Ciara and Adam's love story hinges on one big twist, and as luck would have it, so does their wedding story! The two tied the knot with a gorgeous outdoor wedding and cosy reception at Durhamstown Castle.

By

Is that sunshine we see on the horizon? Fingers crossed cause we're sick of the miserable weather! With the nights getting darker, a sun drenched afternoon is like a distant memory, but not for today's real wedding couple, who celebrated their wedding day under the trees at Durhamstown Castle. Ciara and Adam's love story hinges on one big twist, and as luck would have it, so does their wedding story - you'll be inspired by their chilled out approach to a possible wedding disaster! The two tied the knot with a gorgeous outdoor wedding and Tanya of Bronte Photography took the photographs that we're thrilled to share with you today...

Ciara and Adam met in 2005, when they were both backpacking independently around Australia with friends... Myself and my friend Rosie went on a 5 day scuba trip on the Whitsunday Islands, and who should be on our boat, but Adam and his friend Garrett. We became a foursome of friends and when we got back to dry land, the boys offered us a lift up the coast to Cairns. Over the following week or so, I developed a massive crush on Adam, but waited until what was due to be my last night before flying back to Sydney, before I did anything about it. We had a little kiss as they say, on that last night, I went sobbing back to Sydney the next morning. A few days later I was not willing to let this one go. I rang my friend Rosie who had stayed on to complete the road trip with the boys and asked when they’d be in Alice Springs. I booked my flight, called my job back in Dublin and told them I’d be gone for another month and we’ve been together ever since. What a wonderful leap of faith to take, Ciara!

Adam decided to take a leap of faith in their journey as well, just before Ciara's 30th birthday, Adam whisked her away for a romantic weekend at the Hayfield Manor Hotel in Cork. He treated her to a massage and a lovely dinner...When we retired back to our room, he casually, but while on one knee, suggested we make my 30th birthday party (which was happening the following weekend) into a double celebration! That sounds like a nice way to turn 30!

Ciara and Adam set about planning their relaxed, rustic and fun-filled wedding. They wanted a day that felt more like a casual BBQ than a formal wedding.

Ciara and Adam's wedding planning took a pretty big twist just a few months before the wedding, but what could have been a disaster turned into an even better option for them! Just two months before their wedding date, Ciara and Adam found out that their venue had also been booked for a major music festival during that same weekend - not exactly the vibe they were hoping for. They were locked into the date with friends arriving from near and far, so they got in touch with Claire Barry, a wedding planner, who was able to save the day. Claire suggested Durhamstown Castle, which isn't typically used for weddings, but worked perfectly for their rustic and informal wedding day. Ciara and Adam only saw the venue three days before, but the owners took great care of the couple and their guests, making what could have been a disaster, a success on the venue front!

As for the ceremony, Ciara and Adam opted for a humanist ceremony, on the front lawn of Durhamstown Castle... The weather was fab, so we had the ceremony under a large tree on their front lawn. It was complete with donkeys in the front field (called Health and Safety) and three Jack Russell pups running about. Have you heard better names for a pair of donkeys? We think not.

Ciara's stunning dress is from Mira Mandic, the back detail is beautiful and the train is so elegant for their outdoor celebration.

Ciara and Adam added simple and super sweet decorations to their outdoor ceremony - we love the sweet confetti cones, hanging hearts and little helpers of course!

Ciara's something borrowed was a cocktail ring with a large smoked quartz stone from her mother, who later gave her the ring as a gift. What a wonderful piece to be passed down through the generations!

The grounds and houses surrounding Durhamstown Castle proved to be the perfect backrop for some intimate photographs.

Ciara was sure about one thing when it came to the decor and that was the stationery... I very much wanted brown card stationery for the ceremony program and menus, to tie-in with the rustic feel of the day. I selected a hot-air balloon graphic motif, as it has a nice dreamy, love-is-in-the-air feel. As we’re based in Sydney, we didn’t do written invites and chose instead to invite and generally communicate with our guests via a wedding website. That's a smart solution to the problem of posting invitations halfway around the world!

They designed their day from the stationery up, designing a table plan to match and a gift basket with the same stationery signage. They added a touch of lavender to the place card setting and menu - how sweet.

Wanting to keep the rustic and relaxed feel throughout the day, Ciara and Adam went for long banquet tables, with burlap table runners. They served sharing platters of homemade food and mismatched jugs of wine, so their 85 guests would feel right at home.

Adding pastel and patterned bunting and hanging light shades is a great way add that feminine and girly touch to the rustic decor.

Ciara and Adam's hiccup with the venue brought them to their biggest piece of advice for people planning their own weddings - hire a wedding planner! We should have done it from the very beginning. Claire Barry of White Sage was a god send. She saved our wedding from disaster when we had no venue, but more importantly, she oversaw everything on the day. You hear so often people saying how they found the day so stressful or they missed parts of it, as they were off doing photos for hours, or seeing to some drama. We were able to sit back, relax and enjoy the day from beginning to end, and that to us was priceless.

Congratulations, Ciara and Adam on your wedding day. Of course a big thank you goes to Bronte Photography for sharing these beautiful images with us at One Fab Day! To see more of Bronte Photography's work pop over www.brontephotography.blogspot.ie

The Wedding Details