Inside the doors of a 19th century schoolhouse, our real wedding couple Lauren and Meg exchanged their vows in style on a bright, sunny day in June. Rustic and alternative, Clandeboye Lodge in Co. Down served as the perfect spot for their charming wedding day complete with its timber-arched ceremony space and surrounding picturesque grounds. Featuring a champagne wall, adorable personalised wedding favours and a packed dancefloor, check out Lauren and Meg's fun-filled celebration, captured by Gillian Higgins Photography, below!
Before diving into the details of their gorgeous wedding day, let's get to know the happy couple a bit more! Brooklyn-based couple, Lauren who originally hails from Larne in Co. Antrim and Meg who is from Pennsylvania, met in New York after not being allowed into a concert because they were sold fake tickets. They then headed for drinks together to drown their sorrows! During this encounter the pair realised they had plenty in common, including their support of Liverpool, love of music and coming from big Irish families. After occasionally bumping into each other in the city, there was several months of nothing (Lauren travels like crazy for work), and they reconnected over a cheese plate after she returned from a trip and realised they liked each other very quickly.
Lauren knew Meg was the one when "Meg whipped out some Irish dancing on a beach after several beers." When it came time to propose, the couple both had their own secret plans. First Lauren proposed in a small vineyard a few hours from New York: "She had photos hanging everywhere from their years together and a firepit going and Meg thought they were just going to the pub for a few hours. We returned later to an insane surprise party." Meg's surprise proposal happened on a trip the couple took to California's coast, planning a beautiful day near Big Sur and popping the question while they were out hiking together.
Glowing bride Lauren wore a stunning deep-V Ivy & White gown paired with fabulous white Loeffler Randall heels and Meg went for a gorgeous Kleinfeld dress wonderfully complemented by a statement veil. "We hadn't seen each other's dresses either until the aisle and couldn't believe we both went for the deep V!"
Taking place in Clandeboye Lodge's eclectic Viceroy Suite, the couple's stylish ceremony was officiated by Meg's bridesmaid slash best pal: "It made the ceremony so personal because she's known us together from the start!" Walking down the aisle to a live acoustic rendition of Ellie Goulding's How Long Will I Love You, the pair's favourite ceremony reading from their day, read by Meg's aunt, was Art of Marriage by Wilferd A Peterson.
"We wanted our wedding to be a pure representation of us. We love to have fun and laugh, we love to host and entertain, and we always want everyone around us to have the best time."
With Lauren making the journey back home for the couple's wedding day: "This was the one time in our lives we had all family and friends from the corners of our lives in one room, in a special place, and it was just the most insane to us." Arriving in from all across the world, the couple's guests travelled from seven countries and 10 US states: "our main focus was making it as easy and smooth for everyone when they got there!"
Surrounded by nature and filled with rustic touches, the couple "fell in love instantly" with Clandeboye Lodge: "The best part was that the majority of our travelling guests could stay at the lodge right on site! Everything was beautiful, the interior design, the gardens, the staff, the layout and flow of all of the rooms - all whilst being 40 minutes from Larne and Lauren's family."
How stunning are the couple's mix-and-match bridesmaids dresses in a medley of soft green shades? Lauren's bridesmaids wore seaglass dresses while Meg opted for her bridesmaids to wear sage, with the couple letting them pick their own dresses within a range of chiffon styles.
The couple had this advice for anyone embarking on their own wedding planning journey: "Take a few moments together alone - that was one of my favourite parts of our day, to let it all sink in right after the ceremony and just look at each other and realise we are here together, how far we've come and just how much we love each other."
In an extra sweet addition to the day, Lauren and Meg gave a nod to their adorable pet pooch, a Vizsla named Miley, with these custom drink koosies: "Everyone knows how obsessed we are with our dog!"
With plenty of fun games to keep their guests entertained, Lauren and Meg made use of Clandeboye Lodge's picture-perfect grounds for their stunning nature-filled wedding photoshoot.
It was very important to the couple that their wedding day would be a fun experience for all their guests: "We didn't want to see the dance floor empty - and it never was. The band was so incredible and kept the dance floor packed from our first song until the very end of the night. We gave everyone glow sticks as a surprise for the party (something we love to bring out in New York)... everyone was going mad for them!"
How lovely are these clever personalised matchbooks? And Miley also made an appearance as part of their cake topper!
Complete with a monogrammed cake, Lauren and Meg's reception went on to include a first dance to Dermot Kennedy's What Have I Done.
Following on from all their busy wedding day festivities, Lauren and Meg planned a pub crawl with their guests before they traveled back home in the Cathedral Quarter in Belfast for a catch up. For their well-deserved honeymoon, the couple jetted off to Greece for 10 days staying in Naxos, Mykonos and Santorini before returning to NYC. "Naxos had incredible food, crystal waters and was our favourite island. We went to see a DJ we love in Mykonos and bumped into some Man United players!"
A very special thank you to Lauren, Meg and Gillian Higgins Photography for sharing this magical Clandeboye Lodge wedding with One Fab Day. There are also plenty more gorgeous photos from their stunning special day to check out in the gallery below!
Are you planning to tie the knot in Northern Ireland? Check out our selection of real weddings and our guide of fabulous Ulster wedding venues.