Game of love

Adam and Sarah combined a traditional Welsh white wedding with Adam's great passion - basketball!

Click on any of the images below to view a larger version

Early days…

For Adam Robertson, his love of basketball led to a different kind of love altogether... meeting his wife-to-be, Sarah Greenwood. The pair met at UWIC University where she was studying and he was playing on the basketball team. Adam soon became the seventh member of Sarah’s student house and seven years later the pair are now husband and wife!

Sarah recalls: “When we met I was staying in student accommodation, sharing a house with five other girls. Adam became part of the house very quickly - this did annoy some of the girls but they soon came to love him as much as I did!”

Adam says: “I realised I loved her while we where having a romantic stroll around Roath Park. We were engrossed in conversation the whole time; two different people connecting on the same level”.

Their mutual love for one another led Adam to buy a platinum princess cut, solitaire engagement ring and pop the question! He said: “I asked Sarah ‘if I asked you to marry me would you say yes?’ She said yes and I said ‘good because I have bought you a ring!’ ”.

Hen and stag parties…

True to their early days of partying at university, the pair kissed goodbye to their single status with three hen parties for Sarah and a trip to Barcelona for Adam. Sarah’s close friends organised a ‘wonderful trip’ to Wiltshire where they rented a luxury holiday cottage for a long weekend. Second time around she headed to London, this time with her work colleagues, for a show and overnight stay. Finally her sister and mum flew over from America for a family hen do, joined by Adam’s cousins and mum. And as they jetted in, Adam jetted out – flying to Barcelona with 28 friends and family for a weekend that left fun-filled memories. He says: “I will always remember my 58 year-old father dancing on a podium!”

The venues…

The pair combined a traditional Welsh white wedding with Adam’s great passion - basketball. For the ceremony they stayed true to Robertson family tradition with 90 guests attending their family church; St Marys of the Angels in Cardiff. As newly-weds they travelled in style in a Mercedes S Class to Miskin Manor where their basketball theme came out to play at the reception dinner.

Sarah said: “We chose the Miskin Manor for the spectacular grounds and their friendly staff.” And with 190 guests on a hot summers day in August, this is one wedding celebration that couldn’t fail to make an impact - inside and out.

Inside, the room was made up of eight round tables and a long top table – each named after an NBA basketball team - and traditional place cards were exchanged for mini basketballs with each guest’s name. Their wedding favours brought a touch of all things Welsh back into the place settings with Welsh love spoons for the female guests and Welsh pewter dragon key-rings for the men.

Back to their American basketball theme, the couple decided against a wedding cake; instead opting for 150 jam and ring doughnuts – bought that morning at a local supermarket! The sugary treats were piled on three cake tiers and decorated with flowers to match Sarah’s centre pieces - round flower arrangements with ivory roses and freesias (all composed by family friend, Julie Hobbs).

The attendants…

Sarah had seven bridesmaids including Adam’s sister, Sarah Robertson, and her own sisters; Jane Robinson and Emma Greenwood as maid of honour and chief bridesmaid respectively. Wearing strapless champagne dresses with ivory sashes, their hair was worn up with ivory flowers to match Sarah’s wedding dress. Joining them were four flower girls - Sarah’s two nieces and Adam’s two cousins - in ivory dresses, complete with champagne bows and headbands with ivory flowers for cute flower girl femininity! And to make sure her bridesmaids got to the church in time, Sarah hired a stretch Lincoln Navigator for ‘a bit of fun!’

Adam was accompanied by his two best men; Deane Waite and Andrew Innes and three ushers; Manny Idowu, David Greenwood and Lee Jenkins. All six men wore chocolate brown suits and three quarter length jackets, offset with ivory waistcoats and champagne cravats - in keeping with the classiest of colour themes.

The dress…

Sarah was the epitome of a radiant summer bride in a strapless ivory wedding dress with a long train and eyecatching crystals across the bodice and hem. To complement the dress’ details she wore a Swarovski crystal necklace, earrings and bracelet, and added extra sparkle with a tiara and veil. For her bouquet, Sarah carried a bunch of long-stemmed calla lilies.

The best bits…

Looking back it seems the couple wouldn’t change a thing. They said: “The whole day was perfect, right down to the weather.”

Their only problem was a mix up at the bakers, where they had ordered one hundred and fifty doughnuts – an element of their American basketball theme! The bakers had expected them a day later but, luckily, the problem was soon rectified – with a fleeting trip to Tesco!

With every element of their big day in mind, the couple’s top tip for budding newlyweds is this: “It’s never too early to start organising your wedding!”

The honeymoon…

As man and wife the couple jetted off to Dubai for one week, soaking up five star luxury at The Palace of the One and Only Royal Mirage resorts. A honeymoon getaway the couple would heartily recommend: “You were treated like royalty plus the weather was absolutely amazing – 45 degrees every day!”

Useful Contacts: