Every wedding is a dream come true, but for some couples their most wished-for wedding plans seem more of a dream than can possibly come true. So it was for Brea and Tim - their dream was to be married in Ireland. And with the help of Annie of Aislinn Events they made this dream […]

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Every wedding is a dream come true, but for some couples their most wished-for wedding plans seem more of a dream than can possibly come true. So it was for Brea and Tim - their dream was to be married in Ireland. And with the help of Annie of Aislinn Events they made this dream come true in beautiful style, enjoying a wonderful escape to Kerry with a close circle of family and friends and all the magic of this dream come true was captured by Sean and Kate of Poppies and Me.

Brea and Tim's love story started many miles away and many years ago. Brea was working at a French restaurant in Chicago and Tim came in as a customer and a friend of a co-worker. "He was reading “The World According to Garp,” eating a crepe, and was a red head!–my crush began. Flash-forward 9 years, and we've had many, many happy times, some hard times, but love - always, always growing, learning, and doubling over on itself - love. No one has ever made me laugh more, inspired me more, or been a better friend. He is my heart. Plus, he’s a red head–did I mention that yet!?

These intrepid travellers not only chose foreign soil for their wedding, but were engaged far from home too..."We were visiting friends in Switzerland and went off by ourselves to the Jungfrau region to “ski” the Alps. Skiing didn’t go as well as we had hoped, but a dinner at an amazing Thai restaurant in Interlaken on our last night changed our lives forever. He asked, I tried to catch my breath and wipe away tears, and very happily accepted."

So why Ireland for the wedding? "Having visited Ireland a few times before, we knew that we loved County Kerry dearly, and particularly Dingle. We did some researching online, but it was Annie Byrne of Aislinn Events that did the bulk of the work when looking for a venue. Prior to setting a date, we visited Dingle and Annie took as around to several potential venues. Although Ballintaggart didn't necessarily fit into what we had described to Annie, she thought it best that we take a look there as well. Annie was correct. Within moments we knew that Ballintaggart was the place. We instantly fell in love with the house, as well as with John and Clodagh who run it.

Navigating the rules and regulations of the Irish government proved to be a unique experience for us (coming from the U.S.) and although we had initially felt quite confined and a bit limited though we aren’t complaining! All the rules were just so different from what we are used to. But, we managed to sort it all out. I believe we had somewhat of a simpler ceremony than we likely would have had if we had done it back in Chicago. It ultimately allowed us to really focus in (and simplify!) what it was that was most important to us.

We knew from very early on that we didn’t feel the desire to have a traditional wedding party of bridesmaids and groomsmen. An inspiring number of friends and family were able to be with us on our special day and they are all important to us.

I had dreamt of an Irish wedding but never thought it could be a reality. Once we decided to just go for it, I wanted the landscape of our beloved Ireland to do most of the talking. Simple whites, greens, and browns were used throughout from the paper stock to the flowers.

Quite honestly - though it seems trite, obvious, or both — for each of us the best moment of the day was the moment we saw each other as Brea turned the corner into the room to walk down the aisle. I think we were both surprised a bit by how effected we were, seeing each other for the first time AT OUR WEDDING.

We chose to ask both of our Aunts — the very special kind of Aunts that helped raise each of us–to speak as the representatives of each of our families. Tim’s mother hand made these amazing sashes for each of us representing our ancestral family’s county tartans. During the service each of our Aunts presented them to us as a way of welcoming and blessing the union of our clans. Additionally, Brea’s big sister and Tim’s younger brother acted as our witnesses, which was a wonderful and meaningful touch for each of us.

Brea is a set dresser and decorator on commercials and film set, and not being able to bring along or have access to all the trinkets and props she normally does was tricky for her. So they had to keep it simple with just a few key elements. Tim's mom sewed beautiful table runners for all the reception tables in an elegant green and cream pattern. They knew they could work with pretty much any flowers and other table decorations. Friends and family were roped in to contribute a couple of late nights assembling paper "pinwheels" that hung on the chairs and from windows in both the reception and ceremony rooms to act as another cohesive element.

So it looks like the Americans got firmly in the swing of Irish wedding culture - a few drinkies together with the lads, and then Tim and Brea headed into town for their portraits...

And where else could they be but a pub!

Our Irish wedding was a lifetime of ‘what if’s’ and ‘possibly one day’s’ come to fruition. It shall always serve as a reminder and possibly a mantra as we start this new chapter together; you really, really, can do more than you believe is possible…especially when you do it together. And with that inspiration and always in mind, we are trying to navigate and plan our next chapter; having our families come full circle and making Ireland our (again) home.

So having planned a destination wedding in Ireland, what advice would you give to brides and grooms considering doing the same? Get help! We couldn't have done it without Annie Byrne. Planning a wedding in Kerry from Chicago is challenging enough, but Annie took on so much that would have been so difficult for us to handle remotely. She did an amazing job of finding precisely the venue, musicians, favors, decorations (and so much more) that we wanted - even when we had difficulty determining or expressing what we wanted. She could read between the lines and interpret our vision amazingly. Similarly, John Clusky and Clodagh Clusky of Balintaggart House went way beyond what was expected of them to make us and our guests have an amazing experience. The hospitality at Ballintaggart was inspiring.

We also wanted to express how grateful and we feel that Annie introduced us to the fab team of Sean and Kate of Poppies & Me. They were not only a delightful team to work with, and they also make some beautiful photographs. We are truly, truly grateful to them and in a way, they will forever be part of our family history —we cannot look at the photos without remembering them.

Huge thanks to the lovely Brea and Tim for sharing their day with us - so glad your dream of an Irish wedding came true and proved to be as fabulous as you imagined.

And of course a big Thank You to Sean and Kate of Poppies and Me for sharing their work with us - check out their new website www.poppiesandme.ie for lots of lovely wedding goodies (you will recognise some of it as Sean Curtin Photography)

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