The real wedding that we're featuring today is full of drop-dead gorgeous aesthetic details, from beautiful, vintage-look florals, to rich, berry-coloured bridesmaids dresses, but what really impressed us is how the couple used their day as an opportunity to celebrate those who mean most to them - their families, who travelled from Carlow, Australia, Sri Lanka, and beyond to attend, and even their gorgeous springer spaniel, Chroí! Both Ciara and Dinuka (Dee to his pals!) told us that their 2019 wedding at Lyrath Estate was easily the best day of their lives, so of course, we just had to learn more about how they put it together. The talented Jason from Weddings by Jason was kind enough to share the photographs with us, so let's get stuck in!

Ciara tells us that she first encountered Dinuka when they both worked in the same veterinary hospital in Syndey. "The first time we met was at 6am on a Sunday morning. It was Dee's first day. I didn’t know a new vet was starting and I was running a bit late. I flew threw the door into the hospital, and we crashed into each other, head-on! That first day, we worked together and bonded over treating an extremely aggressive dog! We became friends but both secretly liked each other."

The couple's first (unofficial!) date sounds particularly romantic. "One day, I was researching horseriding in the area, and he saw what I was doing and asked if he could come with me! We went horseridng in the blue mountains together, and this started lots of weekend trips to do fun activites and hikes. During our hikes we had very deep talks about life and what we want and we both realised we were perfect for each other."

Some years later, the couple relocated to Ireland, and Dinuka chose Connemara as the location for a proposal! "We went horseriding on the beach, just like our first day trip together in Australia," Ciara remembers. "After the horseride, he took me on a walk to a cliff overlooking the ocean, and he got down on one knee and proposed. It was such a happy, beautiful moment!"

Ciara tells us that a very special family member inspired the couple's decision to get married in Ireland. "We really wanted my Granny to be there," she says. "She is really important to me, and it made the day so special that she could be there enjoying herself with us. It was also really important to us that Dee's family could be there, especially his grandparents, who came all the way from Sri Lanka. This made the day very special. We also wanted to have the ceremony in my home parish. We wanted the reception to be in the countryside and to show the beauty of Ireland, while also being somewhere that guests would really enjoy!"

The couple made sure to add some Sri Lankan touches to the day, too. "Ciara and her bridesmaid, Aoife, made the traditional Sri Lankan wedding cake to have as a wedding favour and people really enjoyed this," Dinuka says. "We also donated money in our guests' names to a Sri Lankan Children's Orphanage, which was important to us."

After the ceremony, the couple nipped home for a cuddle and some pictures with their dog, Chroí. "He is a two-year-old springer spaniel and is full of fun," Ciara says. "He comes on all of our hikes and adventures with us, so it was really important to us to get him involved in the wedding day somehow. We also got an adorable cake topper with him on it!"

We are huge fans of Ciara's off-shoulder, lace wedding dress by Essence of Australia. We can see lots of other brides pinning this look for inspiration - it's so chic and timeless!

We are completely smitten with the couple's wedding portraits, which were taken on the estate at Lyrath. "The lake pictures are my favourite," Ciara says. "Our photographer Jason made it look like we were in a fairytale." 

Ciara has got some really practical words of advice for engaged couples, which you know we're all about! "Figure out how to pin the buttonholes ahead of time - you'll need lots of safety pins!" she says. "Have a hair and makeup timeline for the day - we ran way over time, and were a lot later than we expected to the wedding. Don’t feel like you have to invite everyone, the day is much more relaxed when you are surrounded by people you know really well, and is more intimate. Over budget for unexpected costs and allow lots of time for making the table plan, as it takes longer than you think. We also highly recommend having the speeches after dinner. That way, guests aren't starving and enjoy them more."

For their honeymoon, the couple went to Italy and Zakynthos. "In Italy, we went to both Rome and Tuscany," Ciara says. "We did lots of activities while we were there, including cooking classes, horseriding and sightseeing in Italy. Our favourite place was in the Tuscan countryside. It was so beautiful and relaxing. We finished off our honeymoon relaxing at the pool in Zakynthos. We stayed at Lesante Blu resort and would highly recommend their honeymoon suites. You get a pool in the balcony, which overlooks the ocean!"

That's a wrap on Ciara and Dinuka's big day! At this point, we've got to say a huge thank you to the couple for giving us a look behind the scenes of their wedding, and to Weddings by Jason for sharing the beautiful imagery! There are more images from the day in the gallery below so be sure to click through for a look.