Jess & Calvin’s Wes Anderson Inspired Wedding at The Giraffe Shed in Wales
Written by MNT Ben
Images by Victoria Baker Photography
Some love stories begin close to home. Others cross oceans, time zones and entire continents before they realise what they are becoming. Jess and Calvin’s began in Los Angeles, at a tiny fan-made convention for the sitcom Community, and found its next chapter beneath the wide skies of Mid Wales at The Giraffe Shed.
Meet Jess & Calvin
They met in LA in 2014.
Jess from Wales. Calvin from Missouri.
A meeting so statistically unlikely it almost feels fictional.
Three days together, bonding over their favourite TV show, enjoying free drinks at nightly happy hour, and existing in that rare pocket of time where something important is happening but neither person fully knows it yet.
When they said goodbye at LAX that Monday, Jess never expected they would spend the next year talking every day. Let alone the next ten years building a life through adventures, long-distance devotion, and eventually marriage.
But some things arrive quietly before they become enormous.
The Proposal (Eventually, with Fish & Chips)
After nine years of long-distance love - including almost two years of pandemic separation - they knew they wanted to close the gap for good.
In March 2024, Calvin came to the UK and the two of them planned a trip to Copenhagen. On the way to the airport, he was unusually quiet.
Then came the confession.
“I’ve forgotten something important and it’s not my passport.”
The ring had been left behind in North Wales.
At their Copenhagen hotel, a bottle of champagne was already waiting in anticipation of a proposal that would need rescheduling. So they drank it anyway.
Later, back in the UK, they headed to County Durham, a place deeply connected to Jess’s family history.
On St Patrick’s Day they drove to Bamburgh, spent the day with car picnics and castles, then walked far enough along the beach to find a world of their own.
This time, Calvin had remembered the ring.
He spoke about the adventures they’d already shared, and the ones still to come, then asked Jess to marry him.
She said yes.
Then they celebrated in Seahouses with fish and chips.
Perfect priorities.
Two Weddings, One Story
They were engaged for only two and a half months before getting married for the first time.
Wanting to begin the visa process as soon as possible, they held a tiny legal wedding in Maine in May 2024, just the two of them, underneath an apple tree.
Beautiful. Intimate. Necessary.
It meant Calvin was able to move to Wales in March 2025.
But it was always important to them that they also had a second wedding day, one where they could celebrate their relationship and marriage with family and friends.
So in May 2025, on their one-year anniversary, they did it all again at The Giraffe Shed.
The Planning Journey
Years of Pinterest boards and Instagram bookmarks had quietly laid the groundwork, but the actual wedding planning only took five months.
Which sounds impossible until you meet two people who knew exactly what mattered to them.
There were intense Craft Club sessions in the weeks leading up to the day, but somehow everything came together.
They also ended up with some of the best wedding suppliers in Wales and beyond, the kind that make planning feel lighter rather than heavier.
Budget & Priorities
There wasn’t a strict wedding budget, but there was one clear boundary: not spending their entire house deposit fund.
The final spend came in at around £12,000.
Measured where it needed to be.
Joyfully excessive where it counted.
Including an eight-man brass band.
The Vision
They wanted a wedding venue where they could be fully themselves and do things exactly their own way.
They wanted a brilliant photographer who would capture the day honestly and make them feel comfortable.
They wanted a celebrant who could tell their story properly.
They wanted excellent food.
They wanted warmth, fun and personality in every corner.
Check, check, check and check.
The Theme
If it needed naming, it would be Wes Anderson Summer Camp.
With a little Relationship Scrapbook energy layered through it all.
Assorted ephemera. Photobooth strips. Felt pennants. Crocheted lobsters. Personal treasures. Playful chaos with excellent taste.
The Venue
The Giraffe Shed was the perfect setting for a creative wedding in Wales.
A venue known for flexibility, atmosphere and personality, it gave them the freedom to create something entirely their own rather than squeezing themselves into someone else’s template.
Which, really, was the whole point.
The Traditions They Kept
Walking down the aisle required a rethink, given they were already married.
Jess had hoped both parents would walk in with her, but after her mum twisted her ankle the week before, her dad did the honours.
They wanted a confetti toss, but only if it was big and colourful.
It was.
They shared a first dance to The Mountain Song by Tophouse, though apparently it resembled two sugar-fuelled children at a barn dance.
Halfway through, the brass band crashed in.
As all first dances should consider doing.
The Looks
They wore the same outfits they wore in Maine.
Calvin wore a suit from Moss with a tie from Dickie Bow.
Jess wore a yellow gingham dress from Off On Clothing.
Comfortable, joyful, with pockets, which deserves its own paragraph.
Her shoes were from Joanie.
She also wore a flower crown by Ivy Pip and Rose and later changed into a chainstitch “Just Married” cardigan.
Everything felt comfortable.
Everything felt like them.
The Details
Much of the décor was handmade.
Ribbon bunting, banners, zines, activity books, flags for table numbers, playing cards for place names.
Jess’s mum made fifty gingham napkins and heaps of shortbread heart biscuits.
There were two pink heart-shaped cakes reading “Happily Ever” and “After Party.”
There was a games and crafts corner.
An ice cream van.
A fire pit with s’mores.
And Jess’s dad ran a full pub quiz, including picture round, during his speech.
At this point it feels less like a wedding and more like a masterclass in hosting.
The Energy of the Day
There were stressful moments in the lead-up, mostly caused by too many craft projects happening simultaneously.
But they got it done.
And because the official legal ceremony had happened the year before, some of the pressure had already dissolved.
What remained was joy.
Time with favourite people. Pizza. Ice cream. Dancing enthusiastically. Quizzing competitively. Enjoying the fruits of months of planning.
The kind of wedding atmosphere people talk about long after the candles burn out.
Their advice for Other Couples?
Have fun with it.
Enjoy the process.
Choose wedding suppliers who feel like old friends and make you feel comfortable.
Plan a wedding that represents you as a couple and one you’d be thrilled to attend as a guest.
And on the day, go with the flow and make the most of every moment.
The Dream Team
Venue: The Giraffe Shed
Photographer: Victoria Baker Weddings
Celebrant: Heck Yeah Ceremonies!
Florist: Ivy Pip and Rose
Caterers: The Wedding Pizza Company
Ice Cream: Hoof and Scoop
Cake: Constance Cakes
Band: Back Chat Brass
Dress: Off On Clothing
A special mention too for The Giraffe Shed and Victoria Baker Weddings, both discovered through the Book Of Love Directory.
Proof that sometimes the right people and places are already waiting to be found.
Jess and Calvin’s wedding didn’t try to impress anyone.
It simply invited everyone properly in.
Thoughtful, playful, personal.
A celebration built across countries, years and paperwork, then finished with brass, pizza and ice cream.
Perfect.
Ready To Start Planning Your Big Day?
If Jess and Calvin’s wedding celebration has inspired you to start thinking about your own, we can help you with that!
Why not buy tickets to one of our upcoming events where you can connect with the best wedding creatives who you'll genuinely love!
And in the meantime, you can explore the Book of Love Directory to find a curated list of the best, independent wedding suppliers in the UK and beyond.