We have such a super relaxed wedding for you today. Lizzie & Rich nailed their theme… quite literally with lots of doors and planks of wood :) They created a stunning backdrop for their reception along with many other wonderful personal touches. All brilliantly captured by Jon Turtle. Enjoy~ Maria x
What was your budget?
We were lucky in that we had always had a similar view on what we wanted for our wedding so when we started putting ideas together we were always on the same page. We didn’t have the most lavish budget but between very generous parents and some money we had put aside we pulled together a budget. I think one of the most difficult things was deciding where we wanted to spend our budget, we knew we couldn’t afford everything we wanted so tried to always focus on the impact different elements would have on the day. 
How would you describe your wedding theme?
Having worked on quite a few events between the two of us it was great to finally be able to put our own stamp on an event. We had so many ideas, we just needed to make sure they all worked together. We always wanted the focus to be on the day being very relaxed and informal and reflecting our personalities. 
What was your favourite part of your wedding?
There were so many favourite parts of the wedding. Saying our vows in the church was very emotional and meant a lot to us both. We just kept beaming at each other. This stands out as such a wonderful moment, that we had finally made it after so much planning.
Tell us about your Wedding Dress
I tried three dress shops in and around Cardiff but it wasn’t until we went to the Rachel Burgess Bridal Boutique that we came up with the solution. Her fantastic range of Welsh designers and vintage dresses were so beautiful. After having a brilliant time trying on lots of different styles we agreed that I would have a dress that combined several dresses by Helen Rhiannon. Having the ability to choose all the aspects of the dress was such a breath of fresh air, from sleeve length to material to neckline. I couldn’t have been happier with the end result and the fact that there was only one dress ever made like this for me made me feel really special. 
Who did you pick as your bridesmaids &/or best man and why?
I decided a long time ago that I wouldn’t have any bridesmaids. I have so many amazing friends (some guys) and family that the choice would have always been too difficult.
Rich had two best people, Rachel and Alex. Although some found this unconventional it seemed very logical to us. On the day and in the run up they were both amazing, we couldn’t have asked for more supportive and helpful best people! 
Why did you choose your venue?
We both knew that we wanted the reception to be in a temporary structure but didn’t want a traditional marquee. We have always loved Dome Mode structures and how they create a very unique space
The domes created the perfect ‘see through’ venue allowing the guests to enjoy the garden at my parents family home. 
Tell us about your photographer
Our photographer was Jon Turtle , he is a good friend and brilliant photographer. We wanted to steer away from the formal family pictures and focus on shots of guests enjoying themselves. Jon was completely understanding of this and took such amazing pictures on the day. We couldn’t have asked for more! 
How did the proposal happen?
In February 2014 Rich and I were skiing in Le Deux Alpes where he was trying to teach me to snowboard for the first time. Rich’s vision of me as a pro snow boarder rapidly went down hill as I simply couldn’t get the hand of it!
After one particular nasty fall in Rich’s ideal proposal spot, he was left with little time left to create the perfect moment. However, changing from a very out of control snowboarder to (graceful!) skier allowed for the perfect moment for Rich to go down on one knee 3000m up in the most beautiful mountains in Europe.
It was the perfect setting with blue skies and untouched fresh snowfields for the most amazing unforgettable proposal. 
Any DIY stories/tutorials you’d like to share?
As all of the décor was going to be our own work we began building parts of the venue five months before the wedding using my dad’s garage as a workshop. We painted and sanded old doors and used scaff planks to distress them so they could become the backdrop to the stage and the bar. Rich turned old pallets into partition walls for a seating area, we then planted brightly coloured flowers from the garden in the top. 
From the beginning I was really keen on the reception being colourful and that we were not going stick to one colour so we chose a colour pallet of five colours from some paint sample cards that were to be used on all the set.
Then added some quirky touches such as a hundred year old piano that we picked up off Gumtree which my cousin played during the reception. I got the inspiration for the heart shaped guest board from a website. I asked my brother in law to make something similar. 
My mum is great at DIY craft projects and was brilliant throughout the whole process hand making the napkins, table runners, designing and printing the church order of services, even the particular style of aprons that we wanted for the waiting staff! 
What was your first dance & why?
Our first dance was “How Long Will I love You” by The Waterboys, we both loved this song in the run up to the wedding and it seemed fitting to us. 
In hindsight, was there anything you would have done differently?
I wish I had not worried so much in the run up the wedding and enjoyed it more. It is such an exciting and unique time that really brings together your friends and family, I wish I had appreciated that more. I still feel overwhelmed by people’s generosity. 
Do you have any advice for future couples?
Just enjoy the day as much as possible, don’t focus on the small things that may or may not have gone right just enjoy every minute. Let other people sort out any mishaps that may be happening. One of the ushers had to fix the toilet unit we had hired on the day as it wasn’t working but we had no idea!
What’s the best piece of marriage advice you received?
A good marriage is not just about marrying the right person, it is also about being the right person. 
What was your favourite thing about planning a wedding?
I really enjoyed the planning aspects that involved friends and family, it brought us all together in a different way.
The Suppliers
Photographer: Jon Turtle
Reception Venue: Dome Mode
Bride’s Dress: Rachel Burgess Bridal Boutique
Bride’s Headpiece: Claire Hill
Bride’s Jewellery: Claire Hill
Flowers: Sweet Peony
Hair and make up:Emma Kidby Bridal Hair and Make Up
Transport:London Bus 4 Hire
The Wedding Album
