Well ladies and gents, what a wonderful wedding we have for you today. It has all of the elements that we love including a gorgeous dress, a marquee reception at home in a cute thatched cottage, lots of sweet DIY details, delicious food. In fact we just love everything about this wedding, all beautifully photographed by Pawel Bebenca!

This day was a right old hooley, as Rob is a musician so there were plenty of Irish musicians throughout the day. They played during the ceremony, after the band and again the next day, and as the wedding took place at home they could party all night and make as much noise as they wanted! Sounds like fun. Let the party begin...

Kate really wanted a relaxed affair and a party at home seemed like the perfect solution! Some words from the blushing bride herself: 'The setting was important to us as it was the house where I first grew up and spent summers and many weekends there.'

Kate and her girls spent the morning getting ready at home in the capable hands of Audrey from Upstyle Junkie.  Kate sourced her gorgeous dress from Belle and Bunty. You know the expression 'Beg, borrow or steal" well Kate borrowed lots and lots. 'I borrowed shoe clips from friend , borrowed a bag from same friend, necklace was my grandmothers, borrowed earrings.' If budget is a problem then take note. We think having something passed on to you or borrowed adds something extra special to the day. Even Kate borrowed her tiara from the queen!

These retro style bridesmaids dresses are just so gorgeous. The tea-length dress is ever growing in popularity and it makes for a very sensible choice when having a marquee wedding. Your bridesmaids won't have to worry about tripping over or holding up the dresses to avoid the muddy Irish ground (which let's be realistic, is a possibility) and can concentrate on having fun!

And now off to the ceremony venue, which you might recognise from our post about fabulous civil ceremony venues - Butler House, right in the heart of Kilkenny City, backing onto the Castle. With its sweeping staircases, magnificent plastered ceilings, marble fireplaces and a charming walled garden, everything went so well with the vision Kate and Rob had for their special day and it was the perfect location for them.

And how were the brides' nerves holding up? 'The moment where I walked into the ceremony room and saw everyone. That was incredible. I had been completely calm and collected the morning of the wedding and then lost it as I walked in and saw all my friends and family and of course Rob at the top.'

The ceremony was beautiful and very personal to the couple. They were clearly relaxed and comfortable in each others company and surrounded by their family and friends. You can see how happy they were by just looking at their faces. Non stop smiling.

The new Mr. and Mrs. and what a gorgeous couple they make!

How cute is their reception venue? It is so quintessentially Irish and just the most adorable little house we have ever seen.

Thatched roof, handmade bunting and vintage bikes...yes please! What a gorgeous setting for a wedding reception.

How fab are the flowers? Aren't they just to die for? Kate chose soft pastel colours and the ever beautiful pink peonies and they complimented her gorgeous Belle and Bunty dress perfectly.

These black and white images are so striking and will stand the test of time. Beautiful portraits of a couple in love.

Choosing to have your wedding at home is a big decision. Kate gives us some insight into how she planned the day... 'We didn’t even really try and look at anywhere else as we got stuck on the idea of having it at home. There were quite a few moments along the way were we regretted that vision but in hindsight it was worth it and we wouldn’t have had it any other way.'

'It was an all hands on deck affair which as outlined above included refurbishing the cottage where the wedding was. Aunts and family friends helped with the garden. The bar was built by Rob and his friends. My friends and sisters did an amazing job of helping with making the napkins and bunting, including embroidering them and ironing them.'

'My parents went to France to get the wine and champagne. The wedding cupcakes were homemade as were the favours. The table plan was designed and made by my best friend. Wherever we could we made it ourselves. Table numbers, welcome sign. There was a huge amount of jam jars collected. Homemade raspberry and strawberry cordials were made in the days leading up to the wedding for the reception.'

Rustic and shabby-chic are the words that come to mind when I look at Kate and Robs' flowers. The simple little jar arrangements are so sweet. The flowers were bought wholesale from Tyrol Flowers and a friend, Susan Eaton, prepared them. It just goes to show that you don't need huge showy centre pieces in order to make an impact.

Any advice from the bride? 'Don’t have a marquee wedding! Well, not really, as we loved it but the lead up to the wedding was very stressful. Especially with the thunder and torrential rain. You also have to think about mad stuff like health and safety and cleaning it the next day. It was big trip to the bottle bank the following week. But the positives definitely outweigh the negatives as we used the marquee for two days and it was just lovely being at home in a place which is very special to us and our families.' 

'My guiding rule was we are having a party and how do we do that for 140 people. That meant, trying to make sure everyone was comfortable, warm, dry, well fed and very very well watered. After that, I wasn’t too bothered about the dress, bridesmaids, make up etc. (Though others might disagree!).'

[Editors' Note: As you read this I am in the final throes of preparing for my own marquee wedding in my family holiday home - tomorrow in fact, and while I haven't yet had the wedding, and God knows what tribulations are ongoing, can I just say now that Kate is 100% right in everything she says! Organising your own marquee wedding is not for the faint-hearted, but (hopefully) it is worth it in the end]

'Stick to your instincts. I loved all the crafty stuff we did but it is not for everyone.'

Here is a little gem of bridal advice from Kate: 'On a practical note, I would remind brides to be to let their dress down. At the start of the day I was attempting to hold it up and trying not to stand on it and a friend came over and told me to let it go. It was going to get ruined anyway in the garden and otherwise all our photos would have been of me holding the dress up. Have the table plan perfected as soon as you can. That was stressful. Don’t drink too much if you want to remember everything!'

Any last words? "Hire Pawel - he is a calm and lovely photographer who takes amazing pictures!" Hear, hear - ladies and gentlemen, we completely agree. Pawel Bebenca is a true gem of a photographer and if you're still in the market for a photographer, you would go a long way to find one as talented - hop on over to his website and take a gander at some of his other beautiful weddings. So there you have it. A beautiful rustic wedding in a traditional thatched Irish cottage. Do we or do we not get to show you the most amazing weddings? Thanks to Pawel Bebenca for sharing his wonderful work with us and of course a big thank you to Rob and Kate for letting us in on their very special day. Congratulations!

All the Wedding Details

• Ceremony: Butler House
• Photography: Pawel Bebenca
• Wedding Dress: Belle and Bunty from Vintage Bride
• Make Up & Hair: Audrey from Upstyle Junkie
• Bridesmaids dresses: Warehouse
• Bridal Shoes: Next
• Bridesmaid shoes: Topshop, Dune
• Groom’s suit: Vietnam
• Veil: Minna