Today's beautiful real wedding could be summed up really as the "Handmade Wedding". Jay & Andrea were wed in September in Newtownmountkennedy among the glens of Wicklow and from beginning to end they infused it with their own creativity and craft. So many elements are handmade or homemade, a complete reflection of them as a couple, […]

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Today's beautiful real wedding could be summed up really as the "Handmade Wedding". Jay & Andrea were wed in September in Newtownmountkennedy among the glens of Wicklow and from beginning to end they infused it with their own creativity and craft. So many elements are handmade or homemade, a complete reflection of them as a couple, as you will see, from the photos they had taken at their home, which is the dinkiest little cottage you've ever seen.

It's such a lovely idea, to have photos taken at your home, I don't think I've ever seen an Irish couple do it before, it's so obvious really, as the portraits are not only relaxed, but intensely personal and capture you both at that particular moment in time. It also helps to have enlisted the help of a great photographer like Siobhan Byrne, and also to live in the cutest gingerbread cottage of course...

So before we get into the wedding day, how did Jay & Andrea start out? "I had just taken a year out from college and was returning for my final year when I was catching up with an old friend and he introduced me to Jay. Jay had started college whilst I had been away studying. We just clicked and stayed together even though Jay had to come back to Ireland while I stayed in Essex. It was so tough being apart but we stayed in constant contact. Then when I was over one weekend for a wedding we talked about me moving over permanently. On the Sunday I returned back to the UK and then 3 days later I had my car packed up and was moving over t0 Ireland...

And how was the question popped? After 6 years together, Jay proposed on Christmas day 2010. I sort of knew it had been coming as he was overly excited about Christmas, but I had been desperately trying not to get too ahead of myself…just in case I had got it wrong! So in the morning we came downstairs, made some tea and lit the fire, as we do every Christmas morning, and then we started opening our presents. Suddenly Jay shot off upstairs saying he had one more present and that I was to stay where I was with my eyes shut, so I did, and when I opened them, there he was on one knee. I was so excited I forgot to actually say yes!

While Andrea and Jay didn't have a set colour palette or theme for their wedding, they were clear on how it should reflect their own values "I guess we stuck by the ethos that handmade and local is always best. I made a lot of little things like the ring pillow and cake toppers, the guestbook, the hankerchiefs, the table plan and the bunting. My wedding dress was beautifully made by Bebhinn Flood who did such an incredible job, it took 10 minutes to design and it never changed, we were even able to put some of my Great Great (Yes two Greats) Aunt Lil’s handmade lace on it…I LOVE that dress! And the wedding bands were made by Barry Doyle who is an absolute gent, he put his heart and soul into our wedding rings, and it shows." So you can see that this wedding is brimming with creativity - and it's clear where Andrea got her knack from - check out that the beautiful pearl necklace and bracelet that Andrea wore - one is a family heirloom - her grandmother's necklace, but the bracelet soon will be, as Andrea's mum made them both! Now that's super wedding DIY - a gift to treasure not only for its beauty but for the weight of love that went into it.

Jay and Andrea live in the Devil's Glen in Wicklow, very close to the church, so it made sense to them to stop off at home to have their portraits taken - where better to unwind and just be yourself were Andrea and Jay's thoughts "When we came back to the house after the service for our photoshoot with Siobhan, we could relax a little more, afterall we were at home. I could pull out all my gorgeous china, get a blanket and have some fun. This was us, this is where we live and this would tell the story of that very special time in our lives."

Isn't their home the dotiest? It's like something from an Avoca catalogue, or Kirstie's Homemade Home - just the cutest place ever. I want to live there. Will you adopt me guys pleeeassse?

So after a while chilling out at home, drinking their cuppas, it was time to return to their guests at the Parkview Hotel in Newtownmountkennedy, which they had high praise for "the function room is gorgeous, and so is the balcony to the side which meant everyone would stay together. Most importantly because a lot of our families would want to stay the night, the hotel rooms were huge, very comfortable and very reasonably priced which is so important for your guests as wedding are expensive for them too! I couldn’t fault the hotel, everything we asked of them, they did it and totally blew our expectations out of the water. They even discreetly managed chase out the random dog that had found it’s way in to the reception (I was convinced he was a wedding present!)"

This is the random dog presumably - I'd totally have taken him as a wedding gift! As for a special moment, it's always hard to choose but "I think our favorite part was when we walked into the reception with everyone applauding ‘The New Mr and Mrs Connaughton’ and as we sat down and looked up, to see everyone we love in one place looking so happy was amazing."

What advice would you give to brides and grooms planning their day?

Keep it simple and trust your suppliers, we did, and we are so glad we did, as it meant we could just relax and enjoy our day. That’s the whole point! Ours was not an expensive wedding by any stretch, it’s the little touches that really count. I made a lot of things which made the day so much more personal. Never worry about what your guests will think, we served wine from lidl, didn’t have favors and served the wedding cake as desert and no one complained! Only spend money on what you believe is most important to you and that will last.

Big Thanks

Big Congratulations to Jay & Andrea, not even 1 month married yet, hope you're still enjoying life on cloud 9!

And to the super Siobhan Byrne, who captured these beautiful relaxed images, we are so grateful she shared them with us - and if you're in the market for a photographer you better head over to SiobhanByrnePhotography.com to see the rest of her beautiful work.

All the Wedding Details...