Today's real wedding is the story of another couple living far from home, Katrina and Robert are based in London but knew they wanted to stay close to their Northern Irish home for their nuptials, so when they found the beautiful Riverdale Barn in Craigavon, they knew the venue would be perfect for both their ceremony and their reception! They spotted photographer Gillian Higgins right here on One Fab Day and enlisted her to capture their rustic yet elegant day, and so the tale of their perfect One Fab Day began...
Katrina and Robert might now live in London, but their love story starts at home in Belfast. They met when they were just starting their studies at Queens University, where Katrina got the first inkling of Robert's characteristic tardiness and dogged persistence! "Robert and I met when we were both 19 and studying at Queen's through mutual friends. Rob was running late to meet us and I was eager to get going and let this slow boy catch up with us. Lucky for Rob everyone else was much more patient and we waited! I can still remember the moment we first saw each other! My degree was incredibly demanding, so we remained friends for about 18 months, although Rob’s persistence eventually paid off and we finally became a couple in the summer of 2007. Rob is still late for everything, even making me late on our wedding day because he was late getting ready, meaning the wedding cars were late to pick me and the girls up!" Thankfully, it looks like the rest of the wedding went off without a hitch!
The proposal happened on Robert's timetable as well, but Katrina didn't mind a bit! "Our proposal story began, unbeknownst to me, 6 months earlier when Robert nervously asked my parents if he could propose. I’m sure my parents thought he had changed his mind in the months that followed. We planned a trip to New York, and ahead of this family and friends kept telling me Rob was sure to pop the big question. I started to believe this too, and whilst there spent extra time on my hair and make-up each day thinking this will be the day, but alas it didn’t happen until the weekend we returned home. On a windswept spring day on the North Coast Rob finally proposed. This is one of the things I love most about him; he does things in his own way and his own time."
After Robert had popped the big question, the couple got down to the planning. "Aside from getting married itself, choosing the right venue was really important to us. We wanted somewhere that we could really make our own and bring the people we love together in a unique setting." And inspired by that rustic and elegant venue, the bride described the vibe of their big day as "rustic laid back elegance and a DIY labour of love." What a lovely combination!
Finding the perfect place for their big day took a little patience (and persistence eh, Robert?), but the couple eventually found exactly what they were looking for. "It took us a long time to find a venue that we really loved; in a search spanning several months and a few destinations in the end we decided there was no place like home. We always loved the idea of a barn wedding, and were overjoyed when we discovered Riverdale and its rustic charm from the exposed brick work, to the mill to the stepping stones across the dam.We knew from first glance this was where we would get married. Oonagh, the venue's wedding coordinator, was nothing short of amazing. From our first conversation I knew we had found someone who was totally on our wavelength, and she made organising a wedding from London a much more enjoyable experience than we had anticipated. We loved how Riverdale really get to know their couples and we didn’t feel like just another wedding."
Beyond the venue, the couple zeroed in on a few other priorities for their big day. "Photography was also a major priority. We discovered our brilliant photographer, Gillian Higgins, right here on One Fab Day. We loved her laid back creative style. Every time we look at our wedding photos we appreciate them even more and know we will treasure them forever."
We love that the groom and his groomsmen wore crisp white ties with their navy suits. Just stunning!
You may have already noticed the gorgeous whimsical stationery, an important design element for Katrina and Robert in defining the look of the day. "Our day was a real labour of love, DIY fun and a real team effort, being based in London we really depended on family and friends to help bring it all together! With the help of my good friend Najla we designed our wedding invites. We had many long Skype dates into the night getting the invites just right. Najla was able to bring my drawings to life and along the way I learnt a lot from her and was able to create the rest of our stationery such as the table plan and our order of ceremonies."
The lanterns along the aisle really add a cosy element to the otherwise dark stone room.
Katrina experienced what many brides do right before they walk down the aisle - a little bout of nerves! But as soon as she saw her man, all was well! "One of the most special moments for me was seeing Robs face at the end of the aisle. I had a bit of a panic beforehand but when I saw Rob all my nerves disappeared and I couldn’t wait to marry my favourite person!"
The wonderful stone barn at Riverdale made the couple's decor decisions quite simple. "The whimsical floral look was inspired by the venue and its rustic raw nature. Our florist is a family friend who had an amazing vision and ideas which meant we could really relax and let her take care of it. We especially loved the floral arch that we stood under to get married." The floral arch added warmth and interest to the already beautiful ceremony venue.
As if the red accents around the property weren't photographic enough, Riverdale also has these wonderful stepping stones, perfect for snaps of funky socks!
Good thing Katrina and her bridesmaids were sure on their feet in those heels!
The couple added some family heirlooms to their decor as well. "We were also able to use some presents that our parents received at their own weddings, including their cake stands and some of their fine china. Rob's brother built a photo booth and my creative sister drew our guest book tree." What a wonderful addition!
When it came to some of the table decorations, Katrina and Robert enlisted a crew! "Family, friends and even neighbours collected jam jars which we decorated with lace and twine and filled with flowers for table centre pieces."
To round out the decor, the couple rented a few items from our friends at Grace & Saviour. "Last but not least, we enlisted the help of the amazing Grace & Saviour who helped bring our vision to life by providing the chairs, rustic wooden logs under the bells jars, the barrels and door making a table for the sweets and treats."
And what advice does the couple have for others planning their wedding? "Our biggest piece of advice is not to stress over the little things. During the planning process you will, at times, become totally overwhelmed with all the things you can’t do but it’s important to stay focused on the true meaning of day and take count of all the amazing things you have been able to achieve."
After all that celebrating, the couple chose to spend their honeymoon in Croatia before heading home to London. "We both love Croatia, and have always wanted to go further south to Dubrovnik, so we finally made the trip for our honeymoon. We spent most of it relaxing and enjoying the stunning beauty of the city, although we managed some island hopping trips and kayaking along the way." Doesn't that sound delightful?
Huge congrats to the happy couple - hope you're enjoying the balmy weather in London right now! And of course a big set of thanks to Gillian Higgins for sharing the photos of this beautiful barn wedding with us today!
All the Wedding Details:
- Ceremony and Reception: Riverdale Barn
- Wedding Dress: Pepe Botella at Willow Moon
- Lace Bolero: Pronovias Pergola at Teokath Wimbledon
- Bridesmaids dresses: French Connection
- Shoes: Dune
- Flowers: Fiona Ford
- Make Up: Jennifer Ireland Make up
- Hair: Lynette Murray Hair and Vanessa Connolly
- Bridal sash: Liberty in Love
- Hair accessory: Lila Designs
- Groomsmen's suits: Hire Class
- Grooms cufflinks: Mulberry
- Cake: Beth Reid Cupcakes: Lynda Willigan
- Cars: Bentley Wedding Cars
- Stationery: Invitations: Najla Mansour
- Wedding Bands: Fred J Malcolm
- Ceremony Music: Keltic Rhapsody
- Wedding Band: The Front
- Chair hire and props: Grace & Saviour
