What a sweet real wedding we have in store for you! Elaine and Conor tied the knot in Northern Ireland, at the charming wedding venue of Manor House Country Hotel, in Co. Fermanagh, on a fresh October day. Featuring a chic bridal jumpsuit, a jive and deep purple bridesmaid gowns, and overall just a truly gorgeous love story! Jude Browne, who captured the magic at the manor, has shared all the images so pull up a pew and enjoy!
So let us jive - we mean dive - into Elaine and Conor's love story! Our bride Elaine has been dancing, particularly jiving at country music events for the past seven years. One night Conor appeared, and let's just say he didn't miss a beat and straight away asked Elaine to teach him how to dance. Many dates and dances later, the couple's love story lead to the next chapter. Elaine explains: "We went for an overnight stay at Ross Harbour Resort overlooking Lough Erne. While I was taking photos of the sun reflecting off the lake (as he knew I would as I love taking photos), I turned around to show Conor the photo and he was down on one knee and popped the question!"
The wedding aesthetic was inspired by Elaine's favourite season - autumn. She knew she wanted to incorporate some seasonal elements such as leaves, and warm tones through the wedding invitations and menus. "I chose the bouquet of flowers with a pop of autumnal colours to stand out against the bridesmaids' deep purple dresses," she says.
Take a look at the breathtaking bridal style! A minimalist bridal jumpsuit, with an incredible, flowing lace cape - we absolutely love this look that was a complete personal styling choice for our bride. She says: "The most special and personal element to my wedding day was 100% my wedding outfit! I wasn’t a fan of the usual wedding dresses and knowing I wanted to be able to dance all night to my favourite band really influenced me when wedding dress shopping. Charlie Brear makes very unique wedding pieces ranging from tops and skirts to layering, and modifying her own designs - you can add sleeves, and back pieces - the possibilities are endless. So the moment I stepped into the Charlie Brear Carson jumpsuit, I knew it was perfect for me!"
The ceremony had a lot of special touches such as having a close family friend as their celebrant along with some personal choices of ceremony music. "My brother read a reflection after communion and we had a great giggle as what he didn’t know was it was a lovely poem taken from a wedding card we had received!" laughs Elaine. The bride walked down the aisle to The One’ by Kodaline a moment which Elaine says still gives her goosebumps!
The location of this beautiful Northern Ireland wedding day was The Manor Country House, an historic manor house with lake views and extensive gardens overlooking Lough Erne, in Co. Fermanagh. Moments after they got engaged, the couple stumbled upon the venue - a sure sign! "The staff were extremely friendly and welcoming from the moment we set foot inside the hotel. The atmosphere is warm and homely and the mixture of a modern hotel with a classic country manor created a beautiful backdrop for photos. The food was delicious and every dietary requirement of our bridal party was met with ease. Una the wedding coordinator was always on the other end of the phone to answer the simplest of queries and provide helpful recommendations throughout our planning process," the couple says.
To infuse some fun, Elaine and Conor had a few surprises up their sleeves for their guests! "We really wanted our wedding to have a wow factor that made people remember the day with a smile, so we booked our secret singing waiter Brian. Brian entered the room dropping a tray and making a loud clatter. People rushed to help him up and just as he stood up and started singing. He lifted the sleepy atmosphere after the meal by getting everyone to their feet waving napkins and leading the guests to the top table dancing on chairs and finishing with a conga line throughout the venue!"
As for their first dance, or shall we say first jive, Elaine and Conor impressed guests with their dancing skills to Walk With Me by Mike Denver. "As we are both jivers, the band was one of the most important elements for us because we wanted a jive as our first dance since our love of dancing brought us together. I also wanted to put my own twist on the traditional style of the wedding by having no speeches. Our parents sat with their own friends and family instead of at the top table."
Once the wedding celebrations came to an end, the lovebirds jetted off to the beautiful Royal Hideaway Corales Beach adult-only resort in Tenerife. "We went on honeymoon three days after getting married. It was the perfect escape to switch off, relax and just enjoy each other's company after all the months of planning!"
A very special thank you to Elaine, Conor and Jude Browne for sharing their magical manor house wedding day with One Fab Day.
Are you thinking of a Northern Irish wedding? We have real weddings for inspiration and magical northern venues for you to explore, from Big Impact Small Venues to Amazing Civil Ceremony Spots!
