With its relaxed, garden party vibe, today's real wedding is getting us all excited for summer, and it's only January! Caitriona and Ger's big day at Raheen House in Tipperary was all about the personal touches, which their photographer, Berit Alits, captured in glorious detail! Their wedding was equal parts rustic and elegant, so you'll be surprised to hear that they used lots of clever hacks to keep costs down. If you're worried about your own wedding budget, you may want to grab a pen and a piece of paper before reading on!
Caitriona and Ger's love story features a few hiccups, but it only proves that this pair can't live without each other! After five years together, they split up for a spell, and Ger moved to Australia, but neither of them really moved on. When Ger eventually came home, they reunited. "We decided this time was forever!" Caitriona says. Shortly after, Caitriona fell pregnant with their daughter Shannon. See? You just can't keep a good couple down!
Oh, we do love a good floral arch, and this one is so pretty!
Getting married outdoors in Ireland is always a gamble, but it paid off for this pair! "I had always imagined a garden wedding, close to nature with flowers in my hair," Caitriona explains. "So even though there was a 50% chance of rain, we put the Child of Prague out and went for it! Many of our guests had not been to an outdoor civil ceremony before and commented on how special it was."
Caitriona's advice for brides and grooms-to-be is to pander to your own whims, rather than trying to suit other people. "Let the day reflect you as a couple," she says. "This will make it memorable and special for everybody." She also recommends taking time to choose the right photographer and videographer. "Do some research on them as they capture the memories you will look back on in years to come."
As promised, this bride has plenty of tips for trimming down the budget! "Don't go crazy buying expensive decorations," she says. "Shop around. I bought my sweet jars in Heatons and wrapped lace around them from Wish, and got my large candle jars from Mr. Price, with candles from Penneys. Things like that saved money and looked just as good."
Caitriona and Ger gave donations to Dog's Trust and the Irish Cancer Society in lieu of wedding favours, which is a terrific idea in our book! It certainly beats a bag of sugared almonds!
The couple weren't shy about recruiting help from family members, either, "Ger's Aunt Monica altered the bridesmaid dresses and my Aunt Maire did the alterations on my dress," Caitriona says. "My Aunt Mary sang for the ceremony, along with my sister's boyfriend, Ed Clery, on guitar. Mary also made my cake." Caitriona decorated Mary's creation with artificial flowers purchased online. Isn't it a beaut?
A few days after the wedding, Caitriona and Ger handed Shannon over to Ger's Mam and headed to Corfu for a short but blissful honeymoon. "It was so nice to unwind and spend some quality time together. We went on a quad bike tour for a day which showed us the area, the beaches and mountains with traditional Greek houses. We took full advantage of the week alone as we are not expecting to have that opportunity again for years to come!"
Thanks so much to Berit Alits for sharing her lovely photographs with us, and to Caitriona and Ger for letting us take a sneaky peek at their wedding. It looks like a seriously special day!
