Today's real wedding is that of Dublin natives Daniel and Ellen who, like many others, had to postpone their plan A wedding in April 2020, when lockdown restrictions were first introduced. However, not only did the pair still get to have their reimagined magical day in the Morrison Hotel, but they plan on having a second celebration down the line, when they can raise a glass with friends and family who couldn't make this year's nuptials. Daniel and Ellen's wedding was all captured by Elisha Clarke Photography.

Daniel and Ellen met over a decade ago in their late teens when they began hanging out in the same friend group. The pair began their relationship as friends but things grew from there. Some 13 years later, the pair said their 'I dos' this year in front of a slimmed down group of family and friends.

The proposal, despite being nine years in the making, still came as a surprise to Ellen. The couple were on holiday in Lanzarote in 2017 when Daniel decided to get down on one knee and managed to leave Ellen speechless - until she said 'Yes' of course.

Skip forward to 2020 and, as with much of the country, Daniel and Ellen were forced to adapt their wedding plans. "Our wedding was not at all what we had planned," Ellen told us. "It wasn't when we planned it, where we planned it or with whom we planned it, but it was perfect! Originally, we had booked City Hall for our ceremony and the Morrison Hotel for after, but due to restrictions, we had to postpone our April wedding to September. As a result, we lost City Hall but thankfully, the Morrison was able to hold the ceremony. We had to cut our guest list also, but we're planning a bigger party when it's safe to do so. The hotel was amazing to deal with during a very difficult time and made what could have been a very stressful experience so easy."

Thankfully the pair were able to fulfil their dream of getting married in Dublin despite the restrictions. "Our hope was that, by having it 'local', it would be easy for our guests to get to and that they would have the option of a taxi home," they said. 

Their hometown was also the backdrop they wanted for their wedding pictures. "The plan had been to walk from City Hall across Gratton Bridge to the hotel. While we didn't make the walk, we did get some bridge photos."

When it came to the special details on their day, the pair wanted to ensure their whole celebration was bursting with personality. "We really enjoyed picking our readings and songs, and chose music and readings that meant a lot to us. Our celebrant Lucie also included some lovely touches, like quotes from Harry Potter's Professor Albus Dumbledore. We also took a mini-tour of Templebar for pictures, which was great fun." Daniel also made sure to get in a shoe change, putting on a pair of Jordans after the ceremony!

As for advice, Daniel and Ellen said: "Make sure to stick to ‘your’ plan and make it your own. So many people will give you great advice, but it's important to make sure that you are happy with all the decisions. Also listening to the One Fab Day podcast really helped with planning and we picked up loads of tips." We love to hear it! 

Thanks so much to today's couple Daniel and Ellen for sharing their Dublin city wedding with us, and to Elisha Clarke Photography for capturing their celebrations.