If you fell in love with Laura and Michael's Carton House wedding film, which we featured over the weekend, then you're gonna fall hard for all the rest of the incredible details from their day which we're sharing today! Classically romantic, but with contemporary touches, Laura and Michael's day features tons of lush florals, a chic white and blush colour scheme, and some seriously jaw-dropping bridal style!
Guests gathered for a dreamy, flower-filled ceremony before joining the newlyweds indoors later that day for an evening of dinner and dancing in Carton House's ballroom, also filled to the brim with fresh florals. The couple chose photographer & videographer team Under the Veil to capture all the memories and fabulous details and we're thrilled to share them all with you today.
Groom Michael originates from Dublin, while bride Laura hails from Hillsborough Northern Ireland, where they are both now currently based.
The couple met in 2014 when they were both set up by their two good friends (who are now also husband and wife!) Allie and Ali. The bride fills us in, "Michael used to play rugby professionally and moved to England to play in the Championship. He then moved in with one of my good friends, boyfriend, now husband! I was living in London and Michael was living in Sheffield. She was over visiting and met Michael and thought we would be really suited and Whatsapped me saying I think this is the guy for you! I didn't think much of it but agreed to go to watch a rugby match that he was playing in London so I could meet him. And since then we have been together."
The proposal happened while the couple were on a holiday in Rome in 2019. The bride reminisces, "We arrived on a Friday and had the best day exploring Rome. On the way to dinner that night Michael was a bit flustered and was determined to go to the Trevi fountain. I wasn’t keen as I knew it would be busy so we ended up going straight out for dinner. During dinner, Michael was acting weird and on edge and I just thought he wanted to get out and about to sightsee. So on our walk home, we decided to go via the Trevi fountain."
"When we got there we couldn’t believe how many people were there. We couldn’t even get near it! So we decided to leave the sightseeing that evening and walk back to our hotel. On the way how we had to cross the Ponte Sant'Angelo (St. Angelo Brodge) which is such a beautiful spot in Rome. I had admired it earlier that day when we had crossed it. It was so beautiful. As we crossed the bridge, it was very quiet and Michael asked me to stop walking for a minute. I turned to him and he got on one knee. As he got on one knee a group of ladies were walking over the bridge and they started clapping and cheering! He continued with his speech and asked me to marry him! We hugged for what seemed like eternity. Best trip ever!"
Laura and Michael opted to have welcome drinks before their ceremony got underway giving their guests a chance to mingle and groom Michael a chance to say his hello’s and welcome their guests. "A lot of our guests loved this idea and they all got a chance to get to know each other too. As I was getting ready, I had major FOMO that I was not a part of it!"
The couple said their 'I do's' in an outdoor, humanist ceremony on the lawn at Carton House, which they tell us brings them so many wonderful memories. "We asked Emer Dillon to officiate our wedding and she was absolutely brilliant. One thing that was important to us was a ceremony that wasn’t too long, was personal (Emer told our story on how we met), and that it was relaxed with lots of laughter. Emer hit the brief! It was honestly such a special part of our wedding, standing up in front of everyone we love, making it official!"
When it came to planning their wedding, the couple had one main priority, "We wanted everyone to have fun!", the bride tells us. She adds, "it is so rare to have everyone under one roof so we wanted to make the most of it. We wanted to ensure that everyone came away with full bellies and full hearts. We also wanted everything to be on site as we really wanted to limit travel between the ceremony and reception so our guests could get more time enjoying themselves"
And the perfect venue for their day? The luxurious and chic Carton House. "We received such a warm welcome from Carton House the first time we met them back in 2019. Our wedding was meant to be July 2021 but Covid had other plans for us. Carton House was so helpful when moving the date to the following year. The main reason we picked Carton House was that it was a stately home combined with a hotel that had plenty of accommodation. Ideal for all our guests to avoid staying off-site. Carton House has beautiful gardens and two amazing golf courses, we knew the photo opportunities were endless. I cannot rate Carton House high enough. They made our day so special and I love all the staff dearly. And don’t get me started on the food! So many of our guests said it was the best food they have ever eaten at a wedding and they are not wrong. It was amazing!"
That Just Married feeling!
When it came to the look and feel of the day, the couple didn't have a theme, but wanted to keep things timeless and classic, with a hint of contemporary, and a large dash of fun! Laura tells us, "I would say we kept things very soft and romantic. Colours were subtle and there were lots of candles on the tables. Timeless was a keyword for us. I really loved our room for the dinner reception. It was better than I ever imagined. Frog Prince nailed it!"
"Our dress code for the wedding was black tie. It’s such a classic look that never ages. All our guests looked so wonderful! In terms of the ambience, it was all about fun and laughter. We wanted to make sure our guests understood that we were celebrating our love for each other and how thankful we were for each and every one of our guests to be in attendance to witness our celebration. Fun was also a key word for us. We wanted a day and night to remember!"
Can we have a little commotion for Laura's gorgeous gown?! For the ceremony and dinner, the bride chose a floral embellished, strapless Riki Dalal gown with detachable tulle Bishop sleeve detail. She completed her look with a bespoke full-length veil, the sparkly Follies Strass heels by Christian Louboutin, and Rime Arodaky pearl drop earrings.
The bride's romantic bouquet was made up of beautiful blooms including, peonies, roses, stock, aistilbe and sweet pea.
The bridesmaids wore beautiful off-the-shoulder blush full-length gowns which the bride sourced on ASOS, while the groom and all groomsmen and family members wore black tie tuxedoes.
"Instagram was my bible when planning the wedding and also Pinterest. I had a shared board with Frog Prince on Pinterest which we talked through and shared ideas. The team at Frog Prince were absolutely brilliant. Knew exactly what I wanted! We really wanted to get married outside on the Carton House grounds as the views are amazing. Frog Prince organise a marquee and decorated it so beautifully. There were flowers everywhere!"
Continuing with the fun theme of the day, the couple curated their own playlist to add a little party atmosphere. "We were very particular about music so we had created a dinner playlist to play in the ballroom whilst we had our meal. We opted for '70s/'80s disco/funk. It was such a hit and got people in such a great mood! Subtle touches that no one notices can have such a big impact on the mood and vibe of your guests! I would highly recommend that couples think of their music during the meal."
As for advice for other couples planning their day, Laura says, "I would try to think about what size of wedding you want first. Do you want small and intimate or do you want over 100 people? This will help you determine your venue. From there, think of location, is it at home or is it abroad? However, there is no right or wrong way but for us, this was the most logical way. I feel that nailing down a venue first helps everything fall into place and helps set a vibe for your wedding day.
The couple had a gorgeous naked wedding cake adorned with roses and greenery, and a dusting gold leaf to add a little luxe.
"Also, we wish we didn't care so much about everyone else. We completely forgot about how we would feel or what we wanted and worried about keeping everyone else happy. We put our feelings on the back burner. And this shouldn’t be the case. You must remember that the day is about your two. Pick the things you want, do the things you want, and do not worry about anyone else. Enjoy each moment as it goes in a blink of an eye!"
Laura and Michael's first dance as newlyweds was to “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr and Bill Withers.
Later that evening the bride and groom changed into second looks for the evening celebrations. Bride Laura stunned in a sleek, strapless, fully embellished Wona Concept gown, while groom Michael looked incredibly dapper in a wine velvet tuxedo jacket.
After the celebrations, the couple jetted off on a mini-moon honeymoon to Ibiza staying in the Old Town Ibiza area. "We highly recommend this destination for newlyweds, so much fun! We are going to Mexico in September for our friend's wedding and will be staying on to have our honeymoon after!"
A huge thank you to Michael and Laura for sharing their chic Carton House wedding day images and film with us, and a big thank you also to Under the Veil for sharing them both with us. Check out more incredible photos that are sure to inspire you in the gallery below.
For more beautiful Irish Real Weddings, see here!