Kara and Brad: A Colourful Giraffe Shed Wedding in Mid Wales

Inspiration | Real Ceremonies | Wedding Ceremonies | Wedding Venues

August 7, 2026 / Miranda Ash /

Couple celebrating wedding in Welsh countryside at The Giraffe Shed

Travel is a passion of mine, so when a couple requests that I make the journey – sometimes several hundred miles or more – I’m usually very eager to say yes! I was thrilled when Kara and Brad invited me to officiate their wedding at the Giraffe Shed in Wales. Their spectacular day is one of the most vibrant and fun experiences I’ve ever had the privilege to be a part of!

How I Met Kara and Brad

I first met Kara at a few wedding fairs back in Hampshire. She’s a hugely talented florist, and it was at one of the Lo + Behold Wedding Fairs that Brad popped along to keep her company. The three of us got chatting and hit it off straight away. It was obvious from that first conversation that they wanted a relaxed, fun celebration that felt properly like them, nothing stuffy, nothing overly formal, just a big warm hug of a day surrounded by the people they love.

Planning a wedding in Wales while living in Hampshire is no small feat, and there was a fair amount of logistics involved in pulling it all together from a few hours away. Luckily Kara works in the wedding industry herself, so she knew exactly what she was doing and exactly what she wanted. That made my job a joy, because I could just get on with writing them a ceremony that matched their energy.

Wedding invitations and elegant accessories

The Giraffe Shed: One of THE Wedding Venues in the UK

The Giraffe Shed has been on my wish list of venues for a few years and it’s one of THE places to get married in the UK. It’s well worth a look.

Han and Neilo are the fabulous duo behind the venue and they really do go out of their way to make sure couples have an incredible experience.

Couple holding hands by colourful containers.

Set among rolling hills on a working farm, the space gives couples so much room to bring their own vision to life. For Kara, with her own floristry business, it was the perfect blank canvas. She filled it with colour, sparkle and gorgeous detail everywhere you looked. Pinks, oranges, corals, with soft touches of blue and green running through it all. It was exactly my kind of vibe – properly rendered me speechless when I saw the result of her efforts on my arrival!

Miranda the Celebrant | Hampshire Ceremonies

The Ceremony at The Giraffe Shed

The ceremony itself took place on the lawn above the barn. We couldn’t have asked for better weather either, a warm, sunny day, the sound of sheep in the distance and rolling green hills that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Couple seated outdoors, smiling happily.

As the live music piped up, the bridesmaids made their way in to Tall Handsome James, before everyone stood for Kara’s arrival. She walked down the aisle to There She Goes on her dad Lee’s arm, and it was such an emotional moment!

Anyone who’s been to an outdoor wedding in the countryside will tell you that the good old British weather likes to have its say! As Kara made her way down the aisle towards Brad, just behind me a few of their friends were heroically holding onto the flower laden plinths that formed our backdrop, doing their best to stop the whole thing blowing over in the wind. It was such a fab bit of unscripted comedy, watching this determined line of friend bracing against the breeze while trying to look nonchalant about it. Kara and Brad took it all in their stride, and it added a dose of comic relief to an otherwise beautifully tender moment. That’s weddings for you. Even when the wind has other ideas, the day still finds its way to being perfect!

Kara and Brad’s love story had all the ingredients I adore writing about: teenage love, gigs and F1 obsessions, and a proposal on a clifftop that very nearly didn’t happen because Kara walked off mid-gesture without realising what was going on. Brad still teases her about it now.

We moved through their commitments to each other, a reading recorded specially by their friend Jack, and then their vows, written in secret from one another and read aloud for the first time in front of everyone who mattered most to them. There’s something wonderful about watching two people hear each other’s promises for the very first time in that moment. You could feel the whole space holding its breath along with them.

One of my favourite parts of the ceremony was the ring exchange. Kara and Brad decided to spring a surprise on one of their guests by asking them, completely out of the blue, to step in as ring bearer. Grandma Claire, Brad’s grandma, was called up to take on the role, much to her delight. She’d spent years quietly holding Brad’s family together, so it felt only right that she got to play such a special part in his big day.

Drawing the ceremony to a close we got the party started and raised a shot of Tequila Rose together, Kara and Brad’s tipple of choice. I love finding a way to bring a bit of the couple’s personality into the closing moments, and there’s nothing quite like watching all the guests knock back tequila on the count of three to send a ceremony off with a bang. The cheer that followed could probably be heard across the Welsh hills!

The Giraffe Shed Brings the Party!

Once the confetti (Flutter Darlings of course!) had settled, guests headed off to enjoy drinks at the bar while Michaela, a live illustrator, set up shop, sketching portraits for people to take home as a keepsake. Lucy’s Glitter Box photo booth parked up outside, which had guests queuing up all evening and later on everyone tucked into delicious pizza and more, which felt exactly right for a relaxed celebration.

Wedding couple celebrating with confetti

The barn itself had been beautifully decorated by Kara, Brad and their friends, and it showed. Every corner had clearly had thought and love poured into it. And then there was the dessert table of dreams laden with colourful sweet treats!

Given how much music means to Kara and Brad, it’s no surprise that one of their favourite bands – The Lucky Sonnets – took to the stage later in the evening. By all accounts it was an epic party for the ages!

Weddings like Kara and Brad’s are exactly why I love what I do. Every couple brings their own story, their own quirks, and their own way of celebrating, and my job is simply to help that come through in the ceremony. Whether that’s a windswept backdrop needing a helping hand or a grandma turned surprise ring bearer, it’s the unscripted little moments that end up meaning the most.

Why I Say Yes to Travelling for Weddings

Days like this are exactly why I never think twice about a bit of travel. Yes, it means an overnight stay, an early start, and a fairly long drive up through the hills, but it also means I get to work with venues like the Giraffe Shed and couples like Kara and Brad who’ve put so much thought into every single detail. There’s a real joy in seeing a venue for the first time on the morning of a wedding and watching a couple’s personality unfold in the florals, the music, and the little surprises they’ve planned for their guests. It never once feels like a chore.

Couple celebrating against colourful backdrop

If you’re planning a wedding at the Giraffe Shed, or anywhere else that needs a celebrant happy to travel and get stuck into your story, I’d love to hear from you!