Going for glamour

With a sumptuous venue and luxurious outfits, Holly and Nigel's lavish celebration was certainly a wonderful day to remember

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All images courtesy of Kate Barnard Photography

Holly with her bridesmaids

Cardiff City Hall

Early days…

Holly and Nigel met at work almost seven years ago. "After a few flirty chats I asked him to join me and some friends in a bar, and that night we had our first kiss," says Holly. "Nine months later, we moved in together."

The proposal…

Nigel proposed on a romantic night away to Langshott Manor in Surrey. "It was St Dwynwen's Day, 25th January, which I didn't realise at the time was the Welsh Valentine's Day," says Holly. "Our room had an open log fire, a balcony which overlooked a moat, and a huge four-poster bed. After dinner we went for a walk in the grounds and that's when he got down on one knee. He'd even bought a ring that I'd pointed out when we were in Hatton Garden one Sunday."

The venues…

"We chose City Hall as the setting for our wedding because it's in the heart of Cardiff, where I grew up," says Holly. The couple held their ceremony and reception in the Marble Hall, a grand ballroom lined with columns of stunning Sienna marble, and ornate stained glass windows - very fitting for such a glamorous day.
"It was perfect for our photographs too," says Holly. "The museum steps next door created an ideal backdrop for a 'city wedding' feel, while the gardens around the back of the building were great for more classic rural photographs. We had the best of both worlds."

When it came to their big day, the couple chose to have a glamorous black-tie event. "We wanted something different from a traditional white wedding, so we chose a colour scheme of black, white, silver and red," says Holly.

The attendants…

Holly asked her old school friends Trisha and Helen to be her bridesmaids. Both wore stunning one-shoulder floor-length gowns from Debenhams, with Trisha in red and Helen in black.
Nigel asked his friend Phillip to be his best man. Both groomsmen wore black and white dinner suits, hired from Slaters Menswear in Cardiff.

The dress…

Holly chose to wear this sexy Jenny Packham gown. It had a gorgeous embellished bodice and a tulle skirt, which graduated into a train at the back. She accessorised with a pair of silver peep-toes from Christian Louboutin and a matching silver clutch from Anya Hindmarch.

Think vintage. Holly found some sparkly earrings in a vintage shop in New York. She also wore an antique watch that was a gift from her dad on her 18th birthday, and her floor-length veil was her 'something borrowed' from a friend in America, who couldn't make the wedding.

The flowers…

Holly's bouquet was a simple collection of red roses, hand-tied with red lace. "They were absolutely stunning, and contrasted with my dress perfectly," she says. "They also had a wonderful velvety texture."
The bridesmaids kept their bouquets simple, opting for bunches of white roses.

The decorative touches…

To take the glamorous event into the evening, the couple had a candlelit dinner. Instead of traditional flower centrepieces for the tables, they had silver candelabra placed on circular mirrors, surrounded by tea lights and scattered red rose petals.
The tables were named after newspapers that the couple had both worked on previously.

Holly and Nigel's cake was ordered from Marks & Spencer. The couple opted for plain white icing, which they later decorated with fresh red roses.

The best bits…

"Being a February wedding, daylight was fading fast after our ceremony so we had to go out and have our photographs taken straight away," says Holly. "We both really enjoyed this time alone together before going back inside to greet the guests."

Top tips…

"Get your honeymoon booked early so you don't have to worry about it as the wedding approaches. It's easy to forget about how much planning goes into booking a trip. When it comes to wedding planning, the important thing is to do little and often to avoid getting stressed. Pace yourself!"

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