Lyndsey & Chris’s Ivory & Red Wedding in South Wales
They got engaged in Paris, and 15 months later got married in a lovely ceremony surrounded by friends and family, complete with an Eiffel Tower cake, white birdcages, and dove release!
Couple: Lyndsey and Chris
Length of engagement: 15 months
Wedding date: 27 May 2012
Wedding ceremony & reception: The Vale Hotel Golf & Spa Resort, South Wales
Wedding photography: Juliet Eden Photography
The proposal… Chris proposed underneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Valentine’s Day 2011, we were engaged for 1 year and 3 months. My engagement ring is very unique as it has two heart-shaped diamonds crossing over each other.
What was your dress like… my wedding dress was the first dress I put on and I just knew I wanted it and it was a dress I would never forget. I will always love my dress and veil. The skirt was tiered and made me feel like Cinderella. I wore a Swarovski Horseshoe necklace for luck and my dad put a lucky sixpence in my left shoe before I walked down the aisle. I also had Red Swarovski ‘Dorothy’ Crystal Shoes!
What were your wedding theme/colours… we had ivy green, red, and ivory decor, and one of my favourite pieces were two large white birdcages.
Your ceremony was… in the conservatory of The Vale Hotel Golf & Spa Resort. The weather was incredible, bright, sunny, barely any cloud and 29/30 degrees – dream wedding weather! The room was set out perfectly – we had beautiful white doves each side of the registrar table, and the guests were sitting facing out looking over the gorgeous grounds of the resort. In the room they had large stone pillars that were dressed in ivy, red and ivory roses. Eleven of us walked down the aisle, head usher Marc Richards was leading the rest of the ushers, next was our bridesmaids and maid of honour and then the flower girls who scattered rose petals ready for the big moment.
Who were your bridesmaids/groomsmen… the groomsmen wore pinstripe trousers, white shirts, ivory waistcoasts, black tail coats. Chris had a red cravat and the groomsmen had ivory. My maid of honour wore red, and the flowergirls wore lovely white dresses.
We chose our venue because… it was everything we were looking for, and they accomodated our every wish, from the menu to the decor! Also, it was not far from Hensol Castle, which was a great backdrop for some of our photos – we took a ride there on a decorated golf buggy!
The reception was… our wedding breakfast was at 3pm, so once the guests were seated they were shown a slideshow. This was to show our guests our journey together from the start up to the wedding day, accompanied by a Florence and the Machine song. This took us hours and hours to put together and whilst being shown Chris and I took a sneaky peek thorough the door to see the emotions running high before being introduced for the first time as Mr & Mrs Richards. We sat just behind our wedding cake, which was 6ft tall Eiffel Tower with a lit up tower. The meal was perfect and everyone enjoyed it. We even received plenty of compliments about our handmade heart shaped chocolates.
Your favourite part of the wedding… We are over the moon with how our whole special day went and cant be more thankful to everyone who was involved in making this day such a cherished and special day, a memory we will never forget. The comments receieved from our guests have just made the 15 months leading up to the wedding worth every second, and our day was a dream come true.
What is your advice for other brides? Choose the best photographer you can have, we love our photos!
