Today's real wedding is beyond gorgeous. The elegant castle backdrop, the romantic style and the rustic details - there's a lot to love! Polish bride Marlena and her Irish groom Kevin tied the knot with an intimate wedding at Waterford Castle with 50 of their closest friends and family by their side - along with their 12-year-old daughter Kaylah, the resident pianist! And while it was filled with beautiful touches, this day was full of heart too, as you'll see from the beautiful photos by Berit Alits Photography.

Marlena's wedding dress featured an illusion neckline and sleeves with lace detailing - just wait until you see it on the bride!

Marlena & Kevin tell us they discovered each other through a mutual friend, “We set up our first date in Waterford meeting in a trad Irish bar with a slight language barrier to deal with but the Guinness sure did help.”

To propose, Kevin took Marlena back to a familiar spot, “We went back to the location of our first trip away together in the Wicklow Mountains (in middle of a storm),” recalls Marlena, “The proposal was a complete surprise near the end of the day in a valley (with camera set up for a pic). We stayed in the same room, in the same hotel as our first night away with a surprise of flowers, champagne and candles all ready in the room. So romantic!”

Marlena was such a stunning bride, I love how she paired the glamour of her dress with a rustic bouquet and a floral adorned braid to relax the look. And her groom Kevin was just as stylish...

The couple tell us about the atmosphere they wanted to strike with their day, "A relaxed and personal wedding with close friends and family with rustic style décor giving an outdoor feel.” 

The couple said their vows in a beautiful light-filled room at Waterford Castle.

With just 50 guests, keeping the day intimate was a top priority for the bride and groom, “We wanted to keep it small and personal with only close friends and immediate family so that we could enjoy every minute of the day ourselves.” The couple were also eager to tie in a rustic theme with their historic venue. 

Waterford Castle was the ideal choice for Marlena & Kevin’s romantic affair, “The Castle really made this wedding stand out for everyone,” the couple tell us. “As it was most people’s first time been there and it’s such a unique place that it blew everyone away.”

This umbrella shot is so cute!

After a now infamous storm hitting the week of the wedding, the couple were thrilled their guests turned out, “The whole country was on lockdown a few days before our wedding with the “Beast from the East”, so even making it that day was special.”

I keep just coming back to Marlena's wedding day look - she nailed that rustic romance!

The grounds of Waterford Castle had lots of secluded spots for gorgeous wedding portraits on the day.

“Do whatever makes you happy as you can’t please everyone,” is Marlena and Kevin’s top tip for wedding planning. “It’s your day, so plan for yourselves and enjoy it as much as you can as it will come and go before you know it. Pick the professionals in the business as this will definitely pay off in the end.”

The couple’s family helped make the day even more memorable, Marlena tells us about one of some of the most special moments from the day, “Our daughter Kaylah taking over from her piano teacher and playing a song during the ceremony was a treat, personalised readings from both witnesses during ceremony, Kevin’s Dad singing and families dancing together, our home made décor.”

The couple kept their tables chic and simple with rustic touches, like twine-tied napkins, wildflower centrepieces and wooden candle holders.

And this fab wedding cake and desert table by Cherub Couture Cakes tied in beautifully with the decor, and vibe of the day - it all looks too pretty to eat!

The couple jetted off for an exotic honeymoon, “ We went to Thailand two days after the wedding and travelled from top to bottom seeing as much as we could in 16 days. We’d highly recommend this for anyone wanting an adventurous honeymoon. Then we visited family in Poland and had a small holiday there.”

Such a gorgeous wedding - thanks so much to Marlena and Kevin for sharing it with us. And thank you too to Berit Alits Photography for sending it our way.