We decided to get married at the National Museum Cardiff because we had both visited the venue as children and have loved it ever since. We liked the idea of having something a bit different, and the staff were amazing.
We live in New Zealand, so we wanted to incorporate our new home into the décor. I stayed in Wales for four months trying to organise as much as possible before I went back home. It was extremely difficult, but the team at the National Museum Cardiff were so helpful, a nd I can't thank them enough.
My friend Sarah and her mum organised our flowers as a wedding gift. They did an amazing job and incorporated some beautiful blooms, including craspedia globosa, hydrangeas, oxeye daisies, vintage roses and kermit chrysanthemums.
We decided to decorate the venue with 1,000 paper origami cranes. I hand-folded each one and hung them from frames at the end of the aisle to create a backdrop for the ceremony. It's an old Japanese legend that anyone who folds them will be granted a wish from the gods. They looked wonderful and took me more than eight months to make!
I decided to purchase my dress from Pritchard & Moore in Cardiff because all the proceeds go to charity. I fell in love with my gown straight away, and the staff were incredibly helpful.
Joe and the groomsmen wore navy suits with white bow ties and pocket squares from Marks & Spencer, which looked great.
Deborah, a family friend, created our cake as a gift. It was three tiers and was made using fruit, lemon, vanilla and strawberry jam.
I had two of my oldest friends as my bridesmaids and my best friend from university as my maid-of-honour. I bought their gowns from Monsoon, and our flowergirl wore a dress and headband from Pritchard & Moore.
We hired a band called Soul Lotta Funk to perform in the evening. They were great, and they managed to get everyone up and dancing. We also had a origami crane-making station and a camera to create a polaroid guest book, which our friends and family loved.
Joe sang our first dance song to me. I had no idea it was happening until everyone joined us on the dancefloor. It was so beautiful – needless to say, I cried my eyes out!
We had a wonderful day surrounded by our friends and family. Everything was perfect, and we can't thank the staff at the venue enough for making our dreams a reality.
Joe and Laura’s Contacts and Suppliers
Bride's dress Pritchard & Moore
Bride's hairpiece Debenhams
Bride's shoes Rainbow Club
Bridesmaids' dresses Monsoon
Catering Elior
Groom and groomsmen's suits Marks & Spencer
Hair stylist Tamsin Bryan
Make-up artist Lara Champion
Mother-of-the-bride's outfit Coast
Stationery The Knot
Venue National Museum Cardiff
Wedding frame DOP Property Maintenance
Wedding night Park Plaza Cardiff