Late last year we were contacted by Hanna, a Cardiff based wedding planner who we have worked with previously on weddings and know well through her role as wedding co-ordinator in the beautiful St Donates Castle. Hanna was working with a couple who were coming to Wales from Canada for the most romantic elopement wedding. The bride’s father was from Wales and Emily, the bride, wanted to feel close to her father on her wedding day after he had passed away. Hanna, knowing our house style in Forbesfield, was sure that the fit between us and the client would be good. ‘Great!’ we said, ‘When is the wedding?’ ‘About that’ said Hanna ‘It’s in a month’. Now, lots of wedding suppliers are stricken by last minute work and not having met the bride can present another problem as there is nothing as good as meeting a couple in the flesh to get a feel for them and their style in order to translate that into flowers.

It’s different at Forbesfield, we kind of really love last minute brides. There is something so relaxed and easy about girls who haven’t spent the last 2 years planning the finite detail that designing flowers for them can be a very freeing experience. We know that the girl will be trusting and it feels like the pressure is off a little which always leads to a better level of design work in the end. So still all looking good for us we thought; Style is a good fit, timing not a problem either.

So next we get the venue details. Manorbier Castle..... Manorbier Castle! The venue that dreams are made of. A castle by the sea like no other we have yet found. It’s crumbling, moss laden walls hold an intimacy borne of years past that feels incredibly special. So now we also knew that the images from the wedding would be beautiful. Was there any more reason to get excited?! Well yes actually there was. Emily and Jay, were bringing an American photographer over and it just happened to be the wonderful Stephanie Fisher who is absolute queen of elopement wedding photography and runs the incredible ‘From the Daisies’. At that point we knew it was all on for the most beautiful wedding and we were signed, sealed and delivered!

On the morning of the wedding we met Emily for the first time at Waterwynch House where the wedding party were staying and which in itself is a dream venue and location! And Emily was just the sweetest. A tiny, petite, beautiful bride with big wedding morning hugs (Cwtches if you’re Welsh!) and joyful, happy faces when we handed her and her maids the bouquets. From that point the day just got better and better and it ran flawlessly. We decorated the ceremony room with flowers before moving on to Penally Abbey to decorate the reception space. And my goodness we were hit with another incredibly beautiful venue! And the most delicious looking vegan wedding cake from Blanche Bakery.

The day just kept giving. We work on so many weddings every year and sometimes there is a wedding that just feels fresh, real and throws out all the immunity that you can build up to weddings as a supplier and this wedding did just that.

The fact that Hanna did a great job of planning, organising and picking the right team played a huge part, the suppliers she chose including Forbesfield helped but in the end it’s the couple. It’s the couple who have the biggest influence on the feel and flow of the day and with Emily and Jay it was clearly all love. And it showed in every aspect. It wasn’t big and it wasn’t flashy but it was straight up wonderful, warm and intimate.

And for a gorgeous wedding, love really is all you need.

Photography: From the Daisies

Videography: Tu Nguyen

Planning: Just Imagine

Venue: Manorbier Castle

Reception: Penally Abbey Hotel

Dress: Carolina Herrera

Bridal Hair & Makeup: Jessie Dallimore Makeup

Cake: Blanche Bakery

Furniture rentals: Megan & Claude

Officiant:Treasured Ceremonies