Modern Elegance - a look many aspire to, but few can attain. Well today's bride Aoife nails it, her classic bridal look, the simple sophistication of her bouquet and her subtle vintage wedding details are spot on all captured by the incredible David McClelland...

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Modern Elegance - a look many aspire to, but few can attain. Well today's bride Aoife nails it, her classic bridal look, the simple sophistication of her bouquet and her subtle vintage wedding details are spot on. On hand was the wonderful wedding photographer David McClelland, whose beautiful photography style captured the intimate moments and pretty details perfectly…

While the preparations are underway, is a good time to get the gossip and find out how this real life love story started off…

How did you two love birds meet? John and I were only 16 when we were introduced through a mutual friend Karen. We had both been at a wedding the week before where my cousin and John’s cousin married each other. He says he spotted me at the wedding but couldn’t build up the courage to come over and talk to me. So when he got a second chance the next week he didn’t pass it up. We hit it off instantly and starting going out almost straight away. We split up briefly when we both started college, but no one ever matched up to John and we got back together before the year was out.

And how did the proposal go down? John had just been made permanent in his job and booked us a weekend away in Sligo to celebrate. We organised a surf lesson because I had been surfing a few times before and kept telling John how great it was.

We arrived at the beach early and it was empty because it wasn’t a great day. He suggested a walk on the beach after the surf lesson, I obviously didn’t realise what he had planned and started moaning about how my hair would be wet and I might get a cold etc- typical girl.

He managed to convince me to go for a walk before the surf lesson even though it was drizzling rain- because we were going to get wet surfing anyway. It was a fabulous beach in Sligo and we had it completely to ourselves, we stopped to take in the view of Mullaghmore in the distance and then John got down on one knee and I started to scream! Then he asked me to marry him and of course I said yes. Just over a half an hour later we had to go surfing. I was still in so shock that I just kept getting knocked over by the waves and didn’t manage to get on the board once!

My parents were on holidays at the time so we decided not to tell anyone until they got back. We celebrated together for the weekend, which was lovely, although it nearly killed me keeping it to myself for a whole week.

Loving how enthusiastic Aoife is, not a bit of nerves in sight! Every bride should feel like that on her wedding morning.

Walking down the aisle and everyone looking at me was one part of the day I was nervous about, but when it actually came to it I think it was one of the best parts of the day. Once a got a glimpse of some of my friends and family inside the church smiling out at me the nerves washed away. One of my best friends, Claire sang a beautiful rendition of Our Song as we walked down the aisle. That moment having my Dad by my side, seeing John waiting for me at the top of the aisle, listening to Claire sing while being surrounded by friends and family was without a doubt one of the happiest moments in my life.

The just married kiss, a memory to treasure forever....

And then it was a short jaunt down the road to partyville aka Ballymagarvey village "Ballymagarvey was only the second place we looked at but once we saw it we knew it was the one. The grounds and house are always kept immaculately and we loved the old country style of the house. The setting is really cosy and relaxed which is exactly what we were looking for. Yvonne, John and all the staff were so helpful and accommodating. They really couldn't do enough for us, which made all the preparations stress free and fun."

I have a love for all things vintage and romantic so I tried to incorporate that into the wedding dÃ©cor. I used my vintage china cups that I had picked up in charity shops as flower arrangements on the table, along with candelabras and pearls. For the top table we used a lace table cloth, added extra china, a “Mr & Mrs” sign, lots of candles and a birdcage full of roses to make it extra special. I also got vintage “drink me” tags on eBay to hang off the drinks in the drinks reception.

Loving these fun yet fabulous bridal party and portrait shots!

Aoife and John enjoyed a few moments to themselves strolling round the house and grounds of Ballymagarvey with David McClelland having their portraits taken.

We got pictures of both sets of parents and framed them beside our wedding cake. We also bought loads of frames in Ikea and charity shops and put pictures of us with various friends and family around the house to add to the homely feel of Ballymagarvey. Most of my inspiration came of looking at wedding websites and also I used to love looking at my photographer David McClelland’s blog for tips and ideas from his previous brides.

I loved picking up little bits and pieces to add to the vintage theme from eBay and charity shops. However, one of the most enjoyable things I done was making our own table plan. I have a big family so the night before the wedding we were all down in my parent’s house, having a glass on wine and working on it. My niece (who was flower girl) was a great help tea staining the pages from books for me. We made a big mess but she loved all the excitement. It looked great when we finished it and it was a nice personal touch.

What was your favourite moment of the day? We had friends and family involved in loads of aspects of the wedding. I really enjoyed having people close to us help make the day so special.

What words of wisdom would you give to brides and grooms planning their day? Everyone told me that I was a very relaxed bride but the truth was I was just super organised so there was nothing to stress out about. It honestly made the whole experience so enjoyable. The week of the wedding almost every thing was sorted so I really got to make the most of the build up. Embrace the whole experience because it will be over in the blink of an eye. Also don’t forget your marrying the man/ woman of your dreams and that’s all that matters. Super advice!

Huge thanks & Big Congratulations to Aoife and John — thank you so much for sharing your beautiful big day with us.

And of course to David McClelland, super wedding photographer extraordinaire who shared these gorgeous pictures with us. To see more of Dave's incredible work pop on over to www.davidmcclelland-photography.com.

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