Catrin & Ian’s gorgeous beach themed wedding at Rosedew Farm was submitted by the fabulous Victoria Tyrrell Photography . It is such a beautiful and happy day so stick the kettle on, settle in and have a good read!
On a personal note… This is the last wedding I will have the pleasure of uploading on to Cwtch the Bride so I’m glad it’s such a beauty! I have decided after a year as Features Editor to hand over the reins, but I can’t tear myself away completely so I’m sure you will see me around! Thank you to everyone who has chatted with me via email over the past year, I have loved all of your amazing weddings.
Love Charlie x
What was your favourite part of your wedding? It is very hard to choose as we honestly loved the entire day and have so many happy memories. Ian’s response – “Seeing you walk down aisle”. The ceremony was lovely. I imagined feeling nervous but in the happiness of the moment we felt it was a pleasure to say our vows to each other in the company of family and friends. Our speeches were excellent and we were thrilled to fit in a trip to Llantwit Beach after the wedding breakfast. Too many favourite parts!! 
Tell us about your Wedding Dress I absolutely loved my dress but I certainly tried on a fair number in the process of choosing it! I say now that my dress search reflected my personality – I don’t make rash decisions and like to know I’ve covered all the ground before making a choice! I think me and the mums went to nearly every shop in South Wales. I finally bought the dress in Laura May Bridal . The first time I went to Laura May I felt like a child in a sweet shop – surrounded by a number of beautiful dresses that I was dying to try on. May was fantastic; she was very patient with me but also very constructive in helping me work through their beautiful dresses. I tried a number of dresses on after ‘the one’ but I didn’t like a single other A-line dress that I tried on so I knew that it was special! 
Who did you pick as your bridesmaids &/or best man and why? My bridesmaid were very close friends of mine. It was an absolute joy spending time with them during the morning and the day, they are all beautiful ladies and great fun to be around.
Why did you choose your venue? We looked at a number of venues in South Wales but Rosedew had everything we wanted and we both loved the feel of the place. We both love our food so it was important to us that we could pick our own caterers, something you can do at Rosedew . We loved the cottages and log cabins Gaynor had available and the fact that it meant lots of people could stay. Being able to put your own stamp on things is also a big bonus – it is such a blank canvas! 
Tell us about your photographer We love Vikki and it was wonderful having Abi as a second shooter. Vikki did our engagement shoots and we absolutely loved them so we were very excited about our wedding photos and she certainly didn’t let us down! We felt so comfortable in Vikki and Abi’s presence which is so important when you’re spending such precious time with them on your wedding day. 
How did the proposal happen? Our favourite spot is a low strip of wall which overlooks the sea at Dunraven Bay. It is a spot we have gone to for years to escape and relax. I had always had it in my head that I wanted it to happen there – I couldn’t imagine us getting engaged anywhere else so I was glad Ian had the same thought! One Friday evening, Ian suggested we took a trip up to Dunraven Bay. On our way up to ‘our spot’ I thought Ian was acting strange but he brushed it off, saying it had been a hard day at work. As we sat on the wall, Ian gave a beautiful speech and got down on one knee. I was in total shock! We spent a bit of time at the beach before heading back to a house full of balloons!
Any DIY stories/tutorials you’d like to share? I had lots of ideas from Pinterest but was also very fortunate to have some very creative friends and family who helped me to develop my ideas. The favourite thing I made was the driftwood boats – I adapted a guide I found on Pinterest . I used some of Ian’s old shirts and we collected a lot of driftwood from Rest Bay. They’re not only perfect for a coastal theme but lovely decorations for the home! Most importantly, it’s great to make a social occasion out of DIY projects and get friends and family involved!
What was your first dance & why? Everthere by Elbow. Elbow are a band that have been with us since the beginning of our relationship and their music reminds us of many a happy time. The lyrics of this song seemed perfect to us.
In hindsight, was there anything you would have done differently? In terms of our wedding day, we wouldn’t change a thing. We were incredibly lucky and loved every minute of it. In terms of wedding planning, I would definitely have factored more time in for DIY projects and put less pressure on myself. 
Do you have any advice for future couples? One guest gave the wise words ‘Nobody will notice it is missing if they didn’t know it should have been there’. With apps such as pinterest and so many good ideas from wedding blogs and friends it is easy to get over-loaded and try to do everything. I would definitely suggest keeping it realistic! We hired lots of things from Dear Florence and it really took some of the pressure off – her items are beautiful and really create an impact. We put a lot of time into researching our suppliers and it really paid off – they were all amazing. 
What’s the best piece of marriage advice you received? Interestingly we didn’t get many pieces of marriage advice around the time of the wedding! In the past I have been told to expect the good times and the bad times and I think that is important. I have also been told to make time for each other, maybe even have a regular date night!
What was your favourite thing about planning a wedding? We were very lucky with how much friends and family helped us in the run up to our big day and the sheer amount of time and effort they put in. A number of family and friends spent many an hour and weekend at our house and the time spent with them was a real pleasure – we were both overwhelmed by their kindness. 
The Suppliers
Photographer: Victoria Tyrrell Photography
Ceremony Venue: Rosedew Farm
Reception Venue: Rosedew Farm
Bride’s Dress: Stella York from Laura May Bridal
Bride’s Shoes: Freya Rose – I won them in a competition!
Bride’s Headpiece: Kate Petersen
Bride’s Jewellery: Liberty in Love
Groom’s Outfit: Oxford House , Pontycymmer
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: House of Fraser
Bridesmaid’s Accessories: Accessorize / Not on the highstreet
Cake: Wish Upon a Cupcake
Flowers: Bee Orchid
Hair: Kate Petersen
Make Up: Kate Petersen
Band: Will Blake Band
Caterers: Five Star Chef
Any Reception Decor/Props: Dear Florence / Plan It
Other: Plan It did on the day coordination and it was a huge help. They also do an overnight take down/clean up service which is fab.
The Wedding Album
