Our real wedding couple Aislinn and Leo infused their lakeside wedding in Dromquinna Manor in Co. Kerry with some cool, contemporary wedding magic on a gorgeous September day. Their stylishly-chic nuptials were inspired by modern minimalism, and finished with supberb additions from a wedding dress change into a floral gown to the couple's arrival in a classic convertible! The beautiful imagery was captured by Syona Photography and we can't wait for you to check them out. What are you waiting for...
Childhood sweethearts Leo and Aislinn grew up close to one another in the same town in Co. Cork. Their love story began at a nightclub in their late teens, and have been together ever since! Fast forward to later years, on a weekend to Inchydoney with Aislinn's siblings and their families. She explains, "On the train from Dublin to Cork, Leo insisted he had to get off in Mallow as his dad had phoned him and needed to talk. I was concerned that something serious was up. He said he'd follow down later that evening. Once Leo arrived, we had a nice relaxed evening catching up and drinking wine in front of the fire. The next morning, we went down for a sea swim at sunrise. I'd become a bit of a sea swimmer during the pandemic, but was pleasantly surprised that Leo suggested it that morning," she says. "The water was freezing and it wasn’t long before Leo made his exit. We had only one towel between us, so when I got out and he was still getting changed, I went for a jog down the beach to keep warm. Unknown to myself, I was running away from a proposal! As soon as I got back to him, he put the towel around me and got down on one knee. With nobody else on the beach, it was a really lovely moment!" It turned out Leo had organised the whole proposal within 24 hours and had bought the ring the day before during work meetings and the reason for the train embarkment the evening before was to ask Aislinn's dad for his permission, how sweet!
We adore Aislinn's timeless bridal upstyle - simple, elegant and the perfect choice to show off those showstopping statement earrings.
A very important element when planning their wedding was ensuring the day would reflect them as a couple. "We love the outdoors so we chose a date in September hoping the weather would still be fine. We wanted a sophisticated day that was still informal and relaxed for our guests and of course lots of fun too! I wanted it to be a stress-free day so there were virtually no jobs assigned to my bridal party or family. I wanted everyone to show up and just have a good time!" says Aislinn.
We see some black-tie wedding magic at play! Leo and his stylish groomsmen chose dapper tuxedos to complement the modern minimalist wedding vibe. Their arrival was even more stylish in a vintage convertible, which was the perfect way to travel on such a hot day. Just wait until you see the rest of the wedding party, the beautiful bridesmaids wore a selection of silky champagne mix-and-match dresses which our savvy bride sourced from H&M.
A special moment for Aislin was a last-minute 'something borrowed' that held significant sentimental meaning. She says: "My grandmother died a week before my wedding at the age of 96. My aunt Mary offered me my grandmother’s diamond earrings to wear on the day. She brought them to the church and I put them on moments before I walked down the aisle with my dad. It was emotional but really special!"
Before we dish the details on Aislinn's breathtaking bridal style, let's dive into the aesthetic behind this cool, yet relaxed wedding day! "I knew I wanted something timeless that would stand the test of time, but I still wanted the day to be cool and contemporary. I was constantly drawn to minimalistic wedding imagery online and in magazines, so I think all my choices stemmed from there. Our florist made this gorgeous, natural, primarily foliage asymmetrical arch for the entrance of the church and my bouquet was made up of white flowers and light green foliage. So simple, but really effective!" she says.
The couple left the church for the wedding venue like movie stars! So, what made this Cork couple, who live in Dublin, choose Co. Kerry for their magical wedding day location? "We narrowed down venues that were most in line with my chic and minimal aesthetic. We knew we wanted an exclusive-use venue where only our guests would be on site. The views of Kenmare Bay at Dromquinna Manor are breathtaking and really sold the venue to us as we love being by the sea. I loved the idea of having our day two in the Boat House which is also on-site. The gorgeous weather meant we were able to go swimming when we woke up the morning after our wedding and lots of our guests joined us! It was so lovely and a great way to kick-start day two," saysAislinn. "Kenmare is also such a fantastic town and has such a holiday buzz to it. I knew our guests would love it. The food at Dromquinna is also amazing and I knew the shared charcuterie board for starters would be a crowd pleaser!"
Our bride stole the style show in a swoon-worthy wedding gown! The dress had a strapless, sculpted bodice underneath a delicately pleated tulle over skirt, with romantic sleeves that complemented it perfectly! "I won’t lie, what I wore on my wedding day was very important to me. I always loved fashion, so I really wanted my dress - or should I say dresses - to reflect me. I loved my NEWHITE dress as I thought it was different but still bridal and elegant. My Zania mules from Jimmy Choo were very simple, but had the most gorgeous cut and mini stiletto heel," she adds.
The newlyweds have offered some great wedding advice, along with their inspiring wedding portraits: "Definitely stay true to yourselves and let the day represent you as a couple. Don’t do anything just because it’s the ‘done thing’. I really pared back the day and had no extras. In my opinion, less is more sometimes. I would also say only plan so much and the rest will fall into place. If you try and plan every moment, things are bound to go wrong somewhere."
Their honeymoon was just as dreamy as their wedding day! The couple jetted off on a summer holiday to Croatia and Montenegro immediately after the wedding. "Both countries are beautiful but I was wrecked and was sick for a lot of it. I would definitely recommend other couples to wait a couple of weeks or months before going on their honeymoon to give time for recovery and also to have to something to look forward to! A short staycation or mini moon straight after would have been a better option!"
A feather-inspired wedding cake to complement her chic feather bridal pyjamas! And below the most gorgeous way to display table numbers - delicate little sailing boats.
Now, this is a detail we teased above, so we cannot wait to share Aislinn's wedding dress change! "I hadn’t intended getting a second dress but when I came across the Martin dress by Bernadette I knew I had to have it. It’s not an obvious wedding look as it has coloured flowers, but it worked perfectly as an evening look and was so comfortable and fun to dance in. I can’t wait to wear it again!"
Their first dance was their favourite part of the wedding day! They chose to take to the lawn under the starry night sky and embrace the musical moment, dancing to Let's Stay Together by Al Green performed by their seven-piece jazz band. "Of course, this idea was very much weather dependent, so I didn’t think too much about it, but it worked out amazingly. I remember dancing with Leo and looking up at all our guests who were holding sparklers and thinking this is pure magic!"
What a beauty! A very special thank you to our lovely couple Aislinn and Leo along with Syona Photography for sharing the beautiful images with One Fab Day.
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