We would have been exceptionally impressed with the real wedding we're sharing today if the couple had taken three years to plan it, but we were pretty much floored to learn that Triona and Brendan turned their 'do out in just eight months! An Irish couple living in Edinburgh, these lovebirds had an entirely spontaneous engagement, which left them with quite an unusual deadline for their big day (an epic honeymoon tied to a major sporting event!), so time was of the essence. Their sun-soaked summer wedding at Ballyvolane House still manages to be timelessly stylish and boasts some well-chosen personal details, too, including a Winnie the Pooh-themed table plan and a cake baked by the father-of-the-groom! The wonderful Martina California Photography captured the day in typically gorgeous fashion, so let's bring on the images!

Triona tells us that she met Brendan on her first day of college at LIT, 15 years ago. "According to Bren, I tried to kick him out of his own house!" she says. "This is completely untrue, of course, but that got the conversation started and things gradually progressed from there. We had our first date the following week in Apache Pizza (very classy!) and the rest, as they say, is history."

This couple did things in quite an unconventional order, starting by planning their honeymoon before they ever got engaged! "It was really an extremely cunning plan to go on adventure around Japan for the Rugby World Cup!" Triona says. "We’re both rugby mad and have spent many trips away supporting our teams, Munster and Ireland. Getting married was something we had talked about a lot, and this just seemed like the perfect way to do it, so we took a chance, applied for tickets and booked flights to Japan! We continued to work backwards and began looking into wedding venues. Once we found the perfect place, we set a date before finally getting the ring and announcing our engagement to family and friends!"

The couple's top priorities in wedding planning were to have a fun, laid-back celebration in a unique venue. "We wanted to have the ceremony and reception in same location as we really just wanted to make the day as relaxed as possible. That way, once people arrived, they could really just relax and let their hair down. Good food, drinks and service was also important to us. We’re still hearing from people how amazing it all was!"

With only eight months in which to plan the wedding, Triona and Brendan had a challenge on their hands in finding the perfect spot. "Ballyvolane House ticked all of our boxes," Triona  tells us. "We had a couple of dates in mind, and they happened to have availability on both. We sent our Mums along to view the venue for us as we live overseas. They fell in love with it instantly! We thought, if the Mums approve, it must be the one!"

Another huge priority for this pair was making their dreamy, outdoor ceremony as personal as possible. "A good friend of my sister Deirdre, Kara Moore, sang for our ceremony," Triona tells us. "I fell in love with her voice when she sang at Deirdre’s wedding a few years back, so we were thrilled when she agreed to sing at ours. What made it even more special for us was that Deirdre’s husband Declan accompanied Kara on guitar, which was just so lovely. They did an amazing job."

It's officially time to rave about Triona's bridal look, in particular, her gorgeous, 1930s-inspired wedding gown by Johanna Johnson for BHLDN, which she purchased on second-hand retail site Still White. This is a great tip for brides working with a short timeline - just make sure to factor in time and budget for alterations! She accessorised her look with Jimmy Choo heels and a headpiece by Scottish designer Lily Luna.

Triona describes the day as, "rustic, relaxed and so much fun. Ballyvolane was just such a beautiful setting, and the team there made us feel completely at home from the moment we arrived the day before the wedding, right the way through to check out on the Sunday. Having the house to ourselves for the weekend really added to the whole experience – getting the chance to settle in and catch up with close family and friends the night before the wedding was lovely, and really set the tone for the rest of the weekend, which was just so relaxed and full of fun and lots of laughs."

This couple didn't pack their day with too many details, instead focussing on making sure their guests were well fed, watered and entertained, using just a few aesthetic touches to make the day look and feel extra special. "My good friend Michelle McMahon of All Occasions Creations Ennis created a beautiful balloon arch in the dining terrace," Triona says. "This not only looked gorgeous, but it also doubled as a backdrop for our photobooth!"

Triona's advice for engaged couples is to try to maintain perspective throughout wedding planning. "Bren was very relaxed in the run up to the big day," she says. "I like to think I was, too, but, looking back, there were perhaps a few times when I got wrapped up in the details, and began to forget the bigger picture. A few weeks before the wedding, I was flapping about something small and my Mum took me aside and told me very nicely (but pointedly!) that everything doesn’t have to be perfect. Luckily, I’m a very obedient daughter, so I listened. She was, of course, right, and once I realised this, I became so much more relaxed and really just let myself enjoy the whole experience." 

Before you approach your own Dad with the idea of making your wedding cake, remember that Brendan's father is a professional baker! Triona tells us, "Tony ran his own bakery in Shannon for years and he was particularly famous for his talent in constructing wedding cakes! Bren has really fond memories of working in the bakery over the years (and is a pretty good baker himself as a result!), so we thought it would be lovely to have Tony make our wedding cake. Luckily he was more than willing and we were so delighted with the result!"

I am head-over-heels in love with the system Triona and Brendan used for naming their tables! "We are both big fans of Winnie the Pooh, so we thought it would be fun to incorporate this into a few parts of our day," Triona says. "A good family friend, JJ Howard, did an amazing job designing our invites, which depicted Pooh and Tigger setting off on an adventure to the Rugby World Cup, and the table name cards, which were all different locations in the 100-Acre Wood!

A beautiful end to a beautiful day! At this point, we've got to say a huge thank you to Triona and Brendan for sharing their wedding with us, and to Martina California for providing the incredible imagery! We couldn't resist compiling all of these dreamy photographs into a gallery - click through for even more gorgeousness!