Today's real wedding is taking us to the shores of Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland for Jill & Simon's big day. This adventurous pair wanted their wedding to be a reflection of their love for the outdoors, so Old Court Chapel was the perfect backdrop for their garden ceremony and rustic reception in a yurt-style marquee. While it wasn't exactly love at first sight for the bride and groom, it was certainly love at first site for their venue, and the story behind how they found it is pretty special. The wonderful Navyblur captured the excitement, emotion, style and details of the day beautifully, including a spectacular lakeside sunset...
Jill & Simon crossed paths in university, “We met at Queen’s University Belfast where we both studying for our PhDs in the same department. We did not actually get together until we had finished studying but once we did we quickly fell head over heels!”
The couple spend a lot of time on the north Antrim coast, and it was on a rainy weekend one December when Simon popped the question while the couple were staying in Portballintrae, “The rain cleared and Simon convinced me to go for a walk on one of our favourite beaches, White Park Bay. About half way along we stopped and sat on some rocks looking across to Scotland, my homeland! Little did I know that Simon was down on one knee behind me waiting to surprise me.”
Jill said she was overwhelmed by the intimate proposal, “It was a total shock but such a wonderful and personal moment as we were the only ones on the beach and it was in a place that meant so much to both of us. In fact we used sand from White Park Bay and sand from a beach in Scotland as part of a sand ceremony during our vows.”
The couple wanted the feel of their wedding to reflect their everyday life, “We love spending time outdoors and it was very important to us that we could find a venue where we could get married outside (Northern Irish weather permitting) surrounded by nature.”
The couple found their venue in a pretty serendipitous way, “We were exploring the area and went on the ferry from Strangford to Portaferry. We were looking back and saw this beautiful boathouse and gardens and thought whoever lived there were very lucky, it was just the kind of location we had been looking for. The next week we came across Old Court and booked an appointment, as soon as we stepped out of the car and realised we were standing on the site we had seen from the ferry! We knew then it was ‘the one’.” What an amazing way to find your venue!
The couple blended sand from Northern Ireland and Scotland during their ceremony - a great idea for putting a personal stamp on your vows.
The post ceremony high!
The couple made it their priority to give their guests a celebration to remember, “As much as the day was about celebrating our marriage, we were also really excited to have all our friends and family in the same place at the same time. We had people travelling from all over the UK, USA and Canada and meeting for the first time so were keen to have a really laid back vibe and party!”
Jill & Simon’s advice for other couples? Take your time and stay calm, “We did not rush into any decision (much to the annoyance of our families) but in doing that, we took time to do our research and ended up finding the most wonderful people to work with who understood our vision. It allowed us to get to know them and get we were able to plan our perfect day.”
Jill & Simon made such a stylish bride and groom, I love Simon's unique plaid suit - and Jill's lace gown with the capped sleeves and dipped back is so pretty, especially paired with her bespoke flower grown and fabulous oversized blooms.
Jill & Simon say they took inspiration from the local surroundings, “We had a natural and boho vibe. We carried that theme through from our invitations, to Jill’s bespoke flower crown to the little details such as using rosemary attached to the place names.”
The personalised table numbers are so pretty - the birds are a unique touch that tie with the outdoorsy feel.
The couple paid a lot of attention to detail to make their day more personal, “It was really important that the day reflected us and we tried to personalise it as much as possible such as creating most of our own stationery and Jill painted all our signs.”
This is so lovely - the couple included a photo display of couples throughout their families.
A fun photo guestbook - love the personalised signage!
Even the food had a personal touch, “We were also keen to use local companies and products including the food. Every ingredient BiaRebel used was from Northern Ireland or Scotland, and the mackerel used in the starter came from Strangford Lough just offshore from our venue!”
The guests who were unable to make it to Northern Ireland still got involved in the celebrations, “Unfortunately a few of our guests were able to make it but they sent videos messages which were broadcast on a big screen at the reception which was a special moment and surprise for Jill.” Such a thoughtful touch!
Love Jill's personalised footwear!
The couple headed back to the lakeside for a few golden hour shots before the evening's festivities.
The couple took a three-stop whirlwind tour for their honeymoon, “We went to Montenegro for a week, then up to Dubrovnik for five days. We then flew to Rome before finishing our honeymoon in a vine yard in Tuscany. We filled our love of nature and history - it was perfect!” Now that sounds pretty fantastic to me.
Such a beautiful wedding - and what a sunset to close out their day! Thanks so much to Navyblur for sharing their wonderful work, and to Jill & Simon for sharing the story behind their day.
The Wedding Details
- Wedding Venue: Old Court Chapel
- Wedding Dress: Archive 12
- Bridesmaid Dress: Debenhams
- Flower girl Dresses: Monsoon
- Shoes: Rainbow Club
- Flowers: Floral Earth
- Groom’s Suit: Vivienne Westwood
- Groomsmen's Suits: Marks & Spencer (Groomsmen)
- Flower Crown: Archive 12
- Make Up: Emma Scott Beauty
- Hair: Laura Harkin Hairdressing
- Wedding Band: The Moonshines
- Ceremony Music: The Rasdales with Gaby McArdle
- Wedding Caterers: BiaRebel
- Memory Box: Flip19
- Cake: Cake Couture NI
- Stationery: Etsy
