Dreaming of a chic autumn or winter wedding? Then you need to check out this beautiful boho affair!
Today’s real life bride is also a former wedding planner, so we already know she pulled out all the stops for her boho wedding on September 18th.
From a chic outdoor setting, delicate table décor and the perfect winter colour palette, we’re loving Colleen and Kevin chic and cosy day…
HOW THEY MET
Who said you can’t find your soulmate on tinder?! Colleen and Kevin Lenaghan-Ohlrich of Portstewart swiped right at first sight in 2016 and the rest was history.
“We met on Tinder and our first meeting was in the empire bar,” Colleen says. “Kevin says he thought there must be some mistake because I looked just like my picture!! We immediately clicked, we had so much in common.
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“We chatted about everything and anything and that was us. We watch the most terrible movies together and I always drag Kevin on ghost hunting days. We also really love travelling together.”
THE PROPOSAL
After three years of dating things were going pretty smooth, so Kevin knew it was time to put a ring on his best friend!
“We had just arrived home from Mussendun Temple – Kevin says he’s raging he didn’t bring the ring with him!” Colleen reminisces.
“We sat down to watch the movie UP and just after the part where the wife dies, Kevin turned to me and said, ‘I meant to ask you something earlier… do you want to be my wife?” I cried and laughed a little – and of course, said yes! I was so excited to marry my best friend.”
THE PLANNING PROCESS
It just so happens our bride used to be a wedding planner, so she knew just what to do to create the most amazing autumnal wedding with a ceremony at The Manse in Ballymoney and homely backyard reception.
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“We had initially discussed having a Halloween wedding in Edinburgh but I adore the garden at my parents’ house so I discussed it with Kevin and he agreed that it would be perfect,” Colleen says. “So, we started the wedding planning immediately – I used to be a wedding planner so it was easy enough.
“We decided to go for a spring wedding as May in the garden is beautiful, so we booked our first date for May 16th 2020. We had everything ready to go by February 2020 and then Covid hit. We made the decision to postpone in April 2020. We were so gutted, like many couples at that time.
“We rebooked everything for May 1st 2021, but it had to be rescheduled again due to the restrictions. Our final date was September 18th, and the day couldn’t have been more perfect. I changed our wedding style to incorporate a more autumnal theme.”
DREAM WEDDING TEAM
“I changed the bridesmaids dresses to burgundy and went for peacock, pheasant, and black ostrich feathers in their bouquets and the men’s buttonholes,” Colleen continues. “The floral installation above the banquet table had pampas grass, hydrangeas, dried honeysuckle branches and ivy branches.”
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“Willow and Twine created my floral crown and bouquet. Tracey Is the most talented florist, I adore her! She immediately knew what I wanted, even better than I knew myself. I dried my crown and bouquet so I can keep them forever!”
Colleen also did some DIY creating the bridesmaids’ bouquets, groomsmen’s buttonholes, the floral installation above the banquet table and styling the tables and ceremony area.
“We went for BBQ style food by Challas Roast South African BBQ. They are the most wonderful caterers. Our guests loved the food – it was to die for! We used Shaws Hire Services for hiring chairs and tableware. I’ve worked with them previously, so I knew everything would be perfect.
“My Mum made our wedding cakes as well as doing all the gardening and grounds keeping – she’s superwoman! My dad built the two outdoor orangery-style areas and banquet tables. My sister was our makeup artist, Hope Ohlrich MUA. She’s so talented, we all looked beautiful!
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“We chose to have a humanist wedding ceremony which was conducted by Ann Pinkerton Humanist wedding celebrant.”
CAPTURING THE DAY
Samantha Quinn Photography captured Colleen & Kevin’s day perfectly with a selection of stunning candids and picture-perfect moments.
“I discovered Samantha on Facebook and immediately loved her work and knew I had to have her!” Colleen laughs. “Samantha was so relaxed and put us at ease immediately. She captured the most beautiful shots – it was such a lovely surprise to see everything we missed. We literally haven’t stopped looking at our photos!”
WEDDING WARDROBE
Colleen rocked a vintage 1940’s dress from an antique store in Ballycastle with a heaving satin, long sleeves and train.
“I loved the understated elegance of it,” Colleen shares. “It was the perfect style for a garden wedding. My wedding shoes were burgundy velvet kitten heels from Bowler and Betty.”
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“The groomsmen got their suits from Skopes at House of Fraser. They were wine satin blazers with black satin lapels and tuxedo trousers. The bridesmaids wore skirts from Coast and tops from ASOS.”
FAVOURITE MOMENT
“The ceremony was so special and personal to us,” Colleen continues. “We decided to write our own vows and it just made it so unique and memorable. I had my younger brother (who is 6ft 4 and an American football player) be my very graceful flower girl. He walked down the aisle to Cypress Hill ‘Tres Equis’.
“It was a big hit. He was fully equipped with a glittery bum bag filled with pink rose petals! The speeches were hilarious. The best men did a ‘Kevin through the ages’ style projected picture show, filled with hilarious anecdotes and they sneakily conspired with my bridesmaids to do something similar for me.”
BRIDAL ADVICE
For all the brides and grooms to be planning their perfect day, Colleen has some wise words of advice.
“Enjoy every bit of it and don’t let the small things stress you,” she says. “Everything will be spectacular on the day and it really does go by so fast! I would advise going for a more relaxed photography style. It allows your photographer to focus on capturing the moments between your guests that you may miss.”
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