A wild-hearted black mountain wedding ceremony
I’m a huge fan of a wedding with a view. And I have a special place in my heart for the Black Mountains. Running along the very western edge of Herefordshire, a series of deep, dramatic valleys spoon the steep escarpments of the outer ridges of the Brecon Beacons massif. So, the setting for Becky and Tom’s Olchon Valley wedding was completely memorising for me!
Becky contacted me yesterday to let me know that her write-up of the wedding has been published on the Unique Home Stays website where they discovered and rented the beautiful Charity Farm for their wedding.
It was a wonderful reminder of this happy and relaxed wedding which included their black Labrador taking her place in the bridal party. Not that I needed any reminder! Becky and Tom are such a lovely couple, with an inspiring appetite to seize the day, get outside and have adventures. It was wonderful to get to know them through preparing their ceremony. And that view will be etched on my mind for ever.
Their ceremony was cradled between the awesome backdrop of the Cat’s Back ridge and the love and well-wishes of their guests – which created a uniquely life-affirming atmosphere.
If you’re inspired by this landscape I can recommend immersing yourself in black mountains scenery via these 2 novels:
‘On The Black Hill‘ by Bruce Chatwin is a story of twin brothers bought up on an isolated farm. The details of a hard farming life in this landscape from before the turn of the 20th century are vivid and the story itself is very moving.
‘Resistance‘ by Owen Sheers, is set in the farms of the remote and secluded Olchon Valley after a 1944 Nazi invasion. The story explores both the characters and the dramatic landscape and is very atmospheric.
Or enjoy a stunning ridge walk along The Cat’s Back and take in the views for yourself.
Watch this drone footage to get a little sense of just how special this place is. Just don’t tell everybody!
And if you’re as smitten with the Golden Valley as I am, and are considering it for your wedding, then definitely contact me!
Feature/Header Image: Louise Wilden