Today’s fabulous colourful wedding at Ocean View Windmill in The Gower was photographed by the fabulous Sandra Ace Photography . Jonny & Chloe’s wedding was totally unique what with Jonny’s homemade touches, the couple’s DIY efforts, lots of cwtches and their silent disco not to mention how colourful it was! We’re sure you will love it as much as we do!
What was your budget? We were most definitely on a budget, we wanted an amazing day but not at the expense of our future together! We were very very lucky to have help from our generous families and lots of talented friends who helped us achieve our dream. We ended up spending around £7000 for everything!
How would you describe your wedding theme? COLOURFUL! We didn’t want just one colour, we wanted them all! It was a Winter wedding but we were determined to brighten things up. We also wanted the day to be super unique and fun, we definitely feel we succeeded in doing that. 
What was your favourite part of your wedding? I loved the ceremony, sounds a bit soppy but I didn’t notice anyone else in the room apart from Jonny until the very end! It was the first time I got to see his suit too, which completely by accident matched my shoes and earrings! Everything was just so much fun, I can’t help having a massive smile when I think back on the day. The speeches, the Harry Potter themed table, the silent disco groom vs bride playlist, the DIY photobooth, the song written by our friend, entrance music for the whole top table and of course our Shafto sign – I loved it all. 
Tell us about your Wedding Dress Dress shopping was possibly the worst part of planning the wedding for me. I tried on what felt like hundreds of dresses, my poor mum and bridesmaids have the patience of saints! We got married within 6 months of getting engaged, I still remember the look of horror on the faces of the wedding dress shop staff each time I told them the turnaround time. I eventually found the most perfect dress in High Society in Cowbridge, it was on sale and I took it away the same day – I actually couldn’t believe I had it in my hand whilst walking down Cowbridge high street. You definitely know when it’s the right dress and it was worth the previous stresses! 
Who did you pick as your bridesmaids &/or best man and why? My bridesmaids were Rhiannon and Sian, hands down best bridesmaids ever. Technically I had no choice with Rhiannon, we promised we’d be each others bridesmaids at age 14. She probably knows me better that I know myself, she even made the best wedding cake I have ever seen – Jonny and I only saw that for the first time on the day! Sian is possibly the most organised person on the planet, she planned the best hen do possible – I have the greatest memories from that weekend. The best man was Rhys, Jonny’s best mate from school. 
Why did you choose your venue? As soon as we visited Ocean View Windmill we knew it was the place we wanted to get married, the beautiful oak beamed room and stunning views won us over. We also loved that the owners cared about our wedding, it wasn’t a big commercial place where they have a conveyer belt of wedding after wedding. 
Tell us about your photographer If you need a photographer look no further than Sandra Ace . I met her at a wedding fayre and knew instantly that she should photograph our wedding. She actually gave birth just 3 weeks after our wedding, but that didn’t stop her at all. She was brilliant and so much fun, I instantly warmed to her and couldn’t recommend her enough!
How did the proposal happen? We had been together for over 10 years and I wasn’t expecting a proposal at all (at one point I’d told Jonny if he proposed I was going to run away to the circus…). Over time, I’d changed my mind but wasn’t convinced he knew that. It was the day before my birthday, we were staying in a hotel in Bath and he proposed after afternoon tea. I was so shocked I cried like a baby, 10 minutes later I made him propose again because the adrenalin had kicked in and I couldn’t remember him asking the first time. He was too excited to wait until my actual birthday!
Any DIY stories/tutorials you’d like to share? Where to start. Jonny is a joiner (and a bit of a perfectionist) and that definitely came in handy. He made placemats as favours for each guest, he also made the centre pieces (placemats corresponded to same wood as centre pieces), our solid oak guest bench, the Shafto sign which prompted lots of funny pictures, our table plan and the photobooth. Needless to say, he made our day so unique and I’m so thankful to him for that. Friends & family helped us make quite literally everything else and it was fun to do too – chair decorations, table runners, bunting, wedding cake, Welsh cakes, jewellery, bridesmaid dress sashes and decorated jars dotted around the venue. 
What was your first dance & why? We wanted Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way as that reminds us of our first holiday together, but we decided it wasn’t really that wedding-y… So we choose Florence & The Machine – You’ve Got The Love instead as we both like that song! Before our first dance our friend Steve sang a song that he’d written about us both, it made us both properly laugh out loud and I’m sure we were still chuckling throughout our first dance. 
In hindsight, was there anything you would have done differently? Nope. Not one thing.
Do you have any advice for future couples? Do it all for you. Some people (understandably) weren’t sure about a silent disco in the night, we were adamant and it couldn’t have been a bigger hit. We didn’t want a typical wedding, I am biased but I loved every second of it because it was different and all for us. Also, don’t overthink stuff – with the florist all I asked for was a bright bunch of flowers, I was overwhelmed when I saw them on the day – the florist really did a great job! It would’ve been rubbish in comparison if I had chosen exactly what to have! 
What’s the best piece of marriage advice you received? We didn’t really get any, everyone seems to be quite accepting that we’re just ourselves!
What was your favourite thing about planning a wedding? The best part about planning the wedding was the fact that it made our day so perfect. We really couldn’t have wished for more. We want to do it all again! 
The Suppliers
Photographer: Sandra Ace Photography
Ceremony Venue: Ocean View Windmill , Gower
Reception Venue: Ocean View Windmill , Gower
Bride’s Dress: Justin Alexander from High Society Bridal
Bride’s Shoes: Roland Cartier
Bride’s Jewellery: Ella Bailey Design
Groom’s Outfit: A Suit that Fits
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Coast
Bridesmaid’s Accessories: Ella Bailey Design
Cake: Made by my wonderful bridesmaid Rhiannon
Flowers: Black Orchid Floral Design
Hair: Charlotte from Scarlet Knight
Make Up: Hayley Young from The Beauty Room
DJ: Silent Disco
Any Reception Decor/Props: All homemade
The Wedding Album
