So it’s May and time to feature another Real Life Wedding! This month it’s back to Wexford. Wait until you hear how I met this couple! We met on holidays in the Canary Islands 3 years ago and Clare and I kept in touch with the odd text here and there. Fast forward a year and a half and I was moving from Cork to Wexford and Clare and Damien were the only people I knew there! We were meant to stay friends! Check out Clare and Damien’s big day.
The couple: Clare O Callaghan & Damien Byrne
Ceremony Venue: Parish Church, New Ross, Co Wexford
Reception Venue: Talbot Hotel Wexford
Date: 11th July 2015
Dress: Lusan Mandongus from Eden Manor Bridal
No of Bridesmaids/Groomsmen: 2 of each
Bridesmaids Dresses: Ann Larkin – Dressmaker
Groom’s suit: Fitzgeralds Menswear
Photographer: Agnes Codd
Videographer: Peter Waters
Flowers: Michelle O’Connor, Templeudigan, New Ross & Slaney Flowers, Wexford
Cake: The Bride’s Mother
Band: The Pearls
Hair: Catriona McLoughlin
Make-up: Belinda Hamilton
Length of engagement: 18 months
How did you find planning your wedding?
I found the planning so enjoyable, I loved every minute of it. I took a relaxed approach and I kept suppliers local. I would love to do it all again.
Was your groom/bridesmaids hands on?
Bridesmaids were excellent. We really enjoyed planning and they attended to every need. I couldn’t have done it without them. Groom not so much ha! He did the table plan so that was a big job!
Favourite moment of the day?
Walking up the aisle with my Dad.
Were there any hiccups on the day of the wedding?
No hiccups thank goodness. It did rain all day but that we couldn’t change.
Anything unusual that you want to promote the supplier?
All the suppliers were very easy to deal with and made the planning enjoyable.
What do you wish you had known when planning your wedding?
Nothing really. We took our time on decisions and really found wedding fairs very helpful. We knew that things could be expensive so some things didn’t shock us. I suppose I didn’t realise how difficult it was to write a guest list as that is a starting point before looking at venues etc. So have an idea of numbers before planning.
Do you wish you had done anything differently? E.g. booked something earlier, different supplier, invited more/less, etc?
I wish I looked for bridesmaids dresses earlier as found it difficult to find a dress that suited both girls. I wanted them to be happy and comfortable. We went looking for dresses in February 2015. Some shops put you under pressure which doesn’t help. You could easily buy expensive dresses and not like them under that pressure. I found a guardian angle in Ann Larkin who is a dress maker and made the perfect dresses and the girls were very happy. She took the worry out of it all. If any couple wish to have a band they like make sure and book ASAP as they book up. The Pearls were amazing and so glad we got them. I wouldn’t have changed any of my suppliers they were all amazing and made our day so special. The Talbot made us feel like we were the first and only couple to marry there and really pulled out all the stops. We had 200 guests and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Every bride has there own personal taste and touch so just go with what feels right and enjoy all the planning as when it’s over its back to work and reality.
Thanks so much to Clare and Damien for sharing their special day with me.
Love from my world,
Lisa x