It’s a real treat to be sharing Amber and Stefan’s gorgeous micro wedding held at Cardiff City Hall today. They were wed on the 19th December 2020 despite the COVID-19 restrictions dramatically reducing their guest list from 80 to 10. I really admire their determination and their focus on ensuring they were happy with their wedding plans.
Let’s talk about style, shall we? Amber wore a gorgeous mini dress with strappy heels and a cool painted jacket, while Stefan wore a green suit with on-trend DMs. What a stunning pair they made and not forgetting how loved up they look in every single image?!
The amazing images are courtesy of Francesca Hill Photography which I am over the moon to be sharing with you. This wedding is a masterclass in laid back vibes and impeccable style.
Cardiff City Hall Wedding
The Proposal
We bought our first home in November 2017 and Stef proposed at home on Christmas morning 2017 (Christmas is my favourite time of year). It was completely unexpected and I was still in my Mrs Clause dressing gown when he did it! I ugly cried for too long and Stef laughed. We then had the best Christmas day with family. He chose a gold, vintage ring with an emerald, picked out from a small jeweller in Cardiff Indoor Market.
The Vision
We had planned a bigger event with up to 80 guests for December 2020, although still laid back and understated, however, Covid put those plans on hold. We postponed until the following summer but after further thought, we both decided that having been together for about 10 years by this point we just wanted to be married, at Christmas time, and we decided with about 4 weeks notice to book the town hall and get married with only 10 guests being just our immediate family.
The Venue
Cardiff City Hall & then Pie Minister for pies after! We were the only ones in Pie Minister which was quite nice.
Your Outfits
The dress I had didn’t fit the vibe of the new day and I, therefore, bought a new dress which was more fitting. I wanted something white but a bit more casual and that suited my style. I found a dress by &Other Stories which was short and it was perfect. I wore gold strappy shoes from New Look. My two friends bought me a beautiful personalised jacket from The Mermaid Effect which has ‘Mrs Vincent’ on the back so I wore that after the ceremony.
Stefan wore a green tweed suit from Moss Bros which suited his style and worked well with the Christmas season. He wore red Dr Marten’s shoes.
The Ceremony & Music
The ceremony was in the city hall and we could choose four songs. I walked into the hall to ‘Real Love Baby’ by Father Jon Misty which was magical. We then played two Christmas songs (we had to!) ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ by Bobby Helms and ‘Holly Jolly Christmas’ cover by Micheal Buble. We then had ‘Everywhere’ by Fleetwood Mac as the last song.
Due to Covid restrictions, we were only allowed 10 guests in the hall with us.
Your Photographer & Filmmaker
Francesca Hill Photography was our photographer and she was brilliant. She was able to accommodate our new date at relatively short notice and was perfect for our style. We aren’t ones for formal, ‘stand still and smile’ photos and it was fun to walk around Cardiff city centre finding interesting backdrops for photos. We were initially quite awkward not being ‘photo’ people but Fran was super chill and directed us like a pro.
The Styling & Decor
As the day was so scaled back there wasn’t so much a strict theme. We wanted to have a laid back day with a bit of a vintage feel. I purchased a dried flower bouquet from ‘Secret Garden Florist’ which inside the Cardiff Indoor Market, a day or two before the wedding and my mum made it into a smaller bouquet suitable for me to hold on the day. My mother-in-law brought some delicious vanilla cupcakes which were white and gold (our original theme).
The Honeymoon
Covid restrictions haven’t allowed us to go away but we would love to go to the Amalfi Coast in Italy.
Memorable Moments
Getting ready with my mum, sisters, mother in law and sister in law the morning of the wedding. We stayed at the Hilton as a treat which is just across from the City Hall and it was exciting to look out to where I was about to get married. Also, walking into the ceremony hall with the sun shining through the large windows with our families with us was the best feeling.
Advice For Other Couples
Do what you want to do. We went through the process of ‘but what would X or Y think’. Ultimately the day is about the two of you and you should do what makes you happy. We aren’t ones for a fuss anyway I am glad we had a smaller day, we were able to spend quality time with our immediate family after a rubbish year with Covid. Also, we saved money on not having a bigger event which we can put towards an amazing honeymoon.
Credit Where Credit Is Due
Outfits
& Other Stories The Mermaid Effect Moss Bros
Make Up
NGJ Makeup and Hair
Food/Drink
Pieminister
Gold Initial Earrings
Rachel Jackson London
Such a special day indeed.
Amber and Stefan it’s been an honour to share your Cardiff City Hall wedding, thank you so much.
Further Reading
The post Chilled & Happy Micro Cardiff City Hall Wedding first appeared on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings.