A Festive Kind of Love

Cosmopolitan couple Nick and Sarah returned to the bride's home ground of South Wales for a Christmas wedding full of festive flair.

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

Early days…

When Nick began a consultancy project for Sarah's company in 2006 neither of them anticipated that it would also mark the beginning of a lasting romance. At one of the company's social events Nick introduced himself to her sales team - Sarah blushed and Nick noticed. A few weeks passed and the pair were both in Singapore for a work conference. That evening, after some 'nifty moves on the dance floor', they spoke to one another properly for the first time and Nick says this is the moment he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Sarah.

"The night after Sarah and I met properly in Singapore, I was having a drink with a friend of mine, and I told him I had to leave early to get back to see Sarah. He tried to persuade me to stay but I told him she was 'the one? and I had to go." Sarah's feelings echoed Nick's: "We both felt that it was meant to be and we decided to go for it," she says. "We had the same likes and dislikes, ambitions and goals and were both looking to settle down. The timing was perfect."

The proposal…

On New Year's Eve, 2007 Nick proposed during a long weekend in Tunisia: "We had only been together for three months so it was a massive surprise when Nick got down on one knee and proposed. He even had the ring!" recalls Sarah.

Hen and stag parties…

Originally from South Wales, Sarah returned to Cardiff, her 'old stomping ground' to say a final farewell to her single status. The day began with go-karting and ended with an evening of dinner and clubbing. "As it was Christmas we dressed up as sexy santas."

Groom-to-be Nick took to the River Thames, hiring boats and cruising from Oxford to Henley with nine of his friends. "We all had t-shirts with a sea-faring title on the back," he says. "More than half of us lost our mobile phones in the river as we took it in turns to drive the boats and work the locks!"

The venues…

The couple decided to get married in Sarah's home ground of South Wales and chose the idyllic setting of St Pierre's Golf and Country Club in Chepstow whose grounds are also home to the Church of St Peter's. "As we were having a Christmas wedding we planned for bad weather and were very keen to have a venue where the church was within walking distance of the reception," they say. "We also wanted people to be able to stay overnight and wanted to have log fires and for the venue to feel cosy and welcoming. St Pierre?s fitted the bill perfectly."

The attendants…

Sarah's bridesmaid was her friend of 10 years, Fi. "We were flat mates together when I first moved to London," she says.

As the eldest of four brothers, Nick chose his next youngest brother Kingsley to take on the role of best man and his two other brothers, Joseph and Christian, as ushers, along with Nick's friend Clive. All four men wore morning suits with hot-pink cravats to match Fi's dress. "I told them that the cravats were cerise and none of them checked before the wedding that cerise is actually hot pink so it came as a surprise - they would have refused to wear it if they'd known!" says Nick.

The dress…

Sarah looked stunning in a contemporary strapless dress with a trail and all-over lace detail. "As it was winter I wanted a dress in a heavy material rather than something floaty or summery," she says. "I didn't envisage that I would choose something with sequins and lace but when I put the dress on I loved it - and the sequins sparkled in the candle-light in the church."

The flowers…

For flowers the couple chose classic white roses with pink edges to match their hot-pink colour theme.

The decorative touches…

With their wedding date set on the 29th December, Nick and Sarah had a Christmas theme with flowers and details that complemented the time of year. The church and reception venue were decorated with candles and holly and their reception guests were greeted with mulled wine and mince pies. A warm winter glow was later added by by using candelabras as table centrepieces. The couple's wedding cake was a rich fruit cake, topped with plain white icing, in-keeping with the style of a traditional Christmas cake.

The best bits…

Looking back Sarah and Nick say that walking down the aisle was one of the memories they will cherish the most from their big day. Nick says: "Seeing Sarah walking down the aisle was a real breathtaking moment." Sarah too recalls her favourite time as "walking down the aisle with my dad and seeing Nick waiting at the alter for me".

Top tips…

With a day that ran smoothly from start to finish the couple say it's important to savour every moment. "It all goes very quickly so try to take 10 minutes out during the day when the two of you can sit back and take it all in."

The honeymoon…

Leaving winter far behind, Sarah and Nick jetted off to Mauritius, staying at The Heritage Hotel, for two weeks. Sarah says: "We loved it and would highly recommend it - it included activities like water skiing, archery, tennis and golf but we also got to relax and were pampered with five-star service in a beautiful location."

Useful Contacts: