Lewis and Hannah’s wedding at The Cliff Hotel & Spa in Gwbert was a joyful day filled with meaningful music, lovely family moments and one of the most spectacular coastal settings in West Wales.
JAM Duo provided live music for the outdoor ceremony on the lawn, followed by the drinks reception on the terrace. With the ceremony overlooking Cardigan Bay and the celebrations continuing just a short stroll away, it was the perfect arrangement—although moving a digital piano and cello between locations is always a useful reminder that musicians are essentially very smartly dressed removal people.
A Wedding at The Cliff Hotel & Spa
Perched above the coastline in Gwbert, The Cliff Hotel & Spa is a wonderful venue for a wedding. The lawn provides a memorable setting for an outdoor ceremony, while the terrace is ideally positioned for drinks, conversation and photographs afterwards.
We know the venue well, which always helps when planning where to position our instruments, speakers and the small mountain of equipment that somehow accompanies two musicians. Working with the venue team, we set up on the lawn ready to welcome the 66 guests as they arrived.
The ceremony area had been decorated in neutral shades with beautiful white flowers and greenery. Dusty rose dresses for the bridesmaids added a soft touch of colour, while the flower girls wore white. The best men completed the wedding party in tuxedos with burgundy and maroon bow ties.
Everything looked elegant without feeling overly formal—the perfect balance for a relaxed coastal wedding.
Music as the Guests Arrived
Lewis and Hannah had selected a wonderful collection of contemporary songs for the pre-ceremony music:
- “Anyone” by Justin Bieber
- “Rewrite the Stars” by James Arthur
- “Please Keep Loving Me” by James TW
- “Stargazing” by Myles Smith
These songs worked beautifully as guests gathered on the lawn and found their seats. Playing before a ceremony is always a lovely part of the day for us. There is an unmistakable sense of anticipation as everyone arrives, catches up with friends and relatives, and quietly tries to work out whether they have chosen a seat with the best view.
The music helps create a welcoming atmosphere while signalling that the ceremony is about to begin. It also gives guests something to enjoy while the final preparations take place behind the scenes—usually involving buttonholes, missing handbags and at least one person asking whether the bride has arrived yet.
A Very Personal Entrance
For Hannah’s entrance, the couple had chosen “Fall” by Justin Bieber. The lyrics meant a great deal to them both, so they decided to make this part of the ceremony especially personal.
A family member played the original recording through the speaker for Hannah’s walk down the aisle. Before that, while everyone was standing, there was a surprise recording from Lewis and Hannah’s two young daughters.
It was a wonderfully thoughtful moment and brought the family right into the heart of the ceremony. Music is always powerful at a wedding, but it becomes even more meaningful when it carries a personal connection that belongs specifically to the couple.
We were delighted to help make the handover between the live music and the recordings run smoothly. Weddings occasionally require musicians to become part performer, part sound engineer and part highly alert button-presser. Fortunately, everything came together beautifully.
Then Hannah made her entrance.
She looked absolutely stunning in her wedding dress, with an elegant, romantic look that suited the setting perfectly. Lewis looked equally smart in his formal wedding attire, and the two of them made a truly lovely couple.
There are moments during a ceremony when the room—or in this case, the lawn—seems to become completely still. Seeing Lewis and Hannah together at the front was one of those moments. Even from behind our instruments, it was easy to see how happy they were.
Music During the Ceremony
Once Hannah had joined Lewis, the ceremony continued with the bay stretching out behind them and their family and friends gathered around.
For the signing of the register, Lewis and Hannah had given us a particularly lovely collection of songs:
- “Die a Happy Man” by Thomas Rhett
- “All I Ever Wanted” by Dean Lewis
- “Tell Me It’s You” from the Mufasa soundtrack
- “Better Half of Me” by Tom Walker
The signing is one of our favourite opportunities to play. It is a quieter part of the ceremony, but there is still plenty happening: official documents are signed, witnesses are summoned, photographs are taken and everyone tries to remember which chair they were originally sitting on.
Live music prevents this section from feeling like an administrative interval. Instead, it remains part of the emotional flow of the ceremony.
The couple’s choices were romantic and heartfelt, with melodies that translated beautifully to cello and piano. They also gave us enough musical variety to follow the pace of the signing without anyone feeling hurried.
One advantage of live musicians is that we can finish at exactly the right moment. There is no awkward fade-out, sudden stop or frantic search for the pause button. We simply watch what is happening and bring the music to a natural conclusion. It is a small detail, but it can make the whole ceremony feel much more polished.
A Joyful Exit
With the formalities complete and Lewis and Hannah officially married, it was time for their exit.
They chose “I Guess I’m in Love” by Clinton Kane—a wonderfully romantic song with just the right sense of celebration for the moment.
The newlyweds made their way back up the aisle as their guests applauded, smiled and reached for their phones. This is always the point when the calm concentration of the ceremony gives way to pure celebration.
It was a brilliant choice of exit music and a fitting beginning to the next part of the day.
Drinks Reception Music on the Terrace
After the ceremony, we relocated to the terrace for the drinks reception. The terrace at The Cliff Hotel & Spa is a fantastic space for this part of a wedding, allowing guests to enjoy their drinks and the coastal views while the couple head off for photographs.
Lewis and Hannah had kindly trusted us to choose the drinks-reception repertoire, asking us to play whatever we felt would work best while everyone mingled.
We love being given this freedom because it allows us to respond to the atmosphere as it develops. We mixed modern songs, recognisable classics and romantic favourites, keeping the music relaxed and upbeat without overpowering conversation.
There is a particular art to drinks-reception music. It needs to be interesting enough for guests to notice, but not so commanding that nobody can discuss the ceremony, locate the canapés or conduct an urgent investigation into where the prosecco has gone.
The cello and piano combination is ideal for this. It creates an elegant sound that suits a wedding venue, while contemporary arrangements keep everything warm, familiar and approachable.
As Lewis and Hannah had photographs taken, their guests enjoyed drinks on the terrace, chatted with friends and family, and settled comfortably into the celebrations. The schedule allowed plenty of time for everyone to relax before the speeches later in the afternoon.
A Beautifully Personal Wedding
What made this wedding especially memorable was the way Lewis and Hannah combined stylish details with genuinely personal choices.
The flowers and neutral colour palette complemented the venue beautifully, while the dusty rose bridesmaid dresses and burgundy accents added warmth. More importantly, the music had clearly been chosen because it meant something to them.
The recording from their daughters was a particularly touching surprise. It transformed the entrance into something that represented not only Lewis and Hannah as a couple, but their family as a whole.
That is the joy of wedding music. It can be elegant and atmospheric, but it can also tell a story. Whether it is a meaningful recording, a favourite song or a piece that immediately brings back a shared memory, those choices make a ceremony feel personal.
Congratulations, Lewis and Hannah
Lewis and Hannah were an absolute pleasure to play for. They looked wonderful, their ceremony was heartfelt and their drinks reception had exactly the relaxed, happy atmosphere everyone hopes for.
Thank you both for inviting JAM Duo to be part of your wedding at The Cliff Hotel & Spa. We loved providing the music for your ceremony on the lawn and continuing the celebrations on the terrace afterwards.
We hope the two of you—and your lovely girls—have many very happy years ahead, filled with laughter, adventures and considerably fewer seating plans.
Congratulations, Lewis and Hannah!
