Today's real wedding couple, Emma and Danielle, are a couple of real life Derry Girls. Having met in their teens originally, like many of us, after school they drifted apart. Love though, like water always finds its way. Years later these two were back in their hometown, and realised their feelings hadn't changed, but deepened. Due to the (then) NI restrictions they chose to marry a short hop across the border in Donegal, but justly proud of their beloved homeplace, Derry was a central part of their day of celebration and commitment. This wedding is a love letter to a fabulous couple and a gem of a city. All captured by Holly & Lime Photography.

Emma took us back in time to when the couple first made eyes at each other across a crowded room... We met 12 years ago as teenagers in a local bar in Derry. We were introduced through a mutual friend and after our first kiss, our romance started from there. We were both completing our A Levels and ended up going to university in two different countries. We tried to make long distance work as best we could, but ultimately ended up drifting apart due to the stress of Uni and the physical distance between us...

We often bumped into each other on nights out in Derry and were always gravitating towards each other. Fast forward to 2016, our relationship began again. This time it was for keeps. We were older, more mature and ready for the relationship that was always meant to be.

Skip forward a few years and the ladies were ready to make a commitment, Danielle had some grand plans on the cards that Emma knew nothing about, but (almost) always with proposals, there were a couple of bumps before the question could be popped... Our favourite place to visit for some luxury and fine dining is Lough Eske Castle in County Donegal. We were ‘gifted’ a night away by a family member and off we went to enjoy our weekend. When we arrived at the castle, we were told the room wasn’t ready (but Danielle had this planned), so we were encouraged to take a walk and enjoy the autumnal scenery surrounding the Castle. This was a very romantic idea in theory, but Danielle being Danielle, we ended up getting lost for an hour and a half while she tried to find the perfect spot to propose...

Finally on our way back to the Castle, Danielle found a spot that seemed perfect. So Danielle offered to take some ‘candid’ photos of me in the autumnal surroundings for the 'gram. While I was blissfully unaware of what was about to happen, I was staring off into the trees giving the camera my best ‘natural look’. Danielle asked me to turn round to her slowly and there she was; standing in front of me holding the most beautiful ring I have ever seen. We both began to tear up and after a short declaration of love, Danielle asked me to marry her. And I obviously said yes!

The couple live in Derry but had to be married over the border so they decided to redesign the wedding day in a way that made sense to them. They chose to get ready together in the morning and had a set of portraits taken in Derry early on before the ceremony, which gave them time to relax and enjoy each other's company, and of course to visit all the special places that are near to their hearts...  Our wedding was a complete reflection of who we are as a couple. We are not traditional and value personal touches that we will remember forever.  Although we were not legally allowed to marry in Northern Ireland, Derry is still our home, and our city's historic landmarks feature heavily in our photos. We are the original Derry Girls!  Spending the entire day together made our wedding feel much more personal. It never occurred to us to spend most of the day apart and we specifically chose Friday 13th as we consider ourselves quite unlucky haha!

The ceremony and reception took place at Rockhill House just outside Letterkenny in Donegal and was everything the couple dreamt of... We chose to have a spiritualist ceremony which allowed us to include elements that meant something to us. For example, we had a ring warming ceremony where our wedding bands were passed around the guests in a beautiful ring box hand made by Emma's Daddy, Gerry. Emma’s sister and Danielle’s brother each did a reading and Danielle’s youngest brother was the ring bearer.

From the ceremony space it was just a short stroll across to the main house where their fab celebrations awaited...

Rockhill House Estate blew our minds from the moment we drove through the gates. It has a very luxurious vibe while remaining homely and comforting with warm lights and fires throughout. it needs to be seen to be believed. One of the main selling points for us was their impressive wine collection displayed behind a glass wall, and also that they have a cheese cellar!. Their passion for food and wine matched ours and the whole estate was exclusively ours for the day. Everyone felt so comfortable and at home and we can’t thank the staff of Rockhill enough for everything they done for us.

Don’t stress the small stuff. None of it will matter on the day. And also, if you can, hire vendors as much as possible; don’t give yourself too much work. And enjoy it!

The couple have a very simple summary of their wedding: Best. Day. Ever. It was relaxed but elegant, and everything we could have hoped for. The dance floor never emptied, and the wine never stopped flowing. What more could you ask for really?

Danielle’s life long friend also did a surprise performance after the first dance singing Stevie Wonder Superstition which was quite fitting considering the date!

As the wedding was last September, the couple were able to head off on honeymoon - they chose theHard Rock Hotel and Casino in the Dominican Republic... It was beautiful and exactly what we needed after 10 months of wedding planning stress!

Huge Congratulations to Emma & Danielle - hope married life is treating you both well! And major thanks for sharing your fabulous wedding with us all. And of course to Holly & Lime Photography a huge thanks for sharing their beautiful images!