Steffanie & Samuel’s Romantic Castle Wedding in Belfast

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Steffanie Elwood & Samuel Maasbommel my have met in an unconventional way, but they tied the knot in the traditional way in a picturesque castle venue in Belfast.

Wedding Date: 1st September 2023

How did you meet?

‘Samuel and I are both gamers and met playing World of Warcraft,’ explains Steffanie. ‘Samuel is from Belgium and I was on his friends list for a while before he messaged me in March 2018. I decided to fly over to meet him at the end of April. After flying back and forth for a few months, Samuel, who can live anywhere for his job, decided to move here in August 2018. We lived with my parents for a couple of years until we got our own home in 2021.’

How did Samuel propose?

‘We flew back to Belgium in February 2020 and knowing I love all things Disney, he surprised me with a trip to Euro Disney in Paris for my birthday, proposing on Valentine’s Day in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle as the fireworks went off during the light show that evening. It was just magical!’

When did you start planning?

‘I am so laid back and didn’t rush into planning my wedding, but luckily my mum suggested we start looking at some dresses. I actually fell for the first dress I tried on, which was a Justin Alexander gown that I would never have picked myself. Neil from Orchid Bridal Studio was so helpful and although I didn’t want sparkle or anything puffy he suggested I try it on. It was perfect and I realised this even more so when Neil got me to try the dress style I thought I wanted. This was in October 2022 and it was the dress that spurred on the rest of the wedding planning! My princess gown needed a castle and while we had previously considered a lowkey affair at Belfast City Hall, Samuel always jokes that he is the king of the castle, so we paid a visit to Belfast Castle and the two of us immediately knew it was perfect for our ceremony and reception.’

What about your other wedding suppliers?

‘We hired the Ulster String Quartet for our ceremony and we wanted them to play the traditional ‘Here Comes The Bride’ as I walked up the aisle and then we wanted Bruno Mars ‘Marry You’ as we both walked out.

‘Samuel and I are both foodies so this was an important aspect of the day and our wedding caterers served amazing food. Both our starters and desserts were made up of three mini portions which was a bit different and we served two cocktails – Strawberry Daiquiris and Pornstar Martinis.

‘I went with a regal Burgundy colour theme as I felt it worked well with the castle venue and my florists took this brief and came up with the most beautiful creations. I ordered my invitations from Etsy and opted for an acrylic invite and they arrived in a Burgundy envelope with a gold seal.

‘We all stayed at Corrs Corner Hotel the night before, and night of the wedding, and organised a vintage wedding car as transport, but as a surprise my mum organised the horse and carriage at the castle. I love horses so this was a real treat and I certainly had my Disney princess moment!

‘Finally, we were entertained in the evening by a wedding DJ and a selfie mirror. Large sparklers brought at atmospheric end to the most special day.’

Who captured your day?

‘We didn’t use a videographer and our photographer was Leanne Magill. I found her after seeing another girl’s wedding. I love the lighting and colour she achieves with her photography. We had a pre-wedding shoot with Leanne at Murlough Beach in Newcastle and on the day of the wedding she never stopped and captured so many wonderful memories for us.’

What did you wear?

‘Obviously I have recounted the tale of my dress and when it came to the bridesmaids and my man of honour, all of which I met through gaming, the girls wore the same dress which can be worn numerous ways and Reece wore a black tux with a bow tie to match the bridesmaids. The groomsmen all wore tuxedos but Samuel stood out as the groom in a green velvet jacket.’

Have you any advice to share?

‘Even though I am chilled out, it does get stressful towards the end. However, if you remember to trust your suppliers because they all know what they’re doing and everything just falls into place on the day, there is no need to worry.’