Intimate weddings may be small in numbers, but they are big on love and style! In spite of having to postpone their dream wedding day, our real wedding couple Holly and Aidan made sure to celebrate their beautiful love story on their original date with an intimate ceremony and reception at Bresson Restaurant in Monkstown in the suburbs of Dublin city! Amongst 20 of their loved ones, and many more who peeped through the ceremony windows from outside, the couple managed to pull off an incredibly special day, where they could enjoy every moment, be present, and embrace the calmness. For those who are looking for something similar, Gingerpixel Photography has allowed us to show off beautiful snaps of the day, and we think you will love every detail as much as we do!
2008 marked the year Holly and Aidan, childhood sweethearts and hopeless romantics, first crossed paths and have never left each other's side since. "We were in separate schools, but when Holly was in 5th and Aidan in 6th year our schools did a show called Ochón together. Aidan was in the cast and Holly was backstage, and on the last night we got together and the rest is history!" Aidan proposed in May 2019 in Brittas Bay on a sunny Saturday morning. He had the day planned meticulously! Holly explains: "After a walk in Brittas that morning, we went into Applebys for an appointment that afternoon to pick the ring, which we did, having gone to Keogh’s for a drink to mull over the decision first! That night we went to Pichet for a delicious meal and met our friends for drinks later on. Days of celebrations ensued with our families and friends followed by an engagement party in Johnnie Foxes pub a couple of months later."
Beautiful elegant style is shown by the mother of the groom!
Helping her to put her best foot forward, was the most awe-worthy pair of studded Valentino bridal shoes! Fun fact - these shoes were her 'something borrowed' from her sister who also wore them as her own bridal shoes. With her dapper father by her side, she walked up the aisle to the love of her life to Feather Theme (Forrest Gump) by Danny Wright.
The couple recalls what memories made the day truly meaningful and really special: "With 2020 being such a tough year, and with both our wedding and my brother's weddings postponed, having a celebration to look forward to meant a lot to us and our families. Friends also gathered outside Bresson as I arrived with my Dad, and seeing them standing outside to wish us well was really special. I love the photos of them peering in the windows of Bresson trying to spy on the ceremony!"
A memorable passage from Robin Williams, Goodwill Hunting was read throughout the ceremony by Aidan's groomsman Andy O' Farrell, who did a fantastic job of memorizing and reciting the poem.
‘You’re not perfect, and let me save you the suspense, this girl you’ve met, she isn’t perfect either. But the question is whether or not you are perfect for each other. That’s the whole deal. You’ll have bad times but it will wake you up to the good stuff you weren’t paying attention to.’
Unfortunately, like many other couples at the time, their original wedding plans were postponed due to that pesky ol' P word that we refuse to mention. However, they let true love prevail, and instead of canceling the day, they knew that they still wanted to get married on their planned wedding day, even in a small and intimate way! "When we approached Bresson and they were happy to host our day, we then knew we were going to have a cool but relaxed wedding with a “city wedding” vibe. Being in the middle of a busy Monkstown village on a sunny Saturday and wearing a short dress, I felt like this theme came together well. Overall it was a happy, relaxed, intimate, and really special day for us that we both look back on so fondly, even if it wasn’t what we had originally planned," said the couple.
Holly, the glamorous chic bride wowed in an awe-worthy short bridal blazer dress that suited the city wedding theme immaculately! There was one particular accessory that carried an abundance of sentimental meaning, and that was her earrings left to her by her grandmother Eileen. "They were my 'something blue and old' with sapphire stones and a bracelet lent from my Mum," she also added. She finished her look with a burst of vibrancy that shone through her bouquet showcasing a sweet selection of garden florals.
Important elements to the couple while planning their city chic wedding day, was having both families being part of the day. "This was our main priority, and thankfully being able to have 20 people was just enough for us to both have our relatively big immediate families and our very closest friends. Being able to have our day in September after a stressful preceding few months of not knowing where we stood, and having something to celebrate was important. Also remembering that our wedding was about our marriage and us celebrating our relationship and didn’t necessarily have to have a big party (yet – that would come in Virginia Park Lodge!) was a big element!" they said.
The groom, Aidan, went with a more laid-back style, dressing in a two-piece suit and a crisp white shirt with an open collar.
When it came down to some words of wisdom, Holly and Aidan offered the following wedding advice: "Having a small wedding was not something we had hoped for, but it was so special and we both feel so lucky to have had that day. I would highly recommend a similar day for couples that don’t think they want a huge wedding."
The wedding aesthetic that has been shown thus far is full of stylish details and personal touches, giving off an effortless and soothing vibe. Holly adds: "When we knew we would be having a small wedding, the cool city vibe was the look we wanted. I know I would like a short dress, but finding a dress with short notice was a challenge, putting my Mum to the challenge was the right idea and she found my dress which was perfect and really set the aesthetic for the day. Even if my Dad and mother-in-law couldn’t believe how short it was!"
With an endless amount of incredible intimate wedding venues and restaurants to choose from, the venue that was a no-brainer was the Bresson - but why we asked? "When we knew our Virginia Park Lodge wedding celebration was being postponed, we wanted to get married somewhere that meant something to us. For Holly being from Monkstown, getting married in the village was really special. Bresson was also a restaurant that we knew and loved, with a fab setting, décor and outside terrace. And also, before Bresson was there, a restaurant called Seapoint was in its place and a family dinner here with Holly’s family early in the relationship was a favourite meal for Aidan, so the setting had good memories for us. We looked at a few options in Dublin, but Bresson was top of the list, and being able to have the full restaurant to ourselves was a huge plus. We had the ceremony downstairs, the drinks reception outside on the terrace, and the lunch and drinks upstairs in the private room and it all worked out so well. The different settings made it feel like there were distinct parts to the day. Ashley who worked there at the time was so helpful and really made sure the day came together."
The perfect table décor demonstrates 'less was more' for the couple. Blossoming vases and tealight candles adorned the centre of the tables and place name tags greeted each guest to their seat. As for the wedding cake, oh my! A black forest gateaux-inspired wedding cake, drool!
A very special thank you from One Fab Day to Holly and Aidan for sharing their gorgeous city-chic inspired wedding day that was captured beautifully by Ginerpixel Photography.
Are you looking for a dreamy intimate wedding venue like Holly & Aidan? Check out 18 Amazing Private Dining Restaurants in Dublin here! Or click here for Intimate Venues: Perfect Country Houses for a Small Private Wedding
