Nothing makes me happier than a childhood romance making it to the altar. Sian and Luke met when they were only sixteen but knew pretty quickly that there was something special between them. After seven years together a proposal was on the cards and Sian thought she had it sussed, but Luke managed to surprise her and they began planning their dream day. Wanting to make it as personal as possible by adding their own decor and DIY elements, the couple chose the lovely Larchfield Estate as their perfect canvas to personalise. We're in awe of the photographs by Epic Love, they are simply beautiful - this is one wedding to savour...
It only took 5 days for Sian and Luke to fall for each other and they stuck together no matter what as they told us... "We met when we were sixteen at Summer Madness in Belfast, a Christian festival. After only knowing each other for about five days we started going out, as you do when you are sixteen, and that was pretty much that! Of the seven years of our relationship, four of them have been long distance, as Luke went to university in Aberdeen and a year later I went to Glasgow. So it hasn’t always been the easiest of relationships from that respect, but we made it work." The path to true love never did run smooth, but that's what makes you realise the relationship is truly worth it.
Even though the childhood sweethearts knew that they would get married, Sian was still surprised when Luke popped the question... "Luke and I talked had about getting married and knew it would happen once I had finished my degree, so I was almost expecting a proposal the summer I graduated. However Luke really shocked me by proposing with a beautiful sapphire ring the Christmas before I graduated and so we had a year and four months to prepare."
Sian's bridal look was elegant and pretty with a little boho charm. Her beautiful embellished gown is from Forever Bridal. The embroidered details and sheer back are stunning.
While the dress is beautiful all on its own, Sian glammed it up even more with beautiful accessories from Anna Campbell at Ivory and Pearl Bridal.
When it came time to leave for the church, Sian's dad had a little surprise up his sleeve, something she didn't expect..."Our budget had run dry and so I had asked my brother to drive our old fiat punto as our wedding car for a bit of a laugh. However on the morning of the wedding when I was getting ready in our living room I was so shocked to see an amazing Volkswagen camper van and beetle coming up our drive way. My dad had organised the cars as a surprise! My dad is a huge campervan fan and Beetles have always been my favourite car, it was very special moment going to the church in those cars."
The pair chose the beautiful St. Anne’s Church of Ireland in Dungannon to have their ceremony and they added their own touches with rustic craft paper ceremony booklets and yellow rose floral displays on the pew ends.
How cute are these guys? A very dapper little chap and two angelic flower girls complete with Gypsophila crowns.
It's a hugely emotional day, so Luke isn't the first groom we've seen overcome.
With lots of giggles and plenty of tears it's official for the new Mr & Mrs - Luke and Sian!
Sian and Luke choose a pretty colour palette of soft pinks, creams and lilacs with a backdrop of lush greenery and you can see the colours come together beautifully in the girls bouquets.
There is a lot to gush about when it comes to Sian's wedding gown, as well as having a stunning back the skirt has a beautiful layering effect that falls beautifully.
How pretty are the flowers in Sian's hair, delicate and boho without wearing a full crown.
This pair are so cute together and their styles compliment each other with Sian's elegant boho bridal look matching Luke's dapper modern take on a classic tux.
The style continues with the bridesmaids in pretty pink dresses from Forever Bridal and the groomsmen looked sharp too, in blue suits from Statement Menswear.
A simple cream peep toe shoe works wonders and Sian picked hers up in Next!
"We wanted a fun and relaxed party, a big celebration with all our friends and family. I had quite a magical and whimsical, soft vibe planned in my head with plenty of flowers and pale pinks." The couple added in lots of crafts and DIY projects too, like their guest book - a colouring book the guests could make their mark in. What a fun idea! As I would have guessed, it looks like the adults got more into it than the kids.
Larchfield is a beautiful setting for a whimsical and elegant celebration, filled with lace details and the twinkle of fairy lights its as romantic as a barn can get...
While most couples talk about having DIY in their wedding, it's not always clear exactly why they want to do it, but for Sian and Luke it was first and foremost about having their nearest and dearest as Sian explained... "Having all our friends and family involved in the prep and on the day meant so much to us. We are blessed to have very talented friends, Gareth and Carla who run Scent Cosmetics. They created handmade stunning organic and ethical soaps as our favours and designed our wedding invitations, which we all then spent a day or two making."
Fun paper games and craft paper place cards decorated the tables with pretty florals in mason jars and antique book centre pieces.
So many delicious looking cakes and plenty of pink too...
When we set out planning our main priority was to have a big celebration and not to get too caught up in all the little minor details. We wanted to be able to toast marshmallows as night fell and dance until the sun came up and we were able to at Larchfield.
What advice would you give to brides and grooms planning their day? Relax and have fun. Don’t worry about the weather either, we didn’t exactly have a cracker of a day weather wise but it certainly didn’t dampen our spirits, if anything it made it all the more memorable. Also we decided pretty late into the planning to have a videographer and this was one decision I am so glad we made. I didn’t realise how lovely it is to have all the magical moments captured on video, it is really lovely to revisit.
Congratulations Sian and Luke on your beautiful celebration. We hope married life is going fabulously!
A big Thank You goes to Rob and Hannah of Epic Love too, for sharing their work with us at One Fab Day. To see more pop over to www.epiclovephotography.com.
