A DAY TO REMEMBER

A DAY TOremember REAL WEDDINGS

Melissa and Matthew had a beautiful celebration at Fairyhill

Images courtesy of Chris Andrews Photography

Melissa and Matthew fi rst met on Tinder in March 2014. “We matched when I was home from University, but I went back shortly after,” says Melissa. “After months of talking, Matt came to visit me for our fi rst offi cial date, and we’ve been inseparable ever since!”

Matthew proposed on 5th January, 2019 at Southerndown Beach. “It was the day before my 24th birthday, and we’d gone for a walk on the beach,” shares the bride. “I never wanted a big proposal and the idea of him getting down on one knee for everyone to see fi lled me with dread. We walked to the top of the cliff, overlooking the beach, close to where we had sat on one of our fi rst dates, and he asked if I wanted to be his wife. I was so shocked that I’m not sure I even said yes! That morning he had gone to collect a delivery and was gone for ages! Later I learned that he was ringing my parents to ask for my dad’s permission, and he called his parents to let them know. He proposed with a temporary ring, and we went shopping a few days later to fi nd the perfect one.”

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

Fairyhill was the fourth venue we saw, and we fell in love with it from the moment we stepped inside. We visited several times before our day, and each time we fell in love with it even more. The staff made us feel so welcome, and the glass of bubbly on arrival was an added bonus! Our day was planned for October 2020, however, 10 days before, we received a call from our venue advising that they had heard of a fi rebreak lockdown coming, so we decided to pull the wedding forward four days. Within the hour, we had telephoned all our suppliers and guests and everyone could accommodate our very last-minute plans. We were so grateful to have such wonderful suppliers. Our plans changed so many times, we were going to have 80 day guests, which went down to 50, then 30 and then the local lockdowns hit and as a consequence of not living in Swansea, we were no longer able to have our reception. It was utterly heartbreaking that we could only effectively have half a day, but we planned the best one we could. We’re planning to have a second wedding in March 2022 where I’ll wear my dress again, and we’ll have an extra special guest; our son, who will be six months old! call from our venue advising that they had heard of a fi rebreak lockdown coming, last-minute plans. We were so grateful to have such wonderful suppliers. Our plans

I’ve always loved purple, so I knew that was going to be our colour scheme. I gave our wonderful fl orist, Misselthwaite Flowers Ltd, an idea of what we wanted and left her to work wonders. The fi nished result was stunning! Matthew and I were so excited about the beautiful food that Fairyhill had to offer. While we didn’t have a full wedding breakfast, we were able to have some delicious canapés.

We had planned to have a cake table, but as our guest list got smaller, so did our order. Our fi nal design was a two-tier semi-naked bake made up of Victoria sponge and salted caramel from Beth’s Bakes Newport. To decorate the space, we chose a gorgeous balloon arch from Eden Events. It framed the end of the aisle perfectly and looked great in photographs.

I wore a Riki Dalal dress called Juliet which I bought from Eva Ashley Bridal Limited in Swansea. It was the only gown I saw before our day, and I had to try it on. As soon as I did, I knew it was the one. It had stunning 3D fl owers and detail running through the skirt. It was such a romantic design and fi t our venue perfectly. I paired it with a simple veil and a necklace that Matt gave me on the morning of the wedding. Matt opted for a navy suit from Slater Menswear in Cardiff. He paired it with a grey waistcoat and purple tie.

The bridesmaids chose purple cowl back dresses that looked beautiful. My favourite moment was the fi rst look. I stood at the top of the stairs, waiting to walk down and see Matt for the fi rst time in my dress. Due to restrictions, we weren’t sure if our photographer would be able to walk around the room during the ceremony, so a few weeks before, we discussed having a fi rst look. I met Matt and my parents at the bottom of the beautiful staircase, and I loved being able to hear his initial reaction as I wouldn’t have been able to if he’d been at the other end of the aisle. It was a really special moment, and I cannot recommend it enough!

To keep everyone entertained, we hired Katie Bayliss Harpist to play during the ceremony, and we had so many compliments about her music. On the morning of the wedding, I was unbelievably excited! I drove to the venue early with my bridesmaids, and by the time I got my dress on, I couldn’t wait to see Matt!

Due to COVID-19, there were so many moments we couldn’t have, but we were grateful we were still able to cut the cake and have our fi rst dance. We were able to have our fi ve-month-old puppy, Bailey, involved in the day.

For our honeymoon, we managed to escape to St Ives for a week. We had the most amazing time, and being able to get away as newlyweds was wonderful.

My top tip to any couple is to remember the reasons why you’re getting married. Planning a wedding is hands down the most stressful experience, especially in a pandemic, but being able to end the year as husband and wife was all we could’ve asked for! We had the most special day even though it wasn’t normal, we wouldn’t change it for the world.

MELISSA AND MATTHEW’S CONTACTS

Venue and catering, Fairyhill, www.fairyhill.co.uk | Photographer, Chris Andrews Photography, www.chrisandrewsphotography.co.uk | Videographer, Posh Bear, www.poshbear.co.uk | Bride’s dress and veil, Eva Ashley Bridal Limited, www.evaashley.com | Groom’s suit, Slater Menswear, www.slaters.co.uk | Hair stylist, Sarah Marie Wedding Hair Specialist, www.facebook.com/sarahmariefreelancehairdressingspraytanningwaxing | Make-up artist, Gower Glow. Katie Lancey – Freelance Makeup Artist, www.facebook.com/gowerglow | Cake, Beth’s Bakes Newport, www.bethsbakesnewport.com | Flowers, Misselthwaite Flowers Ltd, www.misselthwaitefl owersltd.co.uk | Entertainment, Katie Bayliss Harpist, www.katiebaylissharpist.com | Balloon arch, Eden Events, www.edeneventsswansea.co.uk