Gellifawr Woodland Retreat Wedding Photographer & Videographer

A woodland wedding village in the Gwaun Valley

Gellifawr Woodland Retreat is on Pontfaen Road in the Gwaun Valley near Fishguard, Pembrokeshire (SA65 9TX). Wedding directories describe a woodland and waterside setting with a licence for civil ceremonies, space for outdoor ceremonies, in-house catering and a good number of bedrooms. We have not been able to check these details against a current official page, so ask the venue to confirm them.

We photographed Sasha and Lee's wedding here on 7 September 2018, and theirs is the day in this guide: a ceremony in a bright, high-ceilinged room, confetti at the porch of the stone farmhouse, a swing in the trees, a pond and a dog in the garden. Our Pembrokeshire guide shows more of the county.

This wedding was in September 2018, so ask the venue what has changed since, which ceremony spaces it now uses and what its current packages, capacities and accommodation options are.

01 / The spaces / From directory listings

A farmhouse, a ceremony room, a pond and the woods around it

Directory listings describe the retreat as a woodland wedding setting with exclusive-use options, indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces and accommodation on site. The photographs on this page show a stone farmhouse with a white porch, a pale ceremony room under a vaulted ceiling, a pond with a wooden rail, a rope swing under a tall tree and a path through gardens.

Capacities and prices vary between listings, so ask the venue for its current wedding information, which spaces are licensed on your date and how weather is handled for outdoor ceremonies.

02 / September 2018 / Sasha and Lee

Sasha and Lee: a flower crown, confetti at the porch and a swing in the trees

Sasha and Lee married on 7 September 2018. He wore a grey waistcoat with a pale blue tie and a sprig of foliage in his buttonhole, and she a soft white dress with sheer sleeves and a crown of white flowers and eucalyptus, and a trailing bouquet to match. In the photograph at the top of this page he holds her from behind beside the pond, both of them smiling.

Their ceremony was in a bright room with white beams and a floral backdrop, with guests seated on wooden chairs. At the kiss, guests clapped from the front row. Afterwards, family threw confetti as they came out from the white porch of the stone farmhouse, Lee laughing and Sasha holding her bouquet.

In the garden they walked hand in hand along a gravel path between trees and lawn, and she sat on a rope swing in her long dress while he kissed her, their bouquet across her lap. Their small dog joined them for a portrait against a tall tree trunk, wearing a red collar.

Planning your photographs at Gellifawr Woodland Retreat

Questions to put to the venue, and how we would plan around the answers:

1. A bright ceremony room: Sasha and Lee married under white beams and daylight from large windows. Ask how the room is arranged for your numbers and where we can stand to photograph both the vows and the faces of your guests.
2. The porch and the confetti: The white porch of the farmhouse made a lovely frame for confetti. Ask what the venue allows for confetti and where guests can gather, and keep the throw away from anywhere that is hard to sweep.
3. Woodland and water: Paths, a pond and big trees give plenty of settings, and the light was lovely under the leaves. Ask about footing in a long dress and plan a sheltered route if the ground is wet.
4. Pets at the wedding: Sasha and Lee's dog joined their portraits. Ask the venue about dogs at the wedding and who will look after yours during the ceremony and the meal.
5. Group photographs: We make as many as you wish, usually around 15, which take about 20 minutes. Choose a spot with room for everyone and a sheltered fallback, and ask someone who knows both families to gather people.
6. Getting to the Gwaun Valley: It is a rural spot and a long way from the main roads, so allow for travel times for guests and for us when you plan the timetable, and ask the venue about accommodation on site.

One team for the photographs and the film

Cam and Beth have photographed and filmed over 400 weddings together, so a woodland farmhouse with a ceremony room, a pond and a rope swing is planned once: one timetable, one list of questions for the venue and one shared portrait walk for photographs and film.

The photo and video team package carries a £120 deposit and a £400 saving over booking photography and videography separately. We are based near Cardiff, and travel across England and Wales is included in standard full-day packages. When the drive is over two hours we always stay in a hotel the night before and cover it.

Questions about a Gellifawr Woodland Retreat wedding