On a cozy, leaf crunching October day, Jessica and John's nuptials took place in Co. Wicklow at the picture-perfect Killruddery House. Our real wedding couple infused personality and sentimentality into the wedding of their dreams, along with beautiful poignant touches. This celebration features custom-made suits from grandad's tweed jackets and a wedding soundtrack that we will all be adding to our Spotify ceremony playlists! Captured by photographer and videographer dream team Wonder & Magic, Jessica and John invite you all to their special day, right this way!
Oooh, look at all of those delightful details! Representing the colour of love, Jessica's dazzling engagement ring boasts a sublime pink diamond.
It's true what they say, the best relationship starts with a friendship, and that is exactly how the love story became of Jessica and John. "We have been friends for a good few years now. One day, almost out of the blue, we realised that there could be more. We thought about it carefully before diving in as we didn’t want to risk our friendship, but as it turned out, it was the real deal! We make a great team," they said.
Jessica chose to go for a one-of-a-kind dress with a custom-made off-the-shoulder fit by Covet Boudoir. "The girls in Covet were absolute life savers. With one month to go before the wedding, the dress I had originally bought was too small. Pandemic home comforts to blame - no regrets!" she laughs. "They took me under their wing and designed a dress to fit my new curvy shape and all in the space of a month. I had a ceremony skirt and veil and then a stunning bow and headpiece for the reception. They are angels!"
Snatching our attention, besides the radiating bride, of course, is the blossoming bouquet bursting with vibrant pink and mulberry roses and gleeful wild garden flowers! Draped in a velvet pink ribbon, the colours are reflected against the beaming smiles, Jessica's twinkly blue eyes, and overall the loving atmosphere that is felt through our screens.
After a few spurious proposals, Jessica's moment finally came around and she almost didn’t believe her eyes: "He used to drive me mad with fake proposals in scenic places to embarrass me! During one of the lockdowns, we decided to go on an early morning hike just to change our surroundings a bit. We woke at 6 am, made some sausage sambos and a flask of coffee and set off on a gorgeous hike from Crone car park, and stopped for our breakfast on top of Powerscourt waterfall. I looked over and he was down on one knee with the ring of my dreams! But it was perfect, we celebrated with sausage sambos and an incredible view!" said Jessica.
Transported in style in a Rolls Royce, the bride, her gorgeous mother, and bridesmaid arrive at the spectacular Ki;lruddery House wedding where John, her husband-to-be awaits. Killruddery House is an opulent mansion with an original 17th-century foundation. "We have a special connection to Wicklow, so that narrowed down the search from the start. I loved the formal, almost outdoors but indoors vibe of the Orangery and the Versailles-style gardens and then the relaxed and cozy vibe of the Grainstore for the reception. We didn’t look anywhere else, it was an easy decision."
As the moment arrived for the bride to walk down the aisle with her beautiful mother, her processional song began to play just wait until you hear her song of choice! "We both love our music and so it only felt right to focus on the soundtrack for the day. We chose some very non-traditional music for the day and my Dad completely understood the brief. With a full band comprised of my Dad and his talented friends, I walked down the aisle to 'Songs of Love' by Divine comedy - yes the Father Ted theme tune!" said Jessica.
Jessica and John chose a tree-planting ceremony, an ancient ritual that represents a relationship taking root, growing, and flourishing as the couple officially becomes a family. ‘All is Full of Love’ by Bjork serenaded the room whilst Jessica and John planted their tree. Other songs that the couples chose for the ceremony were 'Lover You Should Have Come Over’ by Jeff Buckley after the readings, and ‘Into My Arms’ by Nick Cave before the vows and they walked out to ‘Here Comes The Sun’ by The Beatles. "This made the ceremony for me, it was so personal and felt like the perfect soundtrack to the day," she said.
Another special and personal element during the ceremony was having their close friend Jess act as a celebrant. "Being married by our close friends was special. I also had John’s late father represented by his family tweed at the ceremony. From start to finish the ceremony was completely personal to us, I’ll never forget it" said Jessica.
Pictured below alongside the bride and groom, are niece and nephew Lily and Joe, the two little mascots who stole the show! Lily, the flower girl is seen wearing a beautiful knitted cardigan and donning a gorgeous flower crown made of babies' breath. While little Joe is twinning with John in an adorable mini tweed waistcoat, navy pants, and miniature buttonhole.
The bride was not the only one to go custom, and so did John. However, the story behind this reason is exceptionally beautiful. Custom made by Tailor Brendan McDermott, John, and his best man had their waistcoats made from two old tweed jackets owned by Jessica's late Grandfather. "I was extremely close to my Grandad and this was so special that we were able to transform his old jackets into custom waistcoats for John and his best man to wear on the day and to use in the future," said Jessica. An incredibly poignant touch.
As the evening arrived, Jessica swapped her lavish veil for a breathtaking bridal headpiece. A transforming addition that requires little to no effort!
Jessica's maid of honour is seen wearing a glorious shade of olive green. The trendsetting colour is uber-popular in the world of weddings and it is easy to see why. Her bouquet filled with magenta, peach, and pastel florals contrasts beautifully against the calming and earthy-toned dress. We even spot a few thistles, a gorgeous autumnal and winter choice for wedding bouquets.
The Killruddery House wedding day was overall described as a dreamy autumnal vibe. Relaxed, airy, and formal by day and cozy and rustic by night entirely lit up with open fires, candles light, and fairy lights. Bliss! The couple wishes to share some advice with those in the planning process, say: "We planned our wedding in the middle of the pandemic, the planning was very different from how couples over the years have done it before. But I guess it would be to design a day that brings you joy and doesn’t stress about all the other stuff and external pressure. The day flies by, so just try to relax and have fun, it’s easier said than done!"
The guests were joyfully treated to some wedding games after the speeches. Safe to say they immensely enjoyed themselves, wedding games are such a fun and creative way to get the party started!
A very special thank you to both John and Jessica for sharing their wonderful Killruddery House wedding with us. Extended thank yous also to Wonder & Magic, photographer and videographer duo, for capturing such beautiful moments.
We have lots more fabulous Autumn real weddings to inspire your own planning. Check them out!
