When we first received the images of this gorgeous wedding, I smiled. It is such a bright, sunshiney wedding in all the right ways, just what we need to cheer us up on dull days like today. Held at one of the prettiest castles in Ireland, Lough Eske Castle, Anna and Cathal's gorgeous wedding was captured […]

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When we first received the images of this gorgeous wedding, I smiled. It is such a bright, sunshiney wedding in all the right ways, just what we need to cheer us up on dull days like today. Held at one of the prettiest castles in Ireland, Lough Eske Castle, Anna and Cathal's gorgeous wedding was captured perfectly by photographer Sarah Fyffe. This wedding combines all of the elements we love in a wedding, one part glam, one part rustic, pretty personal touches, great photography and just enough femininity to set our hearts fluttering....

A stunning Amanda Wakeley wedding gown paired with Jimmy Choo's, bridesmaids in gorgeous dresses and a whole lot of peach and ivory wedding accents? Yep…Anna and Cathal's wedding has all the ingredients for a perfectly pretty wedding.

So Anna, how did you two lovebirds meet? Cathal and I met in Sally’s nightclub, Omagh, after he stole my ‘missing’ lip gloss from my pocket and then claimed to have found it for me! We have been together ever since, 8 years in fact. We survived a long distance relationship while I was at Uni in Liverpool and he was at Uni in Belfast, then again a few years later when he moved to Germany to work for a year and 6 months. So when Cathal got offered a job in Dubai, I didn’t have to think twice about following him.

And what about putting a ring on it? It was my birthday and Cathal had organised a meal that night. I had no idea and I was stressing all evening about what to wear, not realising he had a question to ask. We went to an exclusive restaurant in Dubai called ‘Pier Chic’, a seafood restaurant located on a pier, overlooking the Burj al Arab. It was soo romantic and at the end of the meal Cathal gave me my Birthday card and said he was so sorry that he hadn’t given me my present but that he would collect it the next day. What he had written in the card was soo lovely, and I kept reading and reading it, not noticing Cathal rummaging around in his sock (where he had hidden the ring). He told me he meant every word he had written in the card and that’s why he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, then the ring came out. After I stopped crying, he asked me, ‘well, yes or no’? Of course I said yes! (It was very sweet, as for weeks he had been sneaking off to the Gold and Diamond Park in Dubai watching them make my ring).

Check out those Jimmy Choo's girls, Anna is one lucky lady!

As my wedding date was in April, I wanted a lovely, soft, fresh and airy spring theme, with peach and ivory. As the reception venue was a castle, I wanted a classical style to suit the setting with a mix of vintage also, as I love vintage pieces. I had found a cut out from a ‘You and Your Wedding magazine and based my theme around this. When getting married, I had always envisioned Chivari chairs at my reception and thankfully hiring these led me to the wonderful Grace and Saviour. Grace knew my taste and what I wanted from the word go. So much so that she emailed me the same cut out, thinking I would like it! She was an absolute star, and she helped me capture the exact picture that I had in my mind! However, I must also mention the lovely Karen from House of Elliot, she arranged the flowers to perfection, I am so happy to have found her through Grace’s recommendation.

The special touches at a wedding are those really personal things that friends and family do for each other, and these create the best moments.... "One favourite memory was waking up on the morning of my wedding, my mum came into my room and gave me a charm bracelet of hers from when she was a teenager, her brother had collected all the charms for her, and my Granny’s vintage brooch which I put on my bouquet, this was really special. Second to this, I had a handkerchief embroidered for my Dad, which read, ‘Dad, of all the walks we have taken together, this my favourite by far, Love always your daughter Anna’. I gave this to my father as we were about to leave the house, it was funny as he thought it was just a tie and I will always remember his face as he opened the box, it is a memory I will cherish forever. Finally, walking up the aisle with my Dad and seeing Cathal waiting for me (after 45 minutes), was my favourite moment of the day"

Sarah-Fyffe---Beautiful-Bride-with-her-Dad

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A precious moment together as newlyweds…

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Those bridesmaids dresses… super pretty and oh-so-feminine. The coloured silk with gorgeous lace overlay, brings Anna's peach and ivory palette to life without being too overpowering.

Sarah-Fyffe---Bride-and-Groom-Relaxed-Shot

How did you choose your venue? "When the Lough Eske first opened, I recall going there for lunch with my family and thinking what a wonderful place it would be to have a wedding. When we decided to have the wedding at home it was the first place we thought of, and all the awards that they have won for ‘wedding venue of the year’ etc, made it even more appealing. From the first phone call to them the service was impeccable and I have to say a sincere thank-you to Donal and Mark who were fantastic on the day. I was sure Donal was going to kill me for being soo late and holding up the dinner, but both him and Marc co-ordinated everything around it. Everyone commented on how amazing the food was and the service, I couldn’t recommend the hotel highly enough! In fact it was soo nice we couldn’t leave and stayed another 2 nights after the wedding."

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When planning my wedding, I really wanted something to keep the guys happy, and the lovely Grace Cousins, from Grace & Saviour, put a cigar bar together for me, which was a massive hit with the guys! She even sourced vintage matches from all over!! In addition to this I hired a vintage type-writer from Grace, with monogrammed paper, as an unusual way for guests to leave us messages. I had toyed with the idea of a photo booth but it seemed like a big expense, however, I hired a BIG vintage photo from Grace, which was basically a card board cut out of a couple getting married, the faces were cut out so the guests could pop their own faces in there. This proved to be great fun.

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Cathal made sheets for all the guests, which asked them to fill out their best moment of the day, their advice for married life, to draw a picture of us in 5 years and then 10, and to tell us how many kids we would have and what names. This was so much fun and they formed part of the speeches.

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So, Anna, any words of advice for brides preparing for their big day? My advice would be to try and stay calm and also keep in mind the whole meaning of the day, which can be forgotten among all the hectic planning. Make sure you plan the wedding your way, as it is your day, so it should be personal to you both. For all the brides out there, especially the international ones, try and get plenty of rest and a good night sleep before the big day, this is something I regret not doing. Pay that bit extra for a great band, the Professionals were amazing and had everyone on the dance floor all night....

...Lastly, make sure you have a fantastic photographer like Sarah Fyffe. Both Cathal and I aren’t big fans of the camera and this was the part of the day that I was most petrified about. Sarah not only made us feel at ease but she was also great fun. I was late for the Chapel, and hence this put us behind schedule for most of the day but Sarah never showed any sign of pressure and she captured all the best moments beautifully — a true professional!"

Hear, hear! Sarah is a great photographer and a really lovely person to boot - she even sent me and Mr. McNally-to-be a little card during the week - thanks so much Sarah! If you love Anna and Cathal's wedding, then pop over to www.sarahfyffe.com to spot lots more gorgeousness