There is nothing that excites us more than a wedding filled with personal DIY touches. The real wedding of Dean and Rebekah, showcases such an abundance of creative talent, that we simply do not know where to begin! The mother of the groom designed the stationery, our groom's wedding ring was handmade by his best man, the mother of the bride created the decor - and together as a whole they produced all of the signage, bouquets and even the most breathtaking ceremony backdrop - gasp! That is only the tip of the iceberg with plenty more surprises in store for this sensational rustic-meets-boho autumn wedding day in Co. Down, Northern Ireland, We'll let Francis Meaney's beautiful photos take it away!
We sense a whimsical rustic theme coming on with these divine wedding details! Especially the groom's wedding ring, made by his best man and brother, hand-carved from a sentimental piece of wood from the Mourne Mountains. Can we also shine the spotlight on the increible water colour wedding stationery, made by the mother of the groom? What a talented family!
Dean and Rebekah's love story began with a swipe right on Tinder nearly eight years ago. As for their proposal, it turns out Dean had been planning it for years and had the ring ready to go. He was just waiting for the perfect opportunity! Rebekah explains: "He brought me to one of his favourite local forests, under the guise of using his drone to photograph some trees (he’s a gardener and forestry contractor so this isn’t that strange!) and asked me to take a closer look at one of the trees. He had carved the big question into the wood and used the drone to film the whole thing. Very clever and forward-thinking, as he then played the proposal video footage as part of his wedding speech!"
A sentimental gift presented to him by his proud parents, a wooden pocket watch to match his unqiue wedding band!
When planning their wedding day ojn their home turf in Northern Ireland, they ensured the overall vibe would embrace all their favourite seasonal touches. "We wanted an autumn wedding as it's our favourite season and really wanted to incorporate autumnal hues and foliage into our décor and theme. The vibe was bohemian/rustic with dried flowers and pampas grass, pom poms and homegrown seasonal vegetables adorning every surface. We made as many things as we could ourselves and called on our talented family members to help with their various skills!"
Check out the olive green bridal shoes - wow! Another very important element of their day was ensuring that all of their fur babies were involved in the day. "At the bridal prep, our two cats Humbug and Trixie were there helping me get ready, along with my parent's two cats Kevin and Mrs Brown, and the photographer was instructed to get plenty of photos of them! At Dean's parents' house, our two dogs Pippin and Claude were there with him too. And of course, there was the horse, Maud, in her pom pom garland who was the star of the show!"
The handmade autumn wedding flowers are the most remarkable of the design elements created by this highly imaginative pair! The couple, with the assistance of others, made the most amazing bouquets and buttonholes, as well as the dried petal confetti (very sustainable if we do say so!), the most awe-inspiring pampas grass ceremony arch, as well as the venue and table décor!
The magical day took place in the charming wedding venue of Tullyveery House nestled in the rolling drumlins of Co. Down. Rebekah and Dean had a gorgeous outdoor wedding ceremony, and the October sun ensured there were no weather concerns. "We loved the versatility of Tullyveery; the different parts of the house and garden, the stableyard with the firepit, twinkling fairy lights and the fact we were given free rein to decorate it however we wanted. The team were so supportive and worked with us, supporting every idea we had – including my horse making an appearance after the ceremony. We live locally to the venue so it was very meaningful to get married and celebrate with our family and friends so close to home," says Rebekah.
The style of this wedding party is rich in seasonal warmth thanks to the chosen fabrics and patterns. The gentlemen were smartly matched in their three-piece plaid suits. They finished the charming style with vibrant buttonholes and additional accessories such as the personal touches of pocket watches and pin ties! The bridesmaids looked ravishing in a stunning shade of forest green in satin and velvet matching dresses, contrasting impeccably against the blazing seasonal orange and pink tones of the flowers. Wondering where the maid of honour is? Just wait, she makes her entrance very soon!
As for putting priorities in place in the lead-up to their rustic wedding, the couple expressed how they really wanted it to feel like ‘us’, which is why so much of the day was homemade and homegrown! "It was unique and special for the guests but also it meant a lot to us, having put so much work into every little detail. The most important thing was we wanted it to be relaxed and chilled and for everyone to just have a nice fun day with good food, drinks and music!" they say.
We are simply in awe of this homemade, DIY pampas ceremony backdrop!
A special moment during their outdoor ceremony was when they sang the hymn Be Thou My Vision. "This was special because my parents and both my sisters had this at their weddings, so it's become a bit of a Jackson tradition and is quite sentimental," says the bride.
Rebekah, our glowing bride wore a beautiful bohemian-style dress called from designer Rue de Seine - The Fox gown. "I had seen the dress I loved and wanted and saved it to my Pinterest board before I was even engaged! So by the time I was ready to purchase it, it was a past season and not available in many stores. I tracked it down online in Canada and had it shipped to my friend who lives in Vancouver and who very kindly brought it home with her when she came home for Christmas in 2021! Surprisingly the gamble paid off and it fit amazingly well with only a small bit of altering," she says.
Oh, just on time! Here come's Maud, the amazing maid of honour!
These two cuties below are Rebekah's oh-so-pretty flower girls who are wearing gorgeous autumnal floral dresses from Coast.
As for the special moments, it was simply down to the efforts that were made for the couple on the build up to the day. "So much of our day was so special because nearly every single thing was made by us or for us! The mother of the bride excelled herself in crafting and produced thousands of pom poms which we strung together across the beams in the dining room which was the most amazing bunting ever. The mother of the groom did our stationery and place names also," they add.
The newlyweds drew wedding inspiration from lots of different places – but the overarching theme was the autumn harvest and the beautiful bounty of nature! "Dean had our whole garden planted with pumpkins, squash and gourds in the months leading up to the wedding, which we used as décor as well as homegrown dried flowers, pampas grass and eucalyptus and hand-cut logs for the table names and welcome sign. We wanted the day to feel relaxed and ‘informal’ which is where the boho vibe came in, using macrame and pom poms, candles and some of our favourite romantic song lyrics splashed across the walls as bunting."
With one last surprise up his sleeve, our groom Dean prepared a very special and unexpected speech full of beautiful words but through a video! "I wasn’t sure what to expect when the TV was wheeled in and we were watching a video instead of hearing him speak live, but he had filmed it on the morning he proposed to me, and incorporated it in the proposal video which left many of the guests (and bride) open-mouthed at his creativity!" And us too, may we just add!
The lovebirds ditched the rule book when it came to first dances and decided on a ‘sparkler skip’ outside in the courtyard!
As for words of wedding advice, the couple said: "Don’t lose yourself in trying to please other people or in thinking what you ‘should have’ or what people will be expecting. While it's great to accommodate everyone and do stuff you know your family and friends will love – it's ultimately the couples day so really think carefully about what you want or don’t want and how to make it happen – embrace the unexpected!"
A very special thank you to Dean, Rebekah and Francis Meaney for showcasing the beautiful northern Ireland wedding day with One Fab Day! There are so many more gorgeous photos to inspire you in the gallery below.
Check out these gorgeous autumn-inspired wedding cakes, flowers and invites here!
