I'm constantly impressed by the creativity and ambition of the couples in our real wedding features, and lovebirds Michelle and Brian are no exception. From Kildare and Westmeath respectively but living in Perth, Australia, this pair planned their big day from the other side of the world (quite literally!), but when you look at the loved-up photographs by the wonderful Martina California, it's easy to forget about all the hard work and get lost in the gorgeous aesthetics! Their big day at Clonabreany House is a real celebration of love, friendship and family, never more beautifully expressed than when Michelle donned her mother's wedding dress for the evening reception! We can't wait another minute to share this one, so let's get stuck in!

Can you believe that these gorgeous, pale purple bridesmaids dresses are high street buys?! Michelle found these pretty, empire-line gowns in Monsoon.

Michelle and Brian tell us that they first met in college, where they were both studying dentistry. "After a few encounters on nights out, and a little persistence from Brian, we decided to meet up for a drink, and the rest is history!"

Michelle describes Brian's proposal as, "a complete surprise. We were on a trip to America for a friend's wedding. Brian popped the question when he took me on a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. It was such a magical day!"

The couple's top priority for their wedding day was getting family members and friends involved in their ceremony. "Brian’s family and our friends performed all the music, and we chose songs that were meaningful to us, including a song our friend wrote," Michelle says. "All of our nieces and nephews were included in the bridal party, and this also made it special. We really wanted a relaxed feel to the day. An outdoor civil ceremony, having the entire grounds of Clonabreany to ourselves, Martina’s beautiful, candid style of photography, and the carnival games really added to the day."

Michelle tells us that she and Brian adored Clonabreany House from the minute they set foot on the estate. "I fell in love with the outdoor ceremony area, but was so happy that the indoor ceremony room was also a beautiful space," she says. "We both wanted a good Plan B if the Irish weather decided to interrupt our outdoor plan! We loved the intimacy of the venue, that we would have the entire venue to ourselves, and the idea that the courtyard would be filled with all of our friends and family on the night, and the next morning."

The bridal party bouquets featured a hidden personal touch that Michelle was determined to include! "Being able to have Western Australian flowers for the bouquets really helped me feel like I’d brought a piece of my Aussie life with me!" she says.

Michelle found her sensational halter-neck wedding dress at Caleche Bridal in Australia. The lace trim and chiffon overlay is such a cool take on the trend!

I absolutely adore this photograph of Michelle showing Brian her winged sandals by Sophia Webster. When wedding shoes are this fabulous, you've simply got to make a fuss of them!

The Grand Marquee at Clonabreany House is so bright and airy, it really needs very little dressing up. Some pretty floral centrepieces, and Michelle and Brian were good to go!

Michelle's advice for engaged couples is to minimise stress from the get-go. "Use a wedding planning app like Moposa, as this really helps keep track of things," she says. "Try to pick vendors you have personal experience with. Don’t overwhelm yourself by looking at social media. Remember that it’s your day, you don’t need to compare it to anyone else’s."

As Michelle and Brian had travelled so far for the wedding, they didn't have time to squeeze in a full honeymoon. "Instead, we chose to spend our time off with family," Michelle says. "But we stopped off in Dubai on our trip back and stayed in Atlantis, The Palm for a few nights, and that was amazing!"

These photos of Michelle surprising her Mum almost brought us to tears! "Getting the chance to wear my Mum’s wedding dress was a massive highlight for me," she says. "I had been planning and looking forward to that moment when I could change into it and surprise her for months, and to be able to capture such a precious moment on camera was amazing. Keeping it a secret from everyone was hard, especially sneaking the second dress home on the plane, but it really paid off."

And that's a wrap on Michelle and Brian's amazing day! Before we leave you, we've got to say a huge thank you to Michelle and Brian for allowing us to fawn over their wedding, and to Martina California for providing the incredible imagery. There are more photographs in the gallery below, so be sure to take a closer look!