You'd be forgiven for making it all the way to the end of today's real wedding without realising that it took place at the end of December! The trees at Cloughjordan House may have been bare for Emma and Jamie's big day, but between the blush pink colour palette, the generous florals, and the relaxed atmosphere, this celebration was every bit as breezy as a sunny Summertime bash! As the couple have two daughters together, Lyla and Evie, their big day was also a celebration of their adorable family, so there are lots of ideas in here for parents who are currently planning a wedding. IG Studio Photography captured the day in some seriously gorgeous photographs, so let's dive in!
Before we go any further, we've got to talk about Emma's hopelessly romantic long-sleeve wedding dress! She found this lace beauty by Anna Georgina at one of our very favourite bridal boutiques, Alice May Bridal.
Jamie, meanwhile, wore a blush pink suit on the big day and we are enormous fans of his look. I feel a groom style post coming on!
Emma's bridal makeup look is so timelessly pretty. We can see lots of brides pinning this one for their makeup artist!
Emma and Jamie tell us that they met at the after party for the Student Media Awards in 2009. "Jamie had recently graduated and was his housemate’s Plus One, while I was in fourth year in college. We are still in dispute over who chased who!"
The Woodshed at Cloughjordan House needs very little dressing up, but these greenery hoops and evergreen garlands create such a chic and airy look.
Jamie proposed in Lisbon, where the couple were on holiday with Lyla (Emma was pregnant with Evie at the time!). "He had been carrying the ring around all day waiting for an opportunity," Emma remembers. "He ended up having to wait until we went for a walk in the evening. Keen to capture it on film, he approached a local and asked him to take a picture on his camera. As we posed for a picture at the scenic spot overlooking the city, Jamie dropped to one knee and blurted out some form of proposal. I was in shock and responded with ‘No way! No way!' but obviously, I meant 'Yes!'"
Emma and Jamie very quickly settled on their priorities for the big day. "What we wanted was a wedding which reflected us: relaxed, fun, cool, family-focussed, and with loads of dancing."
This couple were determined not to get caught up in unnecessary details. "We didn’t really do many extras, but we had little touches to put our mark on the day. We never really set out for our day to have a particular look, theme or vibe. Everything was very relaxed. I let the bridesmaids choose their own dresses, asked the florist what she would suggest and just picked up bits and bobs along the way. So the vibe was laid-back, I guess!?"
This couple viewed 10 venues in total, and tell us that Cloughjordan House was the clear standout. "The ceremony room, the dining room, the accommodation, the food, and the staff are all very special."
The couple found a lovely way to pay tribute to Emma’s brother, who passed away a few years ago, during the ceremony. "We had his friends play one of his favourite songs - In My Life by The Beatles," Emma says. "It was a song they also played at his funeral, we didn’t think people would pick up on that but so many did. It was quite an emotional moment."
Emma's advice to engaged couples is to, "try to do as much as you can as far in advance. We tended to be quite last-minute, which made the last few days quite stressful." This is definitely among our all-time favourite pieces of wedding planning advice!
What an exceptionally stylish family!
This couple didn't go to town on details. Instead, they focussed on making their guests feel welcome. "We put a handwritten note on everyone’s name card, which people seemed to really appreciate," Emma says. I actually attended a wedding where the couple did this, and it was honestly one of the loveliest things ever!
Between the coral, vintage-look shade of pink and the natural linen fabric, I am full-on smitten with these napkins! They prove that a relatively small visual detail can transform a dining space!
After the wedding, Emma and Jamie managed to steal away to Farnham Estate for a few nights of couple time! "It's an amazing place with lovely staff and incredible facilities. Our wedding was just after Christmas, so we tried our best to catch up on all the selection boxes and mince pies we had tried to avoid in December."
You know how passionate we are about brides giving speeches! Emma and Jamie split their speeches into two sections, beginning with Emma and the two Dads during the drinks reception, and ending with Jamie and his Best Man during dinner. "It was lovely to have everyone gathered around us during the drinks reception," Emma says, "and it allowed Jamie and his Best Man to speak during dinner without guests getting bored."
And that's a wrap! Thanks so much to Emma and Jamie for giving us the low-down on their outrageously beautiful big day, and to IG Studio Photography for sharing the gorgeous images.