The real wedding we're sharing today might be the most fun celebration we've ever featured on the site - in fact, the colourful reception at The Chocolate Factory in Dublin looked more like a super-stylish carnival than a wedding! Jill and Patrick riffed on the traditional wedding formula by setting up funfair games like basketball, darts, and even penalty shoot outs at their reception space, performing a choreographed first dance with their wedding party, and having their dog, Jynx, as their guest of honour! Throw in gorgeous florals by Boutique Blooms, incredible wedding party style and bold décor, and you've got a thoroughly inspiring carnival wedding, so, naturally, we're very excited to share it via the wonderful work of Memento Photography!

We are longtime fans of the hoop bouquet trend, but Jill and Patrick took it to the next level by reusing the bridesmaids arrangements later on in the day. Keep scrolling to see how!

Jill looks absolutely sensational in her wedding-day finery! She chose a long-sleeved, two-layered design by Fiona Todhunter, which she paired with a romantic flower crown. This means that she was able to whip the top layer of the dress off for dancing!

Jill tells us that she met Patrick through an online dating site. "Patrick was doing his masters and I was working in a cookery school," Jill says. "We had both caught each other’s eye and had been chatting away on it. We eventually we met for the first time at the Phil Lynott statue and went for a drink. We hit it off straight away, and the rest is history."

Patrick decided to pop the question during an early morning walk up Howth Head on Christmas Eve. "We had our dog, Jynx, with us," Jill says. "I walked ahead a small bit to take a picture, and, in the mean time, he had taken the ring out of the coat that Jynx was wearing. Patrick called me and, when I turned around, he was there on one knee. It was perfect!"

Jill found her maid of honour's dress at one of our favourite bridal boutiques, Alice May Bridal, adding some high street buys from Boohoo to make up the full bridal party.

How cool are these vintage Minis!?

The couple's top priority in wedding planning was finding a venue that was dog-friendly, so that Jynx could be there on the day! Don't worry, we've got some photos of Jynx in his wedding outfit coming right up!  

After their ceremony at St. Audoen's Church, the couple and their guests headed to the Brazen Head for drinks, before hopping on a bus to the Chocolate Factory.

I honestly can't cope with Jynx in his little morning suit and top hat! What a cutie!

Here, Jill tells us a little bit more about the inspiration behind the couple's carnival-style reception. "We wanted the wedding to be very relaxed, fun and vibrant, with a small feel of a festival or funfair to it. We wanted it to be a day not only for us to remember, but also for our guests." 

Jill and Patrick tell us that they're longtime fans of the café at the Chocolate Factory. "When we got engaged, we both remembered the Chocolate Factory and we just went with it from there and we loved it. They really gave us the freedom to do our dream wedding."

These photos are making me incredibly jealous of Jill and Patrick's guests! I'm expect lots of couples to consider a carnival wedding after seeing this amazing day.

Jill's advice to engaged couples is simply, "do what you want to do. It’s your day and it will be the best day of your life. If there's a blip on the day, don’t worry. No-one will notice. Just forget about it and enjoy every moment."

These creative hoop bouquets by Boutique Blooms did double duty, hanging as reception space décor at the Chocolate Factory!

This incredible metallic and marble wedding cake is Jill's handiwork - as you may have already guessed, she's got a background in professional cookery!

For their honeymoon, the couple went for a week's getaway in Morocco and then on a skiing trip to St. Anton in Austria, which sounds just fabulous!

This looks like one seriously epic party! At this point, we have to say thanks so much to Jill and Patrick for sharing their gorgeous day with us, and to Memento Photography for providing the beautiful imagery. There are more photographs in the gallery below, so be sure to click through for a look!