Rhiannon and Ben’s wedding was simple, meaningful, and surrounded by nature. They hiked to a waterfall at Craflwyn, Beddgelert, with their two sons, their friend Mared, and their dog, Siôn. “We wanted it to be relaxed, very much about being in nature and to have a somewhat ethereal vibe”, the bride said.

Mared led the handfasting ceremony, calling on the spirits of the land to bear witness. Rhiannon and Ben exchanged rings, and they each gave a ring to each other’s son, a small but significant way of blending their family. “It was our way of saying, ‘This is us, all of us,’” Rhiannon explained.

Afterwards, they toasted the marriage with some bubbly and a locally made liqueur, before having one dance together to Love of My Life by Queen. “We had another song picked out but the complete lack of signal meant that it wouldn’t play!” Rhiannon laughed. “Mared had Love of My Life saved on her phone so we ended up dancing to that instead! It didn’t go to plan, but it did make for a lot of laughter!” They then all went for a walk to Pwll Myrddin (Merlin’s Pool) where the boys played by the river.

Rhiannon made her own dress and the buttonholes for the boys. She had also crafted a bouquet but accidentally left it behind! “It didn’t matter in the end,” she said. “The day was just as special without it.”

They wrapped up their day with a pizza dinner where they were joined by a few close friends. “It was relaxed and exactly what we wanted,” Rhiannon concluded. “Nothing about planning our wedding was challenging, we made sure that everything was simple and stress free. That was really important to us. We didn’t want to be worried and stressed in the lead up or on the day, we just wanted to be able to enjoy every minute.”