Ashley and Bryony’s Doughnut Loving Outdoor Welsh Wedding by Joe Lewis Photography

Today’s wedding is a great example of not having to have a million details and a huge amount of decoration to have a great wedding. I think it’s important to go into wedding planning remembering why it is your are getting married. It’s not for the elaborate decor, it’s for the love of your fiancé and starting the rest of your lives together. Ashley and Bryony wanted to do away with a lot of the traditions a wedding holds and do thing their own way, so they found a venue that hadn’t even got it’s wedding licence yet and set to work planning their Welsh Wedding. The results are this super laid back outdoor wedding, with accents of blue in their minimal decoration. There were a lot of smiles and a few tears and a whole lot of love. Big thanks to Joe Lewis Photography for the photos.

The most fun and love-filled day surrounded by the best people. Such a good party!

Ashley and Bryony were married on 4th June ay Treadam Barn, Abergavenny in Wales. ‘We were on a walk a couple of years before we got engaged down the Offas Dyke Path and came across the venue. It was in the middle of nowhere with incredible views of the mountains. We fell in love with it there and then and then when we got engaged, we both immediately said we wanted to get married there. Ash went to look at it and booked it on his own because Bry was isolating before an operation but he knew it was perfect! It didn’t have a marriage license when we booked but they got one while we were planning so we were the first couple to officially get married there! They had 100 guests and it didn’t take long to plan. We wanted something super simple and we had amazing suppliers who dealt with most stuff for us! We both agreed really easily on what we wanted to eat, prioritise and who we wanted to use as suppliers.’

How did you meet
We met in a club in Cardiff and were together for 9 years before we got married!

The proposal
Totally unexpected after 7 years and mid-pandemic, we took a week off in a camper van in Scotland when restrictions allowed and were walking with our dog at Camusunary Bay on the Isle of Skye. The view opened up to the sea and a massive loch and mountains and Ash got down on one knee!

How did you allocate your budget?
We didn’t have much to spend after a house renovation but there were certain things we wanted to prioritise like having a personalised ceremony, amazing photos and a band so we just worked from there.

Where did you splurge and where did you save?
Our venue were incredible, we got such insane value with them and they absolutely couldn’t have done more for us! We had really reasonable and brilliant suppliers and were so lucky with what they all “threw in”! We didn’t bother with flowers, had donuts for pudding and binned all the “wedding” bits that cost a fortune. We went for the full band though because when will you ever have a party like that again?!

How did you choose your photographer?
We stole Joe from our friends! 4 years before our wedding, Bry took his card at our Best Man’s wedding and told him we would call him when Ash finally proposed. It was another thing that just needed no discussion! We loved his photos, the way he catches people without them noticing and gets all the emotion of the day! Our worst nightmare is thousands of staged pictures and we just loved his style but also his personality- it was literally like chatting to your best mate as soon as we met him and he made us feel so at ease. Ash is really uncomfortable in front of a camera so it was really important we had someone amazing.

The dress
Dress was Sotterro and Midgely sourced from Willow In White in Cowbridge- Mel is beyond amazing! It was totally different to what I thought I would wear! Shoes were Harriet Wilde and accessories were my mum’s!

The suit and bridesmaids
Suit was from Hawkers in Cardiff and bridesmaids dresses were TFNC.

Theme or colour scheme?
We had a blue colour scheme

Flowers
Fake ones! During covid the wholesalers were doing really good prices and we barely needed to dress our venue as it was so beautiful anyway so we just had a few for the tables. Bry couldn’t stand holding bouquet as it just felt so unnatural so that solved that.

Decoration
Very little- our venue was beautiful and didn’t need it! It had gorgeous fairy lights already and we added a few photos! We were surprised how little it needed once the tables were all set.

Food
Grazing platters in the day and Pizza in the night both supplied by Flour’d Up who were fab!

Wedding cake
Fat Fox Doughnuts – they were sooo good!

Entertainment
The Scarletons full band brought the most incredible party! Everyone was on the dance floor all night.

Who supplied the stationery?
Bry’s Dad is a Graphic Designer who did it all for us!

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We went to the Swiss Alps in the summer which was beautiful!

Personal touches
We used a personalised stamp for things like napkins and envelopes. Bry’s mum made the flower girl dresses with a pattern she had from when I was little which was so special.

Special moments
Our ceremony was incredible. We had a celebrant called Jane from Create Ceremonies who just made it super personal to us, told our story so well and had us all dying with laughter. It was such a highlight and meant so much to have that personality in it. The party in the evening was just brilliant.

Advice for other couples
Just do whatever you want – you’ll never please everyone but that’s why they get their own wedding day!

Biggest surprise 
Just how easily everything slotted together. Lots of people seem to get so stressed with the planning and minor details of it all but it just fell into place and was so fun.

Supplier Shout Outs

• Dress: Willow in White 
• Photos: Wedding Photographer South Wales – Joe Lewis Photography
• Ceremony: Create Ceremonies – Wedding Celebrant
• Band: THE SCARLETONS – Wedding & Party Band Wales, UK
• Venue:  Treadam Barn | Facebook
• Catering: FLOUR’D UP – WOOD FIRED PIZZA
• Dessert/ cake: Fat Fox Doughnuts
• Shoes: Harriet Wilde Wedding Shoes
• Suit: Suits | Hawkes Bespoke | Wales

Joe Lewis Photography

www.joelewisphotography.co.uk /  [email protected] / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM

My name is Joe Lewis and I am a wedding photographer based in Newport, South Wales. I focus on capturing all the candid, natural moments of a wedding with an artist twist!