Alex and Claire White's Perfect Wedding & Perfect Wedding Entertainment

Hipster were phenomenal, to the point where people who NEVER dance were on the dance floor. They really added quality and dimension to our day. Hipster were our extravagance, but worth every single penny!!

We got married at a small boutique hotel in Wales called The Bae Abermaw, which is nestled in the hillside overlooking the Mauddach Estuary and Cardigan Bay.

We wanted our wedding location to be special and meaningful, a place that we would want to return to time and time again. 

This particular area was very special to us as we had taken our first holiday there, our little boy had taken his first steps there, and my husband Alex proposed to me there…at the top of Mount Snowdon!...so it was perfect.

Our wedding party consisted of our closest family and friends. There were 40 of us, which made for an intimate weekend celebration.

Did you have a theme for your wedding, and what sort of look and feel did you want to create?

We wanted to combine feelings of “home” and “house party” so that everybody could kick back, relax and have fun! We had candles dotted everywhere which made it feel really cosy and romantic. We used blue and white as our colour theme for stationery and decorations to compliment the coastal views. We were on a budget so we kept things simple, personal, and where possible, home made! I made all of the stationery myself, and a friend made our wedding cake and wonderful macaroon wedding favours!

Please tell us about the running order and format of your day, including details of any live music or entertainment

I arrived at the hotel the night before the wedding with my mum and best friend. We set up the venue and discussed finishing touches with hotel staff ready for the next morning. 

We had a lazy breakfast before our hairdresser, Julia Nicholls, arrived to transform us. My wedding dress was a sample from Alfred Angelo, so a bargain! My veil was borrowed from a close girlfriend, which felt really special. 

The finishing touch which made me feel complete and ready to go was my bespoke pearl necklace which Alex had made me as a wedding gift. Just beautiful, and so precious!

Guests started to arrive and we could watch them without them seeing me from the top room, which was lovely! My uncle walked me down the aisle. He was a little shocked when he saw me in my dress as my normal attire is jeans and a hoodie, or walking gear!

Seeing Alex’s face as I walked down the aisle totally overwhelmed me. He was so full of emotion. I walked in to “Moon River” by Henry Mancini which was played by classical guitar. We had a civil ceremony but had written our own personal vows and promises to one another.

We also had personal readings which were read by my brother, and Alex’s sister. Our classical guitarist also played “Ave Maria”, “Claire De Lune”, “Speak Softly Love” and “Sons De Carrilhoes”.

The ceremony was followed by a champagne reception with warm canapés. 

We were fortunate enough for it to be dry so we headed down to the beach for a romantic and fun photo shoot. 

My Kath Kidston wedding wellies were under my dress! 

We returned to The Bae Abermaw to freshen up prior to the wedding breakfast.

The speeches were held before the meal so that the guys could enjoy their dinner without having to worry about delivering a speech after it. 

As we were a relatively small party, our guests got to choose from a menu of four choices for each course. The food was hearty home cooked food, and all locally sourced. The wedding meal was to die for, and guests commented that it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding!

We retired to the lounge for coffee and to relax after the meal, and as we were all staying over night at the hotel, we could go back to our rooms and freshen up before the evening’s wedding entertainment.

To kick off the evening party, we cut the cake. 

Alex’s face was a picture when he saw the cake, as it was a complete surprise. 

The wedding cake topping was our family, which included our son, dog and cat, in our wedding attire with our hiking boots on, and a sign for Snowdon!

The awesome function band Hipster announced our first dance which was “Moondance” by Van Morrison. This is a special song for us and to have it played live, and so very well, was just amazing! We were so happy. This was just an introduction to what continued to be an incredible night of celebration shared with our loved ones. Hipster were phenomenal, to the point where people who NEVER dance were on the dance floor. They really added quality and dimension to our day. Hipster were our extravagance, but worth every single penny!!

We stayed up until the early hours with loved ones, enjoying quiet drinks and laughs. Alex and I stayed up to the last and went outside with our final tipple to look over the bay, and take a quiet moment to reflect on the perfectly wonderful day that we had had, that we didn’t want to end! We could not have imagined how amazing it would be to have all of our special people together under one roof, to celebrate in this special way.

The morning after we all met up for a huge Welsh breakfast, said our thank you's and goodbye's, and set off to our honeymoon cottage in the mountains. BLISS!

How big an impact did live entertainment have on your wedding day and would you recommend it to others?

As soon as we began to plan our wedding, although on a tight budget, we knew we wanted live music to make a mark on our day. We both love live music, so a cheesy disco was not going to complete our day. 

We chose a classical guitarist to play music for our ceremony and during our champagne reception. This was wonderful, and added a beautiful feeling to this part of the day. 

In the evening we had Hipster, who we booked through Alive Network. What can I say, except BOOK THEM!! Even with only a small party they got everybody up and dancing. They are an amazing band with an extensive list of repertoire, and great lads to boot! People were still commenting on them, and asking about them, weeks after!!

What were your favourite moments of the day?

The whole day was incredible, from the intimacy of our ceremony to the great food, and rocking party after!  If forced to highlight my favourite moments, they would be:-

Seeing Alex for the first time that day, so full of emotion, and hearing “Moonriver” played by classical guitar. Perfect!Saying our personal wedding vows. Going to the beach for photographs, with my wedding wellies on! The food, which was great. Dancing our socks off to Hipster, who were amazing!! Our first dance “Moondance” by Van Morrison was incredible, and seeing all the people we love in each other’s arms at the end of the night dancing to “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol was magic! Sitting with my husband at the end of the night overlooking the bay. Perfect!

What pearls of wisdom or words of advice would you extend to future brides and grooms who are planning their perfect wedding?

Personalise your wedding by doing as much as you can yourself, drawing on the talents of family and friends.  These special touches really make it. Splurge on the things that are really important to you. For us it was food, music and photographer. Don’t worry about pleasing everybody because if you’re happy, they will be too. Having your entire wedding event held at one venue means that everybody can relax from the moment they arrive. Keep stepping back with your new husband to take it all in.

Hipster are an amazing band with an extensive list of repertoire, and great lads to boot! People were still commenting on them, and asking about them, weeks after!!