David & Grace – 6th May 2019

Alyson Claydon | November 7th

Instead of packing up the house ready for their big move David used all the boxes to build a castle fort in the living room, complete with working drawbridge and twinkly lights… It was inevitable that they would get married in a castle.

The first step… Grace purchased 16,000 unused LEGO bricks in the build-up to their big day to make their own wedding favours.

They wanted to ensure every member of the wedding party could enjoy the build-up of their wedding day and so the all-inclusive package suited Grace and David perfectly. Having a Personal Wedding Manager that they would meet with beforehand and be there on their special day reduced the pressure.

“The castle and its well-manicured grounds are stunning, not to mention a permanent croquet lawn. The attention to detail can be seen throughout the venue from the drapes and umbrellas to the perfectly stocked bars and well-situated dance floor. We were so confident we booked without viewing the venue.”

Grace and David decided to just add hints of their interests throughout the venue to not take away from the elegant atmosphere that they loved. Their wedding favours were bags of random LEGO bricks, sealed with a ‘DG’ sticker, a simple idea that created loads of fun! For the place names they upcycled the Sainsbury’s LEGO cards with calligraphy and secured these to each bag – the perfect DIY that was still personal to the couple. Last, but by no means least, the table plan was no normal table plan. Completely constructed from LEGO, they created the Castles Ballroom with each guest portrayed as a LEGO character.

“The dress was purchased fairly last minute from a supplier from my old home. It was not what either of us expected I would pick, but I felt so comfortable in it and this is incredibly important for me. The shoes were comfortable flats from Kurt Geiger.”

The most important decision… glasses or not. After long consideration, Grace decided to wear them for the ceremony to ensure she was comfortable and that she could really see her Groom.

Grace wore her mother’s gorgeous necklace that was a family heirloom locket. Her earrings were pale blue to match her aquamarine engagement ring, perfectly complemented by her light blue gel nails. A thin leather Pandora bracelet that Grace got as an eighteenth birthday present from close family friends sat on her wrist.

David wore a timeless charcoal suit with a steel blue cravat and cream waistcoat with blue flowers from Dyfed Menswear in Cardiff.

The groomsmen and fathers wore charcoal tails from Dyfed Menswear in Cardiff with slightly different waistcoats to David. The four bridesmaids wore steel blue dresses from David’s Bridal. Grace and David’s little boy completed the party in his light blue sailor-style romper and knitted white cardigan, the perfect comfy and cute outfit.

The couple each picked one reading for the other’s family friend to read as a surprise message. David selected a series of pertinent extracts from ‘How I met your mother’ and Grace had his family friend read him a poem in Welsh – which naturally no one understood save a few people in David’s family.

They selected a few tracks from Final Fantasy, The Princess Bride, the London 2012 Olympics, and lastly a fanfare from Harry Potter.

For their first dance “Kaleo – Automobile”. Despite having a child, the couples ‘family’ car is a two-seater MX5. Grace had wanted an MX5 car since she was four and it was the first car she bought, so naturally, it featured as their wedding car in the photos!

“The song for us is about David and I now sharing the joys together and how many of our favourite adventures have involved travelling the car.”

“Not only has the Castle been impeccably restored and maintained, it is also quiet and secluded. The exclusive use is the best element as you can enjoy all it has to offer without interruptions. The little ‘history room’ in the basement is excellent for those with an interest in history/building.”