The portraits in today's real wedding are so gorgeous, we're expecting a surge in Google searches for barley fields shortly after it's published! The fact that Jessica and Phillip thought nothing of wading into waist-high grass on their wedding day should tell you everything you need to know about this pair - they really went above and beyond to create an outrageously fun (not to mention aesthetically pleasing!) day for their guests. Featuring an emotional church ceremony and a flower-filled reception at the wonderful Carriage Rooms at Montalto, their big day was a pretty glamorous affair, but the styling still manages to feel fresh and modern. Paula McManus Photography was behind the camera on the day, so let's take a closer look, shall we?

Jessica tells us that she first met Phillip quite by chance! "He was working on his university stand at the Balmoral Agricultural Show, I have always attended the show every year with family, as my Granda, Aunt and Uncle are successful pedigree Aberdeen Angus breeders, " she explains. "Phillip got speaking to me at the show and we kept in contact afterwards. Phillip went to work in Canada for a year after finishing university, but we still kept in touch and found that there was more and more of a connection between us. Phillip finally decided to return home in 2013 and we've been inseparable ever since."

Four years later, Phillip chose Florence as the location for his proposal. "I knew something was up when Phillip wanted to go early in the morning to the Boboli gardens," Jessica says. "The one thing he dislikes more than an early morning is walking around gardens. We strolled through the gardens, and I complained about having to climb all the steps, but he insisted the view from the top would be worth it. We stopped on a terrace overlooking Florence, I was taking photos and turned around to find Phillip with a ring in his hand. He very casually asked me, “so are you going to marry me then?” and of course I said yes!"

For Jessica, the most special part of the day was having her Dad walk her down the aisle at her family church. "10 years ago, my Dad was in an accident, leaving him with spinal injuries, and he is a paraplegic," she says. "He went through multiple serious operations and intense physiotherapy, with one of his motivations being the fact he wanted to walk my younger sister Hannah (who was my maid of honour) and I down the aisle when that day came. The most moving and emotional part of the day was to have him walk me down the aisle with a huge smile on his face, taking so much strength and courage on his part."

From the beginning, the couple's top priorities for the big day were photography and flowers. "I love photography," Jessica says, "so it was my goal to find a photographer that could capture raw and intimate moments. I also wanted someone who was used to photographing beautiful landscapes, and that’s what led me to find Paula. Everyone who knows me, knows that I’m really just flower mad, and I knew I wanted an abundance of flowers throughout the venue. Beyond this, we just wanted a relaxing day with people we cared about. In that, I think we definitely delivered."

It took Jessica and Phillip no time at all to fall in love with their wedding venue. "From the moment we arrived at Montalto to look at the Carriage Rooms, we knew it was the one," Jessica says. "The attention to detail in the venue is second to none, they really have thought of everything. It's such a great space, surrounded by beautiful gardens and landscape. We were blessed with wonderful weather, and our guests were able to relax with a few cocktails in the walled gardens. We got some amazing photos in the walled garden and the wild flower meadow at Montalto."

The indoor spaces were another big draw for the couple. "The upstairs provides a great space, leading out to the walled gardens, and the hall where we hosted the meal had a separate space downstairs for the evening reception. This allowed the day to flow seamlessly from one stage to the next, our guests weren’t waiting around after the meal for the tables to be cleared away, and it gave Ricky Lorimer and Dj Paul Mulvenna a chance to set up downstairs whilst we were eating our meal. It's also completely accessible which was important to us."

Of course, we just had to ask about those killer barley field images! "Phillip is from a farming background and works with local farmers," Jessica explains. "He insisted in dragging me through a field of barley, which wasn’t good for my dress, but some of the photos really are amazing!"

The reception space at the Carriage Rooms at Montalto is drop-dead gorgeous, isn't it?! That grey table linen is a personal favourite detail from the day! "We didn't have a specific theme in mind for the wedding," Jessica says. "We just wanted a dreamy and romantic vibe with lots of flowers! We wanted the day to be full of love and happiness and quite relaxed, rather than being all about the formalities of the day."

I love a sustainable wedding element, so, naturally, I'm totally smitten with the couple's wedding favours. "As someone who loves flowers, plants and gardening, I jumped at the opportunity to give away plants to our guests," Jessica says.

Jessica's advice to engaged couples is to, "surround yourself with supportive and positive people and their energy and love will lift you up." She also advises trusting your suppliers ("we hadn't even sampled our menu but we knew it would be amazing,") and to remember to have lots of tissues to hand on the day to mop up happy tears!

Jessica and Phillip decided to wait a few months before heading off on honeymoon. "We're thankful we didn't go away straight after the wedding as we were really exhausted, " Jessica says. "Instead, we enjoyed a few relaxing days at the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast and Castle Leslie Estate. For our honeymoon, we're flying to Nashville and doing a road trip down to Memphis and New Orleans, as we're pretty big country music fans. After the roadtrip, we're going to a resort in Mexico to relax, we can’t wait!" It sounds just fabulous!

We won't forget about this wedding in a hurry! We have to say a huge thank you to Jessica and Phillip for sharing their incredible day with us, and to Paula McManus Photography for providing the beautiful imagery! Click through to the gallery to see even more of the dreamy details.