We're always impressed by couples who take a DIY approach to their big day, but the pair of lovebirds at the centre of today's real wedding are on a whole other level! As well as drafting in the help of friends, Mums, Dads, Aunts, Grand Aunts and Nieces and Nephews, Mairéad and Dave took an extremely hands-on approach to their big day at Lisnavagh House and Gardens, with Mairéad even creating the stationery and signage! Of course, these guys were clever enough to call in the professionals, too, and, in that regard, they've got great taste! Food, flowers, and videography were all provided by our favourite wedding suppliers, and we couldn't be more smitten with the photography by Kyrstin Healy. So let's take a closer look, shall we!?

Mairéad tells us that she and Dave met on a dancefloor in Wexford about 10 years ago. "There was an apprehensive start, with Dave moving to Australia and me starting college," she says. "We kept in contact, sharing music and travel photos. When Dave moved home, it wasn’t long before we made it official."

The couple were travelling in New Zealand when Dave popped the question. "We were staying in a beautiful cabin in the coastal town of Kaikoura," Mairéad remembers. "It had an ocean view from the front and snow-capped mountains at the back. Dave got down on one knee on the beach one morning. It was intimate, with not one person around. We spent a few days enjoying an engagement bubble before telling people. It was perfect! We bought a ring in a gorgeous jewellers in Sydney before travelling home."

The couple's top priorities for the big day were showing their guests a good time! "We wanted the wedding to reflect our taste and personalities," Mairéad says, "but we also wanted our guests to feel excited about attending our wedding, which was in a venue that was a little out of the ordinary."

Mairéad's naturalistic, multicoloured flower crown and bouquet are the work of the gifted team at Wallflower. "I had such an amazing experience with Lennie from Wallflower," Mairéad says. "She invited me to her flower farm before the wedding to pick out the flowers I would like to use, and the end product was just amazing! It was exactly what I wanted."

That is one seriously cool wedding car! "Dave’s best man, Jason, surprised us by organising a vintage Landrover Defender for the wedding weekend," Mairéad says. "The boys loved it! My Dad was a big fan, too! Dad and I drove to the brick barn for the ceremony, down an old farm lane from the cottage where I got ready. It was bumpy, but perfect!"

The couple very quickly fell in love with Lisnavagh House and Gardens, and, looking at these photographs, it's easy to see why! "The grounds of Lisnavagh House are absolutely stunning," Mairéad says. "When we arrived, we knew it was very us. We also liked Lisnavagh because it could house about half of our wedding guests in its converted the stables and cottages. And it had a cottage that was wheelchair-accessible for my sister. Not many of the alternative Irish wedding venues we looked at had wheelchair-accessible accommodation, which was frustrating. The staff at Lisnavagh did everything possible to make my sister's movement around the venue comfortable and easy. The stables courtyard was great for the afterparty also!"

Mairéad really flexed her creative muscles in the run up to the wedding. "I did all of the stationery myself, with some help from my bridesmaids," she says. "I love anything crafty. I handpainted the invites and a board for the table plan. I also created the wedding booklets, table setting and table numbers. Making the invites was my favourite part of the wedding prep! The wedding itself was quite DIY, so the help we had from our family and friends was amazing. My Dad organised the large wooden M&D letters in the reception space, he loved being hands-on and helping out."

Mairéad's advice for engaged couples is to avoid overextending yourselves! "Don’t fuss over the small things," she says. "Many people stress during the build up to their wedding day, when it should be a time that soak up and enjoy. It’s not often you have so many of your friends and family together. Think about how you want the day to feel rather than look. Only put effort into the things that you enjoy doing and accept any help that is offered. Plan a day that excites you and enjoy every minute of it." Here, here!

Mairéad's off-the-shoulder wedding dress is so simple, and yet, such a head-turner! This is one of those silhouettes that will never go out of style.

How amazing does this spread look?! We'd expect nothing less from the talented team at Andrew Holmes Catering! "We wanted relaxed, buffet-style food," Mairéad says. "We were very excited after going to Andrew’s kitchen in Wicklow for the tasting. His food was tasty, plentiful and it tied in nicely with the atmosphere of the day. The midnight feast of hot dogs went down very well after a few hours of dancing!"

Aside from Mairéad's flower crown and bouquet, the couple's wedding flowers were provided by Mairéad's Aunt Mary! "All of the flowers came from Mary’s garden, Dave’s Mam’s garden and my Great Aunt’s gardens," she tells us. "The cutting of flowers was so intense in the days before the wedding, I ended up with a very swollen eye the morning of the wedding. Thank god for cold teabags and makeup artists! Mary did such an amazing job, I loved the natural, wild feel of all of the flowers."

Dave's aunt, Stella, is the woman behind this incredible, daisy-adorned wedding cake! We can see lots of vintage-loving couples pinning this one for inspiration! "Stella organised the cake and the cake table and we loved everything about it," Mairéad says. "She not only had the amazing cake but also lots of cupcakes and biscuits. The cupcakes and biscuits were eaten on the night and we cut the cake the following afternoon with our family, it was lovely way to end the weekend!"

For their honeymoon, the couple are planning a winter trip to South America. "We went on lots of minimoons around Ireland over the summer, which we loved. We would recommend waiting a few months before going on honeymoon, as it gives you something to feel excited about when it's all over."

And that's a wrap on Mairéad and Dave's big day. We have to thank the couple for sharing their gorgeous wedding with us, and Kyrstin Healy Photography for providing the beautiful imagery! Be sure to click through the gallery below to see more from their day!