Complete with disco-ball and dried floral décor, our real wedding couple Hannah and Marie-Claire exchanged their vows in the rustic Riverdale Barn in Co. Antrim. With their adorable pet dachshunds making a special appearance on the day, the couple's warm and charming wedding featured a heartwarming ceremony reading from Derry Girls, phenomenal pearl hair accessories and a Normal People inspired first dance. Wonderfully captured by Sarah Gray Photography, check out Hannah and Marie-Claire's stylish barn wedding below!
Before diving into their fabulous wedding, let's get to know the happy couple! After meeting through a mutual friend (who deservedly ended up being Marie-Claire's maid-of-honour!), the two went on a night out together in 2017. The pair remained "strictly just friends" until the following year when Hannah, who was looking for a room to rent in Belfast, moved into Marie-Claire's spare bedroom. "I even helped Hannah move her boxes from the other side of town (not that I was keen or anything!). Hannah took me for dinner as a thank you for the help and the relationship grew from there. We haven’t lived apart since!"
Fast forward to their 2021 engagement, Hannah planned a surprise stay at the same place they had their first trip away together - St John's Point in Donegal. As Marie-Claire's 30th birthday was fast approaching, Hannah told her that she had booked a few nights away somewhere for the occasion with the exact location to be revealed when they got there. "As we approached the border, then Donegal and got closer to St John’s Point, I realised where we were going. Hannah had gone very quiet at this point but I didn’t think anything of it because I was just delighted to be there again." When they arrived with their dogs, Marie-Claire searched for a good spot to enjoy the picnic Hannah had packed: "I turned round to find Hannah on one knee. Ring in hand she said: ‘Will you?’, to which I obviously responded ‘Yes!’ Closely followed by, ‘does my dad know’, which he did." The couple celebrated with a bottle of champagne by the water and a night in a lovely cottage nearby.
Describing their wedding day as "personal and warm", Hannah and Marie-Claire wanted their guests to feel "as if there were having a night out with their mates without a care in the world." In terms of their wedding style: "We wanted the aesthetic to be clean, cool and neutral with a bit of jazz added in for good measure!" They certainy created that inviting atmosphere, decorating with neutral earthy toned linens, mounds of pampas grass, dried flower installations and fresh flower arrangements by Victoriana Floral, festoon lighting and disco ball décor.
After a first look with their wedding parties and shots to calm their pre-ceremony nerves, Hannah and Marie-Claire made their way down the aisle of the rustic ceremony space at Riverdale Barn. "Our Humanist ceremony was probably the most personal thing we have ever done in public. It wasn’t easy telling our story in its entirety whilst standing up in front of everyone we know." Left with nothing but happy memories of their ceremony, the couple's celebrant made Hannah and Marie-Claire feel at ease during the part of the day they both thought would be the most nerve wracking and stressful. "The fact that we were able to make it our own and include things like readings from the final episode of Derry Girls was such a fun vibe."
A few laughs and some tears later, Marie-Claire's oldest friend read Erin's final speech from Derry Girls, which ended up being the couple's favourite reading of the day. "I remember frantically typing it in to a note on my phone when I first saw the finale of the show knowing that this had to be in our ceremony in some way, shape or form. Such a beautiful, emotional yet uplifting sentiment which was obviously written with direct reference to the Good Friday Agreement in NI but applies so brilliantly as well to life in general and growing up, moving on and starting new chapters which is exactly what we were doing that day."
Following their heartwarming ceremony, Marie-Claire and Hannah's two pet Dachshunds, Frank and Fred, made their grand entrance to congratulate the couple! "We couldn’t have got married without the boys coming too but also we knew our needy boys wouldn’t have been too happy spending the entire day there either!" After an adorable photoshoot with their pooches, the dapper dogs donning their best formalwear made their exit back home.
Adding an extra touch of sparkle to their day, Marie-Claire wore a stunning Rolling in Roses sequined two-piece and added pearl embellishments to her chic old Hollywood glamourous hairstyle. In an extra sentimental touch, she wore her great grandmother’s wedding ring on one hand and her late grandmother’s engagement ring on the other. Completing her stylish ensemble, as her "something borrowed", Marie-Claire, who wasn't planning on wearing a veil originally, but tried it on with her bridal look and loved it, sported a statement, floor-length veil belonging to a friend. Further adding to the impeccable style of the day, Hannah wore a fashionable white suit custom-made by The Cut Tailoring, paired with a white rose and dried flower boutonniere.
Hannah and Marie-Claire had this advice for couples embarking on their own wedding planning journey: "Spend your time, money and pay the most attention to the things you care about the most. Don’t compare your day to other people’s and don’t do anything just for the sake of doing it because that’s what everyone does. With so many different elements that can be incorporated into the day, don’t feel like you have to have everything. For example, we knew that our photographs would be amazing, so we never felt pressured to have a videographer, even though a lot of people were shocked that we weren’t doing that."
"Also be sure to make some time for yourselves on the day or the next day if you’re having a day two celebration. The day is class but also overwhelming so a bit of decompression time does absolutely no harm!"
The couple's fun-filled reception went on to include a eucalyptus adorned three-tier wedding cake baked by their friend, a confetti photoshoot and a first dance to Yazoo's Only You. "We heard this song when we were watching Normal People during lockdown and it just popped into my head that this would be such a nice song for a wedding first dance. Hannah agreed and no other song ever got a look in!"
"For a sentimental touch I wore my late grandmother’s fur coat over my dress in the evening which has her initials embellished in the lining. The coat is absolutely beautiful but I never normally have the opportunity to wear it - the wedding was the perfect occasion."
A very special thank you to Marie-Claire, Hannah and Sarah Gray Photography for sharing their charming barn wedding with One Fab Day. There are also plenty more gorgeous photos from their special day to check out in the gallery below!
Dreaming of your own barn wedding? Check out our guide of barn venues in the UK and Ireland or dive into One Fab Day's Wedding Venue Guide and take your pick from the range of breathtaking locations for your big day.
