Today's real wedding is a beautiful one; gorgeous vintage style, a glamorous bridal party, loved-up college sweethearts, and one of the most stunning backdrops Ireland has to offer. Nichola & Ruairi got married in Gweedore (or Gaoth Dobhair to those of you who spent summers in the Donegal Gaeltacht!) with a wedding that was firmly focused on family and friends. Music played a huge role in the couple's day, from their family providing the ceremony soundtrack, to their guests who kept the sing song going 'til the wee hours of the morning at the Gweedore Court Hotel. With fabulous photos by JAM Shoots, I think this one might just inspire lots of couples to look to North Donegal for their wedding...
Nichola & Ruairi met in college at UCD, “Ours was a friendship born out of a mutual love of sport and we were friends for a number of years before the romance blossomed.”
A gorgeous mix of tones from the bridesmaids - perfect for a winter wedding.
The couple say they were really lucky with all of their wedding suppliers, “Lida and Lorraine (our make-up and hair stylist) became part of the family on the morning of the wedding and JAM Shoots couldn’t have been a better pick as our photographers. Our photos from John and Anne-Marie are perfect. How they managed to take so many beautiful shots in their 30 minute window for photographs amazes me! They were fantastic to deal with throughout and we are so delighted with the results.”
Oh I love it when photographers can get pictures this gorgeous without keeping you away from your party for ages!
I'm just in love with Nichola's sparkling capelet and vintage style headband (a gift from Nichola's lovely aunts) - effortless glamour!
Family is hugely important to the couple, Nichola was eager to get married in her dad’s native Donegal, and leave from her granny’s house in Creeslough where she has lots of happy memories, “We both have big families and loved having everyone there to celebrate with us. We wanted to make sure the day felt relaxed and enjoyable for all of our guests and it was important to us that our aunts and uncles enjoyed the wedding just as much as our younger cousins and friends.”
Nichola & Ruairi love heading off on road trips around the country and it was on one such trip on a cold January weekend, that Ruairi decided to pop the question, “Ruairi’s Christmas present to me that year had been a weekend in the lovely Kinnity Castle. We had gone for a walk around the grounds and had spent the afternoon watching rugby. Ruairi seemed a little on edge, but I put that down to the match.”
Little did Nichola know that as she got ready for dinner back in our room, Ruairi was preparing to pop the question, “A fantastic night of bubbles and celebrations followed!”
Nichola says that among the most important things to her and Ruairi, was that there was a relaxed atmosphere throughout their wedding. The scenic setting in Donegal also played a role in the vibe of their day, “With musical talent in both families, we wanted music to play a big part of the day. The setting of both the church and An Chúirt in Gweedore is so special, with Mount Errigal ever present in the background. We wanted the look and style of the day to reflect the colours and textures of this wild landscape.”
Nichola & Ruairi’s ceremony was another family affair, “We are both very lucky to come from musical families and so cousins and friends from both sides played some beautiful music during the wedding ceremony. Fr Tom, our celebrant is a family friend and it meant a lot for us that he was the one that celebrated our marriage.”
Nichola & Ruairi were really appreciative of guests who came from all over Ireland, and further afield to celebrate their day, “This created a truly special atmosphere on the day itself and the days surrounding the wedding.”
The couple wanted the wild Gweedore landscape to be reflected throughout their decor, “In our naivety, we decided to make our own table centrepieces of tree-trunk cuttings, dried flowers and candles. This resulted in a lot of work for my sister (and maid of honour) and many cousins. Although we regretted our decision at 3am two days before our wedding when we were still putting the centrepieces together, we were delighted with how they turned out on the day.”
As a former DIY bride - I’ve been there!
This pair’s advice for other couples? Have fun! “It’s a rare occasion that brings together so many of the people that are important to you so relax and enjoy it!”
The couple found the venue soon after they got engaged, “We first visited An Chúirt on a snowy Sunday in January and the hotel and its location looked just beautiful surrounded by lakeside and snow capped mountain views. We also realised very quickly how friendly and helpful all the staff were – we knew our guests would really feel the Donegal welcome at our wedding.”
In lieu of wedding favours, the couple made a donation to Fr Peter McVerry Trust - what a thoughtful gesture!
The couple say their venue, An Chúirt, helped them set the tone for a relaxed occasion for all their guests, “Plenty of comfy armchairs for people to sink into during our reception before dinner – and again late into the night as the sing song took off. We also wanted as many people as possible to be able to stay on-site or at least close by so the party could continue with a sing song into the wee hours!”
Nichola says the team at An Chúirt were a huge help to her in the planning, “Lewis and his staff were really fantastic to deal with throughout the preparations. He shared all of his experience and knowledge from years of managing weddings with us but was totally flexible and open to all of our ideas and wishes.”
It really does make all the difference when a wedding venue can work with you on all your ideas!
Anyone else already planning a trip to North Donegal after seeing this? What an amazing place to gather friends and family for a wedding. Thanks so much to Nichola & Ruairi for sharing their romantic Gweedore wedding with us - and of course to JAM Shoots for capturing it so beautifully!
