How did you meet?

Jael and Greg’s first encounter was at work in 2016. As Jael explains, ‘I harboured a secret crush on him for a while before he made the first move by asking me on a date. I was shamelessly late for our first date at General Merchants, Greg drank too much coffee waiting and was wired and instead of a first kiss I accidentally head butted him!’

Tell us about the proposal.

‘Greg proposed with his mum’s engagement ring, on a walk to the beach just before Christmas 2021.’

How did you find the planning?

‘We decided we would like a summer wedding, but beyond that we didn’t really know exactly what we wanted, explains Jael. ‘I had been at Parisien before on a Christmas do and thought it would be nice for a city wedding. Then we booked our photographer LIT photography. I had fallen in love with Lauren’s style and was willing to get married whenever she was available. So with a bit of jiggery pokery we found a date which worked with all of the above. 

What venues did you choose and why?

’There is some uncertainty who actually suggested the Ulster Museum, both of us thinks it was the other. We met in South Belfast, and I went to Queen’s University and studied history so it felt very fitting. As I’ve mentioned we had our reception at Parisien Belfast, who made everything so easy. Everyone said it was the best wedding food ever and it was just so perfect for capturing the urban backdrops we wanted for the photos.’

Can you recommend any suppliers you worked with?

‘Every single one of our suppliers was just phenomenal, from our beautiful car via Star Car Hire, the most spectacular flowers from Bloom Barn, our delicious cake from Lily Pink Bakery and entertainment from the Groovesmen who started the party off right! 

‘Our celebrant Stewart Holden is a dear friend and gave us so much help and guidance in planning for our ceremony. He took so much care in telling our story, and guests loved how personal the ceremony was, we are eternally grateful to him!

What did you wear?

’My dress was from Solace London, and I got it online from their website. I knew I didn’t want to spend a total fortune. That said, I wanted something chic and modern. Telfair Tailoring made it fit like a glove.

I wore lilac Miss Sabina shoes from Christian Louboutin and blue Swarovski earrings. 

‘The rest of the bridal party wore a mix of high street from &Other Stories, ASOS, Abercrombie&Fitch and Reiss.

‘Greg wore a custom navy velvet dinner jacket from Freddie Hatchett, who couldn’t have been more hospitable or accommodating. Greg now thinks every shopping trip should come with a beer though!

Any favourite moments from the day?

‘Our wedding was the same day as Comic-Con; it really made me laugh when I ran into Princess Peach on the street wearing a much bigger dress than me! 

‘The kids’ readings had me in floods of tears and the speeches were just amazing and so special. I wish we had them on video.’

Have you any advice to share with other couples planning their day?

‘Decide what matters to you both, in our case it was food and photography. Your wedding should be a day of celebrating you and your love, you aren’t like everyone else, why would your wedding be?’

Jael and Greg’s Dream Team

Photography: litphotographyni

Ceremony Venue: Ulster Museum

Reception Venue: Parisien Belfast 

Celebrant: stewartholdenhumanistcelebrant

Flowers: bloom_barn

Cake: Lily Pink Bakery

Transport: starcarhire 

Bridalwear: archive12

The post Jael And Greg’s Chic City Wedding appeared first on Wedding Journal.

I Do Date: 22.02.24

How did you two meet?

‘Ian and I first met at a wedding in May 2017. Knowing there was something special, Ian made the first move by becoming “friends” on social media! We then went on our first date on 22nd February 2019, when we found we had lots to chat about including farming and faith! From that evening the conversation has never stopped – we enjoyed each other’s company and looked forward to the next time we would meet up!’ 

Tell us about the proposal.

‘On my 23^rd birthday Ian proposed at Helen’s Bay beach. We had chatted many times about getting married, and the occasion was marked on this special day! I wouldn’t describe our engagement as romantic because the beach was bustling with a TV film crew recording a documentary series, as well as walkers, runners and people enjoying catchup with friends! Despite the chaos on the beach, it was a birthday to remember, and we had a great day!’ 

How did you find the planning process?

‘After our engagement we began researching wedding vendors, we planned the day with guidance and recommendations from friends and family who had recently got married. I often used Instagram and Pinterest for wedding inspiration! We had 18 months to plan the wedding which was ample time to ensure everything was complete.’ 

Where did you get married and why did you choose this venue?

‘We got married in my home church, Loughgall Presbyterian. For me this was a very special place as I grew up attending this church and have many precious memories. The location is suitable for a wedding as it holds approximately 150 people, accessible car parking and an idyllic spot for beautiful photos!’

Who were your wedding suppliers?

‘A special friend offered to create our bouquets, buttonholes and wrist corsage as a wedding gift. The remaining flowers in the church were created by Rose and Thorn in Co. Armagh. The florists collaborated and shared ideas to create beautiful designs that complemented each other and the flowers looked amazing! 

‘The cake was designed and made by Homebaked by Susanne. We chose three flavours, raspberry and white chocolate, lemon and vanilla – it was fresh, light and tasted delicious! 

‘Ruth Corry is a talented harpist who played for guests as they arrived at the reception. Ruth is incredibly talented and played the requested music so beautifully. 

‘Embrace Socials provided evening entertainment for guests. During the evening celebration the group organised a range of social games, line dances, ceilidh dances and live music. We were delighted that our guests joined in on the entertainment! 

‘Our stationery was created by Letter and Lime Design. After a consultation I was confident Amie would deliver on our stationery ideas. We were delighted with our invites and on the day stationery. The quality and design was excellent and many guests complimented the artistic design and quality!’

Who captured your day?

‘As a camera shy couple, Ian and I were quite apprehensive about being subject to smiling for the camera. However, Iain Irwin our photographer and Matthew Fields our videographer captured the day brilliantly, demonstrating professionalism. Iain and Matthew are separate business enterprises, yet worked as a team to create beautiful images and video content. So far, we have received “sneak peaks” of our photos and videos of which we are delighted – and are really looking forward to receiving the rest!’

What did you wear?

‘My wedding dress was designed by Luce Sposa and purchased from Ultimate Dresses, in Derry-Londonderry. It was a fitted flesh-coloured dress, decorated with handmade lace, embroidered beads and sequins. The coat was made of glitter mesh fabric and decorated with the same lace as the dress. A velvet belt with a bow was fastened at the waist. 

‘The bridesmaids’ dresses were made from an ivory velvet material which complemented the ivory belt on the my bridal coat. Minor alterations were required on the bridesmaids dresses, the heavy material was suitable for a February wedding and kept the bridesmaids warm!

‘The navy three-piece suits and shoes were purchased from Nineteen83 Gentleman’s Fashion. The team in Dungannon measured and fitted the men with excellent attention to detail and made it enjoyable for the boys who usually try to avoid clothes shopping!’

What was your favourite moment from the day?

‘Our favorite moment was travelling from the church to the wedding reception venue! On the journey we were able to relax, chat and refresh on sandwiches and sweet treats, which were carefully packed for us.’ 

Do you have any advice for other couples planning their dream day?

‘We would advise any brides and grooms in the planning process to seek reputable suppliers who will be guaranteed to deliver on the day. It’s also a good idea to note down all the costs in a notebook or spreadsheet to keep track of your spending. And, most importantly, enjoy the planning and treasure the wedding day when it arrives!’

THE DREAM TEAM

Photographer: Iain Irwin Photography

Videographer: Matthew Fields Media

Venue: Culloden Estate & Spa

Wedding Dress: Ultimate Dresses

Groomswear: Nineteen83 Gentleman’S Fashion

Florist: Rose & Thorn

Stationery: Letter and Lime Design

Cake: Homebakedbysusanne

Music: Ruth Corry Wedding Harpist and Embrace Socials

Transport: Champagne Moments

The post A Memorable Day: Newlyweds Joanne & Ian Share Their Story appeared first on Wedding Journal.

How did you both meet?

‘Chris and I met on Tinder in March 2018. I hadn’t been single long so honestly set up a profile for a laugh. His height and previous travels caught my eye and the rest is history! We both love an adventure and the road less travelled,’ cooments Laura.

‘Chris planned each of our first few dates as surprises, they ranged from dinner and cocktails to walks with Llamas and ice skating. We went on a banger rally from Belfast to Africa in a £400 car a few months after meeting. It was far from a romantic or luxurious experience, but we both had an absolute ball and both knew then that the relationship was going the distance – excuse the pun! Chris’ romance and attention to detail hasn’t wavered in the six years we’ve been together. I feel very lucky!’

Tell us about the proposal?

‘Poor Chris had planned a beautiful trip to Venice over the anniversary of when we first met. Unfortunately March 2020 had different plans for all of us so the trip got cancelled and rescheduled a few times. Six months later, having asked my dad for my dad’s approval back in March, my dad asked Chris had he changed his mind! Thankfully he hadn’t and in September 2020 we managed to get away to Gocek, Turkey to the most beautiful seaside town. Chris popped the question one evening after dinner.’

How did you find the planning process?

‘We started planning quite quickly as we realised that there was very little availability for the venues and vendors that we loved due to Covid. The planning went well, but it’s so hard not to get carried away! We made a list of non-negotiables for how we wanted the day to feel/look and went from there.’

Where did you get married?

‘We got married and had our reception at Tullyveery House. We had viewed a few venues and couldn’t explain why none of them felt right until we arrived at Tullyveery. The whole place just has the most beautiful, relaxing atmosphere and Charlie and the rest of the team are incredible.

‘We got married on the front lawn and had most of our reception outside also. Despite weather warnings about rain all day, we had the most beautiful weather.’

Who captured your day?

Leanne Magill from Magills Film & Photography was our photographer. Leanne is from my hometown of Kilkeel and did a fabulous job with our pictures. She made us feel really comfortable and wasn’t scared to wrangle people together for pictures, which is such a skill.’

What did you wear?

‘When choosing my dress I wanted something a little bit different, but still classic. I fell for Gwen by Eva Lendel and had it slightly customised. I just loved it. Two years later and I think I’d still choose it!

‘For the bridesmaids I wanted something that they would feel comfortable in all day and something that would fit the garden party vibe of the day. We chose sage green dresses from TH&TH and the girls looked stunning. They accessorised with jewellery from my own brand Monday’s Child.

‘For the groomsmen we went for classic black tuxes. Chris has never shied away from standing out, so he went for a custom ivory jacket from Suitor Brothers.’

What was your favourite moment from the day?

‘Our vows were such a special moment for both of us. Our celebrant Steve Ames knocked it out of the park and made our ceremony so memorable. It was incredible to share the moment with our family and friends.

‘Chris surprised me by booking Bjorn Identity and I had no idea until they walked out. I nearly collapsed in shock! Anyone that knows me knows I’m a massive ABBA fan and ending the night with ‘Thanks You For The Music’ was just the cherry on top!’

Do you have any advice to share?

‘Don’t overthink it! You don’t need favours and it doesn’t matter what shade your cake is. As hard as it is to keep perspective, it really is only one day and as long as you have food, music and your nearest and dearest around you there’s not much else you need.’

Laura & Chris’ Dream Team

Photography: Leanne Magill;

Venue: Tullyveery House;

Celebrant: Steve Ames;

Bands: Cash Returns & Bjorn Identity;

Hair: Alanda at Patrick Murphy Hairdressing;

Make-up: Julie Quinn;

Wedding Dress: Eva Lendel from Dream Weddings Bridal;

Wedding Cake: Mourne Brownies;

Bridesmaids Dresses: TH&TH;

Groom’s Suit: Suitor Brothers;

Jewellery: Monday’s Child https://www.mondays-child.uk/

The post A Beautiful Day: Laura & Chris’ Celebrations at Tullyveery House appeared first on Wedding Journal.

How did you both meet?

‘We met in 2016 when we both joined the same law firm as trainee solicitors in Dublin,’ explains Jean. ‘We got to know each other over a few months and ultimately started properly dating after a group trip to Vietnam in early 2017 with some friends. Fintan made the first move. We discovered a common love of travel and took advantage of any opportunities we could over the years and have now been to twenty countries together. We both still work for the same law firm – albeit in different areas of law.’

Tell us about the proposal.

‘Fintan proposed in early December in 2022 at Ashford Castle after six years of dating. He surprised me with the trip a few days before. It was a lovely frosty, but sunny day and we went for a walk in the grounds when we arrived. After finding a quiet spot down a pretty walkway he got down on one knee! Fintan had afternoon tea booked afterward, which quickly turned into a celebratory champagne tasting and we got to enjoy the engagement bubble for a little while before calling our families. It felt perfect and we were both really excited about starting the next chapter of our life together.’

How did the planning process go?

‘We started planning immediately as we knew we wanted to get married in 2023 having been together for a number of years already. We were due to go travelling for two months to Australia and New Zealand in January/February 2023 so we started looking at venues straight away. We planned everything ourselves and got most of the big items (band, photographer, videographer, make-up and hair) locked in while travelling. I even bought my wedding dress in Sydney. I was very hands-on with planning, I even made our invitations and menus.

Where did you get married and why did you choose this venue?

We had our ceremony at a small church local to my parent’s house in Cork. It’s where I was baptised, had my communion and confirmation, so it felt special to have the wedding there. It’s in a small village with pretty grounds and looked stunning in the sun on the day.’ Our wedding reception was held at Castlemartyr Resort. When we initially visited it immediately stood out from other venues. It was the right mix of modern and classic and had beautiful grounds. I had always hoped that if I got married in Cork it would be at Castlemartyr and thankfully Fintan liked it too! We felt like we would be in great hands here and that our guests would have a great time too and we were right.’

Who captured your day?

‘We chose Wonder & Magic because they create beautiful images, but also capture the spirit of the day and never miss a detail. Richie took so much time before our wedding to get a real understanding of what we wanted and was such a positive and happy influence on the day itself. Tom from White Phoenix Films was our videographer and he made us feel like movie stars on the day, giving us just the right amount of direction. We also hired a content creator,  Lucy from And Something Blu. Lucy just slotted in on the day and got so many reels and photos, plus the quality was fantastic!’

What did you wear?

‘I wore a dress from Blanche Bridal. I went shopping by myself in Sydney and after trying on 12 or 13 dresses, I knew immediately that it was the one. I loved the 3D floral detailing, the low back and incredible train. In the evening I changed into a dress from Karolina Kusy, which was tons of fun for dancing and enjoying the band and DJ! Fintan got a bespoke black tuxedo made by Abraham’s Tailoring. He chose a velvet jacket with shawl collar for a modern yet classic look. The groomsmen also wore black tuxes from here and my bridesmaids wore navy one shoulder full length dresses from Asos.’

What was your favourite moment from the day?

‘My favourite moment was seeing Jean walk down the aisle, particularly since she’d kept me waiting an extra ten minutes,’ laughs Fintan. ‘She looked so happy.’ Aside from walking down the aisle and seeing Fintan, Jean’s favourite moment was stealing away to get a glimpse of the reception room before the guests were called to dinner. ‘The room looked amazing – exactly how I’d envisioned it. It was amazing to see all of the details come together.’

Do you have any advice to share?

‘Soak it all in! We had a relatively short engagement (approximately ten months) and it feels like it flew by, so make the most of it because it’s such a special time.’

Jean and Fintan’s Dream Team:

Venue: Castlemartyr Resort & Spa;

Photographer: Wonder & Magic;

Videographer: White Phoenix Films;

Wedding Content Creator: And Something Blu;

Wedding Dresses: Blanche Bridal & Karolina Kusy;

Alterations: By Kate;

Groom’s & Groomsmen Suiting: Abraham’s Tailoring;

Bridesmaids Dresses: Asos;

Bridal Shoes: Rainbow Club;

Flowers: French Touch Flowers;

Cake: Applebee Bakes;

Make-up: Nikki Burke, The Make-Up Doll;

Hair: Christine O’Sullivan;

Wedding Rings: Appleby Jewellers;

Ceremony/ Reception Music: Delta String Quartet;

Band: Arthur;

DJ: Billy from BMG Sound

The post Legally Wed: Jean and Fintan Tie the Knot appeared first on Wedding Journal.

How did you two meet?

‘Bryan and I actually met on a blind date! I was in my final year at college in Limerick, and I was unaware that a mutual friend of ours had sent him a snap of me and he then asked for my phone number.We arranged a date for the 18th November 2017. We went to the famous ‘Cobblestone Joes’ in the lovely Limerick where we played cards and munched pizza. Bryan dropped me home and asked if he could have a kiss and from there the relationship blossomed. A year later in March 2018, Bryan and I moved in together.’

Tell us about the proposal?

‘Unknown to me at the time, when I had fallen sick with Covid, Bryan has a night away planned to propose. However, we were heading to Killarney a month later and he had decided to pop the question then. Then the concert we were going to got cancelled, but when I broke the news to Bryan he was having none of it. We were going to Killarney come hell or high water! Thursday morning, March 2022, came and off we went. We met friends for lunch and then Bryan suggested that we head out to Rossbeigh Strand for a walk. We were walking out, hand in hand and I literally just got the feeling that he was going to propose. As we turned to go back to the car Bryan’s knee gave way and down he went! At first I was thinking ‘Oh God, this is definitely just a spare of the moment thing and then out popped the ring and I could not believe it!’

How did the wedding planning go?

‘Bryan wanted to get cracking straight away – the night we got engaged we started talking about dates and settled on winter 2023. We were both itching to get going, but we did force ourselves to just take it all in and absorb the engagement bubble buzz. I would say I waited roughly a month before beginning the wedding process. We did all of the planning ourselves and I have to say we didn’t find it too bad or stressful.’

Where did you get married and why you choose this venue?

‘We had our ceremony in my local church, a place filled with memories and a mere five minute drive from my home house. Our reception followed in Lough Rynn Castle. The minute we walked into Lough Rynn Castle, we knew that was where we wanted to get married. The, after speaking with Lynette it was a no brainer – she could not have been any better to

deal with. We could picture the whole day as it would unfold as soon as we walked into the room. Cosy, private and intimate with all of the trimmings. Just what we had envisaged.

‘On the day of the wedding Lough Rynn went above and beyond, everything ran like clockwork, the food was exquisite and we honestly could not fault the venue no matter if we were even trying to. The grounds for photos, the staff, literally everything was incredible and we could not recommend it enough.’

Who captured your day?

‘Our photographer was Neil Keery from Keery Photo, and his side kick on the day was Evanna Devine. Originally I chose Neil because of his style, I loved the relaxed vibe. Bryan and I don’t really like standing and posing for photos too much but we also recognise the value in having photos of such a significant day. Neil’s style was relaxed, candid and he captured everyone’s personality beautifully.

‘As for videography, Julianna from Doyenne Films was recommended to us by Neil and we really liked her style. She made us feel so relaxed on the day, we don’t even notice her presence, she totally blended in.’

What did you wear?

‘I will begin with my favourite part of my outfit. The hat! I could not have loved my hat any more. Before I even met Bryan I knew if ever I was getting married I would want to wear a hat. I went to Sinead B Millinery and told her the vision I had in my head. Sinead has a world of insight, knowledge and is incredibly gifted at what she does. She was beyond

patient with me when I was looking to go bigger and we literally built the hat from the ground up over the course of a few months. The dress was Suzanne Neville as soon as I puit it on I loved everything about it. It just felt very ‘me’, and it’s important to feel like yourself and be comfortable on the day.

‘The suits were hired from Galvin Tullamore. Bryan wore a black velvet jacket and a tux. He purchased his jacket and trousers from there, opting for the brand Remus Uomo for those as the tailoring and fit was neater.

‘The bridesmaids dresses were purchased on JardinVue website, however, had to be brought for a lot of alterations prior to the wedding. I went with a simple black and white as I thought it would look crisp in the photos and tie in well with the mens tux.

Do you have any favourite moments from the day?

‘So many! One in the main sticks out in my mind – as mentioned earlier I have a brother who passed away. I always believe he is sending me ‘hellos’ via butterflies. When we went into the ballroom there was a butterfly flying around from table to table, he sat beside my dad for the entire speech and even came up and sat beside us at the table – simply magic.’

Have you any advice for other couples planning their day?

‘Let the hair sit and don’t be too precious about yourself. Everyone is there because they love you. No one is looking to pick the day apart or say ‘they didn’t do this, or that’. Everyone loves you. So relax and have fun. The wedding takes on the bride and grooms vibe so it your relaxed and having fun people feel that energy and feel like they can do the same.’

Katie & Bryan’s Dream Team

Photography: Keery Photo;

Videography: Doyenne Films;

Venue: Lough Rynn Castle;

Wedding Dress: Kadee Bride;

Bridal Hat: Sinead B Millinery;

Groomswear: Galvin Tullamore;

Hair: Funky Finges;

Make-Up: Sarah Keogh;

Flowers: HiddenBotanics;

Reception Music: The Highstool Prophets;

Evening Band & DJ: Flog The Dog

The post Katie & Bryan’s Intimate Day at Lough Rynn Castle appeared first on Wedding Journal.

How did you both first meet?

Coming from the small seaside town of Portrush, we knew of each other before we properly met as there were some connections in our family. We became good friends when we joined the same secondary school and spent our teenage years working in Barry’s amusements during the summer months. However, we didn’t start dating until we were both at university. It was quite ironic that Ruairí lived around the corner all those years, but when we finally started dating in 2014, he was studying in Belfast, and I was in Liverpool! I moved back to Belfast in 2016 before we both moved to live in London, when Ruairí was offered a job there.

Tell us about the proposal!

We got engaged in Athens in 2021, where we were celebrating our seven year anniversary. Although a few people had joked that I may come home with some bling, the engagement came as a complete surprise. Ruairí seemed far too chilled going through security at the airport, so I instantly lost all suspicions that he could have a potential ring in his backpack. It was on our second night in Athens, that he popped the question. I was so excited and stood in shock for about a minute; Ruairí had to double-check it was a definitely a ‘yes’! I was over the moon and very impressed with his choice of ring. We rang our families and then went for some bubbles to celebrate!

When did you start planning your wedding?

Even though we live in London, we knew we wanted to get married in Portrush, as most of our family and friends live there. Once we had set our date, we had around 18 months to plan our wedding. We decided to plan it ourselves, which was a bit stressful at times, especially as we were planning from a distance. However, we got a lot of great support from our family and friends. Luckily, my dad works in interior design and Ruairí’s dad has a lot of experience working in weddings due to his role as a hotel manager, so we got a lot of handy tips and ideas from them both. Our mums and other family members also helped us with other parts of the planning which was great – the fact so many people chipped in made it very personable. I really enjoy arts and crafts, so I decided to make our wedding stationery and place names, which I found really enjoyable. I liked to complain (probably daily) how stressful the planning was, but in hindsight I secretly really enjoyed it!

Who captured your day?

We had seen weddings that Lauren Chamber from LIT Photogrpahy had done for other couples in the area and we really loved her style. As soon as we set a date, I made the enquiry with Lauren straightaway and were over the moon when she told us that she was available on our date. From the moment we met Lauren, she made us feel comfortable and we had such a laugh with her at our engagement shoot.

We had told Lauren that our main priority was for the photos to capture the atmosphere of the day and laughter of our family and friends. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, so we didn’t want lots of staged shots. We were absolutely blown away by the photos when they arrived.

For videography, Lauren recommended Jo Knight, also known as Filmmaker Jo. After looking through her social media/website, we absolutely loved her style, too. Jo captured the day perfectly; I didn’t have any tears left after she sent the video over to us. Jo was an absolute delight and did such an amazing job.

What did you wear?

My dress was by a brand called Lovers Society, who specialise in modern wedding dresses. I purchased this dress from a bridal boutique in Fitzrovia, London called Lovely Bride. I instantly fell in love with the floral lace detail on the back of the dress. Ruairí wore a midnight navy velvet satin suit which he purchased from Thom Sweeney in London and the classic tuxes for the groomsmen were hired from Red Grooms wear in Belfast. The bridesmaids wore champagne halter neck dresses from Pretty Lavish.

What was your favourite part of the day?

It sounds cliché but we loved the whole day, we had such a ball. We both really enjoyed the process of getting ready in the morning with our bridal party and family. Another highlight was getting our photos taken at Dunluce Castle. It felt like the windiest day in history and I almost lost my veil a few times, but we had so much fun. We may be biased but we also absolutely loved the speeches, our sides were sore from laughing. Finally, we also loved dancing the night away with our family and friends. It was a real pinch me moment having everyone in the same room together, dancing away to our favourite songs!

Any advice you can give?

Try and enjoy the experience as much as you can and expect that some things may not go completely to plan, but that it will all work itself out. We picked three areas that mattered most to us which we wanted to focus on and everything else was just a bonus. We would say also celebrate the small things and have as much fun with the planning as you can. Although you will be busy on the lead up to the wedding, try and set some time aside for your hobbies too, I found walks and music to be a good stress reliever. Finally, take a deep breath and take in your surroundings, it’s such a magical day!

The Dream Team

Photography: LIT Photography NI;

Videography: Filmmaker Jo;

Venue: Royal Court Hotel, Portrush;

Design, Styling & Concept: Studio 59 Arthouse;

Room Décor: The Wedding Room NI;

Bridal Dresser: Janine Sunderland;

Dress: Lovers Society From Lovely Bride;

Groomswear: Thom Sweeney & Red Groomswear;

Make-up: Rebecca Duff;

Hair: Danielle at Golden Salon;

Flowers: Fabienne Egger;

Ceremony Music: Natalia & Ciara;

Drink’s Reception Music: String Ninja’s;

Reception Music: The Groovesmen;

DJ: DJ Magiggs;

Photobooth: Northern Lights Hire;

Camper Van: Tony Kearney

The post Stylish Seaside Celebrations: Marcy & Ruairí’s Dream Day appeared first on Wedding Journal.

We fell in love with Paul and Vicky’s real-life wedding and love story as we delve into their romantic first encounter, their wedding proposal and the perfect wedding day at Tullyveery House! From colourful cakes, to the perfect sleeved wedding dress, this wedding brings out all of the wedding trends going into 2024.

How did you both first meet?

Paul and I met on Strangford Lough in 2009. I was sailing in a yachting event, and he supported the event as part of the rescue team. We met at a dinner after, where he asked his best friend to swap seats with him so that he could sit next to me. I was only 14 when we met, and Paul was 16. We shared MSN details and chatted online for about a year – seeing each other every so often at sailing events. Exactly one year later, at the same event, we had our first kiss. I was head over heels, in the way only a 15-year-old girl can be! We didn’t make it official until I had gone off to Scotland for university. Paul was still back home, studying in NI, but on my first visit back at home, he offered to pick me up from the airport and asked me out, finally making it official! I suppose absence does make the heart grow fonder!

Tell us about the proposal!

We got engaged in the Summer of 2022. At the time, we were on holiday in Ireland; it was our first family holiday with our new pup, Fred. We had spent a few days in Kildare and had just arrived at the next Airbnb in Dingle. We had cooked dinner and were relaxing on the sofa after a busy few days of sightseeing. Paul went into the other room and came back with an envelope. I recognised the first half of his personalised registration on the envelope – but when I looked more closely, I realised the last three letters were different.

Instead of PDM (his initials), it read VAM, and the registered keeper was Victoria Magowan. As I began to put it together and looked up at him, he was starting to get down on one knee. He proposed with his Nana Vi’s ring, which felt particularly special as – not only did I have a close relationship with her, but I knew how much she meant to Paul. There were a lot of happy tears! Fred was furious that the attention wasn’t on him for once, so while we were busily FaceTiming all of our friends and family, he went out to dig up the back garden of the Airbnb!

When did you start planning your wedding?

We had been together for almost 11 years before we got married, so I had thought about this for a long time! I got started straight into planning. I went to try dresses only a few weeks after being engaged. My sister was moving to London and I wanted her to be a part of the dress experience before she left. I don’t think Paul will mind me saying that I did the bulk of the planning, but I’m not sure I could have had it any other way! I found the planning quite tricky, mainly because we planned on getting maried within a year. A year is quite a quick turnaround, and lots of suppliers were fully booked. In the end, we were very lucky; we managed to get the last Saturday Tullyveery had available that summer!

Who captured your day?

Gillian and Tim Higgins are the most wonderful photographers, and I can’t praise them enough. My whole family are sick of me continually showing off our wedding photos! We had an engagement shoot with Gillian, and we knew then that we had made the right choice. She helped us feel so relaxed, and we spent the entire time laughing. She understood the importance of us being part of our day, so she didn’t keep us away from our guests for too long, and she focused on capturing lots of candid, natural shots. My particular favourites are the ones that she captured at sunset.

Our videographer was Luke Carlisle, from OneNoiseMedia. I’m so glad we booked a videographer, as it means we get to keep reliving the day. Luke told us that we wouldn’t see much of him on the day, and it was true – he was so discreet, yet still managed to be in all the right places at the right times. He was particularly keen to get us out for the sunset shoot. His experience reassured us that it would be spectacular.

What did you wear?

My dress was from Naomi’s Bridal in Ballynahinch. My mum wanted me to try them as she had also bought her wedding dress there – many years before! I wasn’t expecting to find my dream dress there, but I did, and we bought it on the day. My mother-in-law offered me the use of her veil – it was cathedral length, with a long bustle and with pearls sewn into it – it was beautiful! Unfortunately, her veil was white, while my dress was ivory, so Angela suggested they could make me one to match, but in ivory – so they did! Nothing was too much. I loved that my dress felt entirely mine, as we added all of the special touches. I wish I could wear it every day!

The suits were hired from Focus in Bangor. We loved that they were a bit quirky. Paul likes to wear bright clothes, and I think the suit was very him. I know he felt that the experience was exceptional. The salesman was able to tell his size just by looking at him. We felt very well looked after!

What was your favourite part of the day?

Vicky: My favourite moment was about four steps down the aisle. That’s when I finally saw Paul (and Fred), relaxed, and began to enjoy the day. I was so nervous before that! I also loved the party in the evening, dancing with all of our friends and family and being surrounded by happiness. Charlie also gave us some time to sit in the courtyard at Tullyveery and take it all in, after everyone had gone home. That was lovely also. It’s too hard; I loved it all!

Paul: Waiting for Vicky to walk down the aisle was bitter-sweet because I found it very nerve-racking. I wanted to look away because I was worried I might cry! I just thought, ‘you are only going to see this once in your life’. Another favourite moment was driving my friend Gareth’s Aston Martin to Tullyveery after the ceremony!

Any advice you can give?

In the run-up to the wedding, so many people told me that the day would fly in, so I should be sure to take time to take it all in and enjoy it. I feel like I took this on board. It wasn’t over in a blink, it felt like we got to enjoy every part, and we both loved every minute.

The Dream Team

Ceremony: St John’s Parish, Killyleagh

Venue: Tullyveery House

Flowers: The Flower Room, Holywood

Cake: Baked by Anna

Music: Dave and the Casino Cats Swing Band

Food: Old Barn Catering Events and Catering Specialists

Drink: NJB Bar Services

Makeup: Emma Scott Makeup

Hair: Catherine Allen Hair

The post Everlasting Love at Tullyveery: Paul & Vicky’s Perfect Day appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Join us as we delve into the extraordinary journey of Beau and David who defied distance to unite and create the perfect romance. In this inspiring tale, we explore how their love story unfolded. From the initial spark of connection to the triumphant moment of saying “I do,” this article highlights the commitment that brought these two souls together.

Get ready to be moved by a love story that proves love knows no borders.

How did you both first meet?

We met on a night out in the Kremlin in Belfast. It was the 19th of September 2009. Beau was over for a few days, visiting friends. David was persuaded to go out that night with his friend, who was friends with Beau’s friends (if that makes sense)! That’s where we first met. Incidentally, Beau wasn’t going to come over to Ireland as his sister had just given birth the day before to her first child.
We were both out of long-term relationships and looking forward to single life for a while… That didn’t last long!

It was love at first sight and that night it felt like everyone else had blended into the background. We talked for what felt like hours and we’re not even sure what we talked about! After, we all went back to the same house that night and carried on drinking and talking. We both knew we had a connection the moment we clapped eyes on each other but we managed to behave ourselves that night. We were the first ones awake the next morning and we talked all morning until the rest of the house woke up. When it came to saying goodbye, we both had a horrible sick and empty feeling.
We spoke to each other daily and managed to visit each other a few times before David moved to Birmingham in March 2010.

Tell us about the proposal!

On the 9th of August 2018, David made the brave decision to propose. We’d talked about marriage previously, but going abroad always took precedence! David was keen on this date as wanted to share the engagement date with his parents’ wedding anniversary. Beau had taken David to Copenhagen for his birthday for a few days and David saw this as the perfect opportunity for the proposal.

David had pre-selected some spots but he knew he would know the right spot once they got there… After a lot of walking and sightseeing, we finally ended up in a beautiful secluded park, sitting under a windmill. David forgot to get down on one knee and started blabbering before finally popping the question. Beau accepted, and all David could think was, ‘Why has Beau got a bit of olive stuck in his teeth’!

When did you start planning your wedding?

It was many years later before we set a date for the wedding. We were at Beau’s cousin’s wedding in America in June 2022 and all the family asked when we were tying the knot. During the ceremony at the wedding, we looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s do it next year’! The date was set for the 10th of August, 2023. Sharing David’s parents’ anniversary, this would also mark 5 years since the engagement.

We woke up the next day in a hangover haze and reality hit. We were getting married next year!
After the wedding, came back to the UK and then flew over to Ireland two days later (this is not recommended from a jet lag point of view)! We went to visit the friend who had originally introduced us to one another in Castlewellan. We announced the date and David mentioned he had been looking into weddings at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle. Our friend said, “Well, it’s just down the road. Let’s go.” We bumped into the wedding coordinator was shown around and pretty much signed up straight away. Choosing the venue for us was easy. It was the only venue we wanted and see. Over the coming months, we made various enquiries for the photographer and the cake etc and decided on the invites. January 2023 is when the full wedding planning really started and everything mostly went to plan.

Who captured your day?

Whilst it would be great to have every single moment captured in pictures and videos, we decided on one photographer only as we just wanted guests to enjoy the day for what it was. Leigh managed to capture every moment without getting in the way and put the camera-shy guests at ease with his dad’s jokes.

We chose Leigh as our photographer based on his testimonials on his website and the fact that his pictures were natural and did not appear over-edited. We were very happy with the results.

What did you wear?

Our colour theme was green, white and gold. We went with this theme to symbolise both the Irish (David being from Ireland) and Indian flags (Beau’s family being from an Indian heritage). We did take the liberty of changing orange to gold! Beau wore a traditional Indian suit, which was all gold with a green scarf and green turban. David wore a charcoal colour suit, white shirt, light grey double-breasted waistcoat and emerald green tie.

For the evening we both changed into matching outfits, charcoal colour trousers, short-sleeved white shirts, light grey double-breasted waistcoats and emerald green bow ties. There was a light panic as Beau’s suit was still in India two weeks before the wedding!

What was your favourite part of the day?

David: It’s hard to choose. I loved the whole day from start to finish. Particular highlights include the cheer of the guests when we were declared married, seeing all the kids up dancing and generally having fun and hearing some guests say it was the best wedding ever.

Beau: The biggest highlight was seeing all family members together and getting on so well as this was the first time the majority of them had met. It was a feat getting folk over from England, Italy and the US.

Any advice you can give?

Enjoy every moment of the planning and the build-up. It doesn’t need to be stressful and it’s all part of getting married.. when your big day is over you will look back and miss those planning days, even the stressful ones..

We’d do it all again if we had the chance…and the money!

The Dream Team

Venue – Slieve Donard Hotel

Room dressing – Add a little sparkle

Cake – WedCakes

Celebrant – Humanist Wedding – Michael Conlan

Photographer – Leigh Parke Photography

Singer – Maria Cameron Music

Evening – DJ Kenny K

The post Love Knows No Borders: David & Beau’s Beautiful Day appeared first on Wedding Journal.

We invite you to share in the joyous real-life wedding of Anna Blakely & Jason Barr as they celebrated their love in the comfort of Anna’s parent’s home!

Surrounded by the warmth and familiarity of their cherished space, Anna and Jason created an intimate and personalised wedding experience that truly reflected their unique love story. From the heartfelt ceremony to the delightful reception, join us as we relive the magical moments of this extraordinary at-home wedding, filled with love, laughter, and cherished memories.

How did you both first meet?

We met in Newcastle! Jason and I have a lot of mutual friends and would all go out together at the weekends. We ended up talking while on a night out and then he wouldn’t leave me alone! This would have been the Christmas of 2018. Jason made it official in January 2019 after asking my brother how he should ask me out.

Tell us about the proposal!

For Christmas 2021, I got Jason a trip to New York for his birthday that coming February. He had already been planning getting a ring but that cemented it. He had the ring ordered through his grandparents as he was working away in England at the time. I had been banging on for ages about wanting a ring and had given up getting married, that’s when he thought would be the best time! We were in New York in our hotel room and it was also his birthday the day he proposed! The date was the 4th of February, 2022.

When did you start planning your wedding?

I loved planning! It was one hundred per cent my favourite thing to do. I had my wedding dress picked and bought within 3 weeks of getting engaged! Furthermore, between me and my mum, we did all the planning ourselves; we love that kind of stuff!

I bought a little Cricut machine where I was able to make all my wedding favours, signs etc! I fell pregnant in August 2022 so that threw a spanner in the works for the wedding being planned for August 2023. However, we continued planning as if nothing was any different.

Tell us more on your wedding suppliers.

I was very lucky with my suppliers. The venue was actually at my parent’s house, as they live in the country with insane views of the Mourne mountains. We didn’t want to miss that opportunity! So, we hired Tipis from Magnakata and had it in their field. My mum did all the flowers and the wedding cake, the food was cooked in my husband’s food truck and it was a bring-your-own-drink wedding so all guests supplied their own.

My hair was done by Zoe Potts and makeup by Laura McNamee! I couldn’t recommend them enough! For our music we used DJ Magiggs. What can I say? That guy sure knows how to throw a party and get everyone going! The dance floor didn’t stop from the moment he started to the very end! Furthermore, he is so talented, I loved every second of the party!

Who captured your day?

My photography was done by Leigh Parke! He couldn’t have done a better job for us! We were so pleased with everything he captured from start to finish. There was absolute chaos in our house on the morning of the wedding and we wouldn’t have even known he was in there with us! He also knew exactly what I would want without even having to tell him. We knew we wanted to have Leigh from the moment we got engaged as a couple of our friends had used him and we were obsessed with their pictures.

We used Ciaran Harper Film for our videography. Ciaran is a close family friend who started doing wedding videography just the year after our wedding, I had always seen his work with his videos from holidays and trips. I just knew that whatever he produced for us would be incredible! So far, we have received our highlight video and it’s just amazing! Like Leigh, you wouldn’t have known Ciaran was there all day! He just got the whole thing right, knew what I’d want and ensured our video would be upbeat and fun and not slow just how we wanted. He also worked alongside his dad Garry who is just as much fun and a professional like Ciaran!

What did you wear?

My dress! Where do I start; it was the second shop went to, and as soon as I tried it on, I knew it was the one! I went to Jill Jones Bridal. Jill is amazing, she can tell you exactly what you want to wear straight away. She’s so fun to talk to and made the entire appointment incredible! My dress was from designer Enzoani. I knew I wanted something fun on the back of my dress, whether it was backless or had a design. What I chose was exactly what I wanted.

The grooms and groomsmen’s suits were hired from Bingham’s in Newcastle. They were amazing too, helping us with anything we needed from start to finish. I got our bridesmaid dresses from a website called Azazie. They allow you to buy a sample dress in your design and it comes and gives an idea of what the style was like before you would order your sizes. I would also recommend the dresses to anyone and they were a great price!

What was your favourite part of the day?

I’d have to say our first dance, we had our close friend and one of the groomsmen Stephen Rafferty sing our first dance, it was Biblical by Callum Scott, I just loved how personal it was that Jason’s best friend was able to sing this for us. Jason’s favourite part of the day would have to be the father-daughter dance. As I was up with my daddy, he joined me near the end of the song with our wee girl Isla. This was very emotional for a lot of people watching. I loved seeing him with his wee girl as I was dancing with my dad!

Any advice you can give?

Take your time and enjoy every second of it! Also during the day, take half an hour to yourselves just chill together as a newly married couple! We took a drive with each other before the drinks reception and it was so lovely to reflect on the day! It went so fast and we barely saw each other so it was nice having that time together alone!

The Dream Team

Photographer & Videographer: Leigh Parke Photography & Ciaran Harper Film

Tipi: Magnakata

Hair: Zoe Potts – The Wedding Hairstylist 

Make up: Laura McNamee Makeup 

Suits: Bingham’s, Newcastle

Dress: Jill Jones Bridal

The post Home is Where the Heart is: Anna & Jason’s Dream Day appeared first on Wedding Journal.

How did you both first meet?

We met at Chris’ sister’s wedding in 2018 at Castle Leslie Estate. Myself and my family were invited through Chris’s stepmother, an old family friend of ours. At the time I wasn’t too excited to be going to the wedding. I didn’t know anyone and I honestly didn’t know why I was going, however, the silver lining was meeting Chris!

We were seated together and the wedding breakfast table and that’s where it all started. After trips back and forth to see each other, six months later I ended up moving to Northern Ireland.

Tell us about the proposal at Castle Leslie Estate!

We were together for three years when we went back to the Castle Leslie Estate for our anniversary. We had a picnic by the lake and after we’d finished eating Chris proposed on the jetty by the lake. I had no idea that he was going to propose! It seemed to be a last-minute getaway, but he had it all planned out. 

Tell us all about the planning process. 

The planning process was tricky as we agreed to get married in England, the compromise for me moving to Northern Ireland. There were many a flight to and from Belfast to Gatwick throughout the planning stages. Luckily we had been planning the wedding for two years so this eased the stress and time needed off work. 

Would you like to give a shout-out to any of your suppliers?

We worked with some amazing people and companies that helped us get the wedding we had hoped for. Our venue is called Stanhill Court Hotel in Surrey, a 10-minute drive from Gatwick for all our family and friends coming from Northern Ireland.

We had our ceremony and the reception at the Hotel and it was exactly what I wanted it to be. My make-up was done by a lovely lady called Lucy, and my hair by Claire Field. I chose Lucy as she did my sister’s wedding make-up and was fantastic. I met Claire at a Bridal shoot I did and she managed to step in for me last minute which is unheard of during a summer season, I was so grateful!

Who captured your day?

I had both a photographer and videographer for my wedding and they were both so fun to work with, it was like they were guests on our wedding day which was so lovely, they even got in the Photo Booth and wrote a lovely message in our book.

Our photographer was Paul Placitelli and my videographer was Taurai Films. I originally met the photographer at the venue on a wedding open day, he had a special deal on and we chatted for ages and got on well so just booked him there and then. It wasn’t until my photographer reached out to me to be a part of a bridal shoot that I met Taurai. From working with them both and having so much fun on the bridal shoot I just had to hire Taurai as well, their energy together is just amazing.

What did your bridal party wear?

I wore a design by Allure Bridal from a small bridal shop in West Sussex called Couture and Tiaras. The dress was nothing that I originally thought I would go for but the classic princess cut style with the bow at the back of the dress was unbeatable compared to the other options I liked. As soon as I put the dress on I knew. 

Being my extra self I also got a dress for the evening from Nadine Merabi, as much as I loved my dress I was thankful to be able to dance during the evening without having to hold up the massive train.

What was your favourite part of the day?

One funny memory from my wedding was at the ceremony itself which we had outside in an amphitheatre setting. When I was walking out it started to rain very slightly, but as soon as I got under cover out of nowhere the rain poured on all of my guests while I was covered under the canopy; everyone was laughing and hiding under suit jackets.

I even had to take my two-year-old niece into my arms as she got soaked and was crying, much to Chris’s dismay, but the photos from this are one of a kind. I felt terrible for my guests but luckily for me as soon as the ceremony finished it was sunny again. 

Any advice you can give?

I would advise other brides and grooms to just enjoy the process and not overthink anything because, on the day itself, the finer details most likely won’t matter to you. What made my wedding day was having all of our family and friends together and celebrating. It’s not often that you will have everyone across both families in one room and that is what makes it so special. 

The Dream Team

Venue: Stanhill Court Hotel

Photographer: Paul Placitelli Photography

Videographer: Taurai Films

Wedding Dress: Couture and Tiaras Bridal Shop

Evening Wedding Dress: Nadine Merabi

The post From Wedding Guests to Lifelong Partners: Ellie & Chris’ Love Story Unveiled appeared first on Wedding Journal.

How did you both first meet?

In February 2018, I was on a night out with the girls when John-Paul approached me at the bar. Everything just bloomed from there! The following week, John-Paul asked me out for dinner and the rest was history.

Tell us about the proposal!

I got engaged in Wexford on a family holiday on 14/12/2020 on a private beach with our two beautiful children. It was so perfect! I can still remember the waves that day. They were amazing. To turn around and see my “Now Husband” asking me to be his wife was one of the happiest moments of our lives.

When did you start planning your wedding?

The planning went very well! We are both so laid back, so we didn’t get stressed and just enjoyed the whole build-up. I started planning straight away after the new year. We went to see loads of different places but Killeavy Castle won it for us, it was everything we dreamt of.

I planned everything myself and everything was so stress-free.

We got married on Saturday 8th July 2023 and the weather was fantastic the sun was shining all day.

What was your favourite part of the day?

We enjoyed every moment of the day we just soaked it all in everything was so magical and couldn’t have gone any better if we tried, to have everyone we love and care for dance, laugh and be happy on one of the biggest moments of our life’s was all we ever wanted.

Getting ready in the morning with my three beautiful bridesmaids (Ayeisha my best friend of 29 years, Margerite my lovely new sister-in-law, my precious daughter Freya and my fabulous mother)
I had butterflies in my stomach all morning but as soon as I got to the cathedral and saw John-Paul everything was fine.

Any advice you can give?

Just relax and enjoy your day because it’s your big day and it’s all about you both!
Don’t stress and enjoy the whole build-up because, in the end, everything will all fall into place.
Plan your day just how you want it and not others.

The Dream Team

Photographer & Videographer: Sasha Treanor Photography & Forever You Films (Michael Mc Clelland) 

Hair: Urban Armagh

Make up: Kerri McArdle 

Flowers: The Flower Shop at O’Kanes

Suits: Tux & Tails NI

Dress: Verona Bridal 

Venue: Killeavy Castle Estate

Ceremony: St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh

The post Naomi & John-Paul’s Fairytale Wedding at Killeavy Castle appeared first on Wedding Journal.

You have to check out this real-life wedding where Amy and Gary pulled out all the stops to achieve their dream day together at Leighinmohr House Hotel.

Keep reading to find out more on their wedding day celebrations.

How did you both first meet?

We first met on Plenty of Fish in 2017, our first date was for a drive to Starbucks in Connswater, on date four, I met Gary’s friend who he lived with at the time and we spent our first few months dating, travelling from Lisburn to Portadown where he lived. At first, I thought Gary had a real country accent and he thought I sounded like I had a really strong Belfast accent, little did he know that six years later we would be married.

Seven short months later we rented our first little flat together in Lisburn, it suited us there as Gary already worked in Lisburn. three years later after a good few holidays and trips to the Galgorm, we bought our first home, again in Lisburn which we live in now with our two little dogs, which we treat like our babies.

Tell us about the proposal!

For my 30th Birthday in January 2022, Gary booked us to go to an all-inclusive Spa resort in Corfu, for June 2022. Five days into the holiday we had planned to go on a sunset dinner. Before we left for dinner, Gary asked me did I want a photo on our Swim balcony overlooking the sea, so there on bended knee, he popped the question in front of the beautiful Aegean sunset & of course I said yes!

When did you start planning your wedding?

As soon as we got home from Corfu, the planning started very quickly. We were just too excited not to! Our engagement party was in July 2022, followed by our away hen to Kavos/stag to Benidorm in June 2023, and then our home ones in Belfast in late August 2023. We planned everything ourselves.

Firstly, we went to see a few venues and one of the ones we liked the look off didn’t have any available dates until 2025. One Sunday, we were out shopping and got an email to say this specific venue had a cancellation for September 2023 and if we liked, we could go and see it, although the sales coordinator was going on holiday for three weeks the next day, so we decided to take the leap and go that day to Ballymena to view it. As soon as we were shown about it, we both automatically knew it was for us. That was it, we confirmed our booking for Leighinmohr House Hotel for 22nd September 2023!

Tell us more about your suppliers!

Well what can I say, I don’t think we had one single fault with any of our suppliers. Doing it all within a year and a half we needed to stay within budget of what we could afford. All our suppliers worked within this.

I recommend Leighinmohr House 100%. Leighinmohr House has beautiful Grounds for photos, staff that would go to the end of the earth for you & beautiful food. We picked the Perfect Day package & it catered for everything we wanted and more. Special thanks to Patricia Crawford from Leighinmohr House our wedding coordinator who helped us from start to finish in creating our wedding.

Our flowers were from Let’s Face It Creations. This company is very reasonably priced. Our flowers were foam and you wouldn’t know any different to real flowers. They were perfect. Great communication too.
Our reception music was from Rachel Frew and she had the voice of an angel. Very reasonable & everyone commented on how good she was.

My makeup was done by Hannah Jaynes Cabin. I did one trial with Hannah beforehand and she made us all feel beautiful on the day. My makeup even stayed on during the happy tears.

We had a dog chaperone from Petticoat Tails Ireland. Jo kept our two dogs the night before and on the night of the wedding, she brought our two babies to the venue for photographs too. This was important to us that they got to share our day. Our two girls came back home knackered from having so much fun.

Who captured your day?

Angel Photography/Videography

This was one of the first vendors we booked. Specifically because a lot of people that had previously used them said they book up quickly. We loved their photos and how they made every wedding look different from others. We emailed back and forth and then eventually we got them booked. On our big day, Andrea & Harry came to the girls and Simon & Donna went to the boys.

I felt like Andrea had done everything for me, never mind taking photos. I never felt like we were being watched by the cameras, from holding up my dress, calming me down, and handing me a drink, this lady is like a Wonder woman. Our photos are amazing, so many upstaged photos and they just capture our reality. Our film is probably one of the most amazing things I’ve watched! Simon captured every single small detail of our day and then home-delivered it to us. I’ve personally watched the full-hour film three times and cried every time. Happy tears of course!

What did you and the wedding party wear? 

My dress well where do I start? My dress was an Ivory Justin Alexander & initially not what I thought I was going to go for. My mum, my bridesmaid and my nanny were the first to see me in it. They all had tears in their eyes. So did I!

My dress was so elegant, even though it was clipped in to fit me and show me what it looked like. I think it helped as Neil from Orchid Bridal pinned my hair up and everything to make me get the feel of what it may look like. I then decided I wanted buttons up it & my seamstress Mia was able to custom make these and sew them on, she also had to take my dress in two sizes smaller, so a lot of work but it was perfect. My veil was long but very plain to show the embellished beads on my dress. I had dangly earrings and a tiara. Again from Orchid Bridal.

My shoes were from Lace and Favour online. I loved these. That night I was straight into my Converse for comfort. These became part of my photos!

All suits were Navy Carvanni suits. Gary’s was the same as the best man, groomsman and usher except for his tie. The bridal party also had plain navy ties to go with their suits and Gary had a design on his navy tie.

My best man had a navy suit with a purple waistcoat and tie to match the bridesmaids. All from Street Life in Newtownards. All alterations were done here too.
Our bridesmaids were all in Purple Laila dresses from Wed2B. I couldn’t fault them.

What was your favourite part of the day?

I couldn’t pinpoint one thing in the day that was my favourite, I have a few. I loved getting ready with the girls in the morning, loved seeing Gary waiting at the top of the aisle and calming my nerves instantly & sitting for dinner thinking that we were married. It’s all very surreal.

Gary’s favourite parts of the day were seeing me come up the aisle & the fact that his speech was finally over, which he had been stressing about since the day he asked me to marry him. (Ha)

Any advice you can give?

My advice for anyone planning their wedding is to make sure to join the wedding help site on Facebook, we all have no idea what we are doing, until it’s over. It will all come together in the end. Take a deep breath and take it all in because your day is over in a flash.

The Dream Team

Venue – Leighinmohr House 

Flowers – Let’s Face It Creations.

Music – DJ Dave Ralston.

Reception music – Rachel Frew.

Ceremony music – Barbara White (Violin) Jackie Vance (Piano)

Secret singer/ Saxophonist – Paula Kay.

Celebrant- Kristina McDonald.

Wedding Décor – Amilo Weddings.

Stationary – Sienna Mai 

Suits – Street Life.

Dress – Orchid Bridal.

Bridesmaid Dresses – WED2B.

Seamstress – Mia Maika.

Wedding cars – David Andrews Wedding Cars

Makeup – Hannah Jaynes Cabin.

Hair – The Hair Chair.

Dog Chaperone – Petticoat Tails Ireland.

Rings – Ernest Jones

Beauty – Precious Cargo

The post Amy & Gary’s Modern Romance at Leighinmohr House Hotel appeared first on Wedding Journal.

You have to check out this Positano inspired wedding which took place at the gorgeous Georgian styled Tullyveery House! We are obsessed with the lemons and Italian olive leaves in this real-life wedding.

Keep reading to find out more on their wedding day celebrations.

Tell us about the proposal!

It all happened so fast and we wouldn’t have it any other way! We met August 2020 on a blind date! A year later in September 2021 we went ring shopping! Ben proposed to me December 2021 at the Dark Hedges. It was magic! 

When did you start planning your wedding?

Wedding planning started over the Christmas period as we were able to go wedding viewing together as we were both off! We planned to get married August 2022, 2 years after we met. I absolutely loved planning our wedding. I’m a student nurse, therefore, I found it such a good way to escape from the busy wards and relax doing something fun and exciting! 

We did everything ourselves. I think as a women, your wedding day is something you start planning and dreaming about from the moment you start talking! Ben maybe not so much but he trusted my vision and it all paid off. I had so many Pinterest boards which helped me piece the vision together. 

In terms of decorations, we did most of it ourselves. Like I said before, it was an escapism for us!

Tell us more about your suppliers!

Tullyveery was the first venue we viewed and even though it was at the start of January, Tullyveery speaks for itself even when there is snow! Tullyveery has so many secret gardens, outstanding views of the mourne mountains and beautiful rolling hills of County Down. The grounds just sold it to us! We went to 3 other venues but nothing compared to Tullyveery! 

We wanted to try and do our wedding as reasonably priced as possible – don’t we all! We decided on The Hatch, Newcastle which is basically the most amazing street food you could ever taste! I couldn’t recommend them enough,  everyone complimented our food for weeks after! We even had Churros for dessert!

Who captured your day?

I don’t know what we would do without social media! It helped us so much when picking a photographer and videographer.

We decided on Matty Wenlock as our photographer and Matthew from Blank Canvas Cinematics as our videographer. 

What did you and the wedding party wear? 

My dress was from the Justin Alexander Signature collection and I purchased this from Pronuptia Belfast! The suits were from Gowdys in Belfast.

What was your favourite part of the day?

I knew this question was coming! Of course it was all magical but I think one special memory was when we went down to the swing in the garden to sign the registry.

It allowed us some privacy but our guests had a beautiful view of what was going on! I also remember during the ceremony hearing the birds sing in the trees. It relaxed my nerves and reminded me how peaceful and tranquil this venue was, surrounded by our closest. 

Any advice you can give?

I suppose you want to ensure all of your guests are happy and content with decisions you make. Even though so many people tell you “it’s your wedding day, don’t worry about what other people think” it’s hard not to feel responsible for creating a perfect day for your guests too in which they feel part of.

Other than that,

1. Do
2. What
3. Makes
4. You both 
5. Happy 

The Dream Team

Venue @tullyveeryhouse
Photography @mattywenlockweddings
Videography @blankcanvascinematic
Cake @laurentaylorbakes
Catering @thehatch2016
Dress @justinalexander from @pronuptiabridalbelfast
Suits @gowdys_belfast
Music DJ Andy Murray
Groom @benorr

Bride @lauren.0rr

The post Luxuriously Lemon: Ben & Laurens’ Summer Celebrations appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Alex and Bairbre made the most of the summer months and turned their wedding into a breathtaking festival vibe celebration. Check out this real-life bohemian wedding!

How did you both first meet?

We met at a fairly early age when we were in Scouts and we started dating at a young age too. Because we’ve been together for so long, we went through formative years together and shaped each other into the people we are today. Genuinely, we are the people we are today because of each other! Looking back, it is likely why we spend a lot of time together. We want the best for each other and have supported each other for the past ten years!

Tell us about the proposal!

It was a cold Saturday morning in the lead-up to Christmas 2021. Alex had a very tight window to work with as he wanted to capture the Christmas magic! It had to be a weekend so we had time to enjoy it. Christmas has always been a great time for both of us and we love the festivities that come with it. So the weekend before Christmas at home, still sleepy and waking up, Alex asked me to marry him. We’ve been together for over ten years so there were some nerves but it had been also a long time coming. There were few surprises, yet Alex kept this completely secret. A culmination of a few months of planning, capturing the magic feeling of Christmas and having all our family at home was exactly how we wanted it. It was perfect!

When did you start planning your wedding?

We started planning pretty soon after. Alex and I both have high standards for everything we do in life and this was no different! We begun with spreadsheets and to-do lists. From this, we did pretty much everything ourselves with the help of friends. Once we found our perfect venue, the rest started to fall into place. We put the work in to be on top of our planning and prioritised the important tasks. As with everything,you can’t expect everything to go to plan and knowing that from the start also helped us set our expectations.

Tell us more about your suppliers!

Ballintubbert was our venue and also shared suppliers they worked with for us to work with. Huge, huge shoutout and thank you to Jo-Ann in Ballintubbert. She was the perfect planner for us and things would not have gone as smoothly without her. Ballintubert also took care of wine/drinks. Food, which was a top three priority, was done by Liam at Gourmet Kitchen Ireland. Exceptional food and service. Everyone was treated like we were, which was exactly how we wanted it.

My niece made our cake! Our flowers were from Aiva Veinberga. Aiva was so easy to work with and brought our plans to life perfectly. Eva Kyne did my makeup and was fab! She was so well prepared and did an incredible job.

Who captured your day?

The lovely Dena Shearer took our photography and David Duignan produced our videography. We knew early on that we wanted documentary-style photography with limited posed setups. We already knew Dena and her style was exactly what we wanted. Dena was exceptional. She set out her plans and expectations from the start. She was also relaxed and easy-going, which is exactly what we wanted.

Dena was also incredibly quick on the turnaround time and even gave us a sneak peek of photos a few days after to keep our excitement high! Not too long after, she sent our full album and nailed it. The quality and attention to detail were incredible and she thoroughly utilised the venue’s beauty.

A massive thank you to Dena!

What did you and the wedding party wear? 

Alex’s suit was from Remus Uomo on Stephens Green. He had a suit from there before for a wedding and was impressed with the care shown from Florin, so it was an easy choice. As we were having a summer wedding, the idea was to use colours that would be complemented by the venue’s gardens.

The suit was a dark beige with a fine brown/black square pattern, with a dark green tie. Our groomsmen had a similar colour profile but lighter with a faint pattern in the jacket and to provide texture to it.

I actually made my own dress and my veil from Alice May Bridal! The bridesmaids wore a light green satin dress from Oh Hello Clothing.

What was your favourite part of the day?

For Bairbre:

• We are so lucky to have so many talented friends and family who could be part of making our day so special. My nana made us a beautiful piece of stained glass, a group of friends provided the music for the ceremony, a close family friend Dave was our celebrant, my niece made our cake Alex’s mum decorated it and my sister job shared as hairdresser and bridesmaid! It was so special to have all these talented people included in our day and meant so much to us both.
•  My absolute highlight, though hard to pick just one, is having our amazing DJ James play the song Maniac 2000 not once, but twice!! It was a moment I’ll never forget! It was the only song request we had for him and the reaction was so incredible when he played it the first time that he closed the night with it and there was not one person not on the dance floor!

For Alex, top two:

• The first look was definitely a favourite of mine! We spent all morning apart and normally spend almost all our time together. Doing this and having to make decisions was hard. Seeing Baibre and her dress was a heart-stopping moment and a relief. We could finally communicate directly again rather than through people.
•  We held a day two and the venue had a fire pit outside. We do a lot of camping, so sitting with our nearest and dearest around a fire brought back a lot of fond memories. It’s something we may never get to do again!

Any advice you can give?

Looking back, the thing that worked for us was choosing a venue and date first. From there, we could start planning everything else and it gave us a deadline which we both needed.

Second to that is to make a budget. Even if you don’t stick to it, it will force you to track spending and be practical in decision-making so you don’t accidentally go over budget, which is very easy to do!

Lastly, you can’t control every aspect and things may go wrong or may not go to plan and you need to be okay with that. For us, it was the weather. Doing that made things flow so much more for us and we had way more fun.

The Dream Team

Photography

Venue

Catering

Flowers

Suits

Hair

Make-up

The post Alex & Bairbre’s Beautiful Bohemian Celebration appeared first on Wedding Journal.

If you had said to Annie that the love of her life would be wearing a shirt and brown boots, she wouldn’t have believed it! However, when she met Gavin, she fell instantly in love with him and the rest was history. Annie and Gavin got married at the stunning Ballymagarvey Village and brought the wedding theme of pearls to life! Keep on reading to find out how they incorporated pearls into their wedding day perfectly.

How did you both first meet?

Myself and Gavin met when we were just seventeen years old in July 2015. I lived in Carlingford at the time. My two friends, Tara and Lauren called to see if I wanted to go out. I was in my pyjamas with no makeup! The girls and my mum encouraged me to head up the stairs and get ready. Tara had told me she had a man set up for me and I told her if he was wearing a shirt and brown boots, I didn’t want him! This was a pet hate of mine at the time.

So here I am in Carlingford and a group of boys all in their shirts and brown boots come walking towards us! Despite this, I got talking to Gavin, he bought me a drink and was really nice. My phone was stolen that night. As a seventeen-year-old, this was devastating to me at the time. However, Gavin played the hero and got it back for me. He walked me home that night and the rest is history.

Tell us about the proposal!

Gavin proposed on 22nd January 2022 after nearly seven years together in the beautiful Lough Erne Resort, Co.Fermanagh. We were only after having our baby boy Charlie in May 2021 and this was our first weekend away without him, so I definitely wasn’t expecting a ring in the slightest. The whole drive up in the car Gavin was very quiet and on edge.

When we arrived at Lough Erne, there was a bit of a queue at reception and Gavin started pacing up and down (clearly with nerves but I had no idea what was wrong with him). When we got to the desk the lovely woman told us our room wasn’t ready yet but she would take our luggage and we could go to the library for a drink while we waited. We were guided into this beautiful big library with a balcony and a roaring fire. I turned to Gavin and said, “I think they have mistaken us for someone else because this is a private room”. Gavin didn’t even answer me because he was that nervous, he just got down on one knee straight away and proposed and of course, it was a massive yes!

The lovely staff arrived with champagne, a photographer took our pictures and we were taken to our suite which was gorgeous with rose petals and more champagne.

When did you start planning your wedding?

I started planning the wedding straight away. We had an engagement party about two weeks after Lough Erne and that started the whole process. I am a major organised person and absolutely love planning events so thankfully I didn’t find the planning process too hard. Gavin wasn’t a huge fan of all the planning so he was happy to let me work away.

I did find it quite hard getting dates, venues and vendors that we wanted for the wedding because there seemed to be quite a backlog with COVID. We ended up getting a cancellation for our wedding date which we were delighted about because it was on the same weekend that we had become boyfriend & girlfriend in 2015. I quite enjoyed the planning process until the end when everything started to get a bit stressful but it worked out in the end and all fell into place.

Would you like to give a special mention to any of your suppliers?

Our stunning venue was at Ballymagravey Village, Co.Meath. It is honestly such a breathtakingly beautiful place! From the moment I saw it, I knew I wanted to get married there. Not to mention how amazing the food and staff are.

Our fabulous flowers were by The Wild Butterfly, Camlough. Eilis couldn’t have been more helpful; she understood my vision and helped it all come to life.

Who captured your day?

Our amazing photographer was Chris Semple. I genuinely couldn’t recommend him enough. I had originally picked him because I always loved how bright and colourful his pictures were along with capturing all the special candid moments. Chris had such a hard job on our wedding day because it was officially recorded as the rainiest day of the year! Despite this, our pictures turned out fabulous and the rain added a little sparkle! He truly acted like a wedding planner on the day and helped everything run so smoothly.

What did you and the wedding party wear? 

I have always loved Pearls from such a young age so I knew that my wedding had to be centred around this theme along with colour ivory so I stuck to this theme and started researching for all our amazing suppliers for our outfits & accessories.

Gavin & our son Charlie wore tuxedos made by Dee Graham Tailor and the Bridesmaids & Flower Girls were made by Emma Murnion Design. My amazing Wedding Dress was from The Vow Bridal Studio and designed by Hera Couture. My bridal headband was from Niamh Barber Millinery. I got my veil embroidered with our initials from Visionary Veils. My evening dress was from La Boda Bridal.

What was your favourite part of the day?

It really is so hard to pick one favourite moment of the day because there are so many for different reasons. I suppose walking down the aisle alongside my mum and seeing Gavin standing at the top of the aisle, emotions were so high and I knew I was about to marry the love of my life and my best friend. Being able to spend the day with all our closest family & friends is so special in itself.

Any advice you can give?

My advice to any bride-to-be would to be just enjoy the process, don’t get stressed about the details because it will all work out in the end and the most important thing is the love between you both and sharing that with your friends and family. Pick a theme or a colour and centre everything around that. Invest in a good photographer and videographer because it’s so special to look back on all the pictures and your wedding video for years to come.

The Dream Team

Videographer

Champagne Tower

Icecream cart

360 photobooth & cold sparks

Wedding stationery

Rings

Wedding cars & vans

Fairytale Table Plan

Wedding cake

Meal entertainment

Chapel singer

After Meal entertainment

Wedding band & DJ

Makeup

Hair

Nails & Spray Tans

Brides pre-wedding skin prep

The post Power of Pearls: Annie & Gavin’s Picture-Perfect Wedding appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Meet John and Niall whose wedding recently featured on TG4! John is an Art teacher of 20 years and Niall is a music teacher of 8 years. John is an artist (john_lynch_artist) on Instagram and a huge sports and football fan. John played football in the Irish league and represented Ulster University at the Collingwood Cup and Ireland at the Gay Games in Paris.

Niall is a musician who plays piano and violin. He is very busy on the local music scene as a pianist and Musical Director and has directed a huge number of musicals. He was nominated for Best Musical Director in Ireland at the AIMS Awards in 2017. Niall is currently the musical director of Belfast’s Irish language choir Na Béil Bhinne.

How did you both first meet?

We met in a bar in Belfast in August 2017. We hadn’t seen each other out before, which is strange as the gay scene in Belfast is quite small! John spotted Niall from across the bar and commented to his mates that Niall was the best-looking man in the bar that night, and his friends agreed.

Niall had spotted John but thought that John was way out of his league! We had a couple of dates but neither of us was ready to get into a relationship, so we ended up turning into very good friends. Fast forward to St Stephen’s Day 2017 and John couldn’t contain himself any longer. The next day he announced that they were boyfriends, and the story went on from there.

Tell us about the proposal!

John is the Head of Art in an integrated school. One of our first dates was to Hallows Gallery on the Ormeau Road in Belfast (a gallery in which John now exhibits work). We had been perusing the art and came across a piece by Chantalle Coombes called ‘Queen Emerging.’ John was really taken by the translucency of the wings and the art applied the paint After this they walked around Ormeau Park with an ice cream: it was another perfect date.

The next day Niall went back to Hallows Gallery and purchased the painting: even though the relationship was still very fresh he knew John was the one and this would be a great story if they were ever to get married. Niall stored the painting in a friend’s house (hi Mark!) for safekeeping. Fast forward to 2 years later: 28th February 2020. Things had been blossoming in the relationship with the 2 now living together for around a year. Niall had collected the artwork from his friend’s house as the moment was drawing close to asking John.

After finishing work on Friday, both went to the gym and got fish and chips in town afterwards. Niall was first home and had the painting waiting for John in the living room. When John walked into the house, he immediately remembered the painting and asked what was happening. Niall asked John did he want to marry him and THANKFULLY John said yes. It was amazing. We told our parents and close friends that night before sharing the celebratory news the following day. John was speechless all weekend because he was in shock!

When did you start planning your wedding?

The world went into lockdown less than 3 weeks after we got engaged, so the engagement had to work because we couldn’t go anywhere! So, the planning process was haphazard, to say the least, due to places being closed and not being able to view hotels etc…

During the planning process, we also bought an 82-year-old house that had lots of character and lots of renovations to undertake, so suffice to say it was a very busy time in the O’Flaherty-Lynch household. John took charge of everything to do with the house and Niall took charge of everything to do with the wedding. We decided that selecting the right venue right was one of the most important things to us and weren’t able to do any viewings until the Summer of 2017.

From here we viewed some fantastic wedding venues but, with John being from Derry and Niall having worked in the Dún Lúiche Gaeltacht summer courses, we decided upon West Donegal as everyone gets married in the Inishowen area of Donegal. Niall had visited An Chúirt many times before and was excited to see John’s reaction. From witnessing the surrounding stunning scenery to walking into the reception area, they knew it was the one for them.

Tell us a bit more about your suppliers

We had the ceremony and reception in An Chúirt Hotel. On the day, the hotel was decorated in dark greens, burnt umbers and golden yellows. We had large church candles, creating a warm autumnal theme. The canopies, champagne and main meal provided by An Chúirt were perfect! Exactly what envisaged for our day – our guests were well looked after throughout their stay. Our celebrant was Leantia at LoveLee Weddings.

The ceremony was perfect and was more than we could have imagined. Because we had our ceremony in An Chúirt, we did away with a lot of traditions. This allowed us to have the creative freedom to shape the day how we wanted. Our mothers walked us down the aisle, which was lovely. Leantia ensured that every guest was as much a part of our wedding and made the day highly memorable. She curated a lovely and warm ceremony that enabled our friends and family to relax and enjoy the whole thing. We had 2 flavours of cake (lemon drizzle and red velvet) and this was provided by McBride’s Cakes in Donegal. Again, very clear communication and the cakes were delicious!

What about your music and entertainment?

With Niall being a music teacher, the music was extremely important. During the ceremony, we had Dónal and Mark from Miscast Belfast. They provided stripped-back, acoustic covers of musical theatre and pop songs and it fit the day perfectly. During the drink’s reception, beautiful harp music was provided by Ciara Taaffe. Our wedding band was Portabello: an 8-piece swing/cover band from Derry City. They were able to accommodate the request for our first dance (Only You by Yazoo) and were entertaining, top-quality musicians for their whole set.

To finish off we had Lady Portia, Belfast’s premier drag Queen playing party games and doing a DJ set. She was hilarious, and our guests loved this part of the evening. This was the first wedding any of us had been to where a drag queen was the entertainment! Most of the 180 guests were straight and it was another additional fun factor to our wedding that’s present in our relationship.

Who captured your day?

From dawn to dusk, our day was captured by the talented Conor and his team at ‘Light and Wisdom’ photography. We had seen Conor’s work online when looking at potential wedding photographers. We loved his style: capturing the day as it happened rather than staged photographs. Conor was an absolute professional to work with through emails, texts, and phone calls, we couldn’t recommend him enough.

He then met us in person beforehand to really make sure our vision for the photographs was aligned. He went to John’s house the morning of the wedding, with another of his team coming to Niall in the hotel. Both were excellent and made everyone feel at ease throughout the day, capturing brilliant shots throughout. The group shots Niall and John had wanted were all well taken too, with great suggestions on how best to capture these.

What did you and the wedding party wear? 

The suits were by Herbie Frogg from Bogarts in Belfast. Both grooms, all groomsmen, and John’s father were all in the same suit. Gary, Sean, and their staff were all fantastic throughout the process and were an excellent guiding force. John designed a wedding logo of autumn leaves that was used in the design of the save the dates, wedding invites, wedding menu and everything wedding-related.

Instead of flowers for the lapels we decided to transform the logo into a lapel pin, that the wedding party all wore. The lapel pin was coloured dark green, burnt umber, and golden yellows. This was another great thought from John, whose eye for detail and vision is part of the reason that the wedding was so successful, says Niall! The dress code was black-tie, and everyone came dressed to impress! We also had no children at the wedding. Many married couples commented that they loved having a weekend away without children. They could really enjoy the romantic occasion! Coupled with the black-tie dress code, really added to the feeling of class and having an adult occasion.

What was your favourite part of the day?

Niall – I could talk all day about my favourite moments. A choice few are as follows: 

1. Having our mums walk us down the aisle! Turning round to see John’s mum walking him up towards me at the start of the ceremony. A slowed-down acoustic version of Clearest Blue by Chvrches was playing. 
2.  John trying to plant the lips on me in the middle of the ceremony, ahead of schedule! 
3.  Hearing my friend Daniel reading his piece of poetry that he wrote for the event titled, Auditioning. 
4.  The speeches. In particular, John’s was both full of love and hilarious. 
5.  Seeing my mother’s reaction to meeting her first drag queen: she loved it! 

John – The entire day was perfect. When other couples say ‘It was the best day of my life’, I can now fully appreciate that comment and empathise with them. If I had one wish, I would love to have it all over again because the day flies in and you never have enough time with everyone. Our family and friends made our day, and I will also be grateful to them because they all played their part in making it magical for everyone.  

100 guests stayed in Donegal for day 2 in Tábhairne Leo – we provided food for everyone; it was a great opportunity to catch up and see how everyone enjoyed the day.

Any advice you can give?

Relax and enjoy it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. All the people you love and who love you are in one room together and there’s no feeling quite like it. Give yourself enough time to plan. We started looking at venues 4 months after we got engaged and then booked it more than 2 years in advance. Don’t let it take over your life: the wedding day isn’t as important as the marriage so ensure that you’re still doing the things that make you as a couple.

On the day and after the ceremony and before the meal; take time away from everyone and check in with each other and see how each of you are doing so far. Catch your breath and have a drink together! Repeat this after the meal. We used this piece of advice, and it really worked for us: the day is so busy and can run away from you without realising.

The Dream Team

Ceremony Venue

Reception Venue

Photography

Grooms suits

Ceremony Music

Drinks Reception Music

Wedding Band

Evening Entertainment

The post John & Niall’s Elegant Wedding with An Chúirt Hotel appeared first on Wedding Journal.

When Vicky first started her job in Berlin, she had no idea she was going to meet the man of her dreams. The couple fell instantly in love and tied the knot back in Ireland. Keep scrolling to read more on this love story!

How did you both first meet?

Paul and I first met in the summer of 2015. I was travelling to Berlin as an intern to work in Paul’s family company. I had spoken to all of his family before arriving, funnily enough. I’d been interviewed by his parents and was in email contact with his brother, finalising details. I didn’t officially meet Paul until I arrived (late) at the office. I had gotten lost on the way there and was a panicked mess. Paul had agreed to show a few of us around the city. We didn’t talk much at first – I was pretty shy and so was he.

The ‘first move’ was a few weeks later at a local party. From there, he wanted our first date in Berlin along the river at a restaurant. Truth be told, it was the first ‘proper date’ I’d ever been on! We spent the whole day in the city walking and talking after that. It was perfect.

Tell us about the proposal!

We were together for 6 years at this point. Paul had suggested a trip back to Berlin. We were staying in the city centre and Paul had planned to buy a promise ring while I was waiting at a cafe oblivious to it all (honestly I was)!

Paul said he had to get a present for our friend’s birthday while we were away. The queues were huge, so I waited for him at the cafe. He must have been gone for about an hour but finally arrived!

Paul told me afterwards it was exactly like that scene in ‘Love Actually’, where Alan Rickman is trying to buy jewellery in a hurry. He couldn’t put the ring in his pocket because he had to come back with a bag from his ‘shopping trip’! Therefore, he had to search for a regular bag, as the ring had a very distinctive colour on their bag!

In the evening, Paul was not himself and suggested to go for a walk around the city. We walked right back to where we had our first date but it wasn’t as idyllic as the first time! The pubs surrounding the area were packed and incredibly noisy.

Finally, we walked back to the Brandenburg Gate. Still oblivious, he dropped to one knee and I just burst into tears, overjoyed!

When did you start planning your wedding?

We started planning straight away…by we, I mean I!
We knew we wanted to get married in Ballintubber Abbey, straight off the bat. It was a venue we always loved and was an instant no-brainer. The team at the abbey are so professional and make the process so easy.

Deciding on a date was pretty easy as our parents were married on the same day and the 15th of September fell on a Friday in 2023. It was fate! We pretty much planned everything ourselves. Thank God we had no major planning issues throughout the process. Looking back, it came together absolutely amazing.

Tell us a bit more about your suppliers

After we had secured the church, the next thing I moved on to was my makeup artist. I had seen Hayley’s work for years and had always wanted her as my makeup artist. Hayley then recommended my hair stylist, Natalie. They were so calming on the day and total pros at it all.

My flowers were absolutely perfect. I love classic neutrals and greens but wanted something a bit quirky. Judi captured my vision to perfection!
I literally couldn’t stop looking at my bouquet the whole time. The guests kept commenting on the flower and candle arrangements throughout the day.

For church music, we went with a string quartet. I kept the song I was walking down the aisle to a secret from Paul! The atmosphere was delicate and emotional. It fitted the ceremony and venue perfectly.

I looked at loads of venues and wasn’t finding the right fit for us. Finally, I arranged to meet with the team at the Lodge at Ashford Castle. I was so impressed with the homely feel. I immediately rang Paul and told him I had found the one! The Lodge at Ashford Castle! We shipped over Paul’s favourite German beer had my own signature cocktail with personalized stirrers.

For music, we had the cosmonauts and their sax player also play for our drinks reception. They were an amazing team and kept the party going the whole night.

Who captured your day?

Our photographer, Liam, was a no-brainer for us. He’s so relaxed and you’re guaranteed to get a laugh! Paul was nervous about being photographed the whole time, however, it all turned out superb. Liam organised an extra photographer for us to make the most of the time in the morning. We have so many shots of our dads, moms, siblings, friends and family that we didn’t even think of getting. Liam literally captured everything and the results were absolutely breathtaking.

Our videographers, Tom and Abbey were second to none to us. They worked so well with Liam. Both were very chilled and filmed the perfect shots without us even noticing. They all play such an integral role in the day and capture it all for a lifetime.

What did you and the bridal party wear? 

Choosing my dress was the most difficult task of the entire process! Boy, did I try on a HUGE variety?! I had been looking for my dress for about 18 months. I’m not exaggerating when I say I had tried on about 70 dresses before I found the one. I was just about to fly to Berlin as I had arranged an appointment with a designer a friend had told me about who would work with me to create a dress.

One of my best friends told me to try one more in Galway. She said you mightn’t find your dress, but you will come out of the appointment with a clearer head. Fast forward to meeting Eoghan in Thistles, I found the one! Eoghan was direct and honest, I loved the honesty! I went with a strapless Mikado gown by Justin Alexander, as it had gorgeous beading on the back and was the perfect mix of modern and preppy! I matched it with a cathedral-length veil and simple diamond accessories. For the evening, I changed into a fully beaded floor-length dress with a slit by Nadine Merabi. It was so fun to wear and fit so well without any alterations.

I also got my bridesmaid’s dresses off Thistles. This was such an easy process. The more we got to know each other, the more the ideas flowed. We went with 3 different colours of green silk in the same dress style.

Paul’s suit came from Louis Copeland! Again, we went in with an idea and left with something better. Paul ended up with a smart, navy tuxedo. Everything down to the shade of his shirt was thought through and he looked amazing! The groomsmen went with a black tuxedo, which again, worked so well with the classic style.

What was your favourite part of the day?

How can I pick just one! I really loved the morning of the wedding. Everything felt right. I’ll always remember the drive over to the church! I sat in the back with my mom. My dad sat in the front with the driver, Alan, who was delighted to be with us. Before I walked up the aisle, I focused on keeping my composure! I must have looked stressed because my maid of honour, Claire, had a last-minute dance with me to keep the nerves at bay! It was a surreal experience seeing Paul at the top. He was so happy and kept his composure, not sure about the rest of the groomsmen (I think I saw a few tears)! Once the ceremony was over, the day flew by and we were carried from one moment to the next.

Any advice you can give?

It’s the same thing all the time, isn’t it…

IT IS YOUR DAY! Do what feels good for you both. It’s hard not to compare weddings until your big day. Trust the professionals that you have chosen to work with. You chose them for a reason and they know what they are doing.

Obviously, do your research as what worked for someone else might not work for you and that’s okay. Also, cut your partner some slack with the planning! They are trying to support what we want at the end of the day. So this is my official public apology to Paul for my bridezilla moments!

The Dream Team

Ceremony Venue

Reception Venue

Photography

Videographer

Wedding dress

Grooms suits

Flowers

Music

Make-up

Hair

Stationery

The post Vicky & Paul’s Magical Memories with The Lodge at Ashford appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Nicole Kennedy & Russell Crawford made the most of the festive season and tied the knot at Drenagh Estate on the 18th of December!

How did you both first meet?

We originally met years ago through the same friend circle but went our separate ways, years on we met again in 2019. First impressions are not always correct it seems and we hit it off second time lucky! Russell does not take hints so I had to pucker up and tell him I liked him, it worked and we went on our first date and we haven’t been able to get rid of each other since.

Tell us about the proposal!

We got engaged in 2021. Russell swept me away on a refreshing trip to Dublin which was something we had been looking forward too. We went adventuring through the city by day and out on the town by night. Then Russell popped the question!

When did you start planning your wedding?

The planning began almost immediately when we got back from Dublin. We planned the whole thing ourselves and I say “we” of course I mean “I”. The process was so exciting and also a little daunting, like many we had never done this before! We were very focused on getting great suppliers who would lead the way.

The biggest obstacle for us was finding the venue. It’s not just the place, it’s the team of people that make it feel like home which is something you will want on your big day. After a month or so we finally found Drenagh Country Estate in Limavady.

We wanted an intimate ceremony at Christmas time and there was no better place. We then moved on to the other things that book up very quickly. With our wedding, we also had to be wary of the time of year we needed these suppliers! December is often a very busy time for everyone.

Tell us a bit more about the venue

The whole house was decorated for Christmas with fireside songs being played by piano, the whole setting was idyllic. Our numbers were small with around 40 guests so we wanted an intimate ceremony with a close family Christmas day feeling. We also opted for a circular ceremony decorated with fairy lights and garland.

Who captured your day?

Our day was captured by Mark Barnes Photography. His work is fantastic and he has a great sense of humour to put anyone at ease, What I especially liked was he took the time to get to know every member of the bridal party which helped throughout the day to round people and guests up for photographs.

What did you and the bridal party wear? 

My dress was by Stella York from LA Bridal and ended up being the first dress I tried on after many deliberations no other dress made me feel like this one. I originally said absolutely no veil and no princess gown and came out with both the dress seemed to know me better than I did, I loved how the dress made me feel and I couldn’t stop smiling. The shoes were Jimmy Choo Love 100’s in shimmering metallic silver fabric with an ivory tulle overlay, sparkle was more than acceptable with this being a Christmas wedding.

The bridesmaid dresses were from Maya Deluxe and featured sequins and belts and my mothers dress was Veni Infantino from Cilento. The groom and groomsmen wore House Of Cavani suits from The Bank Menswear in Randalstown, the grooms pocket watch was by Dalvey.

What was your favourite part of the day?

The whole day was magical from those private moments alone whilst getting ready to putting the dress on for that all important walk to see my husband to be for the first time as a bride. Everyone made the day special and I’ve never seen so many happy people in one place before.

Any advice you can give?

Enjoy it!, As much as at the time it seems so stressful it’s also fun and such a special time you only do it once. Don’t obsess on the small things, on the day you are that happy to be married and celebrating you will be completely care free to small things that maybe didn’t go to plan. Everyone says how quick the day goes but you’ve no idea how quick until it’s your turn.

The Dream Team

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Drenagh Estate

Catering: CL Catering

Photography: Mark Barnes Photography

Wedding dress: LA Bridal House

Grooms suits: The Bank Menswear

Mother of the bride: Cilento

Flowers: Let’s Face It Creation & Bloom Barn

Cake: NI Cake Design

Music: Limavady Pianos & Gaz Entertainment

Make-up: Annie Gyle

Hair: Maggie Hall

Venue Decoration: The Wedding Room NI

The post Nicole & Russell’s Festive Wedding at Drenagh Estate appeared first on Wedding Journal.

I Do Date: 26th March 2023

How did you both meet?

‘We matched on Bumble – the modern day meet-cute,’ laughs Jordan, ‘We started chatting and then a few days later we had our first date and headed to The Crafty Vintner for cocktails and canapés, followed by a few more tipples at The Merchant. Ironically, I had just turned 30 and sworn off dating, thinking I would never meet the right man for me and although we both said we would take things slowly within a few weeks we were talking about engagement rings and living together! In fact, Ben said in his wedding speech that he had noticed me walking down the street a few weeks prior to us connecting on Bumble which I never knew until then. Plus, I am a real foodie who doesn’t like to cook and Ben is a chef, so I think we were meant to be!’

How did Ben propose?

‘It was seven months after we met that Ben proposed. Having remembered all I had previously said I liked in an engagement ring – gold not silver and an oval diamond – he secretly had one made for me and started this process a few months before he popped the question. It was mid-January 2022, that he told me we were heading for a break at Lough Eske Castle and this came after a really busy period for both of us in work, so I didn’t really question why he was treating us to a break away. Unbeknown to me Ben had already spoken to my boss to ensure I could get the time off and also to my nail technician to make sure she would do my nails in a nice colour! When we got there I spent ages getting ready in the bathroom to go for dinner as I always do, and when I came into the bedroom to show him the transformation, he asked me to sit on the bed, handed me a gift box and inside was a personalised teddy bear he’d had made for me that had ‘Baby will you marry me?’ on its foot! He then had a whole speech for me – it was a total dream.

‘My mum is my all time bestie so I Face Timed her and dad to let them know and they were on the other end with balloons, banners and Champagne as Ben has already briefed them too – I am just glad I hadn’t got in touch with home prior to him popping the question!’

Tell us about the planning?

‘We didn’t want a church wedding, and as a nod to our first date at The Merchant, we decided to have our wedding ceremony on the rooftop there. Also, Sundays are our favourite day of the week as it’s my only day off so they are usually special, so we asked them to let us know a few dates they might be free and not wanting to rush things, but also not wanting to stall either, we opted for March 2023. 

‘For our reception, we wanted to bring our guests somewhere different and food focused, so we booked Stock at St. Georges Market, where we had a sit down dinner for 60 and then a further 30 for the evening reception. Our favourite food is steak and chips and taking charge of the menu, Ben opted for a langoustine scampi with crab & apple slaw starter, followed by Côte De Bœuf and for dessert, a chocolate tart with rhubarb & vanilla cream.

‘I ordered our wedding cake – which had a white chocolate and raspberry tier and also a salted caramel one – from The French Village.

Who captured your day?

‘Lisa and Marty from Adore Weddings NI were our photographers and they have a candid style that we really wanted, we didn’t want any posed shots. Niamh McLaughlin was our videographer and as with our photographers, she captured lots of great moments that otherwise we would have missed because there is just so much going on and the day really does just fly by. So, having memories of the day captured on video and photographs is so important and we love looking back on it all.’

Tell us about some of the other suppliers you used?

‘While we wanted to plan a memorable day, we also didn’t want to spend a fortune on what is realistically one day, so we did keep it within the allocated budget. For example, I made our wedding invitations and when it came to venue styling we worked with what The Merchant supplied for the ceremony, enlisting the help of Ciara Scullion from Weddings at Tiffany’s for Stock. Picture Perfect parties NI supplied our large ‘LOVE’ letters and our balloon arch with the words ‘It was always you’ at the reception.

‘We had a champagne reception after the ceremony and before dinner where Rwanda Shaw sang and entertained everyone. In the evening, our wedding DJ was my old co-host at Q Radio and close friend Ryan A. 

‘My aunty Olive is a florist and she provided our bouquets and buttonholes. The flowers were stunning and reflected the green and gold accents we used throughout the styling.

‘As for my hair, it was styled by Keris Weir and one of my bridesmaids Anna McConnell is a make-up artist and did my make-up. Oonagh Boman did my mum’s,’ adds Jordan.

What did you wear?

‘I started modelling when I was 16 and thanks to my curves, which suited wedding dresses, I have worn loads of them over the years, so I did have a pretty good idea of what suited me and what didn’t. In fact, there was a dress I remembered wearing about five years ago and I found one very similar in Reflections in Lisburn. It was in their sample sale and in my exact size – it was like it had been waiting for me! My shoes were cream sandals from Primark and I wore a stunning hairpiece from Deborah K Design. My bridesmaids wore long black dresses from Pretty Little Thing and they each picked their own hairstyle and makeup look for the day, so they all looked and felt their best.

‘Ben and the groomsmen wore a classic tux and Ben stood apart in a bespoke tailored velvet jacket from Suitor Brothers, which he has already been able to wear again to a black tie event. 

‘I am not a trend driven person and we both wanted a timeless styling that wouldn’t date the wedding when we looked back on it,’ adds Jordan.

What were your favourite moments from the day?

‘For me it was walking down the aisle with dad,’ reminisces Jordan. ‘We took a little pause at the top, to be in the moment and survey room. My dad was crying with pride and I felt beautiful.’

‘Seeing Jordan walking down the aisle was mine,’ adds Ben.

Have you any advice to share?

‘Be realistic with your budget, don’t get yourself into debt over this one day – and don’t let the day become bigger than the marriage. Also everyone says it, but the day flies so savour every moment and last but not least don’t sweat the small stuff!’

Jordan & Ben’s Dream Team

Ceremony

Reception

Photography

Videography

Wedding Dress

Bridesmaid Dresses

Groom’s Jacket

Venue Styling

Cake

To read more real-life weddings stories click here

The post Jordan & Ben’s Chic City Wedding in Belfast appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Check out Joanne and Edmund’s wedding at The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn which took place on the 26^th August 2023!

How did you both first meet?

We met in 2012 in El Divino. We quickly realised we had lots of friends in common, and not only that, we had actually crossed paths before! Prior to this, I went into the shop Edmund worked in at the time and tortured him for a discount. He remembers this vividly, as he had been slightly frustrated at the time. He was no match for my savvy shopping attitude. But by then, all was forgiven, and we chatted and danced the night away, a wee spark was lit.

Tell us about the proposal!

After a few years together, we felt a wonderful and settled sense of happiness that we knew would last a lifetime. Conversation turned to the future, and with excitement we spoke about what our life might look like in years to come.

We had chosen the engagement ring in the Summer of 2021. (Murray & Co). Edmund tucked it away to keep as a surprise. He wanted to make sure my daughters Lauren, Lucy and Archie, our beloved Beagle, were all involved when he decided to ask the all-important question.

It was the morning of Christmas Eve, and I came into the living room and saw Lauren, Lucy, and Archie there beside a diamond shaped balloon. Then I heard Bruno Mars ‘Marry You’ begin to play, and in the middle of it all, Edmund got down on one knee, with the beautiful ring we had chosen together, asking me to marry him.

And of course, without any hesitation whatsoever, my answer was YES! It was the best Christmas Eve ever. 

We headed out for a wonderful lunch with the whole family afterwards to celebrate and I found out that Edmund had visited my parents, Hugh & Bridie, to ask for their blessing a few days beforehand – a blessing they had been overjoyed to give!

When did you start planning your wedding?

We started to plan our wedding immediately, initially looking for the prefect venue. It took us a few months to decide on our venue. It was in April 2022 when we visited The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn. The wedding planner at the venue was amazing and we felt that we would be well looked after so we booked for Saturday the 26^{th of} August 2023.

We planned to stay for the whole weekend at The Old Inn and all our suppliers and Glam squad would come to us. Everything ran smoothly, I knew exactly what suppliers I wanted to use, and I was lucky to get most. If some were unavailable, they gave me super recommendations. My experience of the wedding industry was amazing, everyone was so helpful and friendly. 

Would you like to give a special mention to any of your suppliers?

Everyone was amazing but Claire, our celebrant took time to get to know us our story and was such an important part of our day.

Who captured your day at The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn?

Our photographer Tracy Steele was amazing she took time to get to know us and help us relax. We completed an engagement shoot at Crawfordsburn beach a few weeks before the wedding. 

Tracy was patient and went over and above on the actual day.

What did you and the bridal party wear? 

My dress was from Jesus Peiro! I was nervous picking my dress because I am in my 40s and felt I wanted something plain and classic. Petticoat Lane was the first shop I visited, and it just so happened that it was the Jesus Peiro trunk show that day.

I ended up buying the first dress I tried on, I only tried on 3 or 4 max and some I didn’t keep on for long. The first dress was exactly what I wanted, and I loved it. My two daughters were my bridesmaids and we happened to mention that we had been looking at dark green dresses. The Petticoat Lane team advised they has a dress in that colour and offered to bring it up for the girls to try on. It was perfect so we left one hour later with bride and bridesmaid dresses purchased and my earrings. It really was a one stop shop.  

I would highly recommend Petticoat Lane; they kept me up to date and I was given a good discount because I bought on trunk day and bought all my dresses with them.

What was your favourite part of the day?

We had the most amazing weekend; we were well looked after by the full team at The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn. Matthew Stockton was our main contact and he was amazing. It was just the perfect weekend with family and friends.

Any advice you can give?

Enjoy the planning, the build up and try to relax, we did, and we had fun. You hire professionals so listen to them and don’t sweat the small stuff!

The Dream Team

Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn

Photography: Tracy Steele

Flowers: House of Elliot 

Cake: Maggie’s Working Kitchen

Music for Ceremony & Drinks Reception: Niamh McGlinchey

Music for Evening Reception: DJ Emma Buchanan

Make-up: DJ Griffin

Hair: DaniBelle Wedding hair 

Humanist: Claire Shearer

Stationery: Instant Print Armagh

Men’s Suits: Red Groomswear

Dresses: Petticoat Lane

The post Joanne & Edmund’s Rustic Romance at The Old Inn appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Date of Wedding: 2 June 2023 

How did you two meet? 

Laoise and Alan met in 2017 when they were working together and soon realised they were more destined to be more than just office colleagues! Alan had just come back from Australia and was coming back to the same job he left two years earlier. However, with seven years between them, Alan thought he didn’t have a chance with Laoise until she made him aware of her feelings on a work night out telling him that she wished it was just the two of them. This led to their first date – an after work drink in Brewdock. ‘We continued to work together for about eight months, sneaking kisses in the kitchen and sheepishly coming into work at the same time, matching coffees in hand. It didn’t take long for the rest of the office to make the connection,’ recalls Laoise.

Tell us about the proposal. 

Alan proposed on 12th June 2021, getting down on one knee at The Shelbourne with the engagement ring they had both chosen back in December 2020 from Brereton Jewellers. 

2020 was a very very rough year with Laoise’s dad getting sick and dying from cancer very suddenly. Alan was there every step of the way and supported Laoise and her family. Laoise’s dad had told Alan that she needed ‘something for there’ pointing at her ring finger when she was showing him a Tiffany bracelet he bought her. ‘We were Christmas shopping and looked at rings in Breretons Jewellers window on Grafton Street. I pointed at one I liked and Alan suggested going to try it on,’ says Laoise.

The proposal brought a lot of future happiness. As Laoise comments, ‘We were so excited to be married to each other. We are best friends and truly believe we were meant to be together. No one understands either of us like the other.’

How did the planning process go? 

As Laoise tells us, ‘We started relatively quickly, as I knew how fast good suppliers and venues book up! We got engaged in June 2021 and married in June 2023. I asked my bridesmaids in February 2022, we had already chosen the venue by then I believe! I’ve loved being engaged and being a bride, it’s been the best thing ever even though it was extremely stressful in the last few months!

‘Magheramorne Estate was the perfect choice of venue. They went above and beyond with the vegan dinner menu and vegan breakfast. I am vegan and Alan is pescatarian so the food options being excellent was very important to us. The venue is stunning and the wedding co-ordinator Rebecca couldn’t have done more for us. They do events during the year and we can’t wait to go back to stay already. The whole team are so friendly and go the extra mile. It’s very close to Belfast – 30 minutes away and right by the sea. The views from upstairs are stunning.’

What suppliers did you use to help pull your dream day together?

‘Our cake was a vegan one from Lilypink Bakery in Belfast. I have been plant based for the last 10 years so a vegan cake was a must! Millson and Berry were the superstars who supplied our flowers, which surpassed all expectation. Natasha O’Hare our make-up, she was so patient and took every single comment and request of mine on board. Olivia Muldoon did a stunning job on our hair and nothing was too big of an ask. She even cut one of the girls hair!

‘The night before and the day after the wedding we all stayed in Ballygally Castle. We had a day two event there. They were really great and it’s a stunning hotel right on the beach. 

‘I ordered a charm for my bouquet to honour my dad on the day. It was from PrinceCharmingUK on Etsy. We spoke about dad a lot on the day too. It was important to me that he was there. He always loved a party!’

Who captured your day? 

Kalie Reid was our amazing photographer. We did an engagement shoot with her before the wedding – Valentines weekend 2023. She had us feel so confident and comfortable. She was a superstar on the day along with her husband, Greg who was her second photographer and right hand man. The photos are amazing.

What did you wear? 

‘I wore ‘Yana’ by Chosen by Kyha. I had originally wanted a slinky Prea James number, but when my mum, my bridesmaids and I went to try them on, we picked up Yana as a wildcard and all fell in LOVE when we saw it on. I knew immediately it was my dress. I am so obsessed with it, I just want to wear it again! I bought it and my veil in Ivy & White in Belfast. Kerry looked after us in there and she was amazing. It was such a luxe, fun and exciting time. My shoes were from Zara – I had worn them to all the bridal events and they’re so comfy I just love them. They were a bit beaten up by the wedding day and I ended up asking my sister Rowena to bring white shoe polish up with her on the morning of the wedding,’ laughs Laoise. 

‘That morning, I wore silk White Company pyjamas my mum bought for me and my pearl drop earrings were a gift from my mother-in-law from from One Dame Lane.

‘My Bridesmaids – my sister Bronwen and friends Zoe, Laura and Shauna. Shauna also sang during the ceremony – wore the ‘Piper’ maxi bridesmaid dresses in champagne from Pretty Lavish and silver strappy shoes of their choosing. I got them Monica Vinader silver engraved bracelets when I asked them to be bridesmaids – they all wore these too and just pearl earrings.

‘Alan wore a jacket, shirt and slacks from Louis Copland and shoes from M&S. We wanted a casual look for him as he never even wears slacks day to day! His brother Stephen and friends Niall, John, and Chris were his groomsmen and they wore suits from Bond Brothers in Goatstown.’

What was your favourite moment from the day?

‘The anticipation and excitement getting ready in the morning I think -and the ceremony. Michael was an excellent celebrant – he made the whole thing so personal and enjoyable. Also having one of my best friends sing me up the aisle was so beautiful. Shauna has a really unique voice that I have always loved so much, and she sang ‘The Vow’ by Ruth Ann. Scott Flanigan accompanied her perfectly on the piano and he also played during dinner. We walked down the aisle as husband and wife to ‘My Girl’ – this was Alan’s idea and I thought it was so romantic!’ 

Do you have any advice for couples in the run up to their wedding day?

‘If you have a big wedding dress – have an evening dress to change into! I didn’t think I would want to take mine off but I would have loved something lighter for the evening,’ advise Laoise, who adds, ‘If you have the money – just spend it and have the wedding you want. We didn’t cut any corners and I’m so glad we didn’t – it’s a once in a lifetime event. And finally, start planning early because it takes longer than you think to get everything organised and to score the vendors you want. And don’t be shy to insist on having things just so. After all, It’s your special day.’ 

Laoise & Alan’s Dream Team

Venue: Magheramorne Estate 

Photography: Kalie Reid Photography

Celebrant: Michael Grace 

Pianist: Scott Flanigan

Wedding Dress: Ivy & White Bridal 

Bridesmaids Dresses: Pretty Lavish 

Groom’s Suit: Louis Copeland

Groomsmen Suiting: Bond Brothers

Stationery: Dusty Rose Designs 

Flowers: Millson & Berry 

Cake: Lily Pink Bakery

Make-up: Natasha O’Hare 

Hair: Olivia Muldoon

The post Laoise & Alan’s Picture Perfect Day at Magheramorne Estate appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Nothing beats saying, ‘I Do’, against a cool coastal backdrop! Leanne Hanna and Connor Morgan tied the knot at the Shandon Hotel & Spa in County Donegal earlier this year. If you are wanting your big day to look as though it’s a destination wedding, you have to have a nosey at this beach wedding!

How did you both first meet?

We first met as sailing instructors at Killowen Outdoor education centre in 2011 – teaching kids to sail every summer. Connor found it quite difficult to flirt as my mother, big brother and sister were all in close proximity. He made the first move by teaching me how to improve my sailing. As we were so young when we met, (aged 14) after the summer sessions, our parents didn’t let us see one another until the weekends during school. We would always find loopholes around this to see one another during the week. Such as training together at the gym, going for cycles and walks!

Tell us about the proposal!

Connor’s idea was to go on holiday disguised as a birthday trip for him (April 2022). Connor had packed the ring into his suitcase and we travelled to the Amalfi Coast. I unpacked the entire suitcase and the only compartment untouched was where the ring box. Connor thought the whole surprise was ruined, however I didn’t even know there was a hidden compartment!

On the 3rd day of the holiday, we wanted to explore more of the coastline. We took a trip to the romantic island of Capri. Sitting on the beach enjoying the beautiful scenery, it seemed like the perfect place. Connor was acting slightly strange and nervous (he never gets nervous). He had the ring in his hand and propped up his phone to video the whole thing. A group of children ran across and started to play right where we were, ruining the whole atmosphere. Connor quickly hid the ring and we took the last ferry back to Positano. When we arrived in Positano we found a bench under a tree overlooking the aquamarine waters. It was the most romantic spot I had ever witnessed. Turning around, I saw Connor on one knee with an aquamarine ring. It was the same colour as the water – this was the perfect moment.

We went back to our hotel room to celebrate, where the hotel offered us champagne room service. All I was craving was a cup of tea. We sat out on our balcony with a blanket, a pot of tea, listening to the waves crash below and the stars above.

When did you start planning your wedding?

We took some time to soak in the engagement celebrations, before starting the wedding planning. In August 2022 we both wanted to have a beach style wedding, as we met and got engaged at the beach. Connor’s family have been living in Donegal for many summers close to the golden beaches around Marble Hill. Therefore, it was the perfect place for our beach wedding and convenient for everyone. We had no experience planning events, yet still decided to plan the entire wedding ourselves.

I had already built a wedding book for many years. The dream was a Donegal, beach wedding with every last detail from colour schemes to decor and guest list. This simplified our planning process as half the work was done. Connor was a tremendous help as a groom! He wanted to be involved in the majority of aspects of the wedding. We used social media, wedding fairs and friends recommendations to source all of our vendors.

Tell us about your wedding suppliers?

We chose the Shandon Hotel & Spa in Donegal for our venue as it is just beautiful. We just loved the scenery, the facilities and the location. Connor has been going to the Shandon Hotel since 3 years old and it has been a part of his life and his families for many years. We wanted somewhere that could accommodate both the ceremony and reception. Joy and her team supported us throughout every step of the planning, working with vendors and the preparations. Our guests praised the professionalism of Joy and her team afterwards and everything ran smoothly and on time.

For our cake, our family friend works at the Rosehip Cafe in Banbridge. We asked them if they could make our wedding cake. Within a week we had a consultation and enjoyed tasting multiple incredible flavoured cakes. We ended up going for a three tier cake, with Lemon (base), Coffee (Middle) and Carrot Cake (Top). We wanted to go a bit different for the flavours to your typical fruit or chocolate cake and people really enjoyed the refreshing change. The vision was to have a white icing with blue ocean waves to showcase the beach theme of the wedding.

It was a no-brainer to use Aoibheann (Aoibheann Walsh Mua) and her team for hair and make-up as every website or magazine suggested them for a Donegal wedding and they did not disappoint! Aoibheann brought the energy in the morning getting us all ready and our make up and hair lasted really well by the end of the evening. We even had a lot of wind on the beach taking photos and they didn’t move an inch. You couldn’t ask for a better team to get you ready for your big day.

What about your music on the day?

For our music, we chose We Love Sax, Keltic Kaos and Debs fitz Music. Having been to previous weddings with a Saxophone player we knew this would be something we would love for our day. We Love Sax were perfect for our reception outside on the terrace, and the weather was perfect. Really felt like we brought Ibiza to Donegal, and our guests said it completely set the mood for the rest of the day.

Keltic Kaos were a recommendation from the Shandon, they had everyone on the dance floor all night which was one thing leanne was insistent on. If no one was on the dance floor she was prepared to start dragging people up there!

Deborah Fitzsimons sang our first dance song which was On Top Of The World by Imagine Dragons, we asked her to create a slow acoustic version. It was so personal as she was one of my bridesmaids but our guests couldn’t believe how beautiful her voice was!

Who captured your day?

Our photographers were Melissa Wright & Cindy Robinson.

Melissa was amazing! We had a pre wedding photoshoot and instantly felt like we had known her for years! She is such a fun and friendly person, not a single photo felt forced or staged which shows in the quality of her work. Some of our friends have booked her for their wedding after seeing the photos.

We had a second photographer on the day, Cindy, who was so friendly and captured some incredible shots of the groomsmen, and some magical moments such as the first kiss! We highly recommend either of them to confidently capture your wedding day.

What did you and the bridal party wear? 

My dress was the Allegra Dress by Justin Alexander, picked up from Elody Bridal, Newry. Elody bridal were so helpful helping me pick my dress.

The dress itself was a really lovely fit, having a tight corset meant I didn’t need to worry about pulling the dress up all night. It wasn’t heavy but had enough material to give a beautiful shape. Elody even made a veil with the lace to match the dress! My sister in Scotland is going to use for her wedding in October 2024 as her something borrowed.

For the evening, I really wanted a satin light dress as a second dress that didn’t cost a fortune. I got mine from Rat&Boa and will definitely be reusing the dress on our honeymoon.

For our bridesmaids, we always loved the gold or champagne coloured dresses, and when we saw this new online business come up with dresses they were perfect! We really wanted to do different necklines for the girls to make them more individual but also compliment their figure although still uniform, and boy, did these dresses deliver!

Connor’s suit was from Moss Bros in the French Collection. The Groomsmen’s suits were also Moss Bros. The whole theme of the wedding was beach/neutrals therefore it was important to me to have the men in a full neutral suit or black trousers and neutral jacket. To keep them more casual we had them wear open shirts with brown belts and shoes which kept it relaxed and summery.

Connor has always loved the idea of wearing a tux at his wedding, although this did not go with Leanne’s beach/neutral theme. So he decided to do a suit change after the meal for the first dance! The suit was from Marks & Spencers, called the ‘Tailored Fit Wool Rich Tuxedo Jacket’. This came out a month before the wedding!

What was your favourite part of the day?

Leanne’s: It has to be the dance performance! At the hen party in Liverpool we booked a dance class with the theme of Grease, as this as there is a video of leanne and her sisters dancing to Grease lighting when they were children on holiday in Spain. After the first dance all the bridesmaids got together and decided we should perform the dance route to everyone so it would be a surprise. Everyone loved it, and to this day we are all so surprised we actually remembered the steps!

Connor’s: A Bride having a ceremony dress and an evening dress is now quite common, however a groom has two suits I had never heard of! Therefore, I decided that if Leanne got to change, so would I. The white evening Tuxedo was a great fit and my favourite moment was one experience I’ll never get again… an entire room of 80 guests giving your outfit a round of applause. Great for the ego!

Any advice you can give?

Leanne had a wedding planner on a word document for years gathering different ideas, colours and Vendors all or 3 different types of weddings. So really do your research and don’t panic, we asked the shandon for advice on music as we were struggling to find bands in donegal. So getting venue recommendations for vendors they have previously worked with is so handy as you know they already have a great relationship and it helps the day run smoother.

DONT LEAVE IT ALL TO THE LAST MINUTE! We were moving back home from England a month before the wedding, and as a way to reduce cost Leanne made a lot of decor herself such as welcome signs, seating charts, name place cards etc as she couldn’t find anything online that was perfectly what she wanted. But this meant she had to do it all the week before the wedding as we didnt want to add our moving collection of stuff and risk it getting damaged.

The Dream Team

Photographer: Melissa Wright & Cindy Robinson

Wedding Venue: Shandon Hotel & Spa, Co. Donegal (Wedding Coordinator: Joy Evans)

Wedding Dress: Allegra Dress by Justin Alexander: Elody Bridal, Newry.

Evening Dress: Rat&Boa: Ophelia Dress

Wedding Suit: Moss Bros, French Connection: Neutral.

Evening Tux: Marks & Spencers: Tailored Fit Wool Rich Tuxedo Jacket

Groomsmen Suits: Moss Bros: Check Suit

Bridesmaid Dresses: Six Stories: Oyster Dress

Cake: Rosehip Cafe – Banbridge

Flowers: The Daisy Chain – Omagh

Makeup & Hair: Aoibheann Walsh Mua – Letterkenny

Music: We Love Sax, Keltic Kaos and Debs fitz Music

The post Leanne & Connor’s Breathtaking Beach Wedding appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Date of Wedding: 29th June 2023

 How did you meet?

We met through a mutual friend in November 2018 and have been together from the moment we met – so nearly five years! We have had so much fun throughout our relationship. From travelling together abroad and road trips at home, to spending time together with our family & friends, and always making sure we are having fun and enjoying all of the time we spend together. 

Tell us about the proposal!

After three years together, we got engaged just before Christmas in December 2021 on a beach in County Kerry, which we had visited a few years before so it was a really special place to both of us. Lewis’ proposal was perfect as it was so special and thoughtful. He had me completely surprised as he told me we were going somewhere completely different so I didn’t guess that it would happen then. It felt so incredible to be engaged, and to have shared such a special and surreal moment together. We loved telling all of our family and friends, and celebrating together. 

When did you start planning your wedding?

We began our wedding planning in January 2022, and really enjoyed the process. The first thing we decided on was our date and venue (Slieve Donard Hotel), and from there everything fell into place. We had amazing vendors who were so great to work with and were very attentive to detail, and this made the process really stress free and enjoyable.

I loved getting to work on the details with them, and my mum and dad were such a great support for helping me and for making sure everything came together.  In the planning process, it’s so important to take your time making decisions and to ask for advice or help if needed. I recommend getting a wedding planner, and ticking things off your list as you get them done – it really helps you to feel organised and to stay on top of the wedding planning. 

Tell us about your wedding suppliers?

We loved our wedding vendors! We chose them based on knowing them personally and from recommendations from family and friends. They were all absolutely incredible to work with, and made the whole planning process so enjoyable. 

It is so important to work with vendors who you trust and whose work you absolutely love as this will make things more fun and easier for you, especially once it gets closer to your wedding date. I really recommend all of the amazing vendors who we worked with. 

Who captured your day?

Sasha Treanor Photography was our wedding photographer, and she was incredible. I have known Sasha for a long time. I always wanted her to photograph our wedding so I booked Sasha as soon as we had our wedding date booked. For our videography, Barry Porter Videography took our videos and he was brilliant in capturing such special memories of our wedding day. Sasha and Barry really were the dream team as they captured every single detail, and it was amazing to have them both with us on the day. 

What did you and the bridal party wear? 

I bought my wedding dress from Petticoat Lane Bridal, Hillsborough and the designer was Badgely Mischka. I absolutely loved the experience of wedding dress shopping at Petticoat Lane, as the team were so friendly, helpful and professional and made it so much fun. As soon as I tried my dress on, I knew it was for me. I absolutely love the dress and the style of dress including the sleeves, full skirt and long train – I would love to wear it again! I wore a veil which was as long as the train, and altogether it created my dream bridal look.

Lewis’ wedding suit was a black tux was from Bogart Menswear, Belfast. It was so classic for our wedding, and Bogart’s were excellent in providing expert advise and help in ensuring the fit was perfect.

Our bridal party looked fantastic together. My bridesmaid dresses were also from Petticoat Lane Bridal, Hillsborough and the dresses were designed by Dresscode in the colour Shell Pink, and the girls looked beautiful.

The mother of the bride and mother of the groom dresses were from Gasp, Armagh and the styles were gorgeous. The groomsmen suits and suits for the father of the bride and father of the groom were from Freddie Hatchet, Belfast and they also wore a black tux. We loved the full bridal party look – everything looked perfect. 

What was your favourite part of the day?

Holly: I have so many favourite moments from our wedding day; from getting ready in the morning with my family and bridesmaids, to our wedding ceremony, to the speeches at our reception, and to spending the evening dancing away. I loved every moment. 

Lewis: It was the best day ever. I loved getting to have so much fun together and to share this special day with our family and friends. A funny memory has to be the speeches at the Slieve Donard Hotel as they were great and gave everyone a really good laugh. 

Any advice you can give?

The biggest piece of advice I would give to any brides or grooms-to-be planning their wedding day is to enjoy every second. The preparations and planning really do go by so fast! Your wedding day will go past even faster so don’t worry about the small details.

It is such a special time, full of so many surreal and incredible moments. Take it all in and remember that at the end of the day your wedding day is about getting married to one another, and celebrating your love with your family and friends. Enjoy it all! 

The Dream Team

Ceremony Venue: Knock Presbyterian Church, Belfast

Reception Venue: Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle.

Photography: @sashatreanorphotography

Videography: @barryportervideography

Dress (Bride & Bridesmaids): @petticoatlanebridal

Make Up: @carolinejaynemua

Hair: Gemma Managh and @hairbyruthmc

Tan: @bebronze_

Nails: Amber Rose Foster

Suits: @bogartmenswear (Groom) and @freddiehatchet (Groomsmen)

Flowers: @vintagevioletflorist

Wedding Cars: Bentley Wedding Cars NI

Music: The Late Shift and @realdjlewis

Cake: @bakedbycorri

Ice Cream Vendor: @heavenlytemptationsni

The post Holly & Lewis’ Dream Day at Slieve Donard Hotel appeared first on Wedding Journal.

If you are looking for a quirky Summer wedding that your guests will remember and cherish, make sure to keep reading this real-life wedding that took place at the Old Rectory, Killyman!

Date of Wedding: 9^th June 2023

How did you meet?

We first met at Balmoral Show in 2018. I was working on a stand and Campbell came over to talk to me! We bumped into each other again in the beer tent later that day. Unfortunately at that time my mum was terminally ill, and I was not looking for a relationship. However we talked regularly and Campbell always had a way of making me laugh and taking my mind off what was happening at home. Shortly before my mum passed away, I had told her about Campbell. She suggested that I go out on a date with him, which I did and it really went from there. I am glad and fortunate that my mum got to meet Campbell a few days before she died. 

We quickly found out we had a common interest! I love food; cooking, baking and finding new local products. Also, Campbell loves eating food! They say the way to a man’s heart is through a stomach and this was very true in our case!

Tell us about the proposal!

Campbell asked me to marry him on the morning of Christmas Day 2022, very quietly with no fuss! Engagement was something we had joked about for quite some time, but I was not expecting it at all. 

When did you start planning your wedding?

After we got engaged, we started talking about the best possible times to book. Campbell is an animal feed merchant and farmer. Therefore, it gets very busy from August onwards. He suggested early summer, to which I responded that Summer 2024 would probably be ideal.

He had meant summer 2023! I agreed on the condition that I could find a dress. On the 5^th January, I started dress shopping with my mums best friend Anne. From that moment we discovered that my only option was to find a dress off the rail. On the 7^th January, I visited Perfect Day in Lurgan and explained my circumstances to them. After that, together we found my dress! So home I came, with my dream dress! It looked like I had just agreed to a wedding in Summer of 2023!!

Why did you chose the Old Rectory, Killyman?

My mum is buried at Killyman, and I had heard of the Old Rectory which was just across the road. I had liked the idea of getting married close to mum. We went to look at it and I was blown away by how stunning the venue was. As it was a total venue hire, it allowed us to bring in our own caterers! It was ticking all of our boxes. We both knew it was the perfect venue and didn’t look at any others. Campbell and I left the venue with a list of dates that they had available for Summer 2023.

We also discussed the things that were important to us. Neither of us wanted a formal traditional wedding, and were keen for something more casual. The Old Rectory, Killyman was perfect for this!

All I wanted was fantastic food on the wedding day. I had used Smoq Artisan in the past and knew they would be perfect. Campbell wanted a band called, ‘The Untouchables’. 

We contacted Smoq Artisan and the Untouchables to find out their availability for this summer. When we put their dates beside the potential dates for the Old Rectory, Killyman there was only one day that was free! It was the 9^th June, so thats how we chose our wedding date!!

Things moved pretty quickly after that, and as we knew we had the perfect venue, food and band we wanted. We were willing to compromise on all other vendors. I was expecting to find issues with vendors as everyone talks about wedding suppliers booking up years in advance. I didn’t find that issue at all!

What did you and the bridal party wear? 

Well, bridesmaids dresses were the next on the list as I was told these were usually on a 4 month waiting list. I used Perfect Day for this as well.

The girls did a great job by managing my expectations on what was available at short notice. The dresses were from True Bridesmaids in Teal and their shoes were from Quiz!

All of my suppliers were fantastic and went above and beyond. I would highly recommend all of them.

• My Dress: Ronald Joyce
• Dressmaker: Agnes at Sew Good, Portadown.
• My Shoes: Pearly Girly (matched the bridesmaids dresses and was my ‘something blue’ and also would be a pair that I would wear again).
• Brooch: I had borrowed a locket from Anne (mums best friend) and put a picture of her in it. I also sourced a plaque from Etsy where they could engrave my mums handwriting on it. Both of these were tied around my flowers, and I left my flowers on mums grave after the ceremony.

Would you like to give a special mention to other wedding suppliers?

I found most of the vendors through my own awareness of them, or recommendations by others.  

We chose the Old Rectory, Killyman for our venue. They are also such genuinely nice people and really fitted in our casual and laid back vibe! They also arranged to transport a few of us to mums grave across the road before the meal. This was super special to us all.

We would really recommend using Margaret Ramm Travel Counsellors as we found it very difficult planning our honeymoon. Campbell and I are not beach lovers but settled on South Africa which had fantastic food and countryside! We had a mini-moon on a boat in Lough Erne after the wedding and went to South Africa in July.

Our caterers were SMOQ Artisan. I couldn’t have asked for anything more from these guys. Their standard of food is excellent and provided exactly what we wanted. This included live BBQ cooking of ‘beer snacks’ after the ceremony.

What about the owls?!

The owls were a very late addition (evening before the wedding it was confirmed). Campbell has an owl on his farm that came to visit him every evening which he took quite a fancy to. About a week before the wedding, he had sent me a video of his owl. I thought it might be nice to have an owl as a ring bearer during the ceremony at the Old Rectory, Killyman! I found NI school of falconry who weren’t sure if they would be able to make the wedding.

They rang me the evening before to confirm they would make it! They turned up to the Old Rectory, Killyman 15 minutes before the ceremony with Ollie the Owl and we had a couple of practice flights (Ollie had never been a ring bearer before and they weren’t quite sure how he would react – they were quite apprehensive about using the real rings, but I was all for it in a spontaneous notion, knowing that the owl would come back at some stage and would add a bit of laughter to the ceremony if nothing else!!) Thankfully Ollie delivered the rings safely to me during the ceremony to the surprise of Campbell and all the guests!

What was your favourite part of the day?

My favourite parts of the wedding day would be how we managed to incorporate mum into the wedding. I had her picture on a locket and a handwritten plaque on my flowers. I also wore her wedding ring on my other hand. the minister started the service by lighting a candle of remembrance, and this theme ran through the day with the table centerpieces containing a large candle surrounded by animal grain. We also had a memory ladder with pictures of those who were no longer with us to join in on the celebration. We also were able to visit mums grave before the meal where I left my flower bouquet.

The food was unbelievable, a lot of our guests were farmers and the food definitely threw them out of their comfort zone – people are still talking about the food (and the owl!)

Campbell liked that we could incorporate his farming into the day – with the vintage tractor and grain used as part of the centre pieces. We also had dried barley sheafs used as part of the mens buttonholes. 

We had a great day, all very relaxed with our close family and friends. 

Any advice you can give?

Our advice to people planning a wedding:

• Pick about 5 aspects of the wedding that are important to both of you and focus on them. You won’t get everything you wanted either due to availability or budget but with a list of must haves, you can easily compromise on other things.
• Learn to realise that things will happen which are outside of your control, whether its family disagreements, guests cancelling last minute, issues with weather or suppliers! These things will happen and there is very little you can do about it. You just need to roll with it, and embrace it the best you can. The wedding day is about the bride and groom. As long as the two of you are happy don’t worry about everyone else. There is no way you will please every single guest, no matter how hard you try or plan!
• Enjoy the day, it really is the fastest day of your life, everything goes so fast. Try and make an effort to get round all the guests during the meal, as when the evening guests come there just simply isnt enough time.

Wedding Dream Team

• All Dresses: @perfectdaybridallurgan_

• Dressmaker – Agnes at Sew Good, Portadown

• Venue: @oldrectorykillyman

• Minister – Rev Alister Bell

• Vintage Tractor: Stephen & John Kelly, Markethill

• Beauty & Tan: @lbeautyportadown

• Makeup: @catherineflemingmua

• Hair: Hairstyle by Amanda Moore

• Mens Suits: Robert Paynter Menswear

• Rings: @campbellsjeweller

• Honeymoon: @thetravelguru_ni

• Band: @briangiffen

• Florist – @claraagnewfloristry

• Caterers: @smoqartisanbbq

• Video: @orchardvideojohn

• Photographer: @sashatreanorphotography

• Harpist: @harpfusion_weddingmusic

• Owl Ring Bearer: @nischooloffalconry

We are obsessed with this real-life wedding at the Old Rectory, Killyman! Make sure to stay up to date on our website for more real-life weddings!

The post Hannah & Campbell’s Enchanting Wedding Day appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Content creator Amy O’Brien and Leon Deere recently tied the knot in Portugal in front of all of their closest friends and family.

Wedding Date: 28/6/23

How did you meet?

‘We met through Leon’s brother’s wife. We knew each other years before getting together six years ago. Leon was sitting in my seat chatting to my friends and I was in bathroom and when I came out I said sorry your sitting in my seat. He laughed and said you can sit on my lap,’ recalls Amy. ‘At that time he was in the army working overseas in Syria and was on leave, so we kept in contact for the months before he finally came home. Two days after he came home, he booked a trip for us to Brussels and then we went to Amsterdam and Rotterdam. We always call that trip our first date and thankfully we got on and the rest is history!’

Tell us about the proposal.

‘Our engagement story isn’t very wild. It was in the back garden, but it was perfect. Our daughter Ruby came out of the house with a sign saying will you marry my papa and then Leon bent down on one knee.’

When did you start planning your wedding?

‘We got to planning the wedding straight away. We agreed that we wanted a destination wedding. We liked Malta and Portugal, but when we looked into it I just thought Portugal would be easier for guests to get to and I fell in love with the VidaMar Algarve hotel where we had our reception,’ explains Amy. ‘I joined a group on Facebook called ‘Help I am getting married in Portugal’, it’s run by a Irish lady called Louise she is so lovely. It has all suppliers and any help you need planning a wedding aboard. We found a Irish wedding planner and flew out to Portugal to look at venues and fell totally in love with the venues. We booked the wedding in 2019 for 28th June 2021, however then Covid happened and it had to be postponed. We were devastated at the time but decided then to have another child and move the wedding to the same date in 2023. Then we had baby Archie our son.’ 

Where was the ceremony and reception?

As Amy explains, ‘We got married at home here first in Ballyadams church in Co. Laois where I am from on the 10th June 2023 so that all the legal side was done. It was very special because my grandparents couldn’t travel to Portugal so this was a day for them to be part of our wedding. It was a very simple day but gorgeous. This way we felt everyone that was so close to us got to our wedding whether in Ireland or Portugal. Our reception at VidaMar was out of this world. The backdrop was so magical with all of its fairylights. On the second day we went to Castello di Norcia, a beautiful Italian restaurant looking out to the marina in Albufeira.’

What did you and the bridal party wear? 

‘I picked my dresses in Smart Brides in Portlaoise. I always thought I would go for a fitted column dress, but when I tried on the princess style I just totally loved it. I decided to go for a second dress also which was fitted and I added a pearl top which was stunning. Although I loved my second dress and changed into it after the meal, I think one dress is plenty, and I didn’t want to take my first one off! Leon wore his army uniform to get married in. It was 37 degrees on the day, so he changed out of it straight after the ceremony. His suit and the groomsmen’s trousers were all from Love Suits in Dublin. The dusky pink bridesmaids dresses and belts were from Folkster in Kilkenny. I had them bought back in 2020 before Covid. Ruby’s flowergirl dress was from Next. My two friends Lorraine and Conor did my hair and make-up for the wedding they were amazing and made me feel like a princess.’

What about your other wedding suppliers?

‘All the suppliers were absolutely amazing. Orlando is one of the top videographers in Portugal, so I can’t wait to see our video. As for our wedding photos I love all I have seen so far,’ adds Amy.

What was your favourite part of the day?

‘Definitely our vows and speeches; they were so emotional. Also the fact that 85 guests made the effort to come to Portugal for our wedding. We will never forget everyone who was there to celebrate with us, they’ve helped us make the best memories.’

Any advice you can give?

‘Just enjoy every single second of it all! I can’t believe it’s all over, it’s the best day ever and goes so fast. Also try not to stress over small things that people won’t even notice.’

Wedding Dream Team 

Ceremony: @pestanaalgarvehotels

Reception: @vidamarresorts

Photographer: @luisjorgephotography

Videographer: @orlandohortaweddingfilmaker

Wedding Planner: @sun.weddings.portugal

Wedding Décor: @uniqueandchicweddings

Wedding Dresses: @smartbrides

Bridesmaids Dresses: @folksterkilkenny Bride’s Hair: @konkelly_

Bridesmaids Hair: @myah_hair

Groom & Groomsmen’s Suiting: @lovesuitsireland

Make-up: @lorraine_glover_

Flowers: @xeli_florist_algarve

Cake:@atasteofdecadence

The post Amy & Leon’s Destination Wedding In Portugal appeared first on Wedding Journal.

WEDDING DATE: 2nd March 2023

How did you two meet?

We met back in 2014. We were introduced by a mutual friend who I worked with and David played rugby with. For our first date, David took me to a local fried chicken restaurant – unbeknownst to him I was a vegetarian at the time – I thought it was hilarious! We had a few more fantastic dates to Dublin and music concerts over the next few months and the rest was history.

Tell us about the proposal.

I had always joked about us getting engaged before I turned 30 – David took this very literally and on the eve of my 30th birthday last year, he proposed. It was perfect, at home, candles lit, flowers and birthday presents on the table. I originally thought he had planned a cute evening to celebrate my birthday, but instead he got down on one knee, with Arlo (our golden retriever) by his side – exactly as I had dreamt.

How did the planning process go?

We took a month to enjoy ourselves after getting engaged and then started planning in August last year. Once we decided on a wedding venue and were able to secure a date for the following March, everything else fell into place. Being together for nine years until that point meant we knew what we wanted, so we planned everything in just over six months. Thankfully, with it being a March wedding, it meant that our preferred suppliers were available for then. I’ve worked in the creative industry for many years, so that made the planning feel rather smooth.

I hand-stitched a hoop with each of the guests initials on it as a wedding favours – it sounds crazy but the process brought me a sense of calm in between all the planning, and I wanted to have something super personal for each of our family and friends to take home and remember our day. Not a single embroidery hoop was left behind.

We also made our own guest invites which was a great money saver and stayed relatively hassle free apart from a few ink shortages!

Where was your wedding venue?

We both feel in love with Tankardstown House in Co. Meath and the moment we visited their Showcase in August, we knew it was perfect. The staff were so warm and welcoming, and the setting was incredible. We knew we wanted somewhere that had both an inside and outside ceremony option to allow flexibility depending on the weather. Tankardstown has stunning gardens and an equally stunning Orangery inside – the minute we stepped into the Orangery we knew we had found our venue. They also have beautiful on-site lodging for friends and family to stay, and the venue is dog-friendly which was the cherry on top for us.

Gemma, Fran and the entire staff at Tankardstown made every moment feel warm and special. Nothing was ever too much to ask and they truly made our day better than we could have imagined. We are so thankful to them.

Who were your wedding suppliers?

We chose Lindsey from The Wildflower not just for her skill in floristry, but for her passion, her personality and for her kindness from start to finish. She filled the room with greenery, flowers and candles and presented us with our dream wedding vision, beyond what we had discussed over coffee a few weeks before the wedding. I couldn’t recommend her more and we now see her as a friend and florist.

Having worked in the creative industry for years, I’m so lucky to be surrounded by such talented friends – on the morning of the wedding, my make-up was done by Elanna, founder of Pearl Beauty, who has done my make-up many times before for work and so was such a calming presence. She made the morning feel relaxed and fun, and topped up my make-up throughout the day. It was an honour to have her there.

My hair was done by my friend first, hairdresser second – James Wallace. We have known each other for 15 years and he has worked with me through every stage of my career as a model. He is incredibly skilled, super quick and a completely no fuss hairdresser and it was a joy to have him with me on the morning of the wedding and throughout the day.

Given we wanted to have the ceremony and reception at Tankardstown House, such a huge role for us was to find a celebrant. We first met Mel Cronin at the Tankardstown Showcase and she simply glows with warmth and kindness. We booked her instantly and I’m so glad we did. She wrote and read our love story as a gift and surprise to us at the wedding. She truly made our ceremony feel like home.

We went for a simple two-tiered cake with gold embellishment from Baked by Corri. David’s sister used Corri back in 2019 and we followed her work since then. We had fun, each choosing a flavour and she made, delivered, and displayed the cake for us. It was delicious and I hope to order another cake from her on our anniversary. We also added a small gold hoop with a porcelain dove from my grandparent’s wedding cake. My granny kept this for me after telling her as a child how I’d love to have it if I get married one day. A very special moment and memory.

We both knew we wanted an upbeat band who could seamlessly do modern songs alongside wedding classics with the hope that they also had a saxophone player. We saw a promo video for A Few Good Men online that included a 90s dance megamix and knew they were the perfect fit. Glenn was great during the initial discussions of how the timings and songs selections would work for us. On the day they were superb at reading what songs the guests loved and were able to adapt to ensure the dance floor was thriving the whole night.

Who captured your day?

I always knew I’d love Adam & Grace to someday photograph our wedding. Grace was the first photographer to photograph me as a model, back when I was 17 years old, so it felt like a perfect full circle moment. They are an extremely talented team, and I was so pleased to find out they had availability for our wedding day. The photographs are such a dream, and they captured everything perfectly.

We used Darragh from Forever Endeavour for our video – we wanted a video filled with candid shots of friends and family and Darragh captured it all beautifully. The editing and audio production was second to none. Also, with David being a drone pilot, having drone footage in the video was an important detail for us.

What did you wear?

I knew I wanted to support Ivory & Pearl, and of course, they knew what dress I loved even before I did. I tried on a handful of different styles but kept going back to a Sarah Seven dress. I wanted something simple, yet classic, and I felt myself wearing it. I’ll always love the memory of collecting the dress and bringing it home. I paired the dress with a short veil (also from Ivory & Pearl) soft blue Jimmy Choo shoes which I found at Kildare Village, and gold earrings from a long-term favourite local brand of mine, Lines & Current.

The bridesmaid dresses were custom made by one of my bridesmaids, Clare. She made each in a stunning champagne silk to perfectly fit herself, Emma and Debbie. Also, the ‘dresses’ are actually a skirt and top – so hopefully my bridesmaids will be able to wear them again afterwards and have each piece as part of their wardrobes for a long time.

For David, the groom’s party and both our dad’s, they rented suits from Red Belfast. Initially David had looked at wearing a navy suit but then after speaking to the team at Red and seeing some previous wedding photos from Tankardstown, we decided a black tux was a perfect complement to the venue. Arlo also had a matching bow tie that we found on Etsy – he stole the spotlight!

What was your favourite moment from the day?

Having our parents and family altogether throughout the entire day was the best feeling. They’ve been with us and supported us through our almost 10 years together and we love each of them deeply.

Being able to have our sweet golden retriever Arlo walk down the aisle was such a fun moment – the photos Adam & Grace took of him are truly our favourite. We loved having him at the wedding and I think all our family and friends did also. He was a great ice breaker and made everyone laugh and smile.

The Orangery at Tankardstown took our breath away – we had such a vision of how we wanted it to look for both the ceremony and throughout the day and Lindsey from The Wildflower, along with the Tankardstown team, truly blew our minds and went above and beyond what we had imagined. It was perfect.

Finally, the food. From our initial canapé tasting at the Showcase, we knew that Tankardstown had exceptional food made on site by the team there. We had both our parents down for the tasting menu and they were all blown away by how good the food options were. We loved that the packages provided by Tankardstown had the option of canapés, evening food and uniquely the choice of main course on the day. We had a few guests with strict dietary requirements and the team at Tankardstown went out of their way to be able to provide the same level of food for them. Even the range of breakfast food options the next day was incredible. The food was absolutely brilliant from start to finish.

Do you have any planning advice for other brides or grooms?

What we found surprisingly helpful was having a shorter planning time for the wedding, as it provided a cut-off for organising everything and really helped us to focus and make decisions. We also got married on a Thursday which allowed most of our guests to take the next day off and have a long weekend too!

The wedding day will feel like a whirlwind, so try to take a few moments throughout it and take in any key details, smells, faces, words and stories that surround you. It’s honestly such a remarkable day and everyone there adores you both and wants the best for you and your partner.

Finally, Organise your key elements and then the rest will fall into place – you’ve got this!

Melissa & David’s DREAM TEAM

Celebrant Mel Cronin, The Eloquent Celebrant

Venue Tankardstown House

Photography Adam and Grace

Videographer Forever Endeavour

Dress Sarah Seven from Ivory & Pearl

Bridesmaid Dresses: Clare Graham

Suits Red Belfast

Flowers The Wildflower

Cake Baked by Corri

Makeup Elanna McGowan, Pearl Beauty

Hair: James Wallace

Rings Gardiner Brothers

Jewellery Lines & Current

Shoes Jimmy Choo from Kildare Village

Band A Few Good Men

The post Melissa & David’s Stylish Celebrations appeared first on Wedding Journal.

WEDDING DATE: 6th May 2023

How did you two meet?

Roisin jokes while reminiscing, ‘We met in the traditional way…through Instagram back in 2017!’ Nick is adamant that Roisin used to comment emojis under his posts and that grabbed his attention! Roisin says different and jokes that Nick tortured her. ‘We connected soon after, arranged a date and we have been inseparable ever since’ says Roisin.

When did you get engaged? 

‘It was 5th May 2021; we had arranged a photo/video shoot for our family YouTube channel (The Docirvines).’ Roisin was blissfully unaware that Nick had arranged everything with the photographers and that he was going to be popping the question with it all to be captured! ‘The sun was setting; we were strolling along Downhill Beach, just beneath the Mussendem Temple. Nick composed himself and dropped on one knee, asking me to marry him surrounded by our kids. It was just perfect!’

Tell us a bit about your wedding planning.

‘The week after we got engaged, we viewed a few venues as we were on such a high! Then life kicked in and with running multiple businesses, the wedding planning quickly came to a standstill.’ One day in the office, they both decided it was time to jump back into the wedding planning and booked a viewing at Beech Hill Country House. ‘We instantly fell in love! What sealed the deal for us was the staff and their outdoor forest ceremony area. I could envisage us standing under the trees with our nearest and dearest.’ Roisin came up with the idea of having a black-tie wedding, but going a step further and asking all guests to dress in black!

‘Having received our wedding photos, it was the best decision we made. Everyone looked so classy, elegant and timeless.’

Who captured your day?

‘Our videographers were Irvine Wedding Film. We have worked with these guys for a long time now and have become good friends with them over the years! They captured our engagement beautifully and they are such nice people and a joy to work with. They just get us and our vision which makes it so easy!  ‘Our photographer was Agape Wedding Photo & Film. We came across them on social media and instantly fell in love with their dreamy content. Simon is such a humble guy and is unbelievably talented, it felt like we had known him for years and made us feel comfortable in front of the camera.’

What did you wear?  

Roisin explains, ‘I found my dream dress, bridesmaids and flower girls dresses all under the one roof. It was the first place I tried! I really didn’t know what style of dress I wanted but, in the end, I fell in love with a simplistic ballroom style gown designed by Badgley Mischka. ‘The girls in Petticoat Lane Bridal were incredible from start to finish. They even came the morning of the wedding to help us all get ready! I worked closely with the lovely designer Andrea, owner of Dinky Draya to design our bespoke bridesmaids and flower girls’ dresses. ‘Everyone who knows me knows that I am OBSESSED with bows – Andrea worked her magic and brought my vision to life.’ Nick goes on to explain how they both love supporting local. ‘It was great to get all the men kitted out in another one-stop-shop on our doorstep: Nineteen83 Gentleman’s Fashion. ‘All the groomsmen were dressed in black velvet tux jackets and bow ties. I opted for a black velvet waistcoat to differentiate.’

What was your favourite moment from the day? 

‘When I was standing at the top of the steps, just before I walked down the aisle,’ says Roisin, who adds, ‘Taking in the moment, with all my nearest and dearest and seeing my vision become a reality!’ Nick goes on to say, ‘For me I’ll never forget the moment that I heard the music that Roisin walked down the aisle to and the moment I turned around and laid eyes on her. That will stay with me to the day I die!’

Do you have any advice for other brides or grooms currently planning their wedding?

Roisin says, ‘Just enjoy the process, don’t listen to other people’s opinions – do what you want to do, remember it’s your wedding.’ Nick adds, ‘Trust your vendors! This isn’t their first rodeo! It can be stressful organising a wedding, so take their advice and let them do their job!’

Roisin & Nick’s DREAM TEAM

Venue Beech Hill Country House

Photography Agape Stories

Videography Irvine Wedding Film

Venue Décor Styling The Wedding Room NI

Wedding Dress Petticoat Lane Bridal

Bridesmaids & Flower Girls Dinky Draya at Petticoat Lane Bridal

Suits Nineteen83 Gentleman’s Fashion

Flowers Innocent Chaos

Hair Hidden Hair

Make-up Louise Lavery

The post Roisin & Nick’s Picture Perfect Wedding Day appeared first on Wedding Journal.

How did you two meet?

We met in 2015 when my friend Colette married Declan’s cousin Trevor. Declan always speaks about spotting me in the church that day and discussing ‘the girl in the green dress’ at dinner but it wasn’t until late in the night when we were on the dance floor that he plucked up the courage to chat to me. Shut up and dance with me was playing and its now such a special song for us.

When did you get engaged?

We got engaged in October 2021. Two or three times a year Declan would take me on a surprise date, usually to a restaurant that I have been banging on about wanting to go to. It was a random week in October and on the Wednesday he told me he was taking me out Friday. I knew it was in the East Cork direction because he said we would drop the dog to his sister’s and we would stay there for the night. I was ready early so I suggested we leave early and have a glass of wine with his sister. We set off and as Declan missed the turn off for Cloyne, I asked where he was going? He said that there was a big cruise liner taking off from Cobh and he wanted to go to have a look as we were so early. This didn’t seem out of character for Declan as we once went to view a tractor en route to a wedding!

As we got up to Fort Davis in Whitegate I couldn’t see any boat. It was misty and I was complaining my wig was getting wet and my feet were getting sore from my heels. Declan was adamant we waited another few minutes. From afar I heard a buzzing noise, we soon realised it was a drone and as it got closer I was hiding my face and said to Declan, “oh no someone’s trying to get photos of the liner and here I am all dolled up ruining the shot”. Declan said, “what’s hanging off it and I turned to see the words – “Will you marry me” and I turned back around to Declan who was on one knee. He had arranged the whole thing with one of my really good friends from SpeirTime and they had tiny hidden cameras in the bushes. Fort Davis is where we went on our first date and will forever hold such a special place in our hearts.

How did the planning process go?

Once we got engaged we had the venue booked in about five weeks. I’m a very organised person and with my alopecia I promised myself I would not get stressed out about the wedding, so I thought the earlier we booked everything, the more time we would have to plod along and enjoy the moment. I have planned many charity events since from the age of 15 so I knew we wouldn’t need a wedding planner. From the proposal to the wedding was 20 months and it was the perfect amount of time in my opinion. I love details, so there were lots of different details about our wedding and I feel I couldn’t have done it all any faster without being totally stressed out.

Tell us a bit more about your wedding day?

We had our wedding ceremony in Saint Lactheen’s Church, Donoughmore. My grandmother was Sacristan here for over 50 years when she died and I have lovely memories of going up to the church to ring the bell at 12 and six. We also used a chalice with her name engraved on it that the church got when she passed, so it was all extra special to us.

We had our reception at The Dunloe Hotel and Gardens. We had viewed a few venues and Declan is very chill so he didn’t say much, however when we viewed The Dunloe, the hotel was closed, it was dark and empty and Declan walked out of there and said “I LOVE IT”, so I knew that if he loved it closed that he would adore it when it was open and had more atmostphere, so I booked it on the drive home!

Our church flowers were done by Wonderous Weddings and our venue flowers were done by Tie the Knot. We had a full day music by the amazing Riff Shop and when it came to the food and drink, we spent some time with Nico, The Dunloe’s Mixologist, designing our wedding cocktails. We had “An Espresso Dinneeni” and “Keen to be a Dinneen”. We worked hard on the ingredients and presentation and the hotel just made this process so smooth! 

Jeanette Cronin and Joanne Sexton did our make-up and our hair was styled by Emma from Cathyanne Bridal Hair. 

As well as the poems I had written for the guests, our wedding favours included keyrings of photos of the guests entering the church from Clikring, we also had hand-poured heart wax melts of our personalised scent done by the amazing Twilight Wax Company. We had the amazing Pamela Kiely from TOAST, a wedding content service, and she was with us all day. Pamela has sent me thousands of clips and it’s so fun watching back the ‘behind the scenes’ footage!

Rounding off the day perfectly, were the amazing fireworks we had from Nationwide Fireworks.

Who captured your day?

Janusz and Justyna from Januszt Photography. They are husband and wife and their dynamic is unreal! We were so happy to book them as we had met them multiple times and have seen their amazing work. We had Dreamcatcher Productions for our videographer. I’ve followed them since meeting them at my friend’s wedding five years ago. Their work is incredible and I would have almost changed my wedding date if they weren’t available! I cannot wait to see the video in a few months.

What did you wear?

My designer was Milla Nova and I got my dress in Verona Bridal in the North. This was the first shop I went to and the third dress I tried on 15 minutes into the appointment. The dress was only halfway up and I told Maria the stylist that it was the one! I walked out of the dressing room and everyone started crying, it was just meant to be and I never looked back. 

We bought Declan’s suit from Morley’s in Cork City. After researching and shopping, Morley’s definitely had the highest quality suits and their staff were so knowledgeable on what to do and how to style them – you would be so surprised how much detail goes into a plain black tux!

The groomsmen were also in black tuxedos from Morley’s and the bridesmaid’s dresses were Terri McEvoy’s collection with InTheStyle last year.

Do you have a favourite moment from the day?

I loved the morning of the wedding it was so chill. We had a pianist playing my parents grand piano and everyone was just buzzing. There was about 20 of us in the house and we were all on such a high! Everyone was panicking over the downpour of rain, but I couldn’t have cared less, I was just so ready to walk up the aisle to the love of my life. 

I also love to write poems it’s something I’ve always done, so I wrote a poem for every guest before we even knew who could and couldn’t attend! I started about 11 months before the wedding and they were such a hit that the hard work and late nights I put into writing them was worth every second! Then, as a surprise I stood up and said: “Declan on our wedding day the 16th of June, there’s one person left to write a poem for and that’s my groom…..” it was such a hit with the guests, they laughed, they cried and they just felt the love.

We kept having private moments together just looking around and taking it all in I loved it. I bought Declan cufflinks engraved with our 14 year old yorkie Molly’s portrait. It was his favourite surprise.

Do you have any advice for couples who are planning their wedding day?

Stay calm. I was very, very conscious of my stress levels not to kick off my alopecia as I wanted to wear my own hair on the wedding day so I was watching it like a hawk. It can be very stressful the last few weeks, but just don’t lose focus as to why you are having a wedding. The bubble you will be in afterwards is amazing it just feels like you’ve won the lotto. We are almost a month married and I am still on such a high!

Also trust your vendors! More than likely you have not done this before but these vendors do this day in day out. They know what they’re doing, so let them do their thing.

We planned the day being very conscious that we wanted to spend every minute with our guests, so we skipped the meet and greet outside the church, this allowed people to make their way to Kerry (1 hour 10min drive) instead of spending 40 minutes in the church queuing to say a quick hello to us. As we were first to the venue we snapped some very quick photos and went and enjoyed almost the full two hours of our drinks reception with our guests.

Chloe & Declan’s DREAM WEDDING TEAM

RECEPTION VENUE Dunloe Hotel & Gardens

PHOTOGRAPHY Januszt Photography

VIDEOGRAPHY Dreamcatcher Productions

WEDDING DRESS Verona Bridal

GROOMSWEAR Morley’s

CEREMONY FLOWERS Wonderous Weddings

RECEPTION FLOWERS Tie The Knot

MUSIC Riff Shop

The post Chloe & Declan’s Sentimental Summer Celebrations appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Kate Geraghty from Dublin & Jason McCarthy from Cork recently tied the knot is a three day wedding celebration at Crover House.

Date of Wedding: 3/6/23

HOW THEY MET

We met on Tinder over six years ago, we always say it’s crazy how we lived ten minutes away from each other for ten years and never met. Our first date was so much fun, we went to a bring your own booze cocktail bar and drank so much we started telling everyone in the bar they can come to our wedding, we then moved to another a nice wine bar where we kept begging the DJ to play Africa by Toto for us. At that time, we we’re just both out of relationships and just looking for someone to eat nice food with and enjoy a cocktail or two, neither of us expected to find the one. In the first year of us being together we were both made redundant, so we spent nearly every day together, some of our family joked that we saw each other more than some married couples!

THE PROPOSAL

Jason loves to travel so every celebration he gets me a holiday, so I wasn’t suspicious when he gifted me a trip to Paris in Christmas 2019. We were three years together at the time of the trip in January 2020. On the second night Jason had booked the terrace of Café De l’Homme. We had a stunning five course meal and watched the Eiffel Tower twinkle. He then brought me to a private area, where he does as every man should and took some outfit pictures, as I was getting a picture of the back of my dress, he got down on one knee and proposed just as the Eiffel Tower lit up. I was in such shock I kept saying no. Eventually as I wiped the tears away I said yes and a staff member came over and took photos of us. It was so perfect I felt like I was in a dream with the setup of Christmas trees, fairylights and the backdrop of Paris.

THE PLANNING PROCESS

We had our engagement party the night of the first Covid cases in Ireland, little did we know what was to come, but we always wanted a long engagement and not rush into anything. We booked our venue Crover House that summer and went from there. We went into everything blind, doing everything online, we couldn’t even see our band live, but it all worked out.

WEDDING SUPPLIERS

We had the wonderful McGarry’s work with me on the décor, working in events I’ve become such a perfectionist and they really helped bring my classic modern wedding to life. As for the venue it was a dream from start to finish, we still have guests talking about the staff. I never once got told no and on the morning of the wedding I figured out a lot of our guests were pregnant so Crover made jugs of non-alcoholic mojitos for them. The girls kept telling me how nice it was to be thought about at the drinks reception. It’s really the little things that leave a lasting impression. My glam squad were incredible. I went all the way to Tipperary to find Theresa from Coco Rouge. I knew I wanted full glam for the day and being the hottest day of the year I needed it to last, she was like a fairy godmother. Martina King did our hair, I changed my hairstyle the week of the wedding, which was no issue, and on the morning of the wedding all of the bridesmaids decided they should have front layers so Martina took out the scissors and started cutting everyone’s hair! My mum has lung cancer and lost all of her hair so she was quite conscious of not being able to do anything, but thankfully it started to grow prior to the wedding and Martina made her feel a million dollars with a gorge blow dry. I’ll always be grateful to them for making my mum look and feel amazing.

CAPTURING THE DAY

We booked our video and photography straight away because I knew we were marrying at a buy time of year. I couldn’t of made a better choice, we had an engagement shoot with Paula from Hello Sugar and fell in love with her energy and the work she produces. We discovered that she had  recently worked with our videographer Tom from VowArt, so I knew we were in safe hands. I have to say Paula’s energy is unmatched and we had our preview photos the night of the wedding and I spent the morning crying looking at them.

WEDDING WARDROBE

My dress was made by The Little White Dress bridal salon in Limerick. I always wanted this style, but Jen had me try on eight other options. I used to model at the Wedding Journal Show, so I was well used to trying on dresses but when I put on the last dress, I knew it was the one. Jen started pinning fabric and bows to me so I really put all my trust in her that the final dress would be perfect. I also had The Little White Dress make a second party dress for me and that was all done through myself and Jen sending inspo pics to each other and designing one from scratch.

My bridesmaids wore multiway black dresses from Kate’s Dresses in the UK. As my bridesmaids are all shapes and sizes, I wanted the girls to be comfortable and look good. I remember standing at the side of the church and watching them all line up and thought wow my friends are stunning. They looked so confident and happy in themselves which is all you could ever want.

Jason wore a Herbie Frogg suit from Protocol. Protocol did all the groomsmen and the fathers of the  bride and groom tuxedos. They were helpful and my sister’s boyfriend flew in from Australia the week of the wedding and they even had a tux ready to go for him.

FAVOURITE MOMENT

We got married in St. Brigid’s Old Castle with Fr. Ray who is known as the singing priest from Britain’s Got Talent. He was so kind to us throughout everything and he suggested we get married behind the alter so all of our guests could see our faces which was lovely. After communion we all sat and he gave us a little wink and started singing Hallelujah but he changed the lyrics to be our lives together. I remember turning around and the look of shock on people’s faces was incredible.

I also loved being announced as husband and wife as we made our way into the reception dinner. We had ABBA Gimmie Gimmie Gimme playing and all our guests started swinging their napkins and going wild. It was amazing to see everyone we love in one place.

We actually had three days of events, and every second was so special to us, the day after the wedding was so hot that we all sat out on the patio and had all personalised lawn games. We even had beer pong which was so fun having young and old battle it out.

BRIDAL ADVICE

Don’t stress the small stuff, things will go wrong, we had suppliers cancel really close to the day but at the end of the night when you’re in a room surrounded by people you love it all won’t matter. Also do take time to take it all in and appreciate what you have in that moment.

Kate & Jason’s Dream Team

Photograpy: @hellosugar_photography

Videography: Vowart_weddingfilms

Venue: @croverhouse

Décor: @mcgarryweddingdesign

Wedding Dress: @lwdbridalsalon

Groomswear: @protocolformen

Hair @hairbymartinaking

Make-up @cocorougemakeup

Florist: @fernwood.flowers

Cake: @sweettuitecakes

Music: Maria Fitzgerald @weddingsinger.ie

Band: @alltalkweddingband

DJ: DJ Flip @djflipholdme

Day Two Music: Dàwna, dawnamusic.com

The post Kate & Jason’s Whimsical Day at Crover House appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Michael and Mise McKane who tied the knot a few months ago in March share the details of their special day.

Childhood sweethearts Michael and Mise have known each other for years. From the moment they started dating, they just knew that they were meant to be!

HOW THEY MET

Our families have known each other for many years, and it’s funny because Michael would have been around in my grandparents house but I just never remembered him. We laugh now and say it’s probably a good thing that I don’t remember him! I don’t think I could have ever got over the ‘friendship’ vibes.

Then a few years ago in 2018, we matched on Tinder and a few weekends later we saw each other out in our local nightclub. However, when I approached Michael, he decided to run away! The next morning I had a message on tinder saying, ‘did I see you last night?’ I couldn’t help but laugh! Of course my response was ‘yes, but you ran away!’

Years later, he admits he was too nervous to hold a conversation. The rest really is history. 

THE PROPOSAL

In the Summer of 2019, we found out we were expecting a baby! I had always said I wanted to do a fun gender reveal. We booked a photographer for November, 2019. Prior to the day, we gave them the gender in an envelope and asked them to buy us a smoke bomb in the colour of the gender so we could set it off and get some really cool pictures.

We picked the location of Clare Glenn as this was also our first date.  Little did I know, Michael had also organised a whole engagement! As part of the shoot, we had to guess the gender of our baby and write it down on separate chalk boards.

We had to stand back to back and on the count of three, we were asked to turn around and reveal what our chalk boards. When i turned around ‘will you marry me’ was on the board.

Safe to say, I’ve never felt so many emotions. We were having a baby boy and I was also getting engaged! We had only been together for just over a year but when you know, you know. 

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Straight away, we knew we wanted to wait a few years before our big day. Our baby boy was born in April 2020, just as we were entering the first lockdown.

Believe it or not, we only viewed one location- which was the Farnham estate in Cavan! I had always said I wanted to get married there, so didn’t feel the need to view any other locations. We booked our dream wedding in July 2020 and set the date of 11 March 2023.

We planned the whole day ourselves, with the help from the wedding team in the Farnham. I cannot recommend the team enough; they are just amazing and 10/10 with everything. Michael also played a huge part in organising the day! We consulted each other on everything, which was lovely. It meant the day was exactly how we both wanted it.

We found wedding planning quite easy. Michael and I have a similar style, so there wasn’t many disagreements when it came to the final decisions!

Venue:

The Farnham Estate as a venue was always a no brainer for us! As soon as we were engaged, we knew that would be our location. As I said; we didn’t even look at any other venues that’s how set we were on it.

The team that looked after us on the day were outstanding, we really felt like they cared and wanted the best for us and our big day.

Hair & Makeup:

Our hair was done by Jaynes’ Hair Studio in Lurgan. Our makeup was done by Carla Bailie Makeup Artist. These are two very, very talented ladies, who listened to exactly what I wanted and made it reality.

Florist:

We used Let’s Face It Creation for all our floral needs. The style we wanted to go for was very much pampas grass and the wild floral look. I was skeptical at the beginning, because faux flowers can either look brilliant or not so good.

I have to say, our flowers topped my expectations! They were exactly what I wanted and to top it all off, we can keep them forever as a memory.

Music:

Michaels uncle actually used to play in a wedding band when he was younger! They decided to reunite for our wedding which was so sentimental and the guests loved it!

CAPTURING THE DAY

We booked Sasha Treanor Photography as our wedding photographer very early on in our wedding plan.

We always loved Sasha’s work and knew she would be the perfect photographer to capture our big day. We’ve thanked her numerous times but there really is no amount of words we could say to communicate to her how thankful we are.

I would say Sasha’s personality is a really great mix of serious and fun, and so everything just ran so smoothly. She knew when to be serious and round up the troops but also when energy levels were a little low and everyone needed a pick me up.

She was an absolutely gem to work with, and such a talented individual.  

Our videographer was Adam Sharkey, who I’ve known for a number of years. Again, a very talented individual who brings a lot of energy to a room. 

WEDDING WARDROBE

My dress was from Verona Bridal in Magherafelt and the designer was Zavana Couture. Like most brides, I had an exact picture in my head of what I wanted so I was a quick sale!

I bought the fourth dress I tried on. I was really drawn to the pattern on the dress. I felt like it was unique and I had never really seen anything like it!

The shape and neckline of the dress was also something I felt really comfortable in.

My bridesmaid dresses were handmade by Made by Denise, who is so talented. When looking for bridesmaid dresses I felt like they were all the same colour and style, and again I wanted something different.

I’m still obsessed with my bridesmaid dresses. Myself and the bridesmaids complimented our dresses with plain nude heels and pearl jewellery! I wanted the main focus to be the dresses. 

Our groomsmen suits we went for the classic but very effective black Tux. Michael’s blazer was black velvet, which did take some convincing at the beginning. He quickly warmed to the idea but just needed to see the vision I was seeing!

FAVOURITE MOMENT

I know everyone says this but we can’t pick one specific moment! It was all such a dream but for us. We loved having all our friends and family under one roof for one night. It was perfect. 

BRIDAL ADVICE

Time management! Plan well in advance, remember, it’s never too early to start booking suppliers.

I think there’s this idea that you don’t need to do anything until 1 year in advance…Realistically, amazing suppliers are booked years in advance now! To avoid disappointment, I would be starting your planning sooner rather than later.

COURTNEY & CHRISTOPHER’S DREAM TEAM

VENUE: Farnham Estate Spa & Golf Resort

PHOTOGRAPHER: Sasha Treanor Photography

WEDDING DRESS: Verona Bridal

GROOM’S SUIT: Statement Menswear, Portadown

MAKEUP: Carla Bailie

HAIR: Jayne’s Hair Studio

EXTRAS: Let’s Face It Creation- Foam Flowers

The post Meant For Each Other : Michael & Mise’s Magical Day at Farnham Estate appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Love birds Shane and Sian knew they would love to get married in Northern Ireland. They made their dream a reality at Finn Lough!

HOW THEY MET

Sian explains how they first met: “I’m originally from Co. Fermanagh, but moved to California and met Shane when I was surfing! On our first date Shane took me snorkelling at a place called Three Arch in Laguna beach.

“The water is crystal clear and the beaches beautiful and golden. He brought me over to a blow hole which you can jump into and swim out the other side. Shane had mentioned that him and his friends do it, but it can be dangerous if you don’t time it right between the waves, so I don’t have to do it if I don’t want to.

“Before he could finish his sentence, I had jumped off the rock. Shane dived in after me to see if I was okay. Due to him not waiting on wave timing, he got smashed against the rocks. He came up out of the waves with scrapes gasping asking if I was okay. Thankfully, other than that, we were both uninjured!

“After that, he messaged me for another date and asked if I had every been skydiving. I think from date number one he knew we’d have to live a life of outdoor activities and adrenaline rushes!”

THE PROPOSAL

Shane begins: “We got Engaged in May 2022. We went on a backpacking trip to Big Pine in California which has a chain of glacier lakes. We hiked about 8 miles up and set up camp for the night.

“I had planned to do it on night one but it was so windy that our tent nearly blew away, Sian had a headache from the altitude and as I was setting up my camera so I wasn’t able to capture anything for a proposal.

“We continued to hike into a better spot the next day and found a gem right on the lake with no one around.  It had a perfectly wind protected fire pit right on the lake. It was quite a serene location and felt like the right spot to propose!”

Sian adds: “We set up camp, got our stove going and in a very calm understated moment, Shane asked me to marry him. We enjoyed the evening, hiked again the next day and spent the 6 hour drive home letting it sink in and calling some family to tell them the news.”

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Sian explains: “I am not very traditional. I envisioned us eloping somewhere totally by ourselves with our dog. We also ended up doing this!

“However, our California friends wanted an excuse to take a trip to Ireland for a party and would not let us dip out of that.

“September and October are my favourite months in Ireland so we didn’t have much time after deciding to go ahead with something . We approximately only had four months!

“I planned it myself from California. I could not have done without my mum, as she even went to a gig to check out a band I wanted to play at the wedding!

“Finding the venue was the hardest part, there wasn’t much that seemed to fit us. I wanted it all to feel like us.

“I wrote an email to Michael and Gillian at Finn Lough telling them a wee bit about us and sharing some photos to see if we could perhaps do the wedding there. They agreed and we were thrilled! Every single touch point of the experience at Finn Lough felt like us.

The girls were amazing! They were so helpful in the planning process and giving their heart and soul to make sure we pulled off the day.”

CAPTURING THE DAY

“Martin Mallarky, also known as Big Beard Photography was our photographer for the day. Shane is a wedding photographer so finding a photographer was one of his tasks to complete and was not going to be an easy feat given his high expectations!

Shane found Martin on Instagram and was impressed with his work and his style. We reached out and as we spoke to Martin we liked him from the get go. He was so easy going, got to know us and our story and told it so well through his imagery of the day.

I was not an easy client on this piece as I wanted dynamic everything, no poses, all candid etc etc. Martin was able to capture it all plus more! He went over and above for us. We are absolutely in love with the outcome.”

WEDDING WARDROBE

Sian went for something a bit different for her wedding day.

“I went for a two piece. The skirt was from Anthropologie and the top was a handmade piece from E&W Couture in Wales. The top had a coral reef pattern which I fell in love with. Both Shane and I have such a passion for the ocean.

“Given our super tight timeframes, I only received the top a week before the wedding! It it all worked out great. I wanted to feel comfortable and completely myself on the day. I loved it! I wore a pair of Blundstone boots with it as well for extra comfort.

“My brothers were the bridesmen for the day and my little nephew the ring bearer. Shane wore a Bonobos Italian wool suit with a Stetson hat and Red Wing boots.”

FAVOURITE MOMENT

Sian says, “there are too many to choose! Walking into the bubble at Finn Lough with my dad and seeing my favourite people in the World altogether from all over the World. That was so special.”

Shane describes his favourite moment, “the elements spa experience after yoga in the bubble was a great way to destress and enjoy the morning leading up to the ceremony. The sauna and cold plunge into the lake was invigorating.”

BRIDAL ADVICE

Sian advises, “take time to sit back and enjoy the day. It all goes so quickly; you want to remember and savour every moment.”

Shane also advises, “a first look is a great option for an intimate moment with your one before the ceremony.”

SHANE & SIAN’S DREAM TEAM

VENUE, FOOD & DRINK: Finn Lough

PHOTOGRAPHER: Big Beard Photography

WEDDING DRESS: E&W Couture & Anthropologie

FLOWERS: Claire Flowers.

HAIR: Francis from Hair Creation

CEREMONY MUSIC: Zoe and Peeder McCandless.

BAND: Late Night Radio

CAKE: Lydia McKenzie

The post Their Day, Their Way : Shane & Sian’s Spectacular Day at Finn Lough appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Featuring a fairytale venue, delicate details and an adorable love story!

Destined lovers, Courtney and Christopher met during a wedding and instantly fell in love back in August 2021! From that moment, Christopher knew he was going to marry Courtney.

HOW THEY MET

Courtney and Christopher’s love story began at a wedding where Courtney was singing and Christopher was attending.

Courtney says: “Chris then proceeded to message me on social media after the wedding! We met up for our very first date 2 weeks later. I totally thought it was just going to be a one off date, but Chris says he knew from the moment he saw me that he was going to marry me!

“On our third date we went on a trip to Dublin zoo. We had literally just arrived, and Chris locked his car keys in the car! 2 hours later and after a few suggestions to smash the window in, we called his dad to bring the spare set! Safe to say he always triple checks before closing his car door now.

“I moved to Liverpool shortly after we met to complete my PGCE and thought I’d never see him again… 2 weeks later, he came to visit me in Liverpool, and then we finally made things official! I had the feeling he wasn’t going anywhere! We spent every possible minute together, travelling back and forth every other weekend. You very rarely saw us apart from each other.”

THE PROPOSAL

After nine months together, Christopher popped the big question on their travels to the Amalfi Coast! What started as a typical day on holiday for Courtney and Christopher, turned out to be one of the best days of her life!

Courtney continues: “Chris had the whole thing planned to a T. He had arranged a private transfer to take us for dinner on top of a mountain in Sorrento, where we had the most gorgeous dinner looking at a view of Mount Vesuvius.

“He then took me to a private garden in a hotel where there was a cabana arranged all lit up specially for the occasion. Chris was then incredibly nervous and asked me to turn around for a second, where I heard him ruffling in a plastic bag. I thought he was getting some snacks out!

“He had been carrying the most gorgeous ring in a sandwich bag all evening! I then turned around to him on one knee where he asked me to marry him. It felt like all my dreams had come true at once, as I couldn’t have picked a more perfect man, nor would I have ever imagined a more perfect proposal.”

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Christopher and Courtney really enjoyed the planning process! Thankfully, nothing was affected by covid for the recently engaged couple.

Courtney explains: “I am a very productive person, so once I finished my PGCE in June, I immediately started wedding planning. I contacted every possible vendor in Northern Ireland to get prices for everything and anything you could think of. I did it all myself and enjoyed going to visit all the wedding fairs and meeting the possible vendors to have for our special day.”

Venue:

The ceremony and venue took place at Tullyglass House Hotel.

“The hotel was absolutely fabulous, as soon as I visited this hotel I knew I had to get married here as I fell in love with the clocktower suite and the venetian suite where our ceremony was held. The staff were just excellent, especially on the day of the wedding. They made myself and every guest feel so relaxed and really helped the day flow so beautifully.”

Hair:

“Jennifer Macpherson styled my hair on my wedding day. Jennifer is such a lovely talented person. I was so pleased with all of the hairstyles, especially the bridesmaids, as all of their hair types are so different and she made each and every one of them beautiful. “

Makeup:

“Julie Gould did my makeup on the day. Julie is amazing and such a lovely person to work with. I absolutely loved how everyone’s make ups turned out, especially mine, as it helped me feel so confident.”

Florist:

“Our flowers were from Floralicious designs. I had seen some of their designs on instagram and previously at friends’ weddings, and I just thought their flowers were excellent and I was so pleased with how they turned out on the day.”

Music:

“Our band and D.J was Dave Martin and the Casino cats. The band were so much fun and had every single one of our guests on the floor from the first note they played. The talent of these musicians is unbelievable and we couldn’t rate them highly enough.”

Cake:

“Our cake was designed by Taylor made cakes & treats. Nicola Taylor is a fabulous baker, and I was actually introduced to her through another baker. We wanted a slightly different wedding cake and because Chris is a pilot and the 2 of us travel so much, we wanted to incorporate this into our day as much as possible. Nicola made us the most incredible cake, which also tasted divine, and we were so blown away with what she produced! We had 2 suitcases with a world globe on top… and it tasted delicious!”

CAPTURING THE DAY

Sarah from Sun & Beau captured Courtney and Christopher’s wedding photographs. Thirtyfive media captured the video with their fantastic videography skills.

Courtney explains: “We wanted our pictures to capture the joy of our day, and to be as natural as possible, and Sarah absolutely nailed our photos! We absolutely loved spending the day with Sarah, as she was not only our photographer, but she helped calm the nerves, sort hair pieces throughout the day  and made each and every person at the wedding feel so special. I am so glad we went with Sun & Beau because she captured our day perfectly and I couldn’t have picked a more perfect photographer. She also sent back every single one of our wedding pictures within a week!”

“Our videographer was thirtyfive media and his name is James Balmer. James was also amazing, and went above and beyond for us, not only filming the whole day, but getting extended footage of our whole ceremony service. We haven’t got our 10 minute highlight video back just yet but I can’t wait to see what James has done. I have a feeling it’s going to be amazing!”

WEDDING WARDROBE

Courtney looked like a real life princess for her fairytale wedding at Tullyglass House Hotel wearing a beautiful gown from The Wedding Box.

She says: “My dress was made by the bridal designer Loré and was Ivory coloured, fit and flare, low laced back, floor length, with the most beautiful detailed train. I chose to wear a detailed 2 tiered crystal cathedral length veil. I added a detailed crystal belt and off the shoulder lace sleeves to my dress.

“From the moment I tried on this dress I fell in love with it. I really struggled with dress shopping because I didn’t love anything I was trying on, until I put this dress on, and then I started to add different pieces to it (such as the belt, sleeves and diamante hair band) and seeing the whole thing together, made me realise it was my dream dress. My hair piece was a swarovski crystal hair band.”

The bridesmaids wore baby pink floor length dresses with a detailed bow back and a diamante belt to match Courtneys dress.

FAVOURITE MOMENT

Courtney adds: “I absolutely loved our wedding ceremony, as we had a beautiful string quartet as part of the service, and they played along with the hymns and it was beautiful. The whole service was so special and will be something I will treasure forever. One of the funniest moments of the day was when my Dad surprised us all with a singing waiter, who just brought so much fun during dinner time!”

BRIDAL ADVICE

For our busy brides and grooms-to-be out there planning their own special day, take some wise words of wedding advice from Courtney and Christopher.

“Take your time when planning, and enjoy every step of the process! Also don’t stress, because the little things you think you will be worried about on your big day don’t even cross your mind. I thought I was going to be a super nervous and emotional bride, but I woke up feeling so calm and relaxed on my wedding day, and it really helped me to enjoy my special day. “

Courtney also adds: “Enjoy every second of the planning, preparing and your wedding day… because it all flies past you so quickly!”

COURTNEY & CHRISTOPHER’S DREAM TEAM

VENUE: Tullyglass House Hotel. 

PHOTOGRAPHER: Sun & Beau

VIDEOGRAPHER: Thirtyfive media

WEDDING DRESS: The Wedding Box.

GROOM’S SUIT: Collar & Tie, Lisburn

DJ & BAND: Dave Martin and the Casino cats

CAKE: Taylor Made Cakes & Treats.

FLOWERS: Floralicious designs.

MAKEUP: Julie Gould

HAIR: Jennifer Macpherson

EXTRAS: Champagne Memories & Mr Photobooth NI

The post Contemporary & Chic : Courtney & Christopher’s Fairytale at Tullyglass House Hotel appeared first on Wedding Journal.

We love a good Real Life Wedding in Ireland! Today we’re sharing Aria and Pierce’s chic and rustic day at Ballybeg House in County Wicklow on the 19th of July 2022!

This perfect pair had everything from sequin bridesmaid gowns to a dreamy venue! Rob O’Neil Photography captured every heart-felt moment where we could really feel the love, so let’s take a closer look…

HOW THEY MET

We’re throwing it all the way back to the early 2010s when Alia and Pierce were work friends, but their love story didn’t really begin until Alia handed in her notice to start another work adventure!

“Pierce and I met in Glasgow at a business meeting at The Corinthian Club in 2013. We both worked for the same company, but he was based in Belfast and I was based in Edinburgh. It was two weeks before I was leaving the company that our paths crossed and we met. I’d only ever dealt with him via email, so when we met I was like ‘wow, he’s gorgeous!’

RELATED TO: Love Wins: Rowan & Daniel’s Fun-Filled Day at The Merchant Hotel

“I said to the girls who I worked with I’m going to marry Pierce Hunt, they laughed at me. But I knew that he was the one. Thankfully, he felt the same about me and then a few weeks later, I was leaving and I sent out a generic thank you email to head office. He was the first to reply! He messaged saying he would like to look me up when he’s next in Edinburgh. 6 months later he came to visit for a weekend and we have been together ever since. We officially got together in the May and then I moved to Belfast in January 2014.”

THE PROPOSAL

Alia and Pierce got engaged on the 30th November 2019 and it came as a surprise! They had been together exactly 6.5 years. It was a tradition to celebrate every 6 months. Alia explains how she expected her proposal to go.

She explains, “we travel a lot and I always thought Pierce would propose on a trip away. It was a Saturday afternoon after I’d been out shopping with his sister!

“We had glug and games planned at our friends that night. I came home and Pierce said there was a change of plan and that we were going out for dinner that night. I said ‘oh okay’, and went to start getting ready. Pierce was dressed and changed in the fastest time that I’ve ever seen!”

THE BIG MOMENT

After an hour, Alia returned down stairs and walked into their gorgeous lounge where they had put up their Christmas tree a few days before.

Alia describes the moment, “There was a bouquet of beautiful pink roses for me and I said, ‘what are these for?’ He said because I deserve them, at this point I had no clue. We went into the kitchen to get a vase and I couldn’t find a single one! Pierce mentioned they were under the sink. I was busy getting the vase and as I turned around to find Pierce, he was already down on one knee!

“He very romantically told me that it was our 6.5 year anniversary and that he wanted to marry me, he had the ring box open and I started crying. I was so over joyed and cried saying ‘Yes, of course!’

“He also said that going away was too predictable and that he wanted to catch me off guard, which he really did. In our home that we built together was truly the most romantic place he could have picked.”

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Since the proposal happened at Christmas, the couple decided to hold off the planning process until the New Year. That way, they were also able to enjoy the buzz of being newly engaged. Alia and Pierce had always dreamed of getting married abroad, however the pandemic hit and they were unable to plan any further!

A trip to Donegal convinced the lovebirds to focus on a wedding in Ireland instead. Alia explains the thought process for their real life wedding in Ireland.

“I started looking at venues all over Ireland that would give us the flexibility and freedom to still enjoy the feeling of an abroad wedding and a 3 day duration. Whilst looking on countless articles, I stumbled across Ballybeg House in County Wicklow and it was described as a quirky and intimate venue set against the back drop of the Wicklow mountains.

RELATED TO: Opposites Attract: Melissa & Mark’s Showstopping Day at The Wool Tower

“We were sold and we arranged a trip down to view the venue as soon as we were able too. The minute we turned up the drive way we both looked at each other and said this is it. Greeted by a paddy the owner he was so warm and welcoming I knew that is how I wanted our guests to feel when they arrived.

Ballybeg House is available for exclusive private hire Monday -Thursday and has accommodation for up to 50 guests. This meant that Alia and Pierce could have that ‘abroad’ feeling they always wanted.

Alia says, “The estate is big and there are a couple of properties set way up in the woods and it is just stunning.”

WEDDING PLANNER

“We appointed Tee o Toole as our wedding planner she got married at Ballybeg and she really was a super star from start to finish.

“Tee very quickly understood the style we wanted to create and she was always on hand to ensure everything was just as had wanted. She made our wedding so special she had thought of things I hadn’t even thought of. Tee made my bouquets and offers this service along side the wedding planning and she is such a special lady to have with you on your big day.”

DREAM WEDDING SUPPLIERS

 Our wedding suppliers were:

• Venue – Ballybeg House County Wicklow,
• Wedding Planner – Tee o Toole,
• Makeup – Anita Conroy Makeup
• Wedding Dress – Reflections Bridal Lisburn
• Wedding Dress Designer – Naviblue “Blandy”
• Hair – Michelle Conroy
• Music -Ukebox for drinks reception, Santoria in the evening, Day Two – Local singer, Mush Malloy.
• Catering – Pauline and Infrid Furlong, Mollys Larder.
• Flowers – Tee o Toole

RELATED TO: How To Find Your Dream Wedding Team

“Our photographer was the incredibly talented Rob O’Neil photography. He captured our day in such a way we are gobsmacked!

“My Wedding Dress was bought at Reflections Bridal Lisburn. The designer was Naviblue Bridal and my dress was Blandy. I wore Jimmy Choo shoes and my bridesmaids wore sequin gowns from coast. The men wore black tie tuxedos.

“Pierces tux was one he already had and loved so he actually wore it again!”

FAVOURITE MOMENT

One of the couples favourite moments was the 31 degree heat as they were having the drinks reception with ‘Can’t take my eyes off you’, by Frankie Vallie playing!

They truly got their dream real life wedding in Ireland!

“Our wedding band, Ukebox played ‘Can’t take my eyes off you’ and my bridesmaids started doing a little leg kick together. Pierce and I decided to also dance and everyone was watching! The sun was shining and it was that moment we realised we were so full of love and loved by everyone else. It was just a really special moment!

RELATED TO: Bold & Beautiful: Jenna & Ashleigh’s Rustic Real Life Wedding

“The mountains are dazzling behind and the moment was just so special as it was completely unplanned. Also as we walked through the confetti arch after just being married it was a real feeling of joy and love.”

BRIDAL ADVICE

Alia says, “Our biggest piece of advice is literally create the day you want and pick a venue that allows you to do just that. There were many venues we viewed that were very strict and for us having the freedom of the venue was key to our day.

“Also do what brings you joy and try not to people please and do what you as couple both desire. Enjoy the day and soak it up, it’s the one time all the people you love are all together in one place just for you.

“Since our wedding, my darling Grandmother passed away and to be honest I’m just so grateful that we had such a magical few days all together. I’ll treasure the pictures!

“Also remember if your budgeting try and stick within in it, all the little details you think so much about really on the day don’t matter. Everyone is there to celebrate you so do just that and enjoy it all”

What a perfect real life wedding in Ireland!

If you would like your wedding day featured in Ireland’s Wedding Journal, feel free to contact us at: chloe.murray@pentonpublication.co.uk. We would love to see your pics also!

Have you booked your tickets for The Wedding Journal Show yet? Get exclusive VIP & discounted tickets online now…

The post Idyllic and Intimate: Alia & Pierce’s Blissful Real Life Wedding appeared first on Wedding Journal.

If you’re dreaming of a modern pastel meets classic wedding with lots of light and delicate style, you’re going to love this real-life wedding at Tullyglass House Hotel…

Grace and Patrick from Mayobridge tied the knot on March 5th 2022 with a contemporary and chic celebration and a teenage lovebirds story. Keep on scrolling to see how they said ‘I do’…

HOW THEY MET

Grace and Patrick in April 2010, during a night out with friends in Newry – whilst waiting for a taxi and enjoying taco chips! “I walked over to him and asked him where he was from, he said Mayobridge (neighbouring town) and I told him he was the best looking boy in the bridge.” Says Grace.

After meeting, the couple went on several dates – mostly to the cinema and of course like most teens, texted each other constantly. Their mutual love for British rock band Mumford & Sons also kept the flame burning.

“He officially asked me to go ‘steady’ at my formal that I had taken him to as my date, this was on the 17th September 2010 and that has been our special anniversary ever since.”

THE PROPOSAL

The happy couple were together for eight years before they got engaged and were long distance for two of those years. “We had traveled to America, Australia, Thailand and New Zealand. We moved in together and I surprised him one Christmas with his dream present, a Jack Russell puppy who is called Skip.” Says Grace.

Grace and Patrick would celebrate their anniversary every year by going on a weekend away – in September 2018, they spent the weekend in Killarney. “We went to Dingle for the first night of our stay and had a great night of partying before heading to the Europe Hotel.” Says Patrick.

They planned a dinner in the breathtaking panoramic restaurant at the Europe Hotel and went to the library before where Patrick told Grace he forgot his watch and went back to get it. When he came back and handed Grace a card with a beautiful heartfelt message and then got down on one knee and revealed a beautiful ring!

“He asked me to marry him. I don’t think I actually said yes to him, I think I just kept saying, ‘oh my god! Oh my god!’ It was a perfect moment.” Says Grace.

After dinner, the couple didn’t waste any time phoning their closest friends and family to share the engagement news!

THE PLANNING PROCESS

“When I say COVID-19 changed our plans that’s an understatement.” Says Grace. The couple were due to get married June 2020, but COVID-19 hit 3 months before and with it came the lock-downs and restrictions. They decided to push the wedding back to March 2021. “We chose the new date thinking it would all be well over and done with within a year.”

The pandemic came into play again and they had to change dates, so they settled on 5th March 2022 with the hope that everything would return to normal – third time was the charm!

“I didn’t have a wedding planner but I feel after planning a wedding three different times I nearly could be one at this stage. I was very lucky I got the majority of my original suppliers moved with all 3 dates they were all very accommodating and I couldn’t thank them more.” Thankfully it was worth the wait!

CAPTURING THE DAY

The beautiful day was captured by Hannah Mckernan whose photography style captured the brides attention on Instagram. “They talk about fly on the wall photographer but I just feel Hannah was like a butterfly, she just fluttered around the whole day capturing all the best moments.” Says Grace.

The couple couldn’t be more grateful for the memories captured and they find a new favorite picture every time they look at them.

“She is so so talented and I couldn’t recommend anymore if I tried!” Says Grace.

WEDDING WARDROBE

The stunning wedding dress was a Pronovias gown from La Boda Bridal in Banbridge along with the veil. “I think what I loved the most about my dress was it’s simplicity, I am a firm believer in less is more and wanted something that was timeless with a modern twist.”

With the brides favourite colour being pastel blue, she chose this colour for her bridesmaids. The dresses came from Dresscode Fashion and went perfectly with the theme. “My original wedding was in Summer but the pastel colours really suited March too I was lucky with the weather and it was a lovely day which complemented the colours perfectly” Says Grace.

The groomsmen’s navy tuxes and shoes where rented from McCartans Brothers in Newry. Patrick’s tux had a slightly different print to make him stand out from the boys. “The bridal party looked great I think you could put anything on them and they would still look the part!” Says Patrick.

THE VENUE

They held the wedding reception at Tullyglass House Hotel but the couple had originally booked a venue in Southern Ireland. Due to the Pandemic, the local restrictions and numbers for weddings kept changing. So they started to look at venues in the North of Ireland as the numbers for wedding guests were dependent on the size of the venue.

“We were planning to have a big wedding and the Tullyglass in Ballymena was so beautiful we were happy to change venues.”

FAVOURITE MOMENT

After three postponements, the couple just couldn’t wait to say the two words they had waited years to repeat, ‘I DO!’ “I think one of the favourite parts of the day was when we said ‘I do’, after all the delays and the long engagement it was an overwhelming feeling that it actually happened. I feel like you couldn’t wipe the smile of our faces in the chapel it was just so special.” Says Grace.

“I loved our first dance we had been playing Taylor swift ‘Lover’ for years knowing it was going to be our song so it felt magical to finally dance to it.”

BRIDAL ADVICE

Grace finished with the following, “my advice is you do you. At the end of the day it’s about the couple so do what makes you happy. It’s going to be the two of you who look at the photos in the years to follow. After the day is over and done all you have is memories and you want to look back and say I’m so glad we did it that way I have no regrets.”

DREAM WEDDING TEAM

Venue: Tullyglass House Hotel

Photography: Hannah McKernan

Wedding Dress: Pronovias from La Boda Bridal

Hairstylist: Rebecca Mulholland Hair

Makeup Artist: Julie Quinn

Bridesmaid Dresses: Dresscode Fashion

Bride’s Jewelry: The Dress House

Flowers: Inscape Flowers

Live band: Sugartown Road

See more inspirational real-life weddings HERE!

The post Pretty in Pastel: Grace & Patrick’s Classy Nuptials at Tullyglass House Hotel appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Adventure lovers, Alison and Alan created a wedding straight out of a storybook on 28th April 2022 at Castle Leslie Estate. The two are currently living in the USA where Alan is from but are planning to move to Ireland where they have just bought their first home. Being originally from Dublin, Alison knew she wanted a wedding on homeland and their day certainly didn’t disappoint!

HOW THEY MET

Alison and Alan’s love story began in 2010 on campus at Queen’s University in Belfast. Since then, they have been on many adventures together from moving to Australia to doing seven years of long distance which made them stronger than ever!

Alison says: “We had a blast, and after graduating we went to live in Australia for 18 months. After Australia we endured seven years of long distance. Every couple of months we took turns making the trip over and back to see each other, it was hard but we never doubted ourselves.

“We have been living in the USA for the past two years and just last September bought our home in Ireland – never viewed it – flew over and picked up the keys from the auctioneer and actually drove straight past it before we realised where it was. We are currently planning renovation work so hoping to be back to enjoy it by Christmas next year!”

THE PROPOSAL

After nine years together, Alan popped the big question in Rose Valley on their travels in America. What started as a frustrating day for Alison, turned out to be one of the best days of her life!

Alison continues: We went to a gorgeous lakeside walking route. It was snowing heavily that day and Alan didn’t realise I wasn’t in the correct footwear or clothing. It was snowing and I was frozen but he insisted we kept walking. The sun was shining and I didn’t have sunglasses, my eyes were streaming, no tissues, my jeans were soaked through, legs freezing and feet numb – I made sure Alan was aware of it!

“I decided the best option for heading back to the car was across the frozen lake – as this would mean I did not have to wade back through snow. I was testing the ice by throwing rocks onto it to make sure it could hold my weight. Alan took this moment to ask me to turn around and try a rock he found – I didn’t throw that one away! I believe my first words were ‘I’m so sorry’ lol, I felt so bad for complaining non-stop… I quickly followed with a massive yes!”

THE PLANNING PROCESS

The two had envisioned a wedding back in Ireland, but with Alison’s visa restrictions they had to get married in the USA first. This is when they decided to elope on September 10th 2019 and spent a weekend at the New York State wineries.

They started planning their wedding in Ireland shortly after and view many views, but nothing compared to Castle Leslie Estate. However, being in the midst of the pandemic made this a challenging time.

Venue:

“Covid impacted everything,” Alison shares. “It wasn’t just the number restrictions that was the issue for us, it was the fact that ours was also an international wedding, with half our guest list from the USA and flights had been suspended. We rescheduled – like everyone else for April 2022 – and thank goodness that went ahead. My vendors were all able to move to the new date so that was a huge relief.

“Castle Leslie was excellent – I could not fault them. My guests still rave about the food and how amazing it was. We had our wedding onsite in the gardens overlooking the lake, the weather behaved and it was even warm! The castle was ours for the night, it holds 19 bedrooms and the breakfast the next morning was great fun with everyone recounting the events. The lodge and the stable mews are also on the estate – so plenty of room for all your guests to stay on-site.

Hair:

“My hair stylist was fantastic. Not only did she do an incredible job – surpassing my expectations, but she also took on the music, set the scene and pace for the day. If anyone is looking for a wedding hair stylist Martina King is a talent!”

Makeup:

“My makeup artist was another treasure. Deirdre O’Reilly did such a great job, and adapted her style to each of our requirements. Deirdre had a real calming vibe, and was lovely to see her first thing in the morning getting all set up. She settled my nerves almost instantly and had some great advice.”

Florist:

“JP Flowers Monaghan supplied all my flowers. I couldn’t believe how stunning our reception looked when I first saw it with all the arrangements in place.”

Music:

“Lucy Kavanagh sang for our ceremony and drinks reception, highly recommended too!”

Cake:

“My cake baker was a local woman Ann Holland. The cake was awesome and was almost finished after dinner!

CAPTURING THE DAY

Niamh Smith from The Photography Hub captured Alan and Alison’s wedding photographs perfectly while The Fennels created their dream wedding video.

Alison says: “My photographer was incredible! Niamh blended in so well on the day I forgot she was there, she captured every moment – and within three weeks had sent us nearly 1,000 photographs. I cannot recommend her highly enough! She is funny, thoughtful, encouraging and really allowed us to be ourselves with minimal interference.

“The Fennels did my videography. Again completely blended into the day, forgot they were there, and loved having the video to look forward to when it was all over. If you’re on the fence about getting one, I highly recommend it.”

WEDDING WARDROBE

Alison looked like a real life princess for her fairytale wedding at Castle Leslie wearing a beautiful Martina Liana ball gown from La Bella Sposa in Dublin.

She says: “I chose a Martina Liana gown in the style 1075. It was the very first dress I tried on – and knew immediately that was it. I loved it and didn’t want to take it off!”

The bridesmaids wore stunning gowns from Ellie and Dal boutique in Galway while the groom and groomsmen wore suits from The Clothier in Williamsport, USA.

FAVOURITE MOMENT

Alison and Alan captured their ‘first look’ ahead of the alter which even had us a little teary eyed! Seeing his beautiful bride in her dress for the first time was his favourite moment of the day.

Alison adds: “I loved our first look, first dance, our drinks reception and my soak in the tub at 3am. Because we had our ceremony onsite and did a ‘first look’, it meant we got to spend the full drinks reception with all our guests. If we hadn’t we would have had to take time out to get our photos done.”

BRIDAL ADVICE

For our busy brides and grooms-to-be out there planning their own special day, take some wise words of wedding advice from Alison and Alan.

“Don’t forget your shoes on the day!” Alison says. “And if you – don’t panic – you’ll have enough friends wearing different heel heights and they can’t say no!

“I also didn’t realise how heavy a bridal bouquet can be. I wanted a cascading one and it was perfect on the day, but it was heavy after holding it for a while so maybe that is one thing I might have requested a slightly smaller one on reflection.

“If you like to dance, go for a second look. I picked a simple full length dress from Asos. It means you don’t risk getting spills or tears on your wedding dress. My second dress was lighter and made dancing a lot more comfortable too. I was thrilled I had the second look when I was melting in my full dress. 

“If you are of a nervous disposition – take a few minutes before the ceremony and do a ‘first look’. It allowed us to relax and it’s also a very special moment for just the two of you before anyone else gets to share the day with you.

“It also eliminated the need for a reception line or going from table-to-table to greet your guests. If you would rather do without the formalities on the day you will have the time to talk to your guests during your drinks reception.”

THE DREAM TEAM

VENUE: Castlie Leslie Estate

PHOTOGRAPHER: Niamh Smith at The Photography Hub

VIDEOGRAPHER: The Fennells Wedding Photograph & Film

WEDDING DRESS: La Bella Sposa

BRIDESMAID DRESSES: Ellie and Dal

GROOM’S SUIT: The Clothier

BAND: Bentley Boys

CAKE: Ann Holland

MUSIC: Lucy Kavanagh

FLOWERS: JP Flowers Monaghan

MAKEUP: Deirdre O’Reilly

HAIR: Martina King

The post Enchanting Elegance: Alison and Alan’s Fairytale Wedding at Castle Leslie Estate appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Emma and Jack were high school sweethearts who’s love was written in the stars! They tied the knot at Orange Tree House this July surrounded by family and friends. After postponing the wedding due to Emma’s pharmacy studies and the pandemic, even a devastating skiing injury she suffered didn’t stop them from finally saying “I DO!”

With amazing family and friends on hand to make the day extra special, Emma and Jack’s wedding went off without a hitch – or may one on the dance floor!

HOW THEY MET

Emma and Jack met whilst in high school and began a text-crazed teenage romance in 2010 during their third year of school. But it wasn’t until a Halloween party during their fourth year, that Jack asked her to be his girlfriend. Emma being from Portadown and Jack from Donaghmore, Newry made it a challenge for the teens to meet frequently. They would jump on the bus on weekends to hang out at the local park and go to the cinema.

“We really grew up together. We leaned on each other through all our GCSEs, A-levels and Uni and had so much fun spending time on his family’s farm”, says Emma.

THE PROPOSAL

After asking Emma’s parents and grandfather for permission to marry her in 2019, Jack set the wheels in motion to propose. He was given Emma’s grandmother’s ring, “the one that I adored and based all aspirations for my future engagement ring on”, says Emma. They went down to the local pub with friends one evening and Emma spotted an engagement box in Jack’s pocket.

“When we got home I was literally too excited to sleep and in lots of childish laughter I essentially told him if he didn’t propose right now I’d explode.” So in the wee hours of the morning and in their pyjamas, Jack got down on one knee and popped the question!

PLANNING THE BIG DAY

Like many couples who got engaged in the last couple years, the pandemic created many challenges – and Emma and Jack were no exception! The couple began wedding planning in early 2020, falling in love with and securing Orange Tree House almost immediately. However, with Emma still studying pharmacy and the world at a standstill, the couple opted to postpone the wedding until 2022.

“With all the extra time planning was pretty chill and just plodded along in the background”, says Emma.

In January 2022 the couple took a family ski trip to Bulgaria for Jack’s dad’s 60th birthday. Emma had a devastating accident on the slopes, landing her in a wheelchair. “I then spent the craziest part of [wedding planning] out of work, getting a massive amount of surgery done on my knee and relearning how to walk”, she says. Some how the couple of 10 years pulled it together and completed the wedding planning!

THE VENUE

“When we visited Orange Tree House we just knew it was the one straight away. The architecture and beauty of the main hall which used to be a church and the view of Strangford Lough out of the lounge windows” says Emma. The couple had both their ceremony and reception on site which was a charming affair.

RELATED TO: 13 Romantic Ceremony Rooms To Say ‘I Do’ In

“We had a humanist wedding ceremony because we wanted our wedding to be so personal and to fully capture what finally getting married after a whole decade feels like”, say Jack.

CAPTURING THE BIG DAY

The couple chose Sheena Thompson Photography to capture their special day. Though camera shy, they were able to relax and get into the spirit of celebration to create memories for them to look back on.

“She was so relaxed and easy to work with and managed to get so many beautiful photos and captured the joy of the day so well. Neither of us like getting our photo taken – there is a pitiful amount of evidence of all the time we’ve been together! But Sheena made us so comfortable in front of the camera and by the end of it I was wondering if Jack was going to go for a career change into modelling”, says Emma.

WEDDING WARDROBE

Emma chose a beautiful gown, Zaine by Evie Young from Jill Jones Bridal, Templepatrick. “My dress is one of my favorite things I own and I got it so early on”, she says.

RELATED TO: Freddie Hatchet’s New Mobile Tailoring System Allows Grooms To Create Their Dream Suit From Home

Jack’s suit was from Freddie Hatchet and his bride-to-be gave him free reign on choosing it. “It’s a great atmosphere up there and they has some of the best Guinness I’ve tasted anywhere! The guys there are very helpful and knowledgeable”, says Jacks.

WEDDING ADVICE

When it comes to advice for other soon-to-wed couples, Emma and Jack say you should execute the day your way! “It’s so easy to keep spending and keep adding more to it because someone else has done something but we kept things simple and focused on our family and closest friends”, says Emma.

Despite pharmaceutical studies, a pandemic and a postponement, the couple were able to have a special day because they chose what worked for them. Though Emma had to take a quick ice pack break from the dance floor due to her skiing injury, she was able to enjoy the day – and she adds “if you’re contemplating going skiing within 5 months of your wedding!”

Be inspired by more real-life weddings HERE!

The post High School Sweethearts: Emma & Jack’s Rustic Affair at the Orange Tree House appeared first on Wedding Journal.

If you’re dreaming of a rustic and romantic wedding with lots of delicate details and unique style, you’re going to love this real-life wedding at Orange Tree House!

Shannon and Lee McAleese from Newtownards tied the knot on June 9th 2022 with an contemporary and chic celebration and a super cute backstory. Keep on scrolling to see how they said ‘I do’…

HOW THEY MEET

When Shannon and Lee first met on Facebook in 2013, they fell head over heels for eachother and it wasn’t long until they were spending every weekend together.

Shannon says: “Lee was living in Sydenham with his mum and he asked me to come to his house after work one night. I decided ‘why not?!’ and went and stayed in his house on the Friday night after work and ended up staying until the Sunday! I even had to ask my sister to drop down a bag down to a random guy’s house who I never spoke to her about.” She laughs.

“From there, we ended up spending every weekend together and a few months down the line we were renting our first home and never looked back.”

THE PROPOSAL

Lee had the perfect proposal all planned out where he would get down on one knee on a beach at Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, but of course Covid-19 had other plans. However, he still got his girl with a romantic at home proposal!

Shannon continues: “When the pandemic hit, Lee had to change all his plans and didn’t have the patience to wait it out. So he ended up purposing to me in the house, but what I didn’t know was that all our family were in on it! Lee had my mum and dad take me out for the day so he could decorate the house.

“There was a ‘Will You Marry Me?’ banner, balloons and confetti. When I came home from shopping all day, Lee was on one knee in the living room and the 24 bottles of water I was holding hit the floor! Of course, I said YES! We had been together for five years and it was in 2020.”

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Shannon and Lee wasted no time getting stuck into wedding planning and Shannon got to work creating Pinterest boards of her dream wedding aesthetic.

“We decided to do all the planning ourselves so we could decide on everything we wanted together,” Shannon says. “Once places started easing restrictions, we were able to start looking into wedding venues.

“We choose Orange Tree House in Greyabbey as our wedding venue because we could have our ceremony and reception in one place and we fell in love with the venue as soon as we viewed it and had it booked before we even left! Orange Tree House provided us with a deluxe BBQ option and dessert which went down an absolute treat.”

CAPTURING THE DAY

Shannon continues: “Ryan Ward Film & Photography captured our day for us. We went with him for photography and videography and he also brought another photographer with him, Vicki Maher, to help out on the day – they were both amazing from start-to-finish!”

“They made our day very relaxing and we didn’t feel like we were constantly smiling for hours for photos, we were laughing instead. Without a doubt, this was the best decision to have them be a part of our day!”

WEDDING WARDROBE

Shannon looked like a dream in a fitted halter neck wedding dress with intricate lace detailing from Seraphim Bridal in Greyabbey.

She says: “My dress made by Zavana Bridal and 10 dresses and two shops later, I finally got that feeling every bride gets and I knew it was one for me! Even before I walked out from the fitting and seen everyone’s reaction, I knew it was the one.

I also got my bridesmaids dresses from Seraphim Bridal and they were by Motee Maids. I fell in love with the three different styles. Lee got his suits from The Bank Menswear in Randalstown. Lee actually wanted to wear grey checkered but seen an off-white suit with grey detailing on the website and decided to go for something non-traditional – and everyone loved it!”

FAVOURITE MOMENT

Shannon and Lee shared many special moments from their big day, but their favourite has to be their first looks.

Shannon reminisces: “My favourite moment was when we had all our first looks – we did one with my bridesmaids, my dad and Lee. I also loved walking down the aisle to become Mrs McAleese.”

Lee adds: “My favourite moment of the day was when we got the minster to help us prank my best man Karl with an empty ring box. When he opened it he was in complete shock and horror, his face was a picture!

“Overall we had the best day ever, it had so many moments we wish we could relive over and over again we would 110% do it all over again if we could.”

BRIDAL ADVICE

For all the brides and grooms out there planning their own big day, take some wise words of advice from Shannon and Lee.

They say: “Just enjoy it! We know everyone says ‘don’t stress, it will all work out but it 100% does! Just let everything fall into place and you will have the best day ever. But make sure to take 10 or 15 minutes during the day to have some time to yourselves as the day will fly in and that short time alone is amazing.”

DREAM WEDDING TEAM

Venue: Orange Tree House

Photography: Ryan Ward Film & Photography

Cake: Yum’s The Word

Flowers: Floralicious Designs

DJ: David Ralston (AKA Rally)

Makeup: Helen McClurg

Hair: Courtney from Avenue Beautiful Hair

See more inspirational real-life weddings HERE!

The post Modern Magic: Shannon & Lee’s Wedding At Orange Tree House appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Like so many couples, Andy and Evie had to postpone their big day due to the pandemic. A year ago they tied the knot in an intimate ceremony with just friends and family, and recently the couple got to fulfill their dreams of a lavish big day.

Their chic affair at Belfast’s Culloden Estate & Spa boasted two dresses and simply elegant floral décor. Keep reading to find out how they planned their special day, despite facing setbacks along the way.

HOW THEY MET

Andy and Evie met back in 2014 at youth summer camp and began dating two years later after reconnecting. For the first two years, Andy was studying at Queen’s University Belfast and the couple lived close by. However, when Andy graduated he decided to move just outside of London for work, and the couple embarked on a 2 year long distance relationship. The saying ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’ was definitely the case for them, as after only 1 year of Andy being away they got engaged!

THE PROPOSAL

Easter weekend of 2019, Andy came home for a visit, and he organised a ‘date-day’ to spend time with Evie. They headed down to Enniskillen and as the couple sailed to the middle of the lough enjoying the sunshine, Andy suddenly got down on one knee and proposed. Of course Evie said ‘YES!’ and Andy rushed to get the ring on her finger as he was terrified of dropping it overboard!

The couple still look back on that special weekend with the fondest of memories – everyone was thrilled for them!

PLANNING TWO WEDDINGS

Evie had the task of planning, not one, but two weddings due to the pandemic – it was an unexpected surprise! The couple had postponed their big wedding day and opted to go for a smaller ceremony on their original wedding date. They celebrated the union with close family at Lady Jane Tower followed by a meal at Robinson Suite – with the backdrop of Belfast Lough twinkling in the sunshine. Andy called in a favour from a friend and the beautiful day was captured by Tiffany Gage Photography.

Fast-forward one year and the big day finally rolled around for the couple. “This year, we had a special blessing ceremony at Knock Presbyterian Church Belfast, where we were able to celebrate the marriage commitment Andy and I had made one year previous.”  Evie says. After the pandemic had separated people for so long, the couple enjoyed being able to bring everyone back together for a celebration.

THE VENUE

Culloden Estate and Spa holds a special place in Evie’s heart, “this beautiful hotel has always been extra special to my family and I, as 30 years previous my parents had their wedding reception in the Stuart Suite.”

This venue was top on the couples lists and they were delighted to secure it! Along with the Events Team, Andy and Evie appreciated the staff for making their day extra festive.

CAPTURING THE DAY

RELATED TO: The Best Wedding Venues in County Down

The photos truly captured the elegance and joy of the wedding day and the glowing bride. “My dream wedding photographer, Jayne Lindsay Photography, captured our big day so perfectly with such attention to detail.”

Any bride looking to capture the essence of their special day should always look for a photographer whose previous work inspires them!

WEDDING WARDROBE

Evie looked flawless, choosing a Suzanne Neville gown for the big day “I finally got to wear my stunning Suzanne Neville wedding dress!”  

RELATED TO: 11 Floral Embroidered Wedding Dresses To Make A Statement

She opted for some classic pearl earring to compliment the beauty of the dress.

BRIDAL ADVICE

The couple’s advice to anyone planning their big day “don’t stress over the little things!”

“Enjoy every moment. From planning two weddings in the middle of a global pandemic we know just how crazy wedding planning can be! From the engagement and picking a venue, to finding the dream dress and menu tastings, it is such an exciting time so don’t stress over the little things, you will get your big day in the end!”

Be inspired by more real-life weddings HERE!

The post Twice the charm: Evie and Andy’s Stylish Wedding at Culloden Estate appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Today’s real-life wedding is giving us all the modern fairytale vibes with a rustic-glam venue, chic wedding fashion and a super cute love story that started when they were just kids! Shona and Darach said ‘I do’ at The Millhouse in Slane County Meath on April 22nd with a stylish ceremony surrounded by family and friends.

These two New Yorkers are currently living it up in the big apple but their fairytale began from their hometowns in Dublin (Terenure and Rathcoole). So let’s take a look at where it all unfolded and follow along with us on their journey to the altar!

HOW THEY MET

For Shona and Darach, it all started with puppy love when they met at Halloween party growing up. Fast forward to today, they’ve spent nine years together, moved to New York City and just tied the knot!

Shona says: “I was about 11 and Darach was 13. We met through relations of mine who were having a Halloween party and they ended up being Darach’s best friends! About 10 years later, our sisters ended up in college together and through the power of social media we both took a shine to each other.

“In 2013 I made the first move on Twitter! Our first date was lunch, where I nearly knocked Darach down on the way into the carpark and he had to run off early to go horse riding. Everyone thought that obviously didn’t go very well, but less than a month later we were very committed to each other and haven’t looked back since!”

PROPOSAL

It was December 2020 and the world was in lockdown, it had been a difficult year as Darach ended up in hospital and they had to cancel all their summer holidays. When Darach got back on his feet, he knew it was time to pop the big question to Shona.

Shona continues: “We were just over seven years together at that point. It was in the middle of the pandemic and after Darach got out of hospital we booked ourselves into The Westbury Hotel in Dublin for the night before Christmas.

“Darach was signed off driving for a while but still found a way to propose to me that day in The Westbury with the most perfect ring! It was the perfect proposal for me because I am pretty private. Although he thought about doing it under the Nollaig Shona sign on Grafton Street, (which his sister talked him out of – thank you Roisin!) it was perfect just the two of us and was the light at the end of the tunnel after such a tough year!”

PLANNING PROCESS

After taking some time to enjoy their engagement bubble, Shona and Darach got stuck into wedding planning after Christmas booking The Millhouse as their wedding venue.

“We’ve been to a lot of weddings so a venue that we had never been to before was important to us,” Shona shares. “We fell in love with The Millhouse when we saw it over Zoom. The staff were so friendly and the place was beautiful – and it wasn’t too far from Dublin which was a key factor for us!

“Everyone thinks we are mad when we say we didn’t view the venue before we booked it but the staff at The Millhouse just made us feel comfortable so we knew it was right for us. We didn’t have any help other than the venue and did a lot of planning ourselves. In October 2021 we relocated to New York and planning a wedding from abroad is never easy but I think we were well prepared!”

CAPTURING THE DAY

Weddings By Jason captured Shona and Darach’s day perfectly with an array of stunning candid shots, sentimental moments and picture-perfect memories. We can really feel the love!

Shona says: “Our photographer was Weddings by Jason and our videographer was Ray Yore. Both came recommended from the venue. When I checked out both their stuff, we really liked how they worked their casualness and the fact that they had both worked together before and knew the venue.

“On the day, their casualness really shone through. We also had prep calls with both Jason and Ray which made the day much easier as they knew what we wanted and could execute it without having to ask us! Our photos and videos really captured the energy of our day. I couldn’t recommend either of them more.”

WEDDING WARDROBE

Shona looked graceful in a unique and elegant ruffle cap sleeve wedding dress by designer Alena Leana from Ivy & White in Newry.

“My dress was called Mimosa and the veil was Harlow from Made With Love also from Ivy & White,” Shona says. “From the second I walked into Ivy & White and met Kerry, I knew I wanted to buy my dress from her. She just made my dress shopping experience and I have sent many friends to her since and they all said the same.

“When I showed my sister and my mom the dress on the hanger, neither were sure. But from the second I tried on my dress, I never wanted to take it off! The sleeves could be worn up or down and I wore them up for most of the day and down for the evening.

“The dress also had pockets which is a huge seller for me! It looked like a lot of dress and I think Darach was a bit surprised when he noticed the train, but it was so relaxed at the same time.”

Darach also looked smart in a dark navy suit from Louis Copeland & Sons in Dublin while the five groomsmen wore suits from M&S in a lighter shade. Shona went for mismatched bridesmaid dresses for her six girls – one in sage green, two in champagne and two in blush. The colours worked beautifully together! They were from ASOS, Show Me Your Mumu and Shona Joy.

FAVOURITE MOMENT

Shona and Darach shares two main standout moments when they look back on their special day – from the first look walking up the aisle to the first dance as husband and wife.

Shona reminisces: “The whole day was amazing from start-to-finish. My favourite moment was walking up the aisle while my friend sang She Moves Through the Fair and seeing Darach at the top with a big smile on his face. My nerves just went away and I knew I was ready for the next chapter of our lives.

“Darachs favourite moment from the day was our first dance, which was to N17 by Tolu Mackay; this song meant a lot to us and I loved every second of that special moment we shared.”

BRIDAL ADVICE

For all the brides and grooms in the midst of planning their own big day, take some wise words of advice from Shona and Darach.

Shona says: “Don’t sweat the small stuff, some things are going to go wrong but most of them only you will notice and your guests will be none the wiser. Enjoy the day with your friends and family because as my dad said in his speech, there probably won’t be another time all of these people will be in a room together again and they are all there to celebrate with you!”

DREAM WEDDING TEAM

Photographer: Weddings by Jason

Venue: The Millhouse

Flowers: Emma Rose Floristry and La Luna Floral Studio

Wedding Dress: Mimosa by Alena Leana from Ivy & White

Alterations: ZigZag Stitch

Groom’s Suit: Louis Copeland & Sons

Makeup: Kate McCormack and Fiona Henry

Hair: Ali O’Leary

Band: Pop Life

See more inspirational real-life weddings HERE!

The post Rustic Elegance: Shona & Darach’s Chic Wedding At The Millhouse appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Today we’re showing you a light and airy spring wedding with a love story that won’t have a dry eye in the house! Sarah and Robert from Dublin finally said ‘I do’ with a wedding at Farnham Estate on May 1st 2022 after a difficult few years and three postponed dates.

Sarah’s father passed away just before she got engaged, but luckily Robert got his blessing and they both had a special angel looking over them on their big day. This story shows us that ‘happily ever after’ does exist and the sun can shine even after the darkest of storms.

RELATED TO: 9 Dream Wedding Venues In County Cavan

Keep on scrolling to read all about their unique love story and get inspired from their fairytale wedding…

HOW THEY MET

Sarah and Robert’s love story began just how you’d imagine any modern fairytale would… on an online dating site of course!

Sarah says: “It was my first night using Plenty of Fish and Rob and I hit it off straight away! We both deleted the app the following day and were a couple within a few weeks. The first night we met I told my parents I met a guy online and they were in the USA at the time freaking out that I was going to be murdered, so they made me ask him for a picture of his passport incase I disappeared!” She laughs.

“I was so embarrassed asking him but he obliged straight away even though his passport photo made him look like a convict, but it’s a funny memory we both laugh about to this day. We met towards the end of 2016.”

THE PROPOSAL

After two years, Robert knew it was time to pop the question and asked Sarah’s father for his blessing just before he passed away. The next few weeks were difficult for Sarah and Robert, but they had an angel smiling down on them as they started their new chapter.

Sarah shares: “Rob and I got engaged in February 2018. It is a bitter sweet memory for me as my dad suddenly passed away on Valentine’s Day that year. I found out afterward that Rob had gone to my parents house the night before he passed away and asked for his blessing to marry me. About two weeks after my dad passed, Rob asked me to marry him – we were at home in our new house that we’d just bought together.

“Obviously we both had different ideas of what the ‘perfect proposal’ looks like, but in the end we can’t always control our circumstances and the unpredictability of life. I was wearing my PJs and was just about to tuck into a chipper takeaway but it was important for Rob to let my mom and myself know that he would look after me for the rest of my life. It ended up being perfect and I’ll never forget that my dad got to know about it before he passed.”

THE PLANNING PROCESS

It took three years and three date changes for Sarah and Robert to finally get their dream wedding due to setbacks from the Covid-19 pandemic. They choose Farnham Estate in Cavan for their venue after viewing their heavenly outside areas and meeting the accommodating staff.

RELATED TO: The Greatest Adventure: Kirsty & Aaron’s Fairytale Wedding at Castle Leslie Estate

Sarah continues:” We started planning about three months after the engagement but were both very easy going. My mom had brought us away to Farnham Estate that summer for a little family R&R. While we were there, we met with the wedding planner Ciara and by the end of our stay we had booked the venue.

“I had enquired about lots of different venues but Farnham was the only one we actually went and saw – for us, what sold it was the outdoor areas. The beautiful gazebo on the lawn in front of the old house, the separate areas for the bridal party and every single staff member was a dream.

“We originally booked to get married in September 2020, but this was postponed to May 2021 and then again to May 2022. The hotel couldn’t have been more accommodating and helpful. I have some serious health issues so Covid was a big concern and I had to isolate for the first few years. Thankfully I stayed well and we were able to go ahead on May 2022 with all our family and friends. A few close family members couldn’t make it due to travel restrictions from the US but they were there in spirit. I’m so glad we waited and had the wedding we had always wanted – it was perfect!”

CAPTURING THE DAY

Photography by Melissa captured Sarah and Robert’s day perfectly with an array of stunning candid shots and picture-perfect moments.

“Melissa was an absolute dream to work with,” Sarah says. “Rob is quite a shy person so he was a bit cautious about the photographer coming to him and his groomsmen whilst getting ready, but the first thing he said to me was that she was amazing, made him feel so comfortable and the lads all loved her. Melissa had messaged me earlier in the month to see if it was okay to bring her teenage daughter Jessica as she was interested in learning the ropes from her mom and Jessica was an absolute pro!

“It was like having two photographers for the price of one. She was so helpful with our two year-old daughter and got some fabulous candid shots throughout the day. I couldn’t recommend Melissa and her services more – honestly she was perfect in every way and made us feel super confident. The pictures speak for themselves!”

WEDDING WARDROBE

Sarah looked stylish and sophisticated with an off-the-shoulder Allure gown in the style 9763 from the Bridal Boutique in Baldoyle, Dublin.

She says: “They were so nice to work with and had the biggest selection of dresses I had seen anywhere. They really know what they’re doing in there, what styles suit your shape, budget and complexion. I had seven bridesmaids and groomsmen (I know, mental!).

RELATED TO: Get The Look: Britney Spears’s Wedding Dress

“For the bridesmaids, we bought dresses from Asos in different colours. There was sage green, muted pink and lavender in various styles that complimented each girl individually. The groomsmen wore black tie and we rented them from a shop called AB Formal Wear in Swords. Again they were super helpful and good value for money.”

FAVOURITE MOMENT

After a few hard years, Sarah and Roberts favourite moments had to be spending time with their family and friends and Sarah having her brother Ben walk her down the aisle with their little daughter Lana.

“My favourite memory was when my brother was walking me down the aisle and I saw Rob for the first time. Our daughter Lana was supposed to be a flower girl but she was a bit nervous so my brother Ben picked her up and the three of us walked down the aisle. When we got to the top, Rob smiled at me and whispered ‘perfect’ in my ear.

RELATED TO: GIN-credible: Jane & Andrew’s Gin Themed Wedding at Magheramorne Estate

“It was a genuinely really special and touching moment. We chose to write our own vows too and had a humanist ceremony. It’s very hard to pick a favourite moment from such an overwhelmingly perfect day but seeing all my family and friends smiling and laughing after such a hard few years – that was perfect.”

BRIDAL ADVICE 

For the brides and grooms out there planning their own big day, take in these wise words of advice from Sarah and Robert.

Sarah says: “My only practical advise would be to shop around a bit and perhaps do some stuff yourself if you’re on a budget. For instance, I was getting quoted mental money for invites so I decided to buy the ribbon, envelopes and outer card on Amazon and got the written invites printed on Optimal Print. It ended up saving me over €500.

“I also bought decorations for the reception on Adverts, beautiful second-hand faux flowers and candelabras that were in perfect condition and a fraction of the cost. I utilised my bridesmaids’ talents and put them to work on the day to oversee the decorations. I had them come a few weeks before the wedding to help me make the party favours. Again I bought little boxes on Amazon and filled them with heart-shaped chocolates, love heart sweets, a little shot of pink gin and a bottle opener for every person.

“It didn’t cost much but it added a little something extra on the day. Apart from that, my only advice would be to enjoy your day; it can be hard not to get bogged down in the stress and pressure but make sure you and your partner take some time for yourselves and remember how far you’ve come. At the end of the day your wedding day is about you two so make sure to remember and cherish that.”

THE DREAM TEAM

Venue: Farnham Estate & Spa

Photography: Photography by Melissa

DJ: Darragh O’Dea

Makeup: Natasha from LUXE Salon

Hair: Edel from LUXE Salon

Lashes: Lashes and Confidence

Décor: Blissful Wedding Décor

Flowers: Olivia Romeo Music

Cake: Custom Cakes By Grace

If you’re interested in having your wedding featured, please contact emma.fegan@pentonpublications.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you!

The post Happily Ever After: Sarah & Robert’s Fairytale Wedding at Farnham Estate appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Get ready for some killer décor, stylish signage and adorable pups in Caragh and Ben’s pet-friendly wedding at Clandeboye Lodge Hotel on April 23rd. Our bride Caragh is also the face behind the amazing Bonnie Designs NI and made a lot of her own wedding décor – she will also be exhibiting at the Wedding Journal Show in Belfast so make sure you come along to see her amazing pieces in person!

RELATED TO: How to plan a pet-friendly wedding

Keep on reading to find out how this perfect pair from County Armagh made it to the alter and get inspired with their wedding planning advice and top tips.

HOW THEY MET

For Caragh and Ben, it was love at first swipe on Tinder in 2018 when Ben made the first move after seeing Caragh’s profile picture and so their modern fairytale began!

Ben says: “I made the first move by swiping right on Tinder and starting a conversation. The first time we met was at Carn Industrial Estate when I was leaving my van off to get a new one and Caragh was taking her break at Irwin’s Bakery across the road, so we arranged to go to the park in Portadown.”

RELATED TO: How To Include Pets At Your Wedding – Like These Couples

Since then, Caragh has become an amazing step mother to Ben’s son Caleb, they worked through long distance when Caragh was working in London, cared for their four dogs and have now moved in together in Armagh. Caragh, who is the owner of Bonnie Designs NI, also designs logos for Ben’s new business venture BJC Electrical Services. Now that’s wifey materiel!

THE PROPOSAL

After all this, Ben knew it was time to put a ring on it! He proposed two years later in October 2020 while on a romantic boat ride in Italy.

Ben continues: “I proposed in Venice on a gondola going under the Bridge of Sighs. The story is that once you pass under the the bridge you are meant to kiss as it signifies that you will have eternal love.”

RELATED TO: Sparks Fly: Ellen & Ben’s Spring Wedding At Clandeboye Lodge Hotel

Of course, Caragh was delighted and said ‘YES!’ and Ben nailed the proposal… Fellas, take notes!

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Caragh and Ben found their dream wedding venue at Clandeboye Lodge Hotel and booked straight away. They planned everything themselves and offer some great tips and advice for our busy brides and grooms-to-be!

Caragh says: “We planned everything ourselves and I made a lot of the items at our wedding with Ben’s help throughout. Our wedding planning tips would be to create a new email for wedding planning to keep everything in one place. You should also create a google spreadsheet to manage the to-do list/planning/budget and payments (I lived in mine!).

“Before adding up your budget, send it to any past brides you know and to see what you’re forgetting – I forgot loads of important things! Also, we wouldn’t recommend booking your honeymoon the day after the wedding. Overall, make sure to enjoy all the planning and don’t sweat the small stuff on the day as only you will notice!”

RELATED TO: GIN-credible: Jane & Andrew’s Gin Themed Wedding at Magheramorne Estate

“Our suppliers were all great, we picked them all purely through word of mouth and friends’ recommendations. Our Humanist Celebrant was Claire Taylor who really got to know us in the year running up to our wedding and wrote us the most beautiful wedding script for our day! Bonnie Designs NI is my wedding décor and signage business – I will be exhibiting at the Wedding Journal Show so make sure to come and say hello!”

CAPTURING THE DAY

Sun & Beau captured Caragh and Ben’s wedding perfectly with an array of cute candids, picture-perfect moments and unforgettable memories. Their amazing wedding video was created by T9 Images Media and we could really feel the love!

“We absolutely loved Sarah from Sun & Beau, she is an amazing photographer and every image was amazing!” Carragh says. “She really listened to the type of photos we wanted and was able to tell us how to stand and pose – we are both uncomfortable in front of the camera but this wasn’t the case with Sarah.”

“Our videographer was T9 Images Media. They were great and really knew their stuff about wedding videography, they thought of everything on the day and got some amazing drone shots to go in our video. We both absolutely loved our preview video and are so looking forward to seeing the full wedding video.”

WEDDING WARDROBE

Caragh looked like a real-life princess in a stunning beaded gown by Eliza Jane Howell from White Gold Bridal in Broughshane.

“My dress was called the Lexington and I purchased this from Dorothy at White Gold Bridal. She is amazing! The mother of the bride gown was was Gill Harvey in white which is the same designer as Eliza Jane Howell and was Bought from Queen Bee By Serendipity in Fivemiletown.”

RELATED TO: The Greatest Adventure: Kirsty & Aaron’s Fairytale Wedding at Castle Leslie Estate

The bridesmaids wore champagne satin off-the-shoulder gowns by Amsale from Maire Therese Bridal in Coleraine while the groom and groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos.

FAVOURITE MOMENTS

As parents to some precious fur babies, Caragh and Ben will never forget having their pets involved in the wedding as well as the moment Caragh walked down the aisle.

Carrie reminisces: “My favourite moment was walking down the aisle and seeing Ben in tears. We also both loved having our dogs there after the ceremony for some cute pictures and just loved every part of our day. We both wish we could do it all over again! 

Ben add: “Mine has to be watching Caragh walking down the aisle in her dress looking stunning.” 

DREAM WEDDING TEAM

Venue: Clandeboye Lodge Hotel

Wedding Dress: Lexington by Eliza Jane Howell from White Gold Bridal

Bridesmaids: Verona Bridal & Marie Therese Bridal

Wedding Car: Angels Wedding Cars & Lurgan Limos

Signage & Décor: Bonnie Designs NI

Photographer: Sun & Beau

Ceremony Singer: Eimear O’Neill

Florist: Blooming Events

Videographer: T9 Images Media

Hair: Simon Stewart Hair & Matters NI

Makeup: Zoe Boyd

Eyebrows: Rogue Beauty by Gemma Coghill

Cake: Yummy Mummy Cakes

Dog minders: Petticoat Tails Ireland

Wedding Candles: She’s a Melter & Bonnie Designs NI

Mother of the Bride Outfit: Gill Harvey Collection from Maire Therese Bridal

Kids Corner: Little dreams NI

Casino Entertainment Ideas

Flower girl jackets: Bonnie Designs NI

Bride & Groom Accessories: Bonnie Designs NI

Rings: Lunn’s Jewellers

Drinks Reception Music: Gerard Leathem

Evening Music: Juram Music

Humanist Celebrant: Claire Taylor

Skin Prep & facials: Luxederma Skin & Brow Clinic

Check out all or other inspirational real-life weddings HERE!

Would you like your wedding featured in Ireland’s Wedding Journal? Please email us at emma.fegan@pentonpublications.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you!

The post My Pawrents Are Married: Caragh and Ben’s Pet-Friendly Wedding appeared first on Wedding Journal.

We’re getting modern-day Grease vibes from this week’s real-life wedding at Magheramorne Estate. Our bride and groom are looking super cool in their red MG and sunglasses after tying the knot – not to mention their wedding is gin themed! We’re obsessed.

Jane and Andrew Purdy from Belfast said ‘I do’ on July 23rd 2021 at Magheramorne Estate where they planned a Pinterest-worthy wedding that all our gin-lovers will adore. Keep on scrolling to pick up some unique inspiration and hear all about their amazing journey to the alter!

HOW THEY MET

Single peeps… if you’re family is trying to set you up with someone, this is your sign to give it a go! You never know what might happen, you might find the love of your life like Jane and Andrew did back in 2015.

Jane says: “I met Andrew’s family friends, Auntie Karen and Uncle Laurence, through a close girlfriend and they were itching to set the two of us up! After a little convincing, Andrew added me on Facebook when I came home to Northern Ireland after travelling around New Zealand. I gave Andrew my number and then didn’t hear from him for a couple of weeks – during that time he was building the courage to call me!

“Eventually he called and was very sweet on the phone. Our conversation never ran dry and after a few chats, we arranged a date to meet. Our first date was February 13^th 2016 at the Apartment in Belfast. Andrew turned up with a gorgeous 3ft red rose… you could pick him out in a crowd! The gesture seemed super keen but he was very cool and endearing.

“After a few drinks, it was home time but Andrew wasn’t quite ready for the night to end so we walked across to Love and Death. We walked past City Hall where lots of couples stared enviously at my HUGE rrose and made comment to their partners as to why they didn’t have one! After a few more drinks we had our first kiss dancing to Fergal Sharkey’s ‘A Good Heart’ – cringe! This ended up being our first dance song.”

Although Andrew was working in London at the time, they made things work by planning long weekends together in Belfast and London for the first few years of their relationship.

THE PROPOSAL

Fast-forward to 2020 when Jane’s favourite ring mysteriously went missing. Little did she know, this was all part of Andrew’s plan to find her dream engagement ring!

RELATED TO: The Greatest Adventure: Kirsty & Aaron’s Fairytale Wedding at Castle Leslie Estate

Jane continues: “I lost my amber ring that Andrew had bought me which I loved and wore every day. Not to my knowledge, Andrew had taken this to be sized. He reached out with Fred J Malcolm and Neil Watt sorted him out with videos of different rings and a road side Covid-friendly exchange on the Hillhall Road.

“Andrew asked my Dad for my hand in marriage and after the first lockdown, we visited Andrew’s family for dinner. It was a really wholesome evening and Andrew and I stayed in his parents caravan. The next day he handed me my amber ring (which I found a few weeks priors!) and said, ‘are you going to wear that or lose it again’. My cheeky response was, ‘I’ll wear it but I would like an upgrade some day please!’

“Andrew had no intention of proposing that day but after a really lovely evening and my timely response, he got down on one knee on our walk at Ballyboley Forest in the middle of the countryside with Belfast in the background. It was such a special moment, so surreal and we were both speechless!”

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Jane and Andrew got engaged in May 2020 and with Covid lasting longer than anyone expected, they had time to perfect their wedding planning and created a gin themed celebration with help from their family and friends. We love this idea!

“My bride tribe got together to perform lots of small creative tasks. My brother-in-law designed individual gin cards for every table and my other brother-in-law’s helped with the design of the menu,” Jane shares. “The whole family chipped in with collecting gin bottles for the centre pieces and tins for the ‘Just Married’ car tail.

RELATED TO: Island Vibes: Lisa & Matthew’s Summer Wedding at Lusty Beg

“I seen an Instagram post of Magheramorne Estate and it had everything we wanted in a venue! It was close to the sea, had great accommodation, a ballroom for up to 180 guests and it was exclusive. Andrew and I soon figured out our parents married there in the late 80s! So it was an easy decision for us.

“I visited the venue with my mum and was greeted by Katherine and Jane Allen to their new business venture which looked like a bit of a building site. However, they had a fabulous vision and after another visit with Andrew, we had no doubts that we would have the best day under their guidance.

CAPTURING THE DAY

Vicky Maher photography captured Jane and Andrew’s dream day perfectly with an array of cool and chic candids and treasured memories that will last a lifetime. We could really feel the love!

“Vicki and I immediately got on and have a similar sense of humour which always helps,” Janes says. “I knew immediately she was our girl. We didn’t meet until that winter when we had an engagement shoot in Crawfordsburn. Andrew and I both walked away delighted with our choice in photographer. We were already like old friends, looking forward to hanging out again at the wedding.

“Vicki was professional, with a photo call list that was organised to a tee. For me, it was important we both got on with our photographer, as you literally spend the whole day together but also that they are subtle with attention to detail. Vicki was so impressive and we loved how our photos turned out!”

WEDDING WARDROBE

Jane looked angelic in a sleek fit-and-flare strapless Mikado gown by Justin Alexander from Pronuptia in Belfast.

RELATED TO: Sparks Fly: Ellen & Ben’s Spring Wedding At Clandeboye Lodge Hotel

“I added a few additional features to the dress and loved wearing it. I tried on ballgowns and A-line dresses, but the fit-and-flare silhouette really gave me a boost of confidence with an elegant style and a timeless look.

“The bridesmaid dresses were from Naomi Bridal in Ballyclare. I loved the platinum colour which allowed me to work from a blank canvas with regards to colours on the day. By this stage I hadn’t really thought too much about flowers or the colour scheme, but the platinum tied in beautifully with the venue and our eucalyptus florals. I let the girls choose whatever dress they felt most comfortable in.

“Andrew chose a gorgeous blue velvet tuxedo from McCalls of Lisburn. The groomsmen had navy tuxedos with waistcoats, but Andrew opted for no waistcoat and he really stood out. They all looked super sharp!”

FAVOURITE MOMENTS

Jane and Andrew’s standout moment from the day was the surprise Irish Dance set up by their friends and family which really started the party!

“After our first dance, we were both chatting away to our guests when we were called back to the dancefloor. Andrew’s sister Susan and my friend Steph had choreographed a fabulous Irish Dance routine to Riverdance and were joined by my sisters and Andrew’s brother’s girlfriend. It was such a great surprise and the guests also loved it! It really set off the evening.”

RELATED TO: Dancing In The Rain: Kirsty & Neil’s Modern Belfast City Wedding

DREAM WEDDING TEAM

Venue: Magheramorne Estate

Photographer: Vicki Maher Photography

Wedding Dress: Justin Alexander from Pronuptia

Groomswear: McCalls of Lisburn

Bridesmaids: Naomi Bridal

Flowers: Cedar Tree

Makeup: Caroline from Banking on Beauty

Hair: Sinead from The Hair Shed

Ceremony music: Briege McCarry

Evening entertainment: MoJo

Cake: NI Cake Design

Invites and order of service: Lighthouse Drawings

Wedding Transport: Andrew’s mums old MG that was worked on by Willie McVicker

The post GIN-credible: Jane & Andrew’s Gin Themed Wedding at Magheramorne Estate appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Today’s real-life wedding features a natural colour palette, a unique wedding dress and all the delicate details you could ever want from a fairytale castle wedding. Aaron and Kirsty Black from Laurelvale love travelling the world together and have went on many adventures, however their wedding at Castle Leslie Estate on September 11th 2021 is up there with one of their best adventures yet!

Before we dive in to their dreamy wedding day, let’s take a trip down memory lane where it all began… 90s babies prepare for some major nostalgia!

HOW THEY MET

Before the world of iPhones, iMessage and snapchat, there was once a thing called BBM on Blackberries. We’re getting nostalgic feels from Kirsty and Aaron’s story on how they first met… Let’s just say it was love at first PING!!! Ah how we miss the early 2000s.

“Aaron and I had mutual friends at secondary school but the real reason we met was through the BBM messenger on our Blackberry phones – such a oldie but a goodie!” Kirsty reminisces. “Aaron updated his status to show he was watching Grease and I changed mine too. He popped up and messaged me and the rest is history!

RELATED TO: Island Vibes: Lisa & Matthew’s Summer Wedding at Lusty Beg

“Aaron definitely made the first move! He invited me on a first date, we headed to Belfast for food and shopping and he took me to the top of Victoria Square and asked me to be his girlfriend. We shortly came down as he said he was scared of heights.” Kirsty laughs.

THE PROPOSAL

After meeting in 2013, Kirsty and Aaron went on many travels together – one of which was Rhodes in Greece which ended up being the most important holiday of all! They both will never forget May 22nd 2019.

Aaron says: “I asked Kirsty’s Mum and Granda for permission to propose a few weeks before heading away. I hid the ring in a pair of boxers in my hand luggage but of course my bag got stopped going through security!

“Thankfully Kirsty had already gone through security and didn’t see this happen. Kirsty and I organised to go into Lindos town at the end of the holiday for our dinner. We went to a beautiful ocean view restaurant and this is where I planned to do it the whole time.

“Hiding the ring for this long was hard. I got down on one knee after dinner when the sun went down and asked her to marry me. I wasn’t nervous until this moment. I knew it was right after six amazing years together!” 

RELATED TO: Sparks Fly: Ellen & Ben’s Spring Wedding At Clandeboye Lodge Hotel

THE PLANNING PROCESS

To represent their many adventures, Kirsty and Aaron even had their wedding tables named after each country they had visited alongside a photo of them together there. We love this idea!

“I absolutely loved the planning process, we planned everything ourselves and Aaron was pretty hands on with the planning too so everything was what we both loved!” Kirsty says.

“We started looking at venues in September 2019. We viewed three venues and both loved Castle Leslie which was last venue we visited. We fell in love with the unique yet flattering castle vibes and could really envision having our wedding at Castle Leslie Estate.

RELATED TO: Dancing In The Rain: Kirsty & Neil’s Modern Belfast City Wedding

“Planning was going amazing until Covid came along last minute! We have to say we were one of the lucky ones and the only change we had to make was a smaller guestlist which we didn’t mind in the end. We had a more intimate day with close family and friends and we wouldn’t change a thing!”

CAPTURING THE DAY

Sasha Treanor Photography and Shutter & Light videographers captured Kirsty and Aaron’s wedding at Castle Leslie Estate perfectly with an array of beautiful candids and picture-perfect moments that they will cherish forever.

Kirsty continues: “Sasha has become a friend right from our engagement shoot to our recent baby bump photoshoot! Her attention to detail is out of this world. Sasha was there to help me into my dress, help the bridesmaids, fix up the men’s bow ties and everything in between. We put our full trust into Sasha and we love how our wedding photographs turned out! 

“After looking at Shutter & Light’s Instagram, we knew we needed them as our videographers! We had a brilliant zoom call with Tommy and James before the wedding where we talked about all our ideas. They had a lovely nature and even kept a very nervous groom calm until I arrived to the church! Our wedding video was everything we wanted and more. We would highly recommend them to all brides and grooms.”

WEDDING WARDROBE

Kirsty looked like a real-life princess in a floral long-sleeved sheath wedding dress with a thigh high split and low scoop back from The White Gallery in Warrenpoint, County Down.

“The designer was Rime Arodaky based In Paris, France and the dress was called Blair. I matched this with a simple cathedral length veil, Charlotte Mills block heels and a bespoke head piece by Deborah K Design. I knew the dress was the one from the moment I put it on. I wanted something different that people wouldn’t have normally seen before.

“The bridesmaid dresses were from ASOS and I absolutely loved them and got them altered to change them up a bit and get the style I was originally after. I loved the sage green and knew with the natural theme, flowers and venue, they would go perfectly!”

RELATED TO: Long Distance Lovers: Brittany and Sean’s Markree Castle Wedding

Aaron and the groomsmen also looked smart in black tuxedos from Freddie Hatchet in Belfast. Aaron personalised his wedding look with a velvet black bow tie and a scooped front waistcoat. Kirsty’s mother wore an angelic white number while Aaron’s mother wore a beautiful ivory gown from Queen Bee in Five Mile Town, County Tyrone.

FAVOURITE MOMENTS

With such a special and sentimental wedding, Kirsty and Aaron have a variety of treasured memories and favourite moments from their big day!

Kirsty says: “My favourite moment has to be walking down to Aaron at the top of the alter. It was by far the best feeling in the world and I just thinking to myself… ‘This is it'”. 

Aaron adds: “My favourite part was the car journey up with Kirsty. Just us two enjoying a class of champagne and a beer was so peaceful. Also sitting outside at our drinks reception before going into dinner listening to Eoghan Quigg with our friends and family was out of this world. 

“Both of us really loved the singing waiters. We kept this a secret from all our guests – they were so shocked when they started singing. Watching this back from our wedding video makes us emotional to see all our nearest and dearest in one room up on their feet enjoying life. That’s what it was all about!”

BRIDAL ADVICE

For all the brides and grooms-to-be out there in the midst of planning their big day, stop and take note of these wise words of advice from Kirsty and Aaron!

They say: “ENJOY EVERY SECOND! You are planning for your dream day which should be about you and your partner. Do what you want to do, change it up and love every minute of it. The day goes by so fast. On the day, go away to view your wedding room just you and your partner. Have a sneaky first dance and just stand back and enjoy it.”

DREAM WEDDING TEAM

VENUE: Castle Leslie Estate
PHOTOGRAPHER: Sasha Treanor Photography
ACESSORIES: Deborah K Design Jewellery & Headpieces
SUITS: Freddie Hatchet
HAIR: Rebecca McBurney Hair
CHURCH SINGER: Emma Horan
MAKEUP: Michelle Diffin
FLORIST: Vintage Violet Florist
ICECREAM CART: Brook Avenue
CAKE: Wedding cakes NI
DJ: Michael O’Neill Wedding DJ
SONGONG WAITERS: Singer Secreto
PAVILLION DRESSING: EP DESIGN
LIVE SINGER AT VENUE: Eoghan Quigg
SAX PLAYER: Bill Fineggan
VIDEO: Shutter & Light
DRESS: The White Gallery Boutique
BRIDESMAID DRESS: ASOS

Check out more of our inspiring real-life weddings HERE!

The post The Greatest Adventure: Kirsty & Aaron’s Fairytale Wedding at Castle Leslie Estate appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Today’s real-life wedding is all about chilled vibes, punchy colours and laidback luxury. Lisa and Matthew Knox from Glenanne in Armagh said ‘I do’ on July 22nd at Lusty Beg Island Resort and Spa with an effortlessly elegant wedding that embraced the natural beauty of the outdoors.

Captured by Sasha Treanor Photography, you need to see all the dreamy details from their magical day – keep on scrolling for chic wedding inspiration!

HOW THEY MET

Sometimes being friends first is the best way to start a relationship – and Lisa and Matthew are the perfect example of that!

“Matthew and I actually went to high school together from 2007-2012,” Lisa says. “We were in classes together throughout the five years and in the same friendship group but we never seen each other in ‘that way’.

RELATED TO: Sparks Fly: Ellen & Ben’s Spring Wedding At Clandeboye Lodge Hotel

“I was quite shy in school so it wasn’t until we left high school that we got to know each other properly around April 2014 and Matthew realised I wasn’t so shy!”

Fast forward to today, Lisa and Matthew are living in Glenanne with their two fur babies Bailey and Dixie who they love to take out with them on outdoor adventures.

THE PROPOSAL

After two years of amazing memories, Matthew popped the big question to Lisa while on holiday together in Tenerife.

“It was December 2016 when we were in Tenerife,” Lisa continues. “We were back from a day at the beach and had just sat down on the balcony with a few drinks and Matthew disappeared for ages! He said he was going to the bathroom but I was wondering why he was taking so long.

RELATED TO: Dancing In The Rain: Kirsty & Neil’s Modern Belfast City Wedding

“I turned around to the sliding door opening and he stepped out and got down on one knee. I couldn’t believe it and all I remember saying was ‘are you sure?!’ Matthew was like ‘are you going to answer or not?’ I’m sure he felt like he was on one knee forever!”

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Lisa and Matthew enjoyed soaking up their engagement and taking their time wedding planning, but it wasn’t long before things started falling into place and they found their dream venue at Lusty Beg Island Resort and Spa.

Lisa says: “We had attended a family wedding a few years previous at Lusty Beg and it was a winner from when we stepped foot on the Island – we just fell in love with its chilled vibe!

“We then set a date for the 18^th July 2020 and we were over the moon. We planned everything ourselves – with the help of my mum of course! We were devastated when the news of Covid broke and we had to set a new date for the following year. Lusty Beg was very accommodating and made that process as easy as possible.”

DREAM WEDDING TEAM

“All our vendors were absolutely amazing!” Lisa continues. “I couldn’t fault them at all. They all came together so well and made our day unforgettable. Lusty Beg was our complete wedding venue and we had a civil ceremony on the Island followed by the meal and party. From all the venues we looked at, we felt it was us to a tee.

“The first thing I done was book our photographer and we knew we wanted Sasha Treanor from the get go, but she was actually unavailable for our original date. When we had to postpone our date we contacted her again and it was just by chance she was available – we were delighted! It was meant to be.”

Lisa and Matthew went for pretty pink and pastel flowers from Flowerworks Romaine Hodgen in Banbridge. They also went with DJ Mark Brown from Bangor for entertainment and McGarry Wedding Designs for wedding décor. Lisa looked beautiful with natural and glowy makeup by Kerri McArdle and an elegant updo hairstyle by Beth Simms Hair.

CAPTURING THE DAY

Sasha Treanor Photography and Shutter & Light videographer teamed together to capture Matthew and Lisa’s day perfectly.

Lisa says: “We had heard so much about them and from the power of social media we were able to see their work on previous weddings. Sasha was unbelievable and she was able to put us at ease even before the day. I believe without her and Lynne Wortely, the boys may not have looked so good – they were helping them get dressed as they were a bit worse for wear from the night before!

RELATED TO: Home Is Where The Heart Is: Louise & Daire’s Dublin City Wedding

“Tommy from Shutter & Light was great, you wouldn’t of even known he was there and he captured every last detail. We always knew we wanted a videographer and we loved Shutter & Light’s snippet videos that captured the main parts of the day.”

WEDDING WARDROBE

Lisa’s dream wedding dress by Essence of Australia caught her eye by accident as she was out shopping for her bridesmaid dresses at Creative Ideas in Armagh. Some things are just meant to be!

“I actually booked a bridesmaid appointment first and everyone thought I was mad because little did I know, the bridesmaids are meant to match the bride’s dress! We went for the dress Luna Rachel by Nick Flynn which was in a berry shade and had an off-the-shoulder neckline and lace bodice. The colour suited them all beautifully and complimented them all so much.

“On the way out of the bridesmaids appointment, I spotted a wedding dress in the corner of my eye and one of the girls in the shop let me try it on. As soon as I saw myself and the reaction of everyone else, I knew it was the one! It was something I never thought of wearing – it was very detailed, strapless, fitted and blush pink!”

RELATED TO: Long Distance Lovers: Brittany and Sean’s Markree Castle Wedding

The groom and groomsmen also looked sharp with matching navy three-piece suits hired from Louis Boyd Menswear in Newry. They added a berry tie and shoe laces to match the bridesmaids and add that perfect pop of colour!

FAVOURITE MOMENTS

Lisa and Matthew will never forget going out on the boat at Lusty Beg to get some chilled and fun photographs with Sasha Treanor!

“We both share a favourite memory which had to be when we went out on the boat after the ceremony,” Lisa reminisces. “This gave us time to take everything in and spend time together as everything happened so fast. We had such a laugh before going back and spending the rest of the time with everyone.

“We are not a couple for taking photos and would be quite shy around a camera. I was shocked at how confident we got towards the end of the day – maybe something to do with the alcohol but we ended up really enjoying it!”

BRIDAL ADVICE

For the brides and grooms-to-be who are in the midst of planning your own dream day, take on board these wise words of wedding advice from our real-life wedding couple.

“We would say to just enjoy it!” Lisa says. “I think everyone would say the same, it goes by so fast. Faster than you think and it’s over before you know it. So just take it all in – even the stress! We had the best day with the best people and everything worked out in the end.”

The post Island Vibes: Lisa & Matthew’s Summer Wedding at Lusty Beg appeared first on Wedding Journal.

Featuring delicate details, fabulous florals and pretty pastels, you’re going to love today’s real-life wedding at Clandeboye Lodge Hotel! Ellen and Ben McCadden from Lurgan said ‘I do’ on April 14th at this stunning venue in Bangor with a neutral colour palette and a Pinterest-worthy aesthetic.

RELATED TO: Home Is Where The Heart Is: Louise & Daire’s Dublin City Wedding

But before we dive in, let’s go back to where it all started…

HOW THEY MET

Ellen and Ben both met at university which was just the start of their many adventure and travels together.

Ellen says: “Ben and I both studied Geography at Queen’s University in Belfast. We were friends at first while and became a couple in 2016, right before final year. Ben says he asked a few times but I don’t really remember that!

“After Queen’s we both went on to do our teacher training in England and then went a little bit further to Australia. So, we’ve done a lot of travelling and you could say we have been inseparable since. We now have a little cockapoo called Bruno and are settled down in our house in Lurgan.”

THE PROPOSAL

After four years of making memories, Ben knew it was time to pop the big question and let Ellen choose her dream diamond!

“One day in September 2020, Ben popped the magical question – ‘do you want to go and buy a ring?’” Ellen continues. “We’d talked about choosing the ring together over the years and this was just part one of the proposal.

RELATED TO: Cute & Colourful: Clodagh and Philip’s Kilkea Castle Wedding

“After that it was guessing when he was going to let me have it! However, he didn’t make me wait long, and after thinking every weekend, ‘this is definitely it’, he officially proposed to me along a little walk we used to go on in university.  We had dinner in Grand Central Hotel and celebrated later with family.”

THE PLANNING PROCESS

It didn’t take long for Ellen and Ben to get stuck into wedding planning and booking all their dream wedding suppliers!

Ellen says: “The planning process practically began the day after our engagement. Well, it did for me anyway! I would scroll endlessly on Pinterest and Instagram for ideas and inspiration. I was always very certain on what style I liked.

“I would research all vendors on Instagram and send them a message from there. If you love a list, you’ll love wedding planning! Setting yourself certain goals for each month is definitely the best way to go. We had 19 months to plan and it is never too early to book venues and photographers – the earlier the better!”

THE DREAM TEAM

“We chose the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel based on how elegant yet modern the setting was,” Ellen continues.

“The Blackwood Suite was a beautiful place to get married and we fell in love with it straight away! The events team could not have been more accommodating and were always at hand to respond and help out, even with my frantic last-minute e-mails. We could not recommend this venue enough.

RELATED TO: Floral Fantasy: Sharon & Gary’s Ultra-Chic Wedding At The Loft

“Sweet Cakes By Emma made our wedding cake and certainly did not disappoint. It was very much in keeping with the theme of simple yet elegant. Not to mention it tasted amazing!

“After hours of scrolling on Instagram, I finally decided to message By Kerri Bridal Makeup on Instagram. She was extremely professional, and all the girls loved their makeup on the day!

“I also found Pro Hair By Catherine on Instagram. Catherine was an absolute dream to have with us on the morning of the wedding. She styled everyone’s hair beautifully. I think it is important to have people around you who listen to what your style is but can also give their advice and expertise!”

CAPTURING THE DAY

Ellen and Ben went with Adam from Wild Fern Photography after being inspired by his Instagram full of beautiful wedding shots.

Ellen says: “We chose Adam from Wildfern to capture the day, after seeing how amazing his Instagram was. We absolutely love the final photos.

“He was so great throughout the day, navigating us through all the various group and couple photos – we were surprised at how comfortable Adam made us feel in front of the camera, keeping everything light-hearted and fun. Not only that, but we love all the candid, happy moments that he captured!”

WEDDING WARDROBE

Ellen looked like a dream in a sleek figure-flattering dress with a plunging V-neckline from La Boda Bridal in Banbridge.

RELATED TO: Dreaming In Colour: Róisín & Michael’s Pinterest-Worthy Wedding at Tinakilly Country House

“My dress was from the Pronovias range in La Boda, Banbridge. It was the first dress I ever saved on my phone after we got engaged. After watching all of the reels La Boda posted on their Instagram, I couldn’t wait to get down to try on their dresses! I had looked elsewhere and nearly said ‘yes’ to the dress but when I tried this one on, I just felt like it was ‘me’!

“I think this was the most exciting part of the planning! I loved the simplicity but quality of the dress. I always wanted a dress with a long train and it really felt like ‘the one.’ I loved the neckline, fit and how comfortable I felt in it!”