Today's wedding is a complete delight, inspirational because although I don't know Alice and Ferg personally, one look at their wedding pictures and I felt I did . Alice and I are kindred spirits - we both had our weddings outside in 2012, an unusually miserable summer but we both got blistering days, and both were captured by Trish and Brian of We Are the Mastersons - so you can see how mine turned out in a few weeks and see why we both love this couple of talented photographers. If you envisage your wedding as relaxed, happy and fun, then sit back and enjoy Alice and Ferg's day - it was one deadly day in Dalkey , I dearly wished I'd been invited...
Alice and Fergal met working in The Mermaid Cafe (remember it? such a great spot!) and worked together for about 7 years. Friends for a long time, as all great love stories, theirs was a winding road, but the end destination was absolutely idyllic - while they first headed to New York to make it legal - their actual wedding was celebrated in a beautiful ceremony in Dalkey. They invited 50 close friends and family to the cliff-top on Vico Road, where Alice's best friend Susan wrote and performed the ceremony and they tied the knot.
Today is Mother's Day and it set me thinking earlier about how much Mums do for their daughters and sons for their weddings. Their help is truly invaluable, and over the years we've heard hundreds of stories of the big and little things they do. Alice's Mum was just such a superstar, adding those really personal touches that make the day properly special. "I asked my Mum to pick flowers from the garden at how where I grew up in Thomastown, Co Kilkenny and just make a posy like she has always done. She always puts a posy in our bedrooms in a pretty jug when we come home to visit and I just wanted that. It was my favourite thing, they were so beautiful. She did one for my flower girl too.
Alice found her beautiful broderie anglaise Colette Dinnigan dress in Costume in Dublin 2. They used to do bridal but decided to stop and they were clearing out their stock, so Alice grabbed a bargain (75% off!) Her best friend was with her when she found the dress "when I tried it on I also put on this really fun bright pink necklace and loved it but didn't buy it. I must have mentioned it again as she unbeknown to me called the shop and got it for me and gave it to me the day before! Awesome!"
The look was topped off with an amazing braid woven with flowers - perfect for an energetic bubbly bride, and handy not to be windswept on top of a cliff! Speaking of which - what a place to wait for the beautiful bride...
With the amazing vista of the sea behind the couple, it didn't need much to make this spot ceremony-ready. "I was a florist in a past life so had an arch from doing weddings before so decorated that with ribbon (by my brother and Susan) as a back drop. 2012 was a terrible summer for weather but on that day it was like a summer's day in Spain! Very lucky as we didn't have a back plan if it rained!"
Go big or go home is what I always say, there's no risk with no reward - Alice and Ferg ran a big risk, but boy did it pay off.
Can you imagine a more amazing spot to make your vows? Get adventurous for the ceremony peeps - it's so worth it!
After the ceremony in Dalkey, the couple and their guests headed just a few minutes down the road for some refreshments in an equally lovely spot - Olivetto at the Kingston Hotel in Dun Laoghaire.
While the guests enjoyed a tipple overlooking Dun Laoghaire harbour, the couple headed off with Trish and Brian (We are the Mastersons) to catch their breath and some portraits with their pooch.
A really special addition to Alice's outfit was the Pearl necklace given to me by my Mum with her mother's engagement ring on it. My Grandmother died when my Mum was only 17 so that meant a lot when my mum gave it to me.
In Olivetto the guests settled in to a lovely lunch of antipasti sharing boards followed by sea bream or slow roasted lamb. The weather was so good we were able to be out the front for a champagne reception over looking the harbour where coincidentally there was a boat race going on.
Keeping the decor simple but beautiful, vivid fuschsia hearts were the motif to unite the elements of the day - the stationery created by Alice's hero best friend Susan (she who also performed the ceremony) and echoed again in the gorgeous cake baked by Alice's sister in law to match their wedding invites.
Then we invited another 100 or so friends and the rest of the family to a BBQ with music and dancing and ice cream to The Tramyard, Dalkey, Co Dublin. We asked Anthea at Howbert & Mays in Monkstown to help with the flowers. It's a garden centre but they have wild flowers delivered every week, and she used to put posies (kinda like my Mum's!) on the counter so I asked would she do them for the restaurant table and the BBQ at The Tramyard.
Keeping the DIY personal feel, Ferg's best friend Gar organised a band, consisting of various friends and one of his brothers, Ben.
Wouldn't you love to have been there?
Huge and hearty congratulations Alice & Ferg - what an amazing day, truly One Fab Day in every way. Thank you for sharing it with us, and let me know when you're throwing your next party (i'll text you my address).
Thanks of course too to the lovely Trish and Brian of We Are the Mastersons - what a pair of legends.
The Wedding Details
- Photography: We Are the Mastersons
- Reception: Olivetto & The Tramyard
- Wedding Dress: Colette Dinnigan
- Flower girl: Monsoon
- Bridesmaid: Sandro
- Shoes: Topshop
- Flowers: Anthea at Howbert & Mays
- Groom's Suit: Tiger Sweden at Brown Thomas
- Stationery: Susan Flavin
- Makeup/Hair: Aideen from Mane
