Happy Thursday all! We have the lovely nuptials of Laura and Iain to share with you today. It was a jam packed wedding weekend with action packed activities for all involved. The two combined Iain's Scottish roots with a mix of crafty DIY elements and pretty florals. Not mention Kilts galore, a stunning and unique lace wedding dress, and the romantic setting of Rathsallagh House in Wicklow, all captured on camera by Darek Novak. So lets take a peek...
Iain and Laura met at a work Christmas party in a night club, where Iain bought Laura a few very over priced drinks. But according to Iain, it was the best money he's ever spent! At the end of the night, Laura realised that she had lost her ticket for the cloakroom so Iain waited with her till the end of the night to retrieve her coat and bag. Iain being the gentleman he is, offered to share and pay for the taxi ride home where they shared their first kiss! After a series of fun-filled dates, love began to blossom and they made it official.
Hilariously, the couple has two versions of their engagement story. Laura claims Iain proposed in a 'grotty' pub in Amsterdam, however Iain has a totally different version of events, statring with a trip to Amsterdam... On the day of the proposal, we walked round the city streets taking in the sights and sipping prosecco in various cafes along the canals. (Sounds good so far...) After a lovely boat trip, we wandered through a market en route to Vondel Park, a beautiful park on the outskirts of the city. I suggested that we walk via a quiet section of the lake on the way back to the hotel. On our way back to the hotel, I looked for any possible proposal spot but it was so busy with pedestrians, bikes and trams. Eventually we stopped off at a less than delightful pub as Laura needed to use the bathroom. I came to the realisation that I needed to get the proposal done soon, as I'd actually booked us into a 5 star hotel, which was supposed to be a surprise. When Laura came back, I thought I'd cheer her up by breaking the news to her that I'd booked us into a 5 star hotel for the night. Firstly, she didn't believe me but after some persuasion that I wasn't joking, she asked me 'What is the catch?'. Using this as a prompt, I got down on one knee and said 'The catch is that you need to marry me!'. Eventually it sank in and she said 'Yes'. She then made me redo the proposal by a canal 5 minutes later. I'm sure it was stressful at the time, Iain but what a story you have to tell for years to come!
Laura looks stunning, I love the dramatic veil against her lace wedding dress.
Ahead of the wedding, Laura and Iain were happy to be able to spend time with their family and friends. They planned a golf outing and dinner the day before the wedding so guests could get to know each other, and on the morning of the wedding guests and the groom went clay pigeon shooting. Talk about action packed!
Iain brought his Scottish roots to the day with traditional dress, and we're always impressed by a man in a kilt! Iain's kilt was handed down to him from his father, isn't that wonderful? And we love the colours - they tie in so well with the reception decor!
When it came to planning their big day, Iain and Laura wanted a venue where they could use the whole property, and they wanted a place for out-of-town guests to stay... The day Iain and I visited Rathsallagh House, it was a breath of fresh air! The staff were so warm on our first meeting and we could just tell they would go that extra mile for us.
Iain and Laura wrote their ceremony and asked Miriam from the Spiritual Society of Ireland to be their officiant. The couple chose three different poems and readings which their close friends, Rachel, Sally and Grainne read...On the day the vibe was initially emotional but then very relaxed and fun. I was very teary walking down the aisle and Iain (usually not an emotional person) was also crying, our guests said there wasn't a dry eye in the house!
After the ceremony the guests retreated to the garden for a drinks reception and we have to say the guests style was pretty impressive - from dapper gents with polka dot accessories to guests with traditional Scottish dress - we just love tartan!
Even with stylish guests and a Scottish groom, beautiful bride Laura stole the show with her unique wedding gown. Laura's beautiful dress is a creation of Jane Bourvis, a Notting Hill dress designer who specialises in making wedding gowns from antique lace - stunning don't you think?
Check out these cheeky chaps - looking good guys!
When it came to the decor Laura and Iain kept it simple, adding sentimental and DIY touches. Lots of family and friends pitched in to make the DIY vintage wedding come to life...All of my family are very industrious! Each of them contributed in a different way, my Mom did an amazing job with the flowers, my aunt and grandmother made the most amazing cakes, my aunt Margaret helped me with the bridesmaid's dresses as she is in fashion. Little things like that all helped to make the day perfect.
The gorgeous flowers that the couple used as part of their table decor, were sourced from Smithfield flower market and put together by Laura's mother and bridesmaids and Laura sourced the antique vases from eBay! We love how the flowers tie in with the gorgeous flowery stationery.
How sweet are the old books tied with twine? We love the antique feel that they bring to the table setting.
On their guest book table, Laura and Iain had each person decorate a puzzle piece and they pieced it all together after, such a fun idea! They also gave their guest miniature bottles of spirits as wedding favours.
Along with the decor touches she added, Laura went totally DIY for the stationery...We bought a template from a shop on Etsy called 'Lady Poppy Design' and she was great! Then we printed the invites, menus and programmes ourselves. I downloaded a template for the table numbers and printed these, and also I downloaded a template from the internet for the name tags and printed these and painstakingly cut them all to size. A crafty way to get involved and your scissor skills will be amazing by the end of it!
The couple spent a lot of time choosing the music and even practiced dancing for their first dance! Laura says it was a great activity for herself and Iain to do together before the big day. And when it came to dancing, the Scots came out in force and planned a 'Scottish Ceilidh', which Iain's parents Bill and Christine hosted, where the guests got to learn lots of Scottish dances!
Her advice to couples is to be organised..We were probably too organised, but it really helped us feel in control and we knew exactly what was going to happen on the day, we didn't want any surprises!
Congratulations, Laura and Iain on your beautiful wedding day! A big thank you goes to Darek Novak for sharing these wonderful photos with us today! To see more of Darek's work pop over to www.photosligo.com
The Wedding Details
- Ceremony: Rathsallagh House
- Wedding Dress: Jane Bourvis
- Bridesmaids dresses: Coast
- Shoes: Rainbow
- Groomsmen's suits: Edinburgh Woolen Mill
- Accessories: Etsy
- Stationery: Lady Poppy Design
- Make Up: Anne Hutton Make Up& Beauty
- Hair: Maria Ahern, Way Ahead,Co Kildare
- Wedding Band: A Few Good Men
