For a lot of couples, the Covid-19 pandemic only intensified their desire to throw a great big party to celebrate their marriage, but the couple in today's real wedding, Jes and Jer, had quite the opposite reaction. Realising that their heart was never in the more traditional wedding they had planned for August 2021, they decided to elope with just two pals as witnesses in December of last year. They made some delightfully unconventional choices, including their ceremony venue (a 200-year-old cottage near Kenmare) and a unique crystal exchange ritual (they didn't have time to get rings sorted!) Although planned in just three months, their Kerry elopement certainly wasn't short on style, love or LOLs, as seen in these gorgeous images by Kate Bean Photography.

Jes tells us that she first met Jer about 10 years ago, in the night club in their mutual home town. "Besides finding him really interesting to talk to, and a complete gentlemen, that was that, until our paths crossed again the following year," she says. "It took us a little while, I was young and wild and he was older and definitely wiser but we got there in the end! Neither of us were actually ever the marriage type, which seems crazy now. It wasn't until I moved away for a few years that we both (luckily!) changed our minds on the matter."

The couple initially planned to have a big summer wedding in August 2021, but re-evaluated their plans when Covid-19 hit. "Between the uncertainty of pandemic life, and realising the wedding we were planning wasn't actually for us, we decided to scrap our plans and just take a breather, which was the best decision ever," Jes says.

At the end of September 2020, the couple were on a trip to Glengarriff when they had a brainwave. "We just said, 'Feck it! Will we try and get married here this year and finish up 2020 on a high note?'," Jes remembers. "We just about got our three month's notification in, which gave us the date of December 28th. Both Jer and I were the kids that did their homework just before class started, so having only three months to plan our wedding day put us in our comfort zone of doing everything at the last minute!"

The couple describe their big day as an "elopement of sorts!" Jes tells us, "we chose not to tell anyone except for our witnesses about our plans, we wanted to keep this day just for us, with a only a couple of guests. Our families had all mentioned they thought an elopement might be on the cards already, so we knew no feelings would be hurt! Our goal was to have a super chilled few days away, with a marriage ceremony thrown in, and definitely a 'less stuff, more meaning' approach."

Finding a suitable venue for their Humanist ceremony was the trickiest part for this pair. "We booked a stunning cabin in Glengarriff to stay in and didn't want the venue to be too far away, even though it was starting to feel like a big ask! After searching high and low, we came across Molly Gallivan's visitor centre, which was just over the border in Kenmare. We instantly fell in love with the idea of getting married in an old stone cottage, amongst the wild Kerry hills, it just felt perfect and so atmospheric and full of character. Of course, we had no idea if this would be possible, but luckily the owners, Stephen and Frances, enjoyed the idea as much as we did. We got the place wedding-approved with the registrar, and let out a big sigh of relief!"

The couple tell us that weather threatened to cause major hassle on the big day. "The night before the wedding was really stormy and we started to wonder if the Child Of Prague we stuck under a bush would pull through for us - this was pretty much the only tradition we stuck to so we were counting on the little guy! We shouldn't have worried though, as the weather we were given was incredible. Wind, rain, hail, sunshine and rainbows, all at the right times and it was super magical."

Jes's eclectic bridal look reminds us of the stunning jumper-and-skirt combo that Olivia Palermo wore for her big day in 2014, albeit a version of the look that's more appropriate for an Irish winter! It comprises a full, tulle skirt from Etsy, a wool top from & Other Stories, a vintage Fair Isle cardigan for extra warmth, boots from All Saints, and a dreamy crystal crown headpiece, also from Etsy!

We couldn't help but admire Jer's gorgeous suit when we first scrolled through the photographs of their big day, so we're not at all surprised to learn that it's by Louis Copeland & Sons! The smart oversized check is just perfect for the season and setting!

Jes describes the day as, "ethereal, atmospheric and very magical. And we really made the most of Ireland's natural beauty!"

It sounds like the couple's ceremony was absolutely magical! "Walking into our ceremony space on the day was just above our expectations," Jes says. "The electricity had gone, due to the storm, so the cottage was only lit by candles, a crackling fire and a few beams of light coming in through the small windows. Our celebrant is an old family friend, so it was really special to have her there and she did an amazing job, we may be biased but it was our favourite ceremony ever! Afterwards we had tea, scones and poitín, (a winning combination!) before taking a walk in Glengarriff Nature reserve. We finished the day back at our cabin with a swim in the river, and then sat down to a gorgeous meal made by one of West Cork's finest Chefs, Chris Hedges."

The couple managed to turn one of the downsides of wedding planning at short notice in a pandemic into a major upside! "One of our favourite things was deciding to exchange crystals instead of rings. We had always planned to make our own rings and, with time being of the essence, we decided to choose two special gemstones," Jes says. "This was perfect for us, the rings would come later. My crown was also made of crystals and we decorated the reception space with our favourite ones from home, and we gave them to our guests as favours, so I suppose there was a bit of an unintended theme there."

Photography was a huge priority for this pair. "Having an amazing photographer was definitely a must for us, I had known Kate Bean for years and always loved her work so knew she would be perfect," Jes says. "We wanted our friends and family to feel like they were there when they saw the photographs, and she really went above and beyond. We are so grateful to her, she's a complete camera wizard and the most lovely, gentle soul."

Jes and Jer's advice for engaged couples is terrifically sensible! "Our advice would be to really spend time at the beginning deciding what sort of day you would like, before jumping into any concrete planning. Do some soul searching and really decide what is best for both of you. No one is going to come knocking with a rule book, telling you your plan is wrong, Once it feels genuine to you, it'll be the best day ever, no matter what."

Thanks so much to Jes and Jer for sharing their gorgeous Cork and Kerry elopement with us, and to Kate Bean for providing the beautiful imagery. There are more in the gallery below, so make sure to click through for a look!