Allie Morgan – Writer & Cancer Survivor

After planning our wedding for a year, we got married in May on one of the most magical days of my life.

Although I woke up at 3:30am on the day, with an upset stomach (which I think may have been nerves!) and stressed all morning about whether I’d be well enough to attend my own wedding, a banana and several tablets later, I relaxed into the day.

I wanted to write up a little blog post about our wedding to share a little bit of it with you all, and so I have something to look back on in the future too.

My photographer (and childhood friend) Xena from Bull and Archer, wrote a beautiful blog post with all the photos here too.

The Dress

I found my dress at the first bridal shop we visited, Willow in White.

I knew I wanted something boho with beautiful details, but I wasn’t quite sure what exactly it would look like. The wonderful Mel helped me try on lots of different options, on a hot summer’s day in 2021, and I finally found the one.

I loved the dress because there was a subtle slit on the left side, which revealed the scar on my leg in the right position. It was a lovely nod to the things I had gone through and how far I had come.

The back also looked like a butterfly, something I’ve associated with my dad since he passed away nine years ago.

It was a gorgeous dress, and I felt so fairy-like in it. The veil was also from Willow in White and just made the whole outfit. It was long, and flowy, and made for some beautiful pictures.

Dress: Kelsey Rose Bridal

Bridal shop: Willow in White.

The Car

We wanted something classy and vintage for the wedding car, and when I found South Wales Wedding Cars, it was a match made in heaven.

This 1967 Rolls Royce was just dreamy, and our driver, Karen, was so lovely.

The red leather interior added a touch of old school glamour that I really couldn’t resist.

Car: South Wales Wedding Cars

The Church

I’ve grown up within the church but there’s a smaller church in my parish that I’ve always loved. My dad’s parents got married there, and it’s the cosiest church I’ve ever been to.

It was an easy decision to have our wedding there. My sister decorated it beautifully, with real and artificial flowers around the place to make it look like a beautiful country wedding.

I created the Order of Service on Zazzle, and we put the confetti holders together with my mother-in-law, using confetti cones from Amazon, and biodegradable rose petals as confetti.

The Venue

One day, last summer, we were going for a drive when we passed a little chip shop called The Catch. I looked it up on Instagram and saw it was part of Cobbles Kitchen, a rustic venue near the beach.

The first thing I noticed on their page was that they’d started hosting weddings. I instantly knew this was the venue for us. It was perfect, with whitewashed walls and boho decorations everywhere.

Cobbles, and Maggie in particular, were wonderful. Any questions were answered straight away, and their laidback approach matched our attitude completely. They worked so hard to give us an amazing day, and I couldn’t recommend them enough.

We also had a donations box set up in memory of both our dads who have passed away in the last few years too. It took centre stage in the bar, and we raised over £350 for our chosen charities.

In the evening, there was some impromptu Greek dancing in the marquee which all of the Welsh people absolutely loved, and luckily for Cobbles, there were no smashed plates. Just a gorgeous end to a beautiful day.

The Food

Anyone who knows me knows that I love my food, so getting the grub right was crucial to me, and Cobbles didn’t disappoint.

We went for a grazing platter for the wedding breakfast, and a BBQ for the evening. Everyone told me how delicious the food was, and I agreed – so tasty, and such a treat.

As we ate, we were serenaded by the wonderful Wayne Brennan, who my brother and sister-in-law booked for us as a wedding gift. We were so lucky to have him there, and it was just perfect as everyone tucked in to the feast.

The Cake

After looking at a few different options for the cake, I knew I wanted something simple – maybe even a one-tier cake.

My mother-in-law actually ended up making our cake and it was delicious. It was a Victoria sponge with homemade strawberry jam, and gorgeous buttercream icing.

I was lucky enough to try some of the trial cake she made too, and enjoy more cake after the wedding. What a dream.

My sister arranged the flowers for the cake, which fitted perfectly, and I hired the cake stand with some centrepieces for £10 from a local seamstress who made alterations to my dress last-minute.

The Photography

My photographer was my childhood friend, Xena – someone I lived next door to for years.

She was an absolute dream, getting some wonderful pictures of us that I never thought possible (we’re not great at serious photos!)

Putting everyone at ease, she was phenomenal at capturing every little moment. After the church, we travelled to Southerndown Walled Garden to have more photos taken, which resulted in some glorious shots.

The Flowers

My sister’s wedding gift to us was to sort out all of the flowers for the church, and the venue. She was amazing at picking out colours to complement my bouquet and arranging them in gorgeous little jars to fit the rustic theme of the wedding.

My bouquet and flower crown, the bridesmaid’s bouquets, and the buttonholes, were from the gorgeous Wild Meadow Floral.

I always knew I wanted something a bit different for my flowers and when I heard about Wild Meadow Floral, I realised they had exactly what I was looking for. A mixture of dried and fresh flowers, my bouquet was more perfect than I could have ever imagined with colours that just danced together in the midsummer sun.

The Wedding Favours

Our wedding favours were a mixture of Greek and Welsh traditions.

My mother-in-law should take full credit for making these (I went over her house to help her and ended up eating loads of cakes she gave me instead!)

We got mini Welsh lovespoons and paired them with sugared almonds, finishing it all off with a little bottle opener, which looked like a key.

I loved them.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Finally, one tradition I couldn’t miss was to choose something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.

My something old was my dad’s watch – one of the treasures I kept of his after he died. I wore it at my graduation so I could feel him close to me then, and my brother wore it to walk me down the aisle when he gave me away.

My something new was my gorgeous dress, that I really do need to get dry-cleaned!

Something borrowed was my sister’s jewellery which I wore on the day – a gold necklace, with matching earrings.

And my something blue was my garter which was a sweet little buy from Amazon.

A magical day

I’m sure there’s so much more I could say about one of the best days of my life, but for now, I’ll just enjoy being married to someone I’ve loved for a very long time. Eternally.

Allie x