Although we're technically in the height of Summer, this weather is a little "mixed" for my liking, so I'm delighted that this morning we have a real Summer Wedding to cheer us up and remind us of how gorgeous sunny celebrations are in Ireland. Janette and Rich are college sweethearts and their romance culminated in a Midsummer's Night Dream inspired waterside celebration in the heart of Fermanagh. Our two favourite Lou's from Black Box Photography were asked to step behind the camera and captured the essence of this fabulous couple...
"We met at Uni in Southampton. I moved into a shared Uni house with 8 other people...it was a bit of a gamble as I didn't know all 8 of the people - Rich included! I remember the day that I moved in...my Aunty had come to help me unpack and she got speaking to Rich in the hallway. Before I had even set my suitcase down, she turned round and said with some sort of premonition 'you're going to enjoy living here.'"
It was within the first six months of living together in student grime that we realised we were becoming more than 'just good friends.' I noticed that Rich wasn't offering to cook for the other girls in the house! Rich noticed I wasn't staying up to 3am watching films with the other boys in the house!
Don't the boys look smart in their Zara suits? Loving the Mad Men/Beatnik styling, tres cool.
The proposal came as a big surprise! Rich had been sailing in the Mediterranean with his younger brother for a few months and I think it was this time apart that really confirmed how much we didn't want to ever again have to spend long apart. Rich came back from travelling to my family home in Fermanagh on Christmas Eve 2010 and proposed on New Years Eve.
"I remember getting in a strop with him as I had wanted to go out and he was really adamant that we stayed in and have a chilled one. After midnight I found a letter on my pillow asking if I would be his wife. I can't remember if he did the whole down-on-one-knee thing — I just remember crying like a baby! Crying to the point that Rich had to enquire whether they were happy tears or sad tears. But they were definitely happy tears — surprised tears, but very, very happy tears!"
Taking a leaf out of Kate Middleton's bridal book, Janette did her own make up but asked Blue Sky from Enniskillen to do her hair. Her side chignon is loose and romantic, a perfect match for her gorgeous ivory willow wedding dress from Belle and Bunty.
Rich is an illustrator so creating the stationery fell to him and he created these quirky little illustrations for both the invites and ceremony booklets.
You'd never know it to look at her but Janette was a little all over the place the morning of the wedding " I can't believe how sick with nerves I was on the morning of the wedding. Throughout the whole year and a half of planning, I had been so calm and relaxed. Then all at once, the nerves just hit me. And then once I had walked the aisle and was beside Rich, all nerves evaporated. It was such a wonderful feeling and I genuinely felt like the luckiest girl in the world!" Awwww...
This should be every bride's pose after walking down the aisle!
Our main goal for the day was to have it as relaxed and as informal as possible. Everyone who knows me knows that I am at my happiest floating around imagining I am a fairy with flowers in my hair! And Rich is at his happiest sitting in a field in the middle of nowhere with his sketch book and pencil. We always knew we wanted to have a whimsical, very natural, dreamy feel to the day. Full of fun and laughter! We wanted our guests to know how precious it was for us to have them share in our day.
How fab are these portraits? Natural, relaxed and perfectly in spirit with Janette's vision of a Midsummer Night's Dream - see why we love Blackbox Photography?
An essential for every Irish bride - Summer or Winter - the wellie boot!
Finding the perfect venue for their vision was surprisingly easy - but then it often is when you're very clear on what you want..."We didn't view any other venues than the Watermill. We knew as soon as we saw it that it was the perfect setting for our wedding. It was right in the middle of the countryside by the lake. The venue embodied the whimsical and Midsummer Dream spirit we wanted our day to have."
Bunting, wildflowers and a scattering of whimsical props were all that was needed to give the Watermill that feeling of home for Janette and Rich...
We used childhood, family and friend photographs to decorate the Watermill. It was so much fun going through boxes of old photos that had been hid away for years!
So what advice have you for other brides? "My advice would be to not let the hype and 'busy-ness' of wedding planning distract you from what the whole day is ultimately about. Remember that it is a day of celebration and to share it with your closest friends and family is a wonderful thing!
And I would absolutely recommend that you do really trust your wedding photographers — As the whole day goes by in a blink, it is just so exciting to see the photos back and relive those special moments that are captured on camera forever!"
You're absolutely right Janette - pick a fabulous photographic team like Lou & Lewis of Black Box Photography and trust them to create some magic, and look what you get... A huge thank you to them both for sharing their work on this beautiful wedding with us. For more beautiful work make sure to pop over to www.blackboxphoto.co.uk.
Congratulations Janette and Rich! Hope you're having a real Summer of love!
All the Wedding Details
- Ceremony: Tempo Methodist Church, Co. Fermanagh
- Reception: The Watermill, Lisnaskea, Co.Fermanagh
- Dress: Belle and Bunty
- Bridesmaids dresses: Coast
- Shoes: Dune
- Flowers: Mary Hoe
- Groomsmen’s suits: Zara
- Cake: Annika Latimer
- Cars: Chariot Classic Cars
- Wedding Favours: soaps were made by a friend — Linda Morten
- Hair: Blue Sky
- Music: Alex Bowron/Micky McGurn
