A Nod To Tradition: James + Laura's Wedding At St Mellons Hotel

8th March 2017 Real Weddings

Fourteen groomsmen, a charming 1,200 year-old chapel and the proudest mother-of-the-bride we have ever seen! James and Laura’s classical wedding is simply timeless.

Keeping with tradition, James and Laura’s special day was full of nostalgia as they revisited the scene of a great love. After a long engagement, the pair who have been living in Scotland for the past four years, decided to return home to Cardiff to marry in the same church as Laura’s parents. Each loving glance was captured on the day by Xpect Photography, and our hearts melted here at WeddingDates HQ when we saw the sheer excitement on Laura’s face as she was about to meet her future husband at the altar. Sticking to a neutral colour palette and carrying simple bouquets that were full to the brim with Baby’s Breath, all eyes were on the bride’s breathtaking lace wedding dress featuring sophisticated full-length sleeves and a striking cathedral veil.

On The Venue…

“We had a very traditional wedding and we got married at an ancient church (1,200 year’s old) that was the same church my parents married in. We wanted our reception venue to mirror the traditional wedding we had always dreamed of. We looked at plenty of venues, but St Mellons Hotel ticked all the boxes for us. The reception room and the gardens were immaculate. The whole day and night was perfect! We had fabulous photos taken in the beautiful gardens, the reception room was newly decorated in white which looked magical on the day. The staff were absolutely fantastic, the hotel had the whole package and it was more than we ever could have wished for.”

On The Photographer…

“Our wedding photographer Mark from Xpect Photography was wonderful. He made us and all our guests feel so relaxed on the day. Having photographs taken isn’t everyone’s favourite thing but he made it fun and so enjoyable. He was so professional and when we saw all the wedding photographs he had taken, we couldn’t believe it as throughout most of the day and night we didn’t even know he was there! He captured such magical and natural moments for us. We had a surprise firework display organised by my parents and Mark stayed on in his own time to capture some great photographs of the display for us which was above and beyond what we expected him to do. We cannot thank him enough.”

The Highlight…

“The most special moment was being piped into the wedding reception and all of our guests were clapping for us. The surprise firework display in the evening was a perfect end to a perfect day.”