So unless you've been living under a rock, you'll be aware that a remake of The Great Gatsby is being filmed at the moment in Australia with Carey Mulligan and Leonardo di Caprio. And already 20s style is invading the catwalks, red carpets and soon - aisles! 2012 is shaping up to be the year of the Great Gatsby inspired wedding, so we're delighted to be able to feature an Irish bride and groom who were well ahead of the posse.
Jennifer and Stephen celebrated their wedding in Tankardstown in December, and as Jennifer said herself she's "vintage-mad" and wanted that Great Gatsby touch for her own wedding day, so there was more than a hint of 20s and 30s glamour about this beautiful day captured by the lovely and talented Siobhan Byrne...
Jennifer and Stephen have quite a history together, one of those "it was meant to be love stories..." "Both our families are from the same road. I was pretty much the girl next door! Stephen is eight years older, and lived abroad for years. We bumped into each other (literally) back to back in our local pub five years ago on St. Patrick's day. He had only remembered me as a young child following my sister around who he hung around with." Zip forward five years and preparations are underway for a very glamorous occasion...
If you were thinking vintage glam, where else would you find your wedding dress but in the treasure trove that is Dirty Fabulous? And that's exactly where Jennifer found her beautiful 30s satin column gown...
Jennifer chose a simple but effective festive colour scheme for the day..."The color theme was green and burgundy. I went for burgundy roses, and put the flower girls in burgundy, and the bridesmaid in green to pick up on the green in the stem of the rose. For the bridesmaid dress I was looking for something similar to the dress worn by Keira Knightly in Atonement. The invites used burgundy only."
Both the ceremony and reception took place in the splendour of Tankardstown House, just outside Slane. It was an easy choice for "My sister had a friend that was there at a 40th and was very impressed with it. It was the first, and only venue I saw. As was my dress!"
Jennifer and Stephen wanted to put a truly personal touch to their wedding so they opted to work with celebrant Romy McAuley to create their own spiritual ceremony. "We did the legal stuff the week before in the registry office with just two witnesses. This gave us great freedom to tailor the ceremony to us individually along with our Officiant for the day. The readings we had very carefully chosen, and our vows which we wrote ourselves. We had a sand unity ceremony within the spiritual ceremony. Everyone said it was the nicest ceremony they had ever been too, even including their own!"
Most Irish couples are pretty nervous on front of the camera, but both Stephen and Jennifer thoroughly enjoyed their time with Siobhan Byrne, having their portraits taken. And why not? When you're all dolled up, all your friends and family are toasting your honour, you should enjoy the moment and make sure you look like you are - these photographs will last a lifetime and beyond...
And finally Jennifer has some very practical advice for other brides-to-be..."Remember in the morning when getting ready that you will have to instruct the hair, make up artists, and other general stuff to be done which also takes up time. This makes it very hectic.It really does fly by, so make a conscious effort to stay grounded and take it all in. I found the photo shoot a good time for taking a breather for just you and your new husband. It’s only one day, that really does fly by, try not to make it into a solid life or death scenario in your head: don’t sweat the small stuff!"
Huge thanks to Jennifer and Stephen for sharing their day with us, trendsetters that they are!
And to Siobhan Byrne for allowing us to feature her beautiful work - be sure and check out the rest of her portfolio (lots of which we have featured) over on www.siobhanbyrnephotography.com
All the Wedding Details
Ceremony and Reception: Tankardstown House
Officiant: Romy McAuley - A Beautiful Ceremony
Dress: Dirty Fabulous
Bridesmaids dresses: White Orchid
Flower girls: Sarah Foy
Shoes: Brown Thomas
Flowers: Malahide Florist - Maureen Lee
Groom(smen)’s suits: Swords Formal Wear
Accessories: Hair piece from Dirty Fabulous
Stationery: Designed and made by Bride
Make Up: Shima Mistry
Hair: Sandra Crosbie
Ceremony and Reception music: Ann Tuite
Band: The Good Guys (Jazz Trio)
Engagement ring: Pearl Perfect