Enchanting Elegance at Halloween: Alyson & David

Limerick couple Alyson & David's dream Hallowe'en wedding may have differed from their original plans, but their micro wedding turned out just magical. The pair embraced all the seasonal, autumnal hues and there was magic in the air as they wed at the Holy Trinity Abbey in Adare before heading to the magnificent Gloster House for their Halloween Eve celebration, lit entirely by candlelight! Moody, romantic and utterly glamorous, their day is an inspiring one for couples getting married at the spookiest time of the year! Keep reading to see the couple's enchantingly elegant below, all captured wonderfully by Gareth from Lima Conlon Photography.

So first things first, Alyson and David have filled us in on their proposal. "The proposal was incredible," Alyson reminisces. "It involved high drama of course. We go to a place in Limerick that overlooks Shannon airport to watch planes coming and going. Dave had booked a guy to film the proposal on a drone and to do so involved informing the Airspace control because of the proximity to the airport. He also booked dinner for that night in one of our favourite restaurants, 1826 in Adare. Sorted… not! I broke a nail on the Wednesday morning when all of this was meant to be happening. I got a nail appointment for Thursday morning so poor Dave had to go and re-arrange everything for the following day. Anyway, his hard work paid off and it was just incredible, so magical and so hard to believe he went to that much trouble for me."

A makeup artist from Beauty Atelier did Alyson’s makeup, but she did her own hair for her big day, taking a few calm moments to herself as the morning whizzed past.

Alyson and David wed in a traditional ceremony at the Holy Trinity Abbey in Adare, Co. Limerick before heading to the fabulous Gloster House in Co. Offaly for their All Hallows Eve wedding celebration.

Alyson and David describe the vibe they wanted for their day, "Given that it was Halloween night, one of our favourite times of year, we really wanted to play on the moodiness of the time of year. We wanted to create an elegant space with a moody, Halloween feel but we didn’t want to go overboard with the whole Hallowe'en theme. We really wanted to use the dark colours of autumn to create a beautiful yet moody atmosphere for all of our guests to enjoy."

We have to take a moment to swoon over Alyson's dreamy Julie Vino gown, sourced at Blush and Ivory Boutique in London, which she paired with covetable Jimmy Choo heels. David also looked incredibly dapper in his custom-made green velvet Louis Copeland & Sons suit.

Aren't these just the most gorgeous moments captured by Gareth from Lima Conlon Photography?

When it came to choosing a venue, there was only one that stole their hearts. "We are both very traditional in many ways and we live in a lovely, quaint little cottage. Gloster House for us just had a wow factor that no other venue had. It had this incredible feel and ambiance as we drove in the gates and walked through the doors. I think from the moment we stepped foot inside the incredible house, we just knew it was for us, it had that something extra that neither of us can pinpoint."

For Alyson and David, it was all about making choices to make their day their own. Says Alyson, "We wanted the day to be ours. It is extremely hard to narrow down our priorities but I suppose we both wanted to enjoy our day, we really decided from early on that styling and design, music throughout the day and photography were really important to us. We felt the music is so important for setting the tone for the day, and the styling and design have such an impact on people as they enter the ceremony and the reception. Alise couldn’t have done a better job in creating our vision, it was like watching our mood board that she created for us just come to life."

Alyson's lush bouquet featured an organic collection of quicksand roses, chocolate cosmos, amaranth and fall foliage.

Autumn foliage and a golden October sunset provided the couple with the perfect backdrop for their magic hour portraits.

Due to the pandemic, the couple had to scale back their original guest list of almost 200 to 25, making their 'big day' into a 'little big day'! "This meant that those there with us to celebrate were people we really and truly wanted around us and that made is extra special. The shots of Jameson were a toast to two very special people who have passed away, so that was a lovely touch too. People who were invited to the wedding but had to be taken off our guest list did some wonderful things for us and that made us feel truly blessed and loved."

When it comes to advice for other couples in the same situation, Alyson and David share their thoughts, "Don’t fret the small stuff and try to take in every moment. At the end of the day, all we wanted to do was start all over again. It goes by way too quickly and some elements of the day can be overwhelming. Dave and I also had a lovely hour together in the car on the way to the venue with just the two of us and no one else, as Dave was the driver and that was so lovely to have that time of calm in between all of the madness. "

The couple, along with their stylist and florist, dressed up their old-world feel venue with rich red, amber and black tones and lots of candlelight. Centrepieces paired roses and cosmos along with fall foliage, Spanish moss, fruits and pumpkins. Every table design was a truly artistic creation.

The gorgeous stationery inspired by Dutch masters paintings also featured calligraphy, velvet ribbon and wax seals on textured watercolour paper.

This neon sign is perfectly on-theme and a testament to the couple's love story!

We're big fans of a black wedding cake!

When it came to the honeymoon, Alyson and David love a good adventure and want to bring two really different holidays together as part of our honeymoon. "Firstly, we hope to go skiing and to Courchevel in France. We also love Zermatt in Switzerland but want to change things up so this would be our first choice for a ski resort. Then we plan on travelling to Bora Bora in the French Polynesia for some relaxation and time for just us to chill and relax." Sounds incredible!