Katie and Shaun met online six years ago. "We had our first date at Ystradfellte Waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons and quickly became inseparable," says Katie.
"Shaun is a very loving and kind person who puts me first, which was something I hadn't felt before and knew it was special. We moved in together after a year, which some may say was quick, but to us, it was so natural. We were on the same page, and I'm pretty sure I mentioned getting engaged within a few months of being together! Shaun put the reins on that for some time, but good things come to those who wait."
Shaun proposed in May 2018 while the couple were on holiday in Rhodes, Greece. “It was our first real holiday together as a couple,” shares the bride. “I had a feeling that Shaun was going to propose as he is terrible at keeping secrets. He smirked the whole plane journey and was very particular about keeping his bag on him at all times. We arrived at the hotel late at night, so I was tired and grumpy. I started unpacking, and when I turned around, Shaun was on one knee in the middle of the room. It was perfect as I always wanted the proposal to be just us. I asked him later on why he did it so urgently, and he explained that he was worried I would find the ring and he couldn’t keep it a secret any longer.”
Bride's bracelet
Bride's dress and veil
Bride's hair pin
Bridesmaids' dresses
Catering
Entertainment
Flowers
Flowers preservation and resin
Groom's suit
Hair stylist
Invitations
Make-up artist
Photographer
Second wedding dress
Venue
Videographer
The table plan was made by my maid-of-honour," recalls the bride. "The card used for the numbers was the same as the menu cards on the tables. We featured my cat, Otis, in the middle of the table plan as I'm a bit obsessed with him."
For the centrepieces, Katie and Shaun opted for geometric glass lanterns with gold lining, small tea lights and greenery. "We felt the candles made the venue feel warm and cosy," adds Katie. "We wanted to keep the centrepieces simple and practical so that everyone could see and interact with each other."
"When I first discussed my flowers with Hayley from Misselthwaite Flowers Ltd, I requested lots of burgundy and deep reds with a Gothic/moody twist," says the bride. "I gave all creative freedom to Hayley in terms of what flowers to use and the design, and she did not disappoint! I had no clue what the arrangements were going to look like and when I saw my bouquet I cried (a lot). All the flowers were everything I wanted, and so many people mentioned them on the day. I've now had my bouquet preserved using resin."
"In the venue's entrance, we had a letter board stating the order-of-the-day, a card box and artificial rose petals," explains the bride. "We had pictures of our animals dotted around the venue, which gave me comfort knowing they weren't forgotten on our big day. We also had two photo frames, one with a picture of my late grancha and another with a poem about remembering loved ones who couldn't be present. We wanted to make sure that our wedding was very personal to us and sentimental."
Shaun chose a three-piece navy Ted Baker suit from Slater Menswear in Cardiff. "We chose a design with a brown check running through it to help him stand out," adds the bride. "He also had a rose buttonhole to match his tie."
"The bridesmaids opted for navy halterneck dresses from Next," says Katie. "My dad got married three weeks prior, and this is the dress I wore to his wedding. I loved it so much that I decided to put all my bridesmaids in them. It turned out great because the navy went so well with the flowers."
The day didn't go quite according to plan. "The best man, Nathan, got extremely nervous about his speech and started drinking quite early to calm his nerves," says the bride. "When it came to doing his speech, many people commented how it was the funniest speech ever as everyone knew how intoxicated he was. He never got to finish and repeated his lines quite a few times. The master of ceremonies, Rhys, asked the crowd to give a round of applause halfway through and sat him down. It ended up being one of the highlights of the wedding."