A quiet wedding abroad followed by a party and wedding buffet for friends and family was the ideal combination for these newlyweds. Our WED2B Real Weddings Cardiff feature reveals more:

Chelsea and Leon first met in May 2012 and unwisely went to see a horror movie for their first date. “I was scared so we left after five minutes,” laughs Chelsea. “We then went to see Salmon Fishing in the Yemen instead, which we now watch every year! We’ve been together ever since."

Real Weddings Cardiff: Chelsea and Leon’s double celebration - Destin

A thoughtful proposal

Leon proposed in May 2017. “He asked if I could finish work early, as he wanted to take me out for an anniversary meal,” says Chelsea. “While I was getting ready he rang to say he was doing a delivery and would be home soon. I then got a call saying that his van had broken down and could I pick him up. He was at Castell Coch in South Wales, which is a beautiful little castle that I used to call ‘the fairy castle’ when I was little.”

The big question…

“When I arrived I saw him standing on the drawbridge waiting for me,” says Chelsea. “I walked over and he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I was so surprised I didn’t know what to say for ages! But then, of course, I said, ‘Yes!’. He’d also booked a night at Celtic Manor Resort to celebrate and when we arrived his family had put gifts and balloons in our room. We then had a lovely evening meal and spent the following day relaxing in the spa."

Shopping for two wedding celebrations

The couple started planning two weddings; a private destination wedding in the Dominican Republic and a blessing with family and friends in Cardiff. “I found my dresses at WED2B’s Cardiff store not long after it opened,” says Chelsea. “For my destination wedding dress, I wanted a simple, floaty and elegant design that was comfortable. I tried on lots of fishtail, fitted and other dresses but the day was super warm and I started to get very hot and uncomfortable. My consultant asked if she could suggest something and bought over Heidi Hudson’s Adeline dress. When I tried it on I instantly fell in love. The silk underlay was cool and I felt wonderful. I wore it with Azalea, a beautiful floral beaded belt.”

Dress Number 2

Chelsea returned a month later and bought her second dress for the wedding at home. “For this celebration, I already had an idea of what I wanted and had seen Destin online,” she says. “I had tried on multiple dresses in so many stores but I just knew this was the one. As soon as I tried it on I couldn’t stop smiling, I was honestly beaming! It was absolutely perfect and I didn’t need any alterations except for height. It was just fate!”

Real Weddings Cardiff: Chelsea and Leon’s double celebration - Destin

Heading overseas

The couple’s destination wedding was held at Dreams Punta Cana Resort and Spa in May 2018. “We found it after scouring the internet and travel agents’ websites,” says Chelsea. “We absolutely fell in love with its beautiful stone gazebo and we couldn’t wait to get married under it. The wedding coordinator there understood my vision perfectly and absolutely nailed it. I couldn’t have done it better myself.”

Celebrating at home

Back in Cardiff, the couple had a blessing followed by a reception on the 26th May 2018. “Leon actually found Cornerstone, the venue, and it was breathtaking,” says Chelsea. “It’s a recently restored church with high and bright beams, gorgeous stained glass windows and plenty of space for us to have a relaxed wedding buffet and also make it personal on the day.”

Real Weddings Cardiff: Chelsea and Leon’s double celebration - Destin

The (second) big day

“For the ceremony we had the song ‘Better Place’ by Rachel Platten and now when I listen to it I can picture the whole day,” says Chelsea. “It was perfect. My father-in-law walked me down the aisle for the destination wedding and for the blessing back at home. For me, not having a father around, this was really special. When he asked to escort me I almost cried. My favourite memory was seeing my now husband at the end of the aisle just beaming at me.”

A beautiful sunny day and an amazing wedding buffet

After the blessing there was a champagne reception while the couple headed outside for some photographs. “It turned out to be a beautiful warm day with highs of 26°C and our guests all commented on how lovely it was,” says Chelsea. “We spent a lot of time mingling and chatting, while nipping in and out to have our photographs done, until it was time to head into the main room. We had a large wedding buffet of hot and cold food, which all the guests said was amazing. This was followed by our first dance and cake cutting before we danced the night away. It was the perfect way to celebrate our nuptials with all of our close family and friends.”

Real Weddings Cardiff: Chelsea and Leon’s double celebration - Destin

 

If we could do it all again…

“…we wouldn’t change a thing,” says Chelsea. “I would definitely go abroad again as it took all the stress out of it and made the run up so enjoyable. We were able to relax and destress from work and home life. Then, having the wedding party back home was lovely too, as we got to celebrate without the pressure of the wedding!”

Chelsea’s Dream Team:

Photographer: Simon and Maisie Photography (simonmaisiephotography.co.uk)

Venue: Cornerstones, Cardiff (cornerstonecardiff.org)

Wedding Buffet: Spiros (spiros.co.uk)

Cake: Bella’s Cakes (facebook.com/bespokebellacakes)

Entertainment: Cardiff Wedding DJ (weddingdjcardiff.co.uk)

Décor: Party Central Cardiff (partycentralcardiff.com)

Did your wedding have the wow factor like our wedding buffet feature? If you would like your big day to be one of our real wedding features send your favourite photo to info@wed2b.co.uk and we’ll be in touch!