After being neighbours for sometime Clare and Tom got together (with some help from Tom's brother) and have never looked back. They filled their wedding day with bright colours and wildflowers as they celebrated marquee style, at Knockniny Country House. Eden Photography took the colourful photographs on the day and we're thrilled to share this Summer fête wedding with you this morning!

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Today we are so excited to share the lovely Summer celebration of Clare and Tom. After being neighbours for sometime these lovebirds got together (with some help from Tom's brother) and have never looked back. They filled their wedding day with bright colours and wildflowers as they celebrated marquee style, at Knockninny Country House. Eden Photography took the colourful photographs on the day and we're thrilled to share this Summer fête wedding with you this morning!

Clare and Tom met years ago while they were living around the corner from each other in England. It actually took Tom's brother giving Tom a nudge in the right direction to finally get them together! Tom gave us the inside scoop...We met in Manchester years ago when we were living around the corner from each other. Many a weekend night was spent partying together and we became great friends. Clare went travelling for a year and met with my brother in Australia, who promptly called me and queried 'Why I was not with this girl?' So my eyes were opened to this possibility. We fell in love soon after her return and have never looked back. We are still the best of friends and love to make each other laugh and smile.

However, when it came to the proposal, Tom needed very little help. He even kept the idea of marriage a secret from Clare, let alone the engagement plans... The proposal was amazing. I planned it four months in advance after we booked a holiday to India. I didn't even discuss the idea of marriage or engagement rings with Clare during this time to ensure it was a complete surprise. The first night on our private houseboat in the back waters of Kerala I was down on one knee, with a bottle of champagne and a ring. I used one of my late mother’s rings for the proposal. That night we listened to all our favourite songs making a playlist for the day itself, knocked back some bubbles and watched the night sky illuminate with colours and lightning bolts as a monsoon storm raged away in the distance without raining on our wee boat - our private firework display! We then kept it a secret from our family and friends, excluding our fathers who I had asked for permission and to supply me a ring, for the rest of our holiday. What a wonderful way to celebrate your engagement, just the two of you!

When they started planning their wedding, Clare and Tom knew they weren't too excited about being the focus of the day, so they planned a relaxed wedding, not too structured and not too formal. They also knew they wanted wildflowers to be a big part of the day, so they filled the venue with flowers from Clare's mother's garden - and all the neighbours' gardens too!

Eden Photography-Knockniny Country House-7

Clare and Tom said I do at St Mary's Magherarney in Co. Monaghan.

Clare's bouquet is so eye-catching, as she walks down the aisle with her new husband!

Clare added a special touch to her beautiful lace dress on the day. She had a jeweller re-work Tom's late mother's headdress from the 1970s so she could wear it and honour her on the day - such a special touch and what a stunning headdress.

Clare's bridesmaid chose a blue dress for the day, which had delicate crochet detail at the top, and of course it matches the blue hydrangea in Clare's bouquet!

When it came to the wedding venue, Clare and Tom were sold on Knockninny Country House because it met a few key requirements - a gorgeous setting for photos, and a marquee they could style however they wanted. It was also close to where Tom's grandmother was from on Lough Erne, so the location also had a special meaning to his family.

Tom and Clare decided they wanted to make their wedding a weekend-long affair, organising a BBQ and drinks night on Friday before the wedding, and another gathering on Sunday in the local pub. Tom's family flew in from the UK, so the couple booked self catering cottages for them to stay and have a 'home from home' environment for the weekend. Which, of course, made it much easier for everyone to pitch in and get the venue ready for the big day!

For the wedding party, Clare explained that the colour scheme went out the window when everyone chose different colours! The colour scheme went amiss as I was relaxed as long as nothing clashed, Tom decided on a red bow tie, my bridesmaids fell for dusky blue dresses and I found the cutest flower girls that again matched nothing but thankfully my bouquet pulled it all together. But the colours tie in nicely together, so the choices were all perfect in the end!

When Clare and Tom were choosing their decor, they knew they wanted to keep it colourful. They added the ribbon bunting in lots of different colours to the marquee, which makes it so Summer fête festive!

The couple had lots of help to make sure the day was a relaxed wildflower dream. A friend helped design the invitations, Clare's Uncle sorted the car, her dad made the sash window into a table plan DIY style, and all the visitors were enlisted to help fluff pom poms! One very special element was the cake table, hand-made by a family friend from an old tree. Can you imagine a more romantic heirloom to pass on through the generations?

Their advice for couples planning their own wedding? There are no rules, it's your day. Make a ‘to do’ list and try to a bit regularly rather than stress about it all at once. Don't let anyone pressure you into decisions take it in your stride and enjoy every single minute, as time whizzes by way too fast. In fact, Tom and Clare kept reminding themselves throughout the day to stop and take in the moments as the day flew by!

For their honeymoon, Clare and Tom headed off for a tour of Italy, enjoying the food, weather and people of the region. Congratulations, Tom and Clare! And a big thank you to Eden Photography for sharing these lovely colourful photos! To see more of Eden Photography's work pop over to www.eden-photography.com

The Wedding Details