It’s time for my favourite time of the month…Real Life Wedding! I never get tired of seeing and hearing about a couple’s special day and it’s also a great way to find out about more suppliers nationwide. So this month it’s off to Limerick & Clare for Catriona & Nigel’s big day!
The couple: Catriona Shelton & Nigel O Keeffe
Ceremony Venue: Church of the Immaculate Conception, Ballingarry, Co. Limerick
Reception Venue: AnnaCarriga Estate, Killaloe, Co. Clare
Date: 31st December 2015
Dress: Badgley Mischka “Bridgette”
No of Bridesmaids/Groomsmen: 5 of each
Bridesmaids Dresses: Alfred Sung Scoop Back, High Low hem
Groom’s suit: 3 Piece black suit from Morleys of Cork
Photographer: Photography by Saulius
Flowers: My dad made my brooch bouquet and I made the rest of the flowers and décor with the help of the two mammies!
Cake: My mother made the cake and decorated by MK Cakes
Band: Paddy Quilligan & Band
Hair: Park Avenue Hair, Ciara Downes Mc Namara
Make-up: Natalie from Urban Decay in Limerick
Length of engagement: We got engaged on Christmas eve 2014 and were married on NYE 2015 so a little over 12 months.
How did you find planning your wedding?
Planning a wedding is a roller coaster of emotions…stress, fear, anger, joy and excitement being just a few. I enjoyed the planning as much as the day itself though and there are so many moments in there that I will cherish forever like picking the dress, bridesmaid dress shopping, girly days out etc. I did spend a lot of time sourcing suppliers which I would say paid off, I wanted a unique wedding that suited both our personalities and was above all else, lots of fun!
Was your groom/bridesmaids hands on?
Nigel knew I had a vision so I was lucky that he trusted me although he did get his hands burnt with a glue gun on a few occasions and I don’t think he will forget making invitations in a hurry. As long as he liked his suit I don’t think he minded about anything else! My bridesmaids were a great bunch. We had my three best friends Sandra, Sarah, and Lorraine (Sarah flew home from Australia for the wedding) along with our sisters Elizabeth and Lorraine. I don’t think I was too much of a bridezilla although they might say differently! There was a lot to do in the days leading up to the wedding and it wouldn’t have been possible without them so thanks girls!
Favourite moment of the day?
My baby brother, Daniel, drove me to the church with my Granddad and my Dad and it was one of the most emotional parts of the day. The three of them helped me get inside the door as it was raining and I remember being surrounded by them all and looking up the aisle to Nigel and feeling blessed. I also loved the first dance, having them few moments alone with Nigel and although I thought I would be nervous I totally forgot people were watching.
Were there any hiccups on the day of the wedding?
There were a few minor hiccups but nothing too drastic! My poor brother Gerard volunteered the morning of the wedding to hang the garland over the church door but as it was so wet it kept falling down so we had to abandon that but no one noticed and I don’t think I would have if I hadn’t been told!
Our venue was a lakeside pavilion and as it was the wettest December in years it provided plenty excitement on the day driving through floods, fuses blowing and water levels rising but it all went unnoticed thanks to the team at AnnaCarriga Estate.
Anything unusual that you want to promote the supplier?
Music and entertainment were very high on our list of priorities and I cannot thank everyone that contributed. For the church, a friend of mine, Leanne Quilligan and her brother provided the music (who were also members of our band) and it was so special having them sing our favourite songs.
We had Celtic Whisper for the drinks reception as Nigel loves that type of music and they really got everyone in the party mood. A few more songs and there could have been a few on tables!
John Frawley The Singing Chef broke the ice with his amazing act and when I watched the video afterwards this was one of my favourite parts. Its amazing to see the shock and surprise on everyone’s face and the crack and banter he provided was brilliant.
And a special thanks to our band, they had the floor full and everyone both young and old were dancing and they even joined us for a sing song after.
What do you wish you had known when planning your wedding?
I found it very hard to delegate at the beginning which caused a lot of stress but after a while I realised that our families wanted to help. I now realise that a wedding isn’t about two people, its about two families and if your lucky enough to have families like ours then get them involved more. It’s a great way to spend time with them at a very busy time in your life and they really do want to help.
Do you wish you had done anything differently? E.g. booked something earlier, different supplier, invited more/less, etc?
I wouldn’t change a thing about our day (well the weather maybe). It was perfect in every way and the mishaps only caused us to laugh and joke about them after. I would advise brides not to rush any bookings as so much changes in the world of weddings with new suppliers and trends popping up all the time.
Thanks so much to Catriona & Nigel for sharing their special day with me. Catriona loved wedding planning so much that she has since set up her own wedding styling business Kitture Weddings so be sure to check out her Facebook page here.
Love from my world,
Lisa x