Today's real wedding is a masterclass in fusing two cultures on your big day. It's clear from perusing the gorgeous photographs by Brosnan Photographic that Mexican-American bride Lauren and Irish groom Naoise put so much care and thought into their Longueville House wedding. From the music (a cuban band and a string trio, as Naoise is a classical flautist) to the ceremony, which included a Mexican lasso ritual and Celtic handfasting ritual, this wedding was a hugely personal celebration. The couple tell us that their big day was worth every single moment of planning and organising, and we have to agree!

Naoise and Lauren tell us that they met through Naoise's sister-in-law, Emily, who is a friend of Lauren's. "My brother had invited Lauren to come to Ireland to surprise Emily for her 30th birthday, and I agreed to show Lauren around. We spent our first afternoon together wandering the streets of Dublin, visiting the Book of Kells at Trinity College and taking a sunny stroll in St. Stephen's Green park. One evening during the trip, we visited the famous Kehoe's pub in Dublin, and Lauren and I ended up sitting together in the corner. I don't recall exactly what we talked about but I could feel I was already a little bit in love with Lauren at this point!"

When Lauren went back to the U.S., the pair stayed in touch via Skype, making plans to see each other a few months later. "We made some big moves after that based on love and faith," Lauren says, "with Naoise coming to the US and then eventually with me coming to live in Dublin."

How beautiful is this bouquet by Kristine Hayes Wedding Design?! Couples often tell us that they're nervous about using brightly-coloured flowers in their wedding, but Kristine's creations prove that expertly-curated pink and purple blooms can look really elegant and modern.

We'll discuss Lauren's bridal look in further detail further down the post but, needless to say, we're besotted with her Claire Pettibone dress from Myrtle Ivory.

For his proposal, Naoise planned a night away at Powerscourt Hotel for Lauren. "I was so in love with our hotel room and didn’t want to leave but Naoise insisted on taking me down to the waterfall," she remembers. "The waterfall is special to Naoise because he often would picnic with his grandparents there as a young boy. I remember thinking this was à little strange because he was so insistent and said our tickets in the park were only good for a certain hour window! So eventually, I was peeled off the bed and we headed to the waterfall. Naoise asked me to marry him there, just the two of us."

Lauren tells us that she and Naoise put lots of love and thought into planning their humanist wedding ceremony, "from the readings that we picked by Gabriella Mistral, Maya Angelou and John O’Donohue, to having our close family and friends involved by reading the poems. Our humanist celebrant Norma did a wonderful job incorporating our cultures into the ceremony."

The couple were lucky enough to have a memento from Lauren's grandparents wedding in Guadalajara in 1945! "The lasso is a Mexican-Catholic tradition of binding a figure-eight cord made of orange blossoms or a rosary around the bride and groom's shoulders, symbolising the union that marriage brings. My grandparents' lasso is made of ceramic orange blossoms, and it was incredible to have them there with us in spirit through the lasso." The pair also included a traditional handfasting in their ceremony!

For her incredible bridal look, Lauren went for a contemporary take on timeless lace with this Claire Pettibone dress from Myrtle Ivory. She paired it with silver Stuart Weitzman sandals and a simple mid veil.

Lauren and Naoise list their three biggest priorities for their wedding as finding a venue that would accommodate a three-day party, having music that reflected both of their backgrounds and enjoying delicious food with their guests.

Longueville House ticked all the boxes for this pair. "When we arrived, the drive up to the house was so spectacular, we instantly had a good feeling about the house. We met with the proprietor, Aisling O’Callahan, who offered us food and tea and made us feel completely at home in her beautiful hotel and family home. When we told her about the spur-of-the-moment trip, she offered us a bed and breakfast overnight stay so that we could experience the hospitality at Longueville House for ourselves. All of our meals were spectacular and Aisling was so welcoming and attentive to anything we needed during our stay. We felt that Longueville House was the perfect venue for us to unwind and relax."

The fact that Lauren and Naoise had a clear vision of their dream wedding from the beginning really helped with the planning process. Lauren tells us, "I wanted the vibe to be romantic, full of flowers, love and respect for the place that we were but yet honouring both of our cultures and where we’ve come. I also wanted my wedding to be beautiful, not too formal and stress-free."

Appleberry Press are the team behind the couple's on-the-day stationery and we think they absolutely nailed it! Their pretty designs gave the day a consistent and polished feel.

Lauren's family also sourced traditional Mexican decorations to use on the day. "When we walked into the conservatory at Longueville house, all of our guests waved small Mexican papel picado flags that were customised with our names on them. This was a total surprise for me and I’ll never forget how beautiful that was, seeing all of our closest family and friends cheering us on."

Lauren's advice for engaged couples is to find suppliers who you trust. "I felt like I had complete confidence in everyone that day and it made such a difference, I couldn’t recommend each of our vendors enough!"

What a gorgeous day! Now all that's left to do is thank Lauren and Naoise for telling us all about their epic wedding, and, of course, Brosnan Photographic, for sharing the beautiful photographs with us.