Last Saturday I headed off to the home of Heather and Luke just outside of Raglan. I was looking forward to documenting their very exciting, long-awaited wedding day. Heather and her bride squad were all busy being beautified by Dayna Melia Beauty with hair by Kerry Jones Hairdressing. It was a very busy household! Heavily pregnant Maid of Honour Emma helped Heather into her stunning wedding gown from Jewels & Gems Bridal of Usk. I really loved the colour scheme for this wedding (navy and burnt orange!) The girls all looked amazing in their long navy bridesmaid dresses holding stunning bouquets by Nantyderry Garden Centre . Heather’s dad John, looked equally dapper in his fabulous morning coat from Extons of Raglan! With everyone ready, we headed off to the Church of St Cadoc in Raglan.
Pastor Sarah was officiating at Heather and Luke’s wedding ceremony. It was a really nice service and before we knew it, they were announced as husband and wife! As the newlyweds came out of the church, they were greeted by an archway of pitchforks! They are both from the farming community and this ancient Welsh tradition, forms a guard of honour for the happy couple! I’ve been photographing weddings, for over twenty years. One ‘tradition’ I’d never come across before was the bride and groom throwing coins over the tied church gate! Small children the other side then excitedly gathered up the coins! The happy guests then headed off to the fabulous Glen-Yr-Afon Hotel in Usk in preparation for the reception. Luke’s brother Tom opened a bottle of Prosecco and produced a couple of glasses – before chauffering them to their venue.
As we drove into the driveway of the hotel, we were greeted by a beautifully decorated John Deere green tractor! This wonderful specimen has been in the bride’s family since the late 1960’s! It made a great feature for photos. We were blessed with fabulous weather, a really fun afternoon – and lots of gorgeous little ones at this wedding! So many in fact that the bride had arranged a private creche with three gorgeous ladies looking after the children! The newlyweds even provided the lamb from their farm for their main wedding meal! The wedding of Heather and Luke at the Glen-Yr-Afon was an amazing day which flew by all too quickly.
Below are just a small selection of images from their big day – which hopefully will provide lasting memories in the years to come.
