In 2016 we have been delighted to share with you two gorgeous One Fab Day employee real weddings (Anna's in Northern Ireland and the lovely Shoshannah's in Co. Cork), and today we're equally thrilled to share with you the One Fab Day wedding of Helen and John. In a whirlwind of excitement earlier this year Helen and John tied the knot at Temple House before embarking on a honeymoon through Asia, followed by an upcoming move to Canada. On top of all this their original venue closed within a week of their wedding date. Luckily things came good and Savo captured each moment for us all to relive and enjoy.

John remembers how they first met..."Helen was at a party in Ashbourne, got bored and wandered into my local. We both noticed each other but we were with friends. Helen went outside for a minute, and I had taken her seat when she came back in (on purpose.) Then we got talking. It took three weeks for Helen to agree to a first date (playing hard to get) and it’s been a fantastic journey ever since."

Enjoying their journey together Helen and John mutually decided to wed. John bought a vintage ring, and although the idea was to keep things secret the moment Helen saw her emerald green ring she just had to tell family and friends. Helen remembers..."We had tried to keep it a secret until Christmas but when I saw the ring, that was out the door. We had the Christmas gift box in our ceremony as that was my ring box that never got used."

Choosing a non-traditional ceremony Helen and John said their I dos at The Dock art gallery in Carrick On Shannon. The gorgeous minimalist space was decorated simply with chic signage, an on trend eucalyptus backdrop and DIY details put together by John.

Helen details the ceremony..."We used ribbons plaited together in red, green and yellow for the two counties Mayo and Meath as our handfasting material. It was a personal thing that was funny to us and made the ceremony more light hearted. Working with Eithne was brilliant as she helped us make everything about our ceremony personal. Neil played music we'd chosen which was important to us as both love music. Also the Dock were so accommodating and let us decorate the room as we wished which meant we could show John’s art including his two portraits of ourselves he had painted."

Originally the plan for the reception was to celebrate at a nearby Sligo venue, but disaster struck and it closed down - just six days before the wedding. Luckily Helen and John had lots of help and the gorgeous Temple House came to the rescue.

Helen recalls..."We actually viewed Temple House originally and wanted to book it but unfortunately our numbers were too high. It’s an amazing exclusive country house that feels like a home that you are welcomed into by the Perceval family. We loved the fact that everyone was so fascinated by the amazing building, the way the house is so versatile for different needs such as the cosy quiet room for traditional music, the room for dancing and the bar area to site and chat. It really has the wow factor."

Helen continues..."We had an original idea of how we wanted our wedding to look but that got changed with the six days notice and swapping venues. A lot of décor plans were scrapped as they weren't needed in Temple House and they didn't fit in. Also time was at a premium. We made most of the elements of the day ourselves or with help from friends or family and still managed to include these personalised items which was lovely."

To treat guests Helen and John organised a selection of macarons and marshmallows from the tasty Delish Melish as well as a homemade tiered cake - gifted to Helen and John. Helen told us..."My sister in law made our gorgeous cake which was part of our original geometric theme. It tasted delicious. She also helped massively with moving the venue and with the organisation. Having an events manager in the family was a life saver. "

Opting for a glamorous wedding party look Helen chose a long sleeve Anna Georgina wedding dress and bespoke veil by Sarah Foy, while John looked dapper in a tailored suit from Louis Copeland. Helen's lucky bridesmaids wore glittering tops and high low skirts, which were bought in Coast.

Adorably Helen's dad played traditional music with a group of his friends during the drinks reception and The Trips then later played into the wee hours of the night. Helen fondly remembers..."The music was great and I can’t recommend The Trips more. Neil is brilliant at customer service and their high energy performance was so interactive and fun. The nicest part to me was the end of the night when everyone sang together under Neil’s direction."

Speeches were given on the stairs - adding added atmosphere and the opportunity for some great candid shots.

Helen and John's main piece of advice? "Hire a brilliant and experienced photographer" and "do your own thing – on the day or after the wedding no one notices the elements that are different to normal tradition and if they do, it’s because they like the idea."

Huge congratulations to you both, and the very, very best of luck with your new adventure in Canada!

A big thank you to Savo Photography for sharing his work with us. To see more from Savo visit www.savo.ie and keep an eye out for Helen and John's wedding film which will be featured this weekend.

The Wedding Details

• Ceremony: The Dock
• Stationery Printers: David Morgan Printing
• Wedding Dress: Anna Georgina at The Attic 
• Shoes: Steve Madden from Asos
• Catering: The Right Catering Company 
• Groomsmen's Suits: Penthouse Menswear
• Grooms Wedding Ring: Titanium Knights 
• Grooms Personalised Cufflinks: Maria Allen Boutique 
• Bridesmaids Skirts and Tops: Coast 
• Bridesmaid's Shoes: New Look 
• Bridesmaid's Jewellery: My Shining Armour 

• Mother's Outfits: Nells Closet & Arnotts 
• Mother of the Bride's Hat: Heads You Win Vintage 
• Vases: Sosterne Greene 
• Table Linen: Magpie Linens 
• Flowers: The Flower Shed
• Hair & Makeup: Headerz Hairdressers & Make Up by Muireann 
• Video: Bainis Films
• Ceremony Music: Neil Eustace from The Trips
• Celebrant: Eithne Dempsey 
• Photographer: Savo
• Wedding Band: The Trips