is my Pandora charm bracelet, and I wear it almost every day. I chose a Pandora bracelet as it is a bit more robust than the traditional styles with delicate charms dangling.

Being nosey means I enjoy seeing other people's bracelets too, and since they are something that are unique to the wearer/collector, I really love hearing the meanings behind each charm. I knew as soon as I acquired my bracelet that I wouldn't fill it with charms for the sake of it ~ I wanted each charm to represent something or someone special, and I wanted them to conjure up a hundred memories upon a single glance.

My most recent two charms were bought in New York on our honeymoon. My husband bought me the Statue of Liberty {for obvious reasons!} and I bought the little aeroplane since it was my first time flying and I survived!

The next little section was my wedding gift from my husband, 'I DO' with a little heart in the middle. The heart actually says 'I LOVE YOU' on the other three sides ~ super sweet! I didn't know he would even think about a wedding day gift, but he bought me this which was so thoughtful, along with a pretty card handwritten with a lovely message. I won't lie, my eyes did well up!

The next little section is symbolic of my husband winning a gameshow. His win enabled us to get married, so on the day we set our wedding date we bought the pink heart charm. The purple heart charm was bought because purple is our lucky colour, and the moneybags is a bit of a tongue in cheek gesture to remember that we had lots of money once!

The next two represent my love of London and cupcakes. Isn't that bus adorable?! It was released as part of the Olympics celebrations.

The next one is the cutest cow I've ever seen and a star charm. The cow was my first charm and the story behind this one might not make sense to people, but my Mam and I always buy each other cow related things. I don't know why or how the tradition came about but it's here to stay. My parents bought me the bracelet and gave me money to buy a charm I liked, so I thought the cow was appropriate. The star charm was a gift from my sister in law. Stars are sort of her 'thing' so it's a sweet gift.

The final three aren't Pandora charms, but Chamilia, and they were gifts. A dog because I love dogs, probably more than people, and it serves as a reminder of the lovely little pets I've grown up with. The daughter charm is {clearly} from my parents, and the last one is my initial, 'L'. It took me so long to work it out! I want to get a 'G' for my husband in the hope that it'll make it more obvious!

I love my Pandora and there is hardly any room left! What is your favourite piece of jewellery?

♥

{Thank you all for your supportive tweets this week ~ I have found lots of comfort in your kind words}