Rhian and Rory met on Tinder in 2014. "Rory was attracted to my smile, and I thought he looked cheeky and loved his curly hair," says Rhian. "We spoke via WhatsApp for a few weeks and eventually went on our first date. We knew from that first meet up that we had something special."
Rory proposed during a holiday to Venice. "It was the day before my 27th birthday, and it was a complete surprise," shares the bride. "I'm in charge of packing when we go on holiday, so I was shocked he had managed to keep the ring from me. He had asked my dad's permission before the trip, so my parents knew it was going to happen, however, they started to get a bit worried when days had passed, and there was no news. Rory wanted to find the perfect moment. He tried on a gondola but got told off for moving seats and making the weight uneven! He eventually found a lovely quiet spot on a bridge with no people around and asked me to be his wife."
For their favours, the couple gave their guests handmade paper boats with flags that doubled up as place names."I acquired a little wooden surfboard and contacted Charlee Bee Creates and asked them to decorate it," reveals the bride. "They painted it white and drew seaside illustrations on it. It now lives on our staircase."
For their centrepieces, Rhian's dad sourced local driftwood, and her mum made table numbers. "I found decorations online, and my aunty Lynn arranged these for us the day before," recalls Rhian. "The flowers were created by a local florist who we gave free rein. She has known me since I was a little girl, so I knew it would be stunning. She produced all the bouquets, buttonholes and centrepieces."
“Our cake was made by Dee Dee’s,” adds the bride. “We knew we didn’t want a traditional design, so we asked her to make ice cream cupcakes that looked like Mr Whippy’s. They had white cream and a fake stick in the top.”
To decorate the rest of the space, Rhian’s aunty made seaside-themed bunting. “We also used Entertainment 12 for the freestanding balloons and arch,” says Rhian. “We put packets of sweets in little buckets, chocolates in a picnic hamper and cards from guests in baskets.”
Rory chose a Marc Darcy suit. “He’s an engineer, so I’m used to seeing him in work trousers but he looked amazing,” recalls Rhian. “Rory opted for a three-piece option while his best man wore a two-piece version.”
The bridesmaids chose baby blue long dresses with lace detailing from Ever Pretty.
The couple's big day was made perfect by their friends and family. "My dad did a reading about Aberdyfi that was written by Rory's nan, which was very special," shares the bride. "Having my 93-year-old nana there and seeing her smiling so much was also amazing to see. Our loved ones were so helpful in decorating the venue the day before and taking it all down the day after. Des George, who manages Neuadd Dyfi, was so wonderful. I tried to use local suppliers in Aberdyfi and the surrounding areas as much as I could. The feedback from our guests regarding Caviar & Chips and The Heights was great and highly deserved! We also had our guests film our day using the services of Edit Your Wedding, which was a lot of fun."
Balloons, balloon arch and chair sashes
Bride's dress, veil and tiara
Bridesmaids' dresses
Cake
Catering
Ceremony venue
Entertainment
Gifts
Groom's suit
Guest book
Hair and make-up artist
Ice cream
Illustrations for seating plan
Photographer
Reception venue
Transport
Videographer