For today's real wedding, we're heading to Limerick for a colourful celebration at the Treaty City Brewery. Rachel and Kevin chose the unique venue located in a beautiful historic building in Limerick’s medieval quarter and as a result, became the first couple to get married there. Moving to the City View suite in The Strand Hotel for the reception, the couple really wanted to use as many local suppliers as possible and the results make for an eclectic display of the pair's bubbly personalities. Luckily for us, Kevin Murphy Photography was on hand to capture the fun-filled day.

Rachel and Kevin met back in 2009, however, it wasn't exactly love at first sight as it was a few more years before the pair became an item. In 2016, the pair met in the famous Nancy Blakes bar in Limerick City where they say "many a good romance begins" and Kevin has been making Rachel "the best cups of tea ever since".

Fast forward three years and as Rachel was getting excited for what she believed to be a trip to Killarney, Kevin had other plans. As the pair passed through Adare village, Kevin turned into the five-star manor surprising even Rachel (who makes sure to note that she's not easily surprised!) As they arrived at their room, Kevin pulled out a ring from Chupi -- Rachel's favourite -- and asked her to marry him. "We spent the weekend being treated like royalty," they told us. "It was very special!"

Rachel's dress was from the designer Anna Georgina which she picked up in The Attic Bridal Boutique in Limerick. She picked her shoes up from Carvela in Brown Thomas and while her statement leather jacket was a high street purchase from River Island, the hand-painted design on the back was done by Galway artist Karen Forde. 

When it came to wedding planning, the couple knew they wanted something unique to them and that was full of personality. "We're not very traditional so we knew we would never have a traditional wedding," they explained. "We really wanted to find somewhere special to have our ceremony as it was never going to be in a church. We found there is a lack of alternative venues in Ireland but when we found Treaty City Brewery right under our noses, we knew we made the right decision to hold out for the perfect venue. We were the first couple to ever get married there which we think is pretty special." 

The couple made the most of their surroundings on the big day and enjoyed a beer tasting and some live music after the ceremony. "We wanted to ensure everyone had a good time so we focussed on food, drink and music - all were in plentiful supply! The brewery is owned by our friends, Steve and Treasa Cunneen. They had restored the building so beautifully and kept so many original features and we just fell in love with the place and wanted to enjoy it on the day. The team even created a special brew just for our wedding day!"

Wedding decorating company Silk and Bloom transformed a working brewery into a romantic wedding venue with over 200 candles lighting on the day. They matched all silk flowers to the fresh flower colour scheme the couple had chosen and hand-made the macrame ceremony back-drop. The couple even had their own personalised beer bottles and a neon “happily ever after” sign which proved a huge hit and featured in everyone’s photos.

From there, the guests made the short trip across the Shannon to the City View suite in the Strand Hotel. "The hotel is in the middle of the city, right on the banks of the Shannon, with amazing views over the entire city - it was perfect," they said of their reception venue, however, Rachel and Kevin did make a small pitstop on the way.

"After leaving Treaty City Brewery, we walked to the Curragower bar and had a quiet drink just the two of us," Rachel revealed of their detour. "It was nice to get some time on our own before re-joining the madness!"

As a proud Limerick woman, Rachel wanted to use as many local suppliers as possible throughout the day including for their donut wall, flowers, and rings. 

Having spent just five months planning their wedding, Rachel and Kevin learned a lot from the experience. "Only work with suppliers that get your vision," they say. "We made sure to meet with multiple suppliers to ensure we had the best people for us. Those types of suppliers are a dream to work with, people who go the extra mile."

This is where we thank Rachel and Kevin for sharing their fun and unique day with us. Bursting with personality - and more importantly, love and smiles - the day was made all-the-more special with very best of local suppliers which was exactly what they wanted. Thanks also to Kevin Murphy Photography for capturing the day so beautifully.