If you love classic elegance, then this real wedding for you. From a candlelit ceremony filled with autumn blooms as far as the eye could see, to a timeless bridal gown that will take your breath away, we adore every inch of Rhea and Jonathan's celebration! The pandemic may have turned their original wedding plans on their head, but this resilient couple decided to go ahead with their original date with a gorgeous micro wedding ceremony and a mini cake cutting celebration at Hillmount House in Co. Antrim. Beautifully captured by You Them Us Photography, this inspiring celebration is sure to become one of your favourites, just as it is ours!

Rhea and Jonathan attended the same secondary school, but never actually knew each other! They eventually met originally online and hit it off. "We had our first date at the Ulster Museum and then went for food and a coffee on Botanic Avenue. Understated, but perfect!"

Jonathan popped the question on what sounds to be the most perfect evening. Rhea fills us in, "We got engaged in February, when the evenings were beginning to get a little lighter again. We went for a walk after work in Cregagh Glen, a nearby forest park in the Lisnabreeny Hills, with our pup Lola. We did the whole walk and back up again to the top of hill when we realised it had gotten incredibly foggy but the pink setting sun was still visible. I took a moment to look at the view of Belfast’s city lights against the sunset and fog, and when I turned around Jonathan had my ring (which I had seen in the window of McNeilly’s Jewellers previously but wasn’t sure if he had bought it) in his hand and he asked me to marry him. There was no one else around and it was such a special moment shared between Jonathan and I (and of course Lola!)."

Rhea's show-stopper gown is a bespoke creation designed by both the bride and Una Rodden Couture. To her bridal look, she added stunning bespoke, Irish-made earrings and gold sandals, which were a bargain find from House of Fraser!

Due to the restrictions in place at the time, hiring a beauty team wasn't an option for Rhea, so instead, this crafty bride took Zoom hair and makeup tutorials leading up to the big day, and then did her own hair and makeup on morning of the wedding - and she looked incredible.

We're big fans of black bridesmaids dresses. So chic!

When it came time to choose a venue, the couple knew exactly where they wanted to say I do. "We chose our venue as Ballygally has special importance to us. We spent lots of time together along the Antrim Coast and on Ballygally beach in our early days. We wanted something that felt quite homely and wasn’t too big and Hillmount House was perfect. The location is very scenic and we had complete freedom to do exactly what we wanted with our day. Andrew and Simon made us feel so welcome and relaxed in their venue right from the very beginning and, with all of the madness that came with planning a wedding during a pandemic, nothing was ever too much for them. We were so glad we chose Hillmount House and couldn't wait to get back to have our evening party there."

Due to the restrictions around live music, Rhea walked down the aisle to a piece of music called Autumn Walk composed by her sister Jan, performed and recorded by Jan and her colleagues and then played through a speaker on the day.

The couple describe their day as, "an intimate celebration with our family and a small number of friends who we hadn’t seen together in so long." They add, "it was an incredibly relaxed day filled with lots of love and laughter (as seen in our photos!)."

The couple's evening reception was in Hillmount House’s gorgeous new Orangery in July.

While it may not be the day they originally planned, the couple tell us it was incredibly special. "Due to restrictions, a number of elements we had planned couldn’t happen. This made us very grateful for the simple pleasures of our day; family and friends together, good food and drink and a new chapter of our lives started together."

Rhea and Jonathan have some extremely sensible advice to offer engaged couples which was passed on to them by a family friend. "A family member of ours told us to do exactly what we wanted with our day and not to plan with others in mind. This was the best piece of advice we were given and we were so glad we followed it!"

Rhea and Jonathan's wedding cakes were a duo of mouth-watering autumn-inspired creations featuring of vanilla and damson jam and Chai pumpkin and orange flavours.

At this point, we've got to say a huge thank you to Rhea and Jonathan for giving us a peek inside their big day, and to You Them Us Photography, of course, for sharing the beautiful images.