A Seaside Soiree - Ruth & Jason

As you all know, we at OFD love a wedding that reflects the couple who are tying the knot and portrays each of their personalities. While styles and trends are very important in helping to decide on what you want for your big day, we think it is great when we receive a wedding and we know […]

As you all know, we at OFD love a wedding that reflects the couple who are tying the knot and portrays each of their personalities. While styles and trends are very important in helping to decide on what you want for your big day, we think it is great when we receive a wedding and we know straight away that it is unique to that couple. From the choice of ceremony and reception venues all the way down to the cufflinks and cake topper, Ruth and Jason's wedding was unique to them and their personalities were stamped all over their special day. That's the way it should be!


Before we dive to far into all of the amazing details, I think we better get some details on how this lovely couple came to be. So tell us Ruth, how did you two get together?

"A chance introduction by my younger sister, Maeve; Maeve and the college crowd had organised a night out after New Years, we were introduced briefly but don’t think we spoke to each other then again for the rest of the night! It wasn’t until a day trip to Glendalough two weeks later where we really got to know each other and the rest, as they say, is history!"

And the proposal? We know that Ruth was totally shocked by it but we need all of the juicy details...

"We had planned a return trip to Glendalough for Saturday, April 30th. Well when I say “we”, Jay had actually asked his friend, Mike, to pretend that he was organising the day trip. We left for Wicklow that morning and half way there, (surprise, surprise) Mike gave Jay a call to say that they couldn’t make it. We decided to keep going, despite the setback!  Jay decides we should walk by the side of the lake, he runs ahead and I remember shouting at him to slow down. I finally caught up with him, down on one knee, scratching his leg.. or so I thought. He then produced the ring box which was securely tucked (quite uncomfortably) into his sock for the whole day. I had Jay worried for a while as I was absolutely speechless for two straight minutes. As we know, I said yes and then we had our picnic to enjoy in the sunshine. A perfect day."

Ok time to get down to business with sharing some of the amazing details of the day with you and what better place to start then with the gorgeous flowers. Ruth's colour palette is vibrant and rich and made a huge impact against her white gown. They were created by the very talented Ina Mc Carthy and she did a fabulous job.

Because Ruth and Jason tied the knot away from their home town, Ruth wanted a nice location for the bridal party to be able to stay and prepare for the big day. "As we were not from the area, I wanted to find somewhere the bridal party could stay away from the hotel for the night before. I came across the gorgeous Kilmahon house in Shanagarry the night before. Owners Mary and Jeremy Martin took such great care of us, we were reluctant to leave the next day — we are all still dreaming about the breakfast! The photos from the house looked beautiful - looking forward to our return visit!"

What can we say about how beautiful Ruth looked. She had a real old Hollywood vibe to her ensemble and with her stunning dress from Bijou Bridal and her beautiful headpiece which was created by her very talented mother. "I asked my Mum would she consider making one for me, even though she had never made one before. She didn’t hesitate to say yes, I gave her a couple of ideas of what I wanted and her results were gorgeous." Philip Treacy better watch his back...We could have a new Irish milliner on the scene soon!

Could there be a more loving gaze from a husband to his bride? Jason looks completely in awe of how gorgeous Ruth looked. (He scrubbed up pretty well himself, don't you agree ladies?)

After the ceremony, which took place in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, the newly-weds and their glamourous guests made their way to Garryvoe Hotel in Cork.

The bridesmaid's beautiful aqua dresses were from Monsoon. The embellished shoulders are super stylish and the pop of colour from the flowers just finishes off their look so well.

How did Ruth and Jason decide on their reception venue?

"We knew we both wanted a venue with good food and wine, friendly staff, not too far from Waterford and of course the function room had to be up to scratch. Garryvoe ticked all the boxes and some; the beach front location was an added bonus."

How cool are the guys accessories? Jason was a big fan of Lego when he was a kid, so they included this in the day by using these fun and quirky Lego cuff links from Bricks and Badges . Just brilliant.

So was there an overall theme to Ruth and Jason's big day? "As we were close to the sea, we wanted a gentle nod towards that but at the same time, keeping it simple. Our invitations were coral red and aqua; with similar colours in our mass booklet. We named our tables after beaches in Waterford (where we are both from); our guest book was a “Message in a bottle” and we placed sea-shell filled lanterns on small tables in the reception room."  It's all in the little details...

Having the sea as a backdrop made for some gorgeous wedding photographs and the talented Inspired by Love were on hand to help.

Everyone was on hand to help on the day and it was a real "all hands on deck" affair. From the bridesmaids preparing the bathroom basket of essentials and matching bathrobes for the morning's beauty session, the ring cushion being lovingly created by Kathleen O’Sullivan, mother of Jay’s friend Tim, and Ruth's fab headpiece, made for her by her adoring Mammy, everybody chipped in.

Did the couple have a favourite moment of the day? Ruth said this was a tough decision but they had to go with the ceremony. 

"We had put alot of effort into personalising the ceremony, picking the readings and music and it really paid off. As the bride, arriving at the church, my mum giving me away and seeing all your family and closest friends was so exciting not to mention emotional. Getting to the top of the church, seeing each other was a very special moment for both of us."

Do we see a little Lego surprise on the top of the cake? How sweet is the Lego bride. Her bouquet is just so elegant!

We will leave you on this last little nuggest of advice from Ruth. "Don’t sweat the small stuff — Jay will tell you that the wedding brought out my inner control freak and I was really getting caught up in the minute detail of things. So important to remind yourself, especially as it gets closer to the wedding, that people while yes appreciate the effort you put in, they really don’t worry too much about the smaller details. On the day itself, we just enjoyed ourselves; no point in worrying about anything at that stage!"   

Thanks so much to Sona from Inspired by Love for sharing these oh so pretty images and many congratulations to Ruth and Jason. Congratulations on your big day!

All the Wedding Details

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