We're really lucky this week to have a second beautiful real wedding to feature, and this one marks a departure from the sunny summer weddings to something a little more in keeping with the changing season - the classically elegant winter wedding of  Ciaran & Roisin, which took place in February in Mayo.

Roisin is a seriously stunning bride, and quite the model of bridal bliss and fortitude. Remember the weather last winter?! Well despite the freezing temperatures (& snowdrifts in February) she kept smiling in her sleeveless gown (Ciaran didn't have to worry he had a jacket!) and Gary Barrett was able to capture super romantic portraits of the happy couple in the picturesque grounds of Mount Falcon.

Roisin and Ciaran may have wed in the frosty scenery of the West of Ireland, but their romance started in much sunnier climes. They met half a world away, in Hawaii, and when they returned at the end of 2008, after 4 months of travelling around the world, Ciaran decided it was the perfect place to pop the question.

Roisin and her bridesmaids would give any supermodels a run for their money- totally professional, not a bit phased by the chill - they look the picture of elegance in their latte, almost mauve-toned satin dresses with chiffon overlay, perfectly accented with bouquets of blush roses.

Roisin has high praise for her florist Aisling Warde of Blathanna Florists, Claremorris "I went to school with Aisling and couldn't recommend her highly enough, she has a fantastic eye for detail and an artistic flair and we had great fun deciding on the different bouquets and church flowers etc. The atmosphere she created in the small country church was magical - floating candles and pillars of lush greenery and flowers adorned the altar and aisle; and the bouquet that Aisling created for me was perfectly suited to my dress.....vintage roses tied up in lace and pearls.....I loved it."

From a proud Papa to a happy husband...

"Our favourite part of the day had to be the wedding ceremony itself. My local church in Mayo is a small country church sitting proudly on top of a hill and when full to capacity it creates quite the atmosphere. The music was provided by Chief Organist from Knock Shrine Mr. John Aldridge and Soloist Una Nolan- John taught my sister and I piano for eight years while we were young and it was very special for me to have him play at my wedding.

As mass ended and Ciarán and I were congratulated by all our guests and the back of the church it started to snow outside.....a magical touch that we couldn't have planned if we tried!!"

After the ceremony, the guests headed to the reception in the Mount Falcon Hotel in Ballina, Co. Mayo, where the Gypsy Jazz Quartet waited to entertain everyone during the champagne reception. Roisin was full of praise for them, and how they created a wonderful uplifting atmosphere. In addition to the champagne,  hot whiskies were aplenty as everyone tried to warm their bones after the snowfall!

Roisin pays special tribute to all the couple's friends and family who were roped into help with the day, including Roisin's brother Bobby, who designed the invitations and Ciaran's mother Maire who made the wedding cake. "We had lots of little personal family touches along the way.....both our families were extremely involved, we received great support from both our sets of parents and 3 out of 4 siblings on each side were involved in the wedding party, while the remaining two read at the mass, so all in all, everybody played a part in making our wedding day so special for us!"

Luckily the snowfall had passed by the time Roisin and Ciaran reached Mount Falcon, enabling Gary Barrett to capture these sweet, very romantic portraits of the couple. Amazing how green the scenery is despite the time of year - ah Mayo, you can't beat it.

And what advice do Roisin & Ciaran have for other couples planning their day?

"Our advice would be to take it nice and easy planning everything, don't get too bogged down, as everything will eventually fall into place. If you ring someone up and they are already booked, don't worry - there are many, many more to choose from, all equally good, and some probably better than whoever you originally tried to book!"

"Try to incorporate your family and friends in as much as you can, as it makes it all the more special on the day and all the more fun!"

"Most importantly, Enjoy it All! We certainly did."

We have to say a very big thank you to Roisin for sharing so much about her and Ciaran's day with us. Congratulations guys! Long life and happiness!!

And to Gary Barrett, thanks a million for sharing these lovely shots! To see more of Roisin and Ciaran, and Gary's other weddings hop on over to his website - go on, you know you want to!!

Suppliers

Roisins dress:  “Leonor” by La Sposa from Rice and Roses Bridal Boutique, Frankfield, Cork

Hair & Make Up: Deirdre Carney, Bellissimo Galway, and Triona Lyons of MAC Galway

Flowers: Aisling Warde of Blathanna Florists, Claremorris

Venue: Mount Falcon Hotel, Ballina, Co. Mayo