The couple at the centre of today's real wedding seem to have struck the perfect balance with their 2019 wedding at Longueville House. Featuring opulent, rustic florals, chic stationery, and sensational styling, Ciara and James's detail-packed celebration pushes all of our aesthetic buttons, but the couple were also incredibly level-headed in their approach to wedding planning, staying focussed on the true meaning of the day throughout. Awake and Dreaming Photography were kind enough to share the imagery from the day so that we could fawn over their timelessly stylish, pampas grass-adorned, garden party-style bash, so let's take a closer look, shall we?!

Ciara tells us that she and James met in school, and started dating when they were teenagers! "We’ve been together ever since. We both lived in separate countries and counties for different periods before we eventually settled back in Cork."

The couple were living in San Francisco when James popped the question. "He proposed on our favourite beach with the Golden Gate in the background on our favourite spot," Ciara recalls. "It was lovely!"

The couple's top priority in wedding planning was to keep perspective and focus their celebrations on the true meaning of the day. "We just really wanted it to be a relaxed, fun day," Ciara says. "I see so many people get caught up in the actual wedding and treat it as the day everyone works towards. We viewed it as the beginning of the next chapter, so tried to put less pressure on ourselves. We felt so grateful that all these people wanted to come celebrate us. That’s what made it special so that was our priority!"

Didn't we tell you that the flowers in this wedding were out of this world!? The team at Bloomsday Flowers created lush, oversized arrangements featuring pampas grass, protea and lots of greenery. We will, of course, be sharing a close-up of Ciara's bouquet further down the feature!

Ciara tells us that the staff at Longueville House were the thing that sealed the deal for them. "Aisling was great - she got us from the very beginning. She totally understood what kind of vibe we wanted and made us feel like we had nothing to worry about. So many of our guests came up to us, either on the day of, or after the wedding, to tell us they were so impressed with the staff at Longueville. We could not have been looked after better! And, of course, it's just so beautiful and was in a great location travel-wise for most of our guests."

The couple had the wonderful Tracy Gallagher perform at their ceremony - what lucky guests!

Ciara describes the day as, "relaxed, fun and chill - we literally didn’t stop laughing!"

I love how laid-back and smiley the couple's wedding portraits are! Of course, we would expect nothing less from the team at Awake and Dreaming!

This talented couple were really hands-on with the aesthetic elements of the day, styling the reception tables themselves, and designing and printing their own stationery. "We also did notepads with the date and location of the wedding as wedding favours," Ciara says. "I am co-owner of a stationery company called Leanùn so we designed and printed these, too.

Ciara's beautiful bridal look comprises a drop-dead gorgeous, appliqué-detail wedding dress from Bán Bridal in Limerick, gold Kurt Geiger sandals, and a delicate hair vine by Azure Jewellery. Her oversized bouquet is a show-stopper too!

Asked to name a highlight, the couple choose the presence of so many friends and family members! "The best part and most overwhelming part of the day was having all the people you love in one place!" Ciara says. "The lovely positive vibes all day were amazing!"

Ciara's advice to engaged couples is incredibly sensible - she's a woman after our own hearts! "It’s just a day - don’t put too much pressure on yourselves," she says. "If it rains, it rains, if something happens, it happens. You can’t control the uncontrollable, so don’t let it ruin your day."

She also recommends picking your suppliers wisely! "All our vendors helped make the day special. They were all amazing and set the tone for the day. I would really make sure you take your time choosing everyone you include in the day, as it is so important to have people who get your vibe and who you can trust."

For their honeymoon, Ciara and James jetted off to the Amalfi Coast. "It was so beautiful and just what we needed after the festivities! I would 100% recommend it - the views, food and wine were amazing!"

That's a wrap on Ciara and James's dreamy wedding day! At this point, we've got to say a huge thank you to the couple for letting us drool over their celebration, and to Awake and Dreaming for providing the beautiful imagery! You'll find lots more photographs in the gallery below.