ELEGANT ROMANCE

Mia and Callan opted for a classy celebration at Cardiff Castle and The Dead Canary

Images courtesy of A.J Photography

Mia and Callan met through social media in 2020. “We instantly connected,” says Mia. “We chatted for a week or so before we met, but we felt as if we already knew each other. We connected on every level, shared the same interests, passions, and visions in life and, on top of all of that, we shared a cultural background. We were meant to be and it couldn’t have been clearer from the second we laid eyes on each other.”

Callan proposed in July 2021 during a trip to Wales. “We were visiting family, and all of us went down to Saundersfoot,” shares the bride. “One morning, he told me he wanted to take me on a walk to where Saint Govan’s Chapel is located. When we got there, Callan proposed to me on the cliffside. It was the biggest surprise, and I had no idea! It was the most beautiful setting, and I screamed yes!”

Here the bride shares some of her favourite moments from their big day...

For the ceremony and reception, we wanted venues that made a statement. Our ceremony venue, Cardiff Castle, had architectural details, elegance and class, which tied in perfectly with our vision. For the reception, The Dead Canary made the ideal transition for a more relaxed evening celebration. It’s a speakeasy-themed cocktail bar, and we loved its vintage elegance. We chose to have a non-traditional table plan. We had a buffet at our reception to create a more light and relaxed vibe for our guests. People could choose to mingle with food, sit next to whoever they liked, and just have fun!

The blooms we chose from Flowers, I do, were a mixture of white roses, eucalyptus, gypsophila and greenery. Our centrepieces were gypsophila, Japanese anemones and white roses.

I wore an ivory-draped strapless bridal gown called Esmee from House of CB. I chose this dress as it was fitted, elegant and classy. It was made of smooth satin that draped around the fully-corseted bodice, with a beautifully draped skirt that fell away to a sweep train for an added statement. I accessorised with square-toed sandals, a cathedral-length veil, a statement necklace and matching bracelet, my aunt’s diamond earrings and grandmother’s wedding ring. Seeing all our loved ones in one room, with people coming from so many different places, was amazing. It was lovely to see them all joined together and left us with an immense feeling of how incredibly loved we are by our families and friends. We are so grateful to them.

Callan chose a burgundy velvet dinner jacket, white tuxedo dress shirt, black bow tie, black trousers and Valentino patent leather shoes from Hawkes Bespoke Outfitters. He took great pride in choosing the details for the day. He stood out with his burgundy velvet dinner jacket, as the groomsmen were dressed in traditional tuxedos from Slater Menswear.

My gorgeous bridesmaid, Ffion, handmade all our confetti for guests to throw after the ceremony. It was stunning and one of our most memorable and favourite moments of the day. There was so much love put into our day by every person that was there. We couldn’t be more grateful to all those that came to celebrate our love.

For our honeymoon, we went to Santorini. It was a beautiful place that we would recommend to anyone looking for a magical destination.

We have to say special thanks to our wedding photographer, Amy Maynard from A.J Photography, and florist, Lucy Price from Flowers, I do. I gave them both five stars and recommend them to all those planning their special day. They made our day unforgettable!

MIA AND CALLAN’S CONTACTS

Ceremony venue, Cardiff Castle, www.cardiffcastle.com | Reception venue, The Dead Canary, www.thedeadcanary.co.uk | Photographer, A.J Photography, www.aj-photography.org | Bride’s dress, House of CB, www.houseofcb.com | Groom’s suit, Hawkes Bespoke Outfitters, www.hawkesbespokeoutfitters.co.uk | Groomsmen’s suits, Slater Menswear, www.slaters.co.uk | Bridesmaids’ dresses, Jacqueline Louise Bridal Ltd, www.jacquelinelouisebridal.com | Make-up artist, The Face Boss, www.thefaceboss.co.uk | Cake, Happy Occasions Cakes, www.happyoccasionscakes.co.uk | Flowers, Flowers, I do, www.flowersido.co.uk | Transport, iDoo Wedding Cars Ltd, www.idooweddingcarscardiff.co.uk and Roy’s Travels Minibus Hire, www.roystravels.co.uk