Today's winter wedding has us all aglow! Irish bride, Tracey and South African groom, Billy, live together in NYC, so it's safe to say their Christmas wedding at Ballynahinch Castle in Connemara was going to be an international affair. Kicking off the beautifully seasonal celebration with a candlelit church ceremony, this stylish pair followed up with a laid-back bash, that was equal parts cosy and glamorous. Rafal Borek Photography was charged with documenting this Christmas-obsessed bride and her beau, in all their festive finery!
The glamour! Tracey's red carpet-worthy wedding look is stunning. The perfect glam level for a Christmas wedding, don't you think! And just wait until you see her incredible white floral bouquet by Fleur Weddings!
Billy and Tracey work together, the bride tells us Billy was actually her mentor, “Although we didn’t completely hit it off there and then, like all good Irish love stories, the romance began at the Christmas Party!”
Well hello there, red velvet shoes - I won't mind pinching this pair for myself!
Tracey says Billy completely caught her off guard with his proposal, “We were back in Galway for Christmas and given my obsession with all things Christmas, I thought that if I were to happen, that he would propose on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. Those days came and went, and I thought that it would just happen next year instead.”
The couple had planned a family night away on Dec 27th ahead of their return to New York, “We went down to Ashford Castle and we were supposed to go out on my uncles’ boat for a trip around the lake, my uncle got delayed so Billy suggested going for a walk around the grounds of the estate,” recalls Tracey, “Initially I resisted, complaining that it was too cold however, after some persuasion, we took a stroll and before I knew it, he was down on one knee.”
The couple decked out their intimate church setting with an abundance of candles and festive greenery.
Tracey’s grandfathers’ reclaimed Austin 10 vintage car acted as the couple’s wedding car, “It’s 85 years old and has no heat, wipers, or brakes! A fun spin to the church which took twice as long. We weren’t even sure if we would make it up the hill in front of the church, but it did! Having the car as part of the wedding was a must as I was so close to my granddad!”
Tracey walked up the aisle, each of the guests held a candle, creating the most magical glow in the church! I have a feeling we'll be seeing this idea borrowed for lots of winter weddings!
The pair wanted to show their guests a spectacular time in Ireland. "People traveled from all over the world to celebrate our wedding, so it was important for us that the vibe of the day was totally chilled and relaxed.”
These two made the most of the stunning Connemara landscape for their portraits with Rafal Borek Photography, "I stumbled upon Rafal on Instagram and fell in love with his work," says Tracey, "The decision was made immediately."
The bride and groom say the staff at Ballynahinch were beyond accommodating to their friends and family, "They made every guest feel like the castle was our home. All of our guests felt so at ease roaming around the castle and hanging out in whatever room took their fancy. It really felt like our own personal house party!”
The bridesmaids look sensational in their navy gowns, the mix and match necklines gave each of them a signature look.
After planning a wedding from overseas, Tracey has a few nuggets of wisdom to pass on, "One really good piece of advice that I got from a friend in the run up to our wedding was; things will happen in the run up to the wedding that you will not be able to control, do your best fix them and after that, leave it in the ‘god pile’ and say a prayer. There is no point in spending time worrying about what you cannot control. This piece of advice really helped me to stay calm in the weeks coming up to the wedding, especially as I was planning the wedding from NYC, there was so much from afar that I didn’t have as much control as I would have liked.”
We couple headed off on a mini-moon right after the wedding, “We spent four nights in our favourite city; Paris! It was gorgeous, especially at that time of year,” says Tracey, “We are planning a five-week trip in a few months, location is still TBD but we are thinking about Japan, South Africa/Kenya and potentially the Seychelles.” Sounds like wherever you guys go, it’ll be pretty epic!
I'm ready for some mulled wine now, please! Thanks so much to Tracey and Billy for sharing your fabulous Galway wedding with us, and to Rafal Borek Photography for documenting it so beautifully.
