A floral fiesta

Bright and beautiful gerberas gave Lisa and Aeddan's Celtic wedding a colourful twist. Photos by Gary and Sue Photography

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Early days…

Aeddan and Lisa met through work back in 2002, when they both joined the same department at the Welsh Assembly. "I was working in publicity and Aeddan started in the corporate events team," says Lisa. "We hit it off straight away and often went for drinks together after work. To be honest, I didn't really see anything more to our relationship; I considered him to be one of my closest friends."
Despite lots of hinting from work colleagues that the couple's relationship could develop into something more, Lisa didn't ever believe that Aeddan would be the man she would one day marry. "I think at one point I even said: 'Not if he was the last man on earth!' For once, I am glad I was wrong," she laughs.

The proposal…

After three years together, Aeddan proposed to Lisa on a beach in the Gower Peninsula. "I took her out for dinner to a lovely restaurant the evening before in Mumbles," he recalls. "Lisa was slightly suspicious as to why I had taken her out, but the proposal was completely unexpected, especially as we had only just bought a house together."

The venues…

"Aeddan's family are Welsh and I have an Irish heritage, so we wanted to have a Celtic theme for the big day," says Lisa. The couple chose green as the dominant colour with touches of white and silver in the table decorations and in the stationery. "We also decided to bring things to life a bit with hot pink flowers," she says.
After deciding upon a ceremony at St Peter's Church in Cardiff, the couple chose Cwrt Bleddyn Hotel as the reception venue. "We have been to a number of weddings together over the years," says Lisa, "so we wanted to get married somewhere none of our friends had. We also wanted a venue that was exclusive to us on the day. Cwrt Bleddyn Hotel is a stunning countryside mansion set in the beautiful Usk valley, so it was perfectly peaceful too. It also had what I'd call a proper dancefloor!"

The attendants…

In keeping with their Celtic theme, Lisa asked her three bridesmaids Rhian, Lorna and Laura to wear green on the big day. "As all three girls have different tastes, I was worried it would be difficult to find a dress they all liked. However, after several shopping trips we were lucky to find some gorgeous strapless designs from the Dessy Collection at Absolutely Fabulous Bridal in Llandaff, Cardiff."

The dress…

Lisa looked stunning in her strapless silk and taffeta gown, by Blue from Enzoani, also from Absolutely Fabulous Bridal. It was ivory and embellished with sparkling detail on the front and back, and along the train.

The flowers…

"Roses were my nan's favourite flowers and since she is no longer with us, I wanted her to be part of our day in spirit. So, I chose to have cream roses in my bridal bouquet, tied up with silver ribbon and green foliage."
The bridesmaids' posies looked equally as stunning, and the hot pink gerberas looked great against their green dresses. "I absolutely love hot pink," says Lisa, "and I chose gerberas because they have such a happy feel about them. It wasn't my original colour scheme, but when we teamed the flowers with the dresses, the whole thing just worked!"

The transport…

Lisa and her father travelled to the church in a cream vintage Beauford which had a pretty heart-shaped window at the back. "I really wanted to add some classic touches to the day and a vintage car is not something I'll probably ever get to travel in again," she says.

The decorative touches…

"Our friends were really involved in the preparations," says Lisa. "They really helped to make the day just perfect. Some friends of ours even made the favours for us - three heart-shaped Welshcakes wrapped in cellophane and tied with green ribbon. They were labelled too, and so also doubled-up as place names."
The couple also had ceilidh dancing, which was a very personal part of the day for Lisa in particular. "I have been dancing since I was three years old, it's just something I love to do. The band were fantastic and managed to get everyone up dancing which - combined with the cheesy disco - meant everyone had a great time. The dancefloor never emptied!"

The best bits…

"We both had the best day and can't describe how much fun it was," says Lisa. "Our friends and family were not just our guests, but they played an important role in the whole day. They even formed their own choir - called Celtica - and sang Amazing Grace for us in the church. That really brought a tear to my eye, especially when my grandpa joined in. He has the most amazing voice."

The honeymoon…

After the big day, the couple jetted off to Italy for two weeks where they visited Rome and then Positano, on the Amalfi Coast. In Rome, the couple stayed in a hotel overlooking the Colosseum. It even had a roof garden, where the couple would share breakfast every morning. During the day, the pair would go sightseeing, and because Lisa is Catholic, the Vatican City was an absolute must-see. They also ate delicious food in some of the city's side-street cafes.

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