Classic late-summer country celebration

Classic celebrations are always in style and, for Hayley and Rhys, their wedding was a wonderful meeting point for family and friends and a chance to celebrate using a timeless palette of white and green with accents of sparkling gold

Hayley and Rhys knew they wanted a classic celebration and – after this long period apart from friends and family – their wedding day would also be a golden opportunity to party in style and mark the most special of all days. The date they settled on was early August – perfect for late-summer weather and a chance to take advantage of moments and photo opportunities outdoors.

With family and many friends located around Somerset and South Wales, Hayley knew exactly where she wanted the wedding to be – St Tewdrics House in Monmouthshire. This romantic 19th-century Italianate mansion set in extensive grounds (including glorious wildflower gardens) is owned by a celebrated local hero, Tour de France winner and Olympian Geraint Thomas OBE.

With its famous local connections, this was not only a beautiful setting, but also painstakingly restored and designed to host modern celebrations. “I had learnt about St Tewdrics House on its opening in 2016 and knew it was the perfect venue should I get engaged,” Hayley says. “The building was bought and renovated by Geraint Thomas OBE for his own wedding reception in 2015 and a year later St Tewdrics House opened its doors as an exclusive-use wedding venue.” The icing on the cake is that St Tewdrics House is perfectly located for family, being only around a 30-minute drive from Somerset and Wales.

With the ideal location set, Hayley and Rhys also had a very good idea of the design of the day. The classical features of the house and grounds lent themselves to simple styling and their vision was for plenty of white and green to highlight the light-filled rooms, with accents of gold to add a pop of classic celebration glamour.

Hayley not only had the inside track on the right venue, but all the other key details that count. As the UK Southern Area Manager for iconic Barcelona bridal house Rosa Clará, she is attuned to all the latest trends – including, of course, bridal fashion. So, no surprise that she had her perfect dress in mind. The design she chose is a Rosa Clará Couture style in sumptuous pale ivory silk. With its flattering v-front straps, square back and full skirt, this is an understated modern take on a timeless wedding-day silhouette. Subtle details included silk-covered buttons to define the back of the gown.

Hayley accessorised from Rosa Clará too, picking a soft tulle full-length veil with delicate hemstitch detail, plus glitzy woven high-heel pumps with jewel buckles from the Rosa Clará Couture collection.

Rhys wore a morning suit with grey waistcoat and white tie

The wedding-day weather was kind – dry and warm – and the bridal party had gathered to prepare for the day at Cefn Tilla Court, a secluded and historic country-house venue in the village of Llandenny. For Hayley, this preparation time in another romantic spot was the first of many magical moments that defined the day. “Getting ready at Cefn Tilla Court with my family and bridal party was truly special. It is such a beautiful and exclusive location – the perfect place to get ready in style before leaving to get married.”

The bride, two bridesmaids and bride’s mother had ultra-glamorous surroundings to dress up, swap special gifts, then pause and drink a toast to the day ahead before they were whisked off to St Tewdrics House. And here came another memorable point in the celebration for Hayley: “I was driven to the venue by my future brother-in-law. This was a special moment; he was also the first person to see me in my dress before my now husband and he told me how beautiful I looked”.

When Hayley and her party arrived, there was the groom’s party ready and waiting – all looking dashing in navy tails with pale grey waistcoats. The bridesmaids looked lovely in their dusky pink gowns – toning in with the soft pastel roses used as accent colours in Hayley’s lush white and green bouquet.

The room had been simply but dramatically dressed with garden greenery and candles were placed along the aisle. This was another very special moment for Hayley. “I loved walking down the aisle. On advice from friends who have recently got married I remember pausing and taking it all in before walking with my Dad. I remember how proud he was, and we also laughed as I tried to avoid the candles on the way down. At one point he asked if I had caught fire!”

“Hayley and Rhys loved the way things turned out and and it was a day full of memories to last a lifetime”

With the ceremony and register signing complete, a drinks reception with canapés and wonderful mood music from a gifted saxophone player was held before the grand wedding feast. This was held in the same beautiful space where the couple had said their vows. This relaxed gathering enjoyed a feast created by the catering team at St Tewdrics, before taking to the dance floor to round off a wonderful wedding day.

The gorgeous tiered cake was by Caking Sisters

Hayley and Rhys loved the way things turned out and it was a day full of memories to last a lifetime. Hayley’s only tip is directed at brides who want to stay cool, calm and photo ready in all locations. “I just wish I has taken a spare pair of block heel shoes with me for photos. My Rosa Clará Couture bridal shoes were beautiful and a joy to wear, but not so practical for the wildflower garden pictures. Rhys had to virtually carry me around and hold me up when we were posing for photos as my heels kept sinking!”