Today's real wedding brings us to one of our favourite wedding venues, Ashley Park House, and a couple that didn't let the pandemic stop them from having an outrageously good time on their big day. Aine and Andy had the all-too-common experience of having to change their plans last year due to lockdown restrictions but still managed to create a day full of love and laughter. Downsizing from 300 guests to 25, and changing their venue just 12 days before they tied the knot, this couple really rolled with the punches, and, in the end, had a thoroughly dreamy day, and even got some gorgeous weather to boot! The team at Awake and Dreaming Photography were there to capture it all in glorious detail. Happy perusing!

Aine and Andy met ten years ago while they were on holiday. "We actually met in Gran Canaria, hit it off, and became good friends," Aine told us. "We stayed in contact for years afterward and often tried to arrange meet-ups but life and sport got in the way. We eventually bumped into each other again on a night out in Kilkenny in 2015, and made sure to arrange a date for the following weekend in Limerick, and we've been together ever since."

After meeting on a Spanish island, Andy chose an Italian lake to pop the big question. "He proposed in Lake Garda in 2019," Aine says. "It was after months of planning on Andy's behalf. We rented a boat for the day and set off around the lake for a few hours. Andy planned to propose at 2pm but nerves got the better of him, so it took a few more hours for him to build up the courage. We immediately phoned our parents who were over the moon."

As many other couples know all too well, Aine and Andy's priorities changed drastically as the pandemic hit. "Initially we were planning on a big day with over 300 guests and all the works," Aine told us. "As we moved into our house in February 2020 and with Covid, our priorities just changed. Our focus was now on ourselves and our immediate families. We ended up having 25 people at our wedding and it was the best day of our lives. Looking back, we are thrilled that the restrictions allowed us to focus on each other, rather than anything else. It was such a relaxed day!"

And it was Ashley Park House where Aine and Andy had their dream day after some very last-minute changes. "Our venue changed 12 days before our wedding... as did our date," Aine explained. "We chose Ashley Park as it was one of our initial choices, but, as we originally wanting such large numbers, it didn't work. They could not have been more supportive and it had it all - a superb location on a quiet lake, an 18th-century house with private drawing rooms and, of course, beautiful accommodation! There were also endless photo opportunities!"

In the end, after months of uncertainty, the highlights of this couple's day came in the smaller details. "It was great to see our families so comfortable and with the smaller numbers, the pressure was off," Aine told us. "Having Andy's grandparents at the church meant a lot to him as he was unsure if they would be able to come. My brother sang 'Grace' for our first dance and it was so incredibly special. And Andy's brother and sister organised a load of short videos of good wishes from all of those who couldn't make it on the day. It was so great and we still watch it back to remember the day."

Aine and Andy learned a lot from their wedding planning and re-planning experience and here's their top tip for engaged couples; "The advice we would give to any couple is to make sure that they focus on themselves first and foremost – we were initially upset with the guest restrictions but we took it in our stride, changed the date and venue, because at the end of the day we wanted to be married," they said. "On our wedding day, we only had eyes for each other and we wouldn’t change a thing!"

Thanks so much to today's couple Aine and Andy for sharing their beautiful wedding day with us and to Awake and Dreaming Photography for providing the beautiful imagery.