After meeting online and choosing the perfect wedding suppliers, Sarah and Ryan tied the knot at Oldwalls Gower on August 9th 2020 at a contemporary wedding that beat COVID complications.
Sarah and Ryan met on Plenty of Fish. In Ryan's wedding speech, he mentioned waiting up to 2 weeks for a reply from Sarah, but it was worth the wait! For their first date, the couple played mini-golf in St David’s Cardiff - Sarah beat Ryan as she didn’t tell him she once played girl's golf for Cardiff! Ryan later proposed in the couple’s back garden. He set up a picnic featuring all of Sarah’s favourite foods and when she sat down, Ryan went down on one knee and popped the question. The couple was engaged for a year when, in April 2020, they discovered Sarah was pregnant! They decided to be traditional and get married before having the baby.
Luckily for Sarah and Ryan, coronavirus could not ruin their big day. They stuck with the original date as they just wanted to get married with their closest family and friends by their side. Their venue, Oldwalls Gower, was amazing throughout the whole process. If the couple had any questions, they were always able to answer them, and really made Sarah and Ryan feel at ease. They weren’t sure if their wedding would go ahead, but at the last minute, the restrictions eased so they ended up planning everything in just 5 days! Sarah and Ryan were happy to adapt their day to ensure that their nearest and dearest were present.
The Venue
Sarah and Ryan looked online at Welsh wedding venues and just couldn’t find anything that suited them. Then, they discovered Oldwalls Gower. Oldwalls was the one as the couple fell in love on their first viewing. They thought it was perfect as it felt like them through and through. Debbie, the venue manager at Oldwalls, made everything a breeze for the couple, and they felt so relaxed knowing they were in good hands. Their accommodation was all on-site too which was a big tick for Sarah and Ryan. The couple went for a contemporary look and feel for their big day. So, their venue was decorated with whites and greenery. They opted for white roses, an ivory runner, and a beautiful moon gate filled with flowers from Ruth Milton-Jones. A simple, fresh and sophisticated look.
The Fashion
Sarah was looking through Instagram at dresses and it was actually Ryan who spotted this lovely dress. It was from Grace Loves Lace, so Sarah had a look on their site and booked an appointment in London. She tried on the dress that Ryan had spotted in the photo along with a couple of others. Sarah loved how the dress was free-flowing, it was perfect. The gorgeous dress was all lace, patterned with roses and off-the-shoulder sleeves. The bride also had a headpiece with small flowers from Eden b. Studio to finish off the look.
The groom wore a dark navy, three-piece suit with a white shirt and navy tie with a tie pin. This was paired with Jeffrey West shoes and Ryan’s dad lent him his 30-year-old pocket watch too. Their contemporary theme continued with greenery, white roses, and dusty pink roses in the bouquet and the buttonholes were white roses with greenery, all beautifully created by Ruth Milton-Jones.
The Wedding
It was 22 degrees, beautiful and Sunny, we had an ice cream cart outside and everything was so memorable. The couple was worried their venue would look empty, and there would be separate groups of people, but it was actually perfect. They never considered a smaller wedding but it worked so well and it was even more special. Sarah did a reading which was beautifully emotional. Both Sarah and Ryan said that the moment when Sarah walked down the aisle was a highlight of the day.
Ryan’s sister and her daughter (who was supposed to be a flower girl) live in Kuala Lumpur and couldn’t attend due to travel restrictions. Oldwalls Gower had a system put in place which allowed those who were unable to attend to watch the whole day unfold from their homes, meaning they didn’t have to miss out. So, they stayed up until 1 am (their time) to watch the whole day via live stream.
The Reception
The day before the wedding, Ryan's mum bought the couple a gender reveal balloon. So, the newlyweds decided to do the reveal during the speeches as a surprise, seeing as their closest family and friends were all together in one room. This was the perfect time to tell everyone they were expecting!
The reception food, catered by Oldwalls Gower, was the best food the couple ever had! To start, there was Gower garden soup which was served with warm artisan bread. This was followed by a slow-cooked shoulder of Welsh lamb, truffle mash with all the trimmings, and supreme of chicken with serrano ham and rosemary roasties. Finally, for dessert, they had vanilla crème brulee and sticky toffee pudding. They also had a delicious wedding cake from Scrum Diddly. It was salted caramel with 3 tiers with ripple icing and decorated in greenery & white flowers. The newlyweds are hiding some in the freezer to enjoy on their anniversary!
Due to COVID restrictions, Sarah and Ryan weren’t allowed any live music. So, they had a playlist in the background with all their favourite songs. This included their first dance to Afterglow by Wilkinson. However, again due to the restrictions, they couldn’t have a proper first dance. The music had to be low level so it wasn’t as energetic as they’d imagined. However, Sarah and Ryan still had a beautiful moment that they’ll cherish forever. The night ended with sparklers and fireworks which was a perfect ending to the most perfect day!
Suppliers
Exclusive wedding venue set in beautiful Gower.
Swansea, Gower
£POA
Venues
- Florist: Ruth Milton-Jones
- Headpiece: Eden b. Studio
- Makeup: Farhana Ali
- Cake: Scrum Diddly
