The 1st of May (2019) saw me travel to the west coast of Wales for an assignment to provide some Pembrokeshire wedding photography for Rhian and Jacob. Whilst Rhian does has family connections to Wales, the happy couple currently live in Los Angeles. In this Californian abode Rhian is pursuing a successful career as an actor. She recently featured in the Hollywood film, Halloween, with Jamie Lee Curtis. However they chose to host their wedding celebrations amongst the wild and beautiful countryside of West Wales, namely at Crug Glas. Situated a short distance from the smallest city in the UK of St David’s, Crug Glas Country House started as a restaurant with rooms, before converting a barn enabling the venue to host larger functions. As with all midweek weddings I offer my clients a choice of shorter coverage to suit their needs. Today I was booked for a couple of hours, with instructions to photograph the outdoor ceremony and a few portraits and family groups. The marriage ceremony was filled with art and poetry, with a male voice choir, readings from guests and musical renditions. And finally as a nod to Jacob’s Jewish heritage, there was the ritual of ‘breaking the glass’. The origin of this custom is unknown, although many reasons have been given. The primary reason is that joy must always be tempered, though the conclusion of said breaking is often accompanied by cheers of ‘mazel tov’.
