Wedding ceremony at St. Ilan’s Church – Rectorial Benefice of Eglwysilan and Caerphilly

Chris and Carrie’s wedding ceremony took place at St. Ilan’s Church, Caerphilly. The street address of the Church is St Ilan’s Parish Church, Mynydd Egwlysilan, Caerphilly, Wales. It’s only a 15 minutes driving distance from me. And I never knew about this beautiful church before.

The Parish Church was built on Mynydd Eglwysilan Mountain in the twelve century (1188). And it is likely that this was built on the site of an earlier chapel or cell from the 6th Century. By the way, Carrie’s parents got married in this parish as well. That’s why she asked me to take certain photos by the church entrance. So now both generations have quite similar photos. It’s so cute, isn’t it?

I need to mention the priest. He was absolutely lovely, friendly, and helpful. For me, as a documentary wedding photographer, it’s very important to feel welcomed by the church officials. And I guess the bride and groom enjoyed his outgoing personality and the relaxed atmosphere he created during the service.

Marquee wedding reception – wedding photographer South Wales

Initially, the wedding reception was supposed to be held in a local church village hall in the Caerphilly area. But till the middle of summer-2021, there was some uncertainty and covid-related restrictions in place. So Chris and Carrie decided to hold all the celebrations at her parents’ house. 

And I need to admit it was a brilliant idea. They managed to install a truly spacious marquee in the garden. The food and drinks were served in the wonderful living room. Their speeches took place on the balcony (during the golden hour with fantastic views over Caerphilly hills).

There was no limit on the amount of food and drinks served. So I am pretty sure no one left hungry or too sober. 

But on top of it, the bride and groom hired caterers to provide the extra meal. So later in the evening, the pizza van arrived and the guests were enjoying the delicious stone-baked pizza.

During the evening the band was performing in the marquee. The bride and groom had their first dance in the marquee as well.

Documentary wedding photographer South Wales

After the wedding day Carrie summed it up as “We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding day. It was everything we wanted and summed us up as a couple”.

As the couple wanted very natural shots, they were looking for a documentary wedding photographer. And found me. And I think it was a good choice. So does think the bride. Here’s a review Carrie left on my photography business profile in Google:

“Anna did a fantastic job of capturing all the love and fun we had on our wedding day.

There were so many photos we were unaware were being taken but that’s exactly what we wanted.  Anna was very professional and we got photos back so quickly. I would highly recommend it. Thank you so much, Anna”.

Thank you very much for letting me be a part of such an intimate wedding day and to enjoy it with your closest friends and family.

By the way, I am currently taking bookings for 2022-2025 weddings, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you are looking for a documentary wedding photographer in the South Wales area.