Here. we bring you a real wedding that's filled with color, culture and coastline! Kento and Úna met in Bristol, and said 'I do', on the rugged coast of Clare at the Cliffs of Moher! With bright blues, sweet oranges, and sunflower yellows, this wedding at Hotel Doolin was a celebration of life, colour and love, featuring both Irish and Japanese influences! These gorgeous images by Love Like Crazy captured the cliffside romance perfectly, and we just love the result!
So firstly, we asked the couple how they met. Úna tells us that she's from Mayo, and met her future husband in Bristol, back in 2013. "We were friends first for about six months and then we got together. We moved in together properly about eight months later and the rest is history," she said.
Kento popped the question back in 2018 on Úna's favourite beach in Mayo, known as Old Head, while out for a family picnic! Úna says that Kento proposed, "in the middle of a sandstorm which was so bad that my Mum, brother and sister had all run back to the car! Apparently, I said 'eh, okay…' so he threatened to say that on our wedding day!"
The couple said that they had planned a day that was full of happiness and colour. "Our wedding was full of smiles and a sense of relief which manifested in joy… everyone was really happy!" Úna tells us. "We were blessed with wonderful weather, about 28 degrees, blue skies, blazing sunshine. exactly what we expected!"
Úna's beautiful wedding dress was designed by the bride herself, based on a vintage dress she bought, which was then embellished, embroidered, and restyled by a couture designer. We just love the retro embroidered flowers, and gorgeous floral sleeves that add so much lively colour!
The couple opted for an intimate Celtic wedding that featured a handfasting as well as some Japanese elements too! Úna tells us, "We wrote our own vows and my maid of honour, who sadly couldn’t be there on the day, knitted a crios for our handfasting, which was so beautiful. We also had some readings in Irish and Japanese, which were really special including a Japanese translation of 'the Irish blessing'."
The fabulous venue for the evening reception was Hotel Doolin Co. Clare, which is the ideal location for a festival-style party. Úna had a clear technicolour vision for what she wanted her wedding to look like and we think she's just nailed it! The creative bride also made vases for the tables and the wedding favours too, which consisted of porcelain earrings, cufflinks and brooches! Her advice for engaged couples is to, "relax and enjoy the day!" With music provided by high-energy wedding band Blacktye, the fun and celebration continued long into the night.
The pair had their mini moon in the poolside cottage, Ardnavaha house, which they highly recommend. The couple will jet off next April for their honeymoon abroad. Úna tells us, "we are planning to go to Okinawa, tropical islands in Japan in April for our honeymoon." It sounds incredible!
A huge thank you to this beautiful couple for sharing their Doolin wedding with us, and a huge thanks too, goes to Love Like Crazy for these wonderful pictures! There are more stunning images below for you to pore over!