Oooooh, we I do love a fairytale, bohemian outdoor wedding. And Fiona and Jason's intimate Irish real wedding is serving up all that, and more. Shot by the talented Emma Jervis Photography, these pictures will make you realise just how beautiful the Irish countryside is. We can see what drew this couple all the way from California for their romantic lakeside ceremony and fun reception in the Gougane Barra Hotel. Wildflower bouquets? Handmade details? A row boat adventure for two? Check, check, and check!
Okay how angelic did Fiona look for her wedding?! But before we continue on swooning at her vintage-inspired look, we find out how these two met! “We met through friends who were dating each other. They set us up us on a double date at the Red Brick Tavern in Rosendale, NY. We're both from upstate NY. We met in March 2011. In August of 2011, Fiona moved to NYC to go to college, and I followed her there shortly after,” Jason explains.
“Six months later we moved in together and in August 2012, we adopted our beloved beagle, Milo." Fiona continues. "In June 2013, we travelled to Ireland so Jason could meet my father's side of the family there. Just a few months later, in October of 2013, Jason enlisted in the Coast Guard and we eloped at the courthouse before embarking on this new adventure together. We lived in Michigan in 2014, New York in 2015, and have been in northern California since 2016.”
It wasn't all smooth sailing (pardon the pun) for the couple, however, as Jason explains, “During Coast Guard basic training in August 2013, I read a letter from Fiona describing how uncertain our future was. A proposal was already planned but I couldn't bear to think how nervous and disappointed Fiona sounded in the letter, so I used my one phone call home to call her and propose. Perhaps a grand gesture could have been more romantic but it illustrates our family's core values of compassion and empathy for one another. Then, on Christmas Eve in 2016, I brought Fiona to Muir Woods in northern California and proposed again, gifting her a special rose gold ring.”
And now back to their gorgeous wedding day, across the Atlantic Ocean. “The feel was bohemian with a woodland fairytale vibe. We really wanted the setting and look to reflect our love of nature and simple things.” The couple kept things intimate with just 23 guests.
The bride and groom tell us that their biggest priorities were having the ceremony outdoors, writing their own vows and planning the day together, "We also focused the day on being able to celebrate with our family in Ireland who we don't get to see often. Ireland is a special place for us because we travelled there together just before Jason joined the Coast Guard and where we decided to get married. That first trip to Ireland brought us closer together,” says Fiona of their decision to wed in Cork.
But we were curious as to how the couple narrowed down their search for the perfect venue, researching and planning all the way from California. “My aunt had recommended Gougane Barra when we mentioned we wanted to have a small and simple ceremony and reception. We chose Gougane Barra because it had an intimate setting and it was surrounded by lush green landscapes, the lake and hillside behind it and the woods. It is truly a magical place,” Fiona explains.
The couple had lots of family involved in the planning and the ceremony, "It was nice to have the flower crown and shawl which were handmade by my mother," says Fiona. "She also made a necklace from the broach my grandmother wore at her wedding. Having my dad play music was special, and involving our parents and my brother in the Celtic hand-fasting ceremony was wonderful."
The couple made sure their celebration was a proper Irish knees up. "We also had a family music session that went late into the evening and included Irish and American folk music, Jason played guitar and sang Johnny Cash songs, and my grandad sang some Irish tunes and shared some long Irish jokes.”
Fiona's mother absolutely nailed the blush-coloured shawl and flower crown Fiona wore. Yay for talented family members!
The newlyweds tell us what they learned from planning their wedding. “Start early and be flexible with your ideas and expectations. Think about what is really important and get creative with ways you can make things on your own or get other people involved. It will help you save money which is great, but it will also make your day unique. Each handmade or upcycled item will become a special memory."
Huge congrats to these two, and we're so honoured they chose Ireland for their big day. Make sure you head to the gallery to see more snaps of this beautiful, boho do!
