Inspiration

Gorgeous Lowri and Dan married at RMW favourite venue, the beautiful Pennard House in Somerset. Lowri wears a satin low-backed Mikaella Bridal gown, with a lovely long train and it just suits her perfectly. I love a simple yet striking bridal gown. Images come from Captured by Katrina and they are so natural and beautifully shot. Make sure you watch the film from Paul Van too, it'll make you cry tears of pure joy...such an amazing thing for the pair to treasure.

Pennard House Wedding Venue

Lowri the Bride: I defy anyone not to visit Pennard House and feel immediately compelled to get hitched in its beautiful surroundings! When we first got engaged we had no idea what sort of venue we were looking for. We toyed with the idea of going full on DIY but soon realised we were simply too unorganised to pull it off. So, we booked a visit to Pennard House and were immediately sold. Beautiful old house, gorgeous grounds and quintessential charm oozing from every crevice; it was the perfect venue.

Mikaella Bridal Wedding Dress

Before trying on a single dress, I was absolutely convinced it was going to be a lacy, ‘boho’ type affair with barely any train. It turned out I didn’t know myself at all. The Mikaella Bridal dress that I eventually chose was everything that I didn’t think it would be; and I couldn’t have loved it more. Simple, structured and all satin (with a big ol’ train). I found it at Clifton Brides in Bristol and I would highly recommend them to any ‘bride to be’ in need of that perfect gown. My make-up was done by Jordan Smith and my hair by Louise Alway. Both are incredibly talented and made me feel so at ease.

Dark Blue Checked Suit From Ted Baker

Dan’s suit came from trusty Ted Baker. It was a dark blue suit with a pale chequered effect all over and his groomsmen and our dads wore the same. They couldn’t have looked more dapper!

Foliage And Brass Wedding Decor

We knew we wanted neutral colours and quickly found that foliage aplenty was the way forward. We decorated each table with glass vases and white candles and kept the overall ‘look’ very simple. The only bit of colour came in the form of brass effect photo frames and menu holders...and a brass effect table plan from IKEA. Oh, and there was a sprinkling of purple lavender on the cake!

The Foliage Garlands

Our bountiful foliage came from Laura May, who did the most AMAZING job in adorning the wedding breakfast room with garlands of eucalyptus. She came equipped with a small team of efficient workers who effortlessly set about transforming the venue. Laura made helpful suggestions when I needed them and completely nailed the brief!

The Wedding Party

I chose my two younger sisters and Dan’s niece as bridesmaids. Two were in white and one was in pale blue. I was relaxed about the type and colour of dresses as I wanted them all to feel comfortable and happy. The older of my two sisters chose a gorgeous pale blue gown with lace detail on the back, and the younger two were in floaty white dresses.

Unusual Wedding Reading

I knew early on that I wanted a reading during the ceremony. There are so many options out there but I was desperate to find something a bit ‘different’ from the norm. After standing in a bookshop for about two hours hoping for inspiration I finally found the perfect one: Love by Courtney Peppernell, which was tucked away in her book, Pillow Thoughts. Her poetry totally moved me. She has a way of capturing those everyday emotions and crystallising them into words on a page.

Wedding Harpist

I hadn’t originally banked on getting any live music during the ceremony and drinks reception, but then my mum found Megan and I was won over. A harpist is just so wonderfully versatile and meant that we could have a whole range of different songs. Both Dan and I are Welsh, and I loved the fact that Megan had traditional welsh folk songs in her (extensive) repertoire which she played as guests arrived. We didn’t have a live band in the evening as we couldn’t decide on one, but to be honest, I really don’t think we needed it. The DJ, Kieran Clarke did such a fab job that the absence of a band made no difference at all. Everyone just wanted to bust a groove to some banging tunes and the DJ definitely delivered on that front!

Caroline Gent Catering

The food and waiting staff were provided by Caroline Gent Catering who were literally faultless. The food was to die for and the staff were attentive and friendly; they were excellent at keeping our glasses topped up! The vegetable tempura was an absolute hit as a canape and quite a few guests have told me that the Lemon Posset dessert was the best they’d ever had. The food was fresh and tasty and Caroline has a huge selection to choose from. Special shout out to Jess the Catering Event Manager who was just smashing!

Natural, Reportage Wedding Photography

I had initially considered not having a photographer (!!) but after a chance meeting with Katrina at a wedding fair in 2017 I quickly changed my mind. Her beautifully whimsical images caught my eye and she was so immediately engaging that I booked her there and then. We are completely thrilled with what she captured and could not recommend her enough. Her style is very natural and relaxed and yet she can catch those moments that really matter.

The Videography

One of the very first (and easiest) decisions I made was to book Paul Van. I was certain from the start that I wanted a videographer and I am chuffed to bits with what Paul has created. Every time we watch our video we are transported back to the best day of our lives, complete with a spur of the moment speech and dodgy dance moves!

Home Made Details

I was pretty chuffed with our place names, which were handmade using brass tags and metal stamps. A friend of mine (with infinitely more creative talent) helped me, and they were fab. They weren’t all perfect but the guests loved them and many took them home. I would really recommend doing something ‘from scratch’ like this as it gives you a real sense of satisfaction.
{Watch The Film}
Fern Godfrey

Written by Fern Godfrey

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Venue: Pennard House | Bride: Mikaella Bridal | Boutique: Clifton Brides | Make Up: Jordan Smith Make Up | Hair: Louise Alway | Groom: Ted Baker | Floral Design: Laura May Flowers | Harpist: Megan Morris | DJ: Kieren Clarke | Catering: Caroline Gent | Videography : Paul Van

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