The spring sunshine shone down over the beautiful gardens of Ballymagarvey Village highlighting beautiful flowers in bloom ahead of Sade and John's garden wedding. Shades of green were woven through the style and decor, influenced by the botanical setting and personal style of our real wedding couple. There were personal touches aplenty with the most sentimental something old, borrowed and blue which photographer Olga Hogan captured perfectly! Take a closer look below...
Check out the crushed velvet green bridal shoes, perfectly matched with a velvet ring box and emerald-toned accessories.
Sprinkled with unique bridal details and personal flair, Room in Bloom florists are the creatives behind the delicate and unique bridal bouquet made up of fragrant dried lavender for the bride, and bridesmaids bouquets comprising of plump ivory tulips, with thistle and lavender buttonholes for the men. Sade decided on lovely lavender so she could dry and preserve her bouquet as a souvenir for after her wedding day, in addition to its lovely aroma of course!
The beautiful couple's wedding day was adorned with a plethora of green. Matching bridal accessories in emerald and silver stones, along with a velvet ring box to complement Sade's shoes. It is clear that every last element was meticulously planned! Sade and John's love story began when they met in at the University of Limerick over 10 years ago. For Sade, it was love at first sight. As for John, he was a little bit slow on the uptake. But fear not, they were dating a month later!
Is that a Louis Copeland & Sons suit we spot? John opted for a three-piece suit with an emerald green tie and had the wedding date sewn into his jacket collar, with lining inspired by travel to represent the couple's passion for jetsetting. John also wore sausage dog socks as a nod to their little dog Nellie!
So what about the proposal? Let's find out! "We travelled to Paris the day before the schools closed in Ireland due to Covid in March 2020. I was on the fence about going at first as Covid had just been discovered in Italy but John was adamant that the trip must go ahead. Less than three hours in Paris and we were engaged and his determination all made sense! John was so nervous, it was hard to decipher what exactly was going on until he got down on one knee and eventually was able to muster 'will you marry me?'". Despite the uncertainty of the time, one thing for certain was that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together!
Sade's embroidered sequin wedding dress sparkled like the showstopper it was, and was purchased in Vintage Pearl Bridal, a bridal boutique that specialises in original vintage dresses in Galway City. Her exquisite look was complemented by the dainty straps and glamorous Hollywood curls. To honour her grandfather who had passed away the previous December, the bride used his blue shirt to sew five hearts into the train of her dress to represent his five beloved grandchildren and to be her something blue. Her bouquet charm, as we see her applying above, was a friendship bracelet that Sade made for her maid of honour when they were only eight years old. This original and creative concept served as her gorgeous "something old and borrowed."
In order to spend some interrupted time with each other on the day, they opted for the ever-popular first look! "It was honestly one of our most favourite parts of the day and we got to spend so much quality time before we met our guests, which meant we could focus on them for the day. It also meant that we got a lot of our one-to-one photos done, which meant less time throughout the day away from guests. Our advice is to do a first look!" they say. As part of their first look moment, they enjoyed a pint of Guinness - pulled by Sade - in the snug bar before the ceremony began!
The couple who chose the luxurious Ballymagarvey Village for their wedding venue opted for an outdoor garden wedding ceremony. One of their favourite ceremony readings recalled was an extract from Everything I know about Love by Dolly Alderton, which the couple found on One Fab Day. "It is the first reading we read where we saw ourselves in it and actually felt that it spoke to exactly who we are as a couple." Sade chose a very special song for the couple as her processional song, Dreams by The Cranberries.
The priorities from the get-go were created around their loved ones. "We really wanted our guests to come away from our day remembering how much fun they had, that they got to spend quality time with us, that they were well fed, and most importantly, that they felt the love we had for all of them, and the joy of two families coming together. We both had loved ones that couldn’t be with us so it was important to us that we also included them in some way, be it with notes of well-wishes displayed on a notice board, memorial photos on our cake table, or toasts at our speeches," they say. "We wanted everyone to forget their worries and responsibilities at home and escape to a beautiful venue and let their hair down and celebrate with us."
The bridal party looked breathtaking in their varying green tones. The mix-and-match bridesmaids boasted different shades of green with the seasonal springtime tulips adding a pop of pure white. The gentlemen scrubbed up elegantly in their neutral sandy shade suits and deep green ties, the inverse of John's suit.
The newlywed's garden wedding aesthetic was inspired by their own personal taste, staying true to themselves."We didn’t want to lean too far into trends and themes and instead, chose colour schemes that we love outside of a wedding. Some important directional factors were that we wanted our bridal parties to be comfortable. So we requested that they pick their own dresses and outfits that fit the colour scheme. We were also conscious of how much waste weddings can create so were really intentional about using minimal flowers ourselves and leaning into the beautiful surroundings of Ballymagarvey’s gardens instead. Throughout the day, we made sure there were personal touches and to have our family involved throughout. It was also important that we had music that reflected us as a couple and allowed our family to let their hair down and have the craic!"
Ballymagarvey Village is a private country estate surrounded by idyllic gardens with several options to choose from. Sade and John had originally planned to marry abroad but with the pandemic not easing, they decided to put the health of their guests first and stay closer to home. After a recommendation, the couple couldn't wait to view the magical location. "We went to view the venue and toured the grounds on a gorgeous sunny day. As soon as we saw the outdoor ceremony space, and that our guests would have a complete run of the grounds, we knew this was the one and booked on the spot!" they say.
The creative apple didn't fall too far from the tree, as their beautiful invitations were made by Sade’s mother which also included an illustration of the venue by the very talented Photographer Olga Hogan. "We also had a display of family photos on our cake table of relatives that have since passed," said Sade.
The special day was full to the brim of unique elements including a wedding website that shared the couple's love story as well as introducing the bridal parties, along with all the usual details of the wedding from travel, accommodation, shuttle busses, etc. "This made sure everyone could relax during the day and know everything was taken care of. Another element was my wedding band, it has a single ruby in it, which is John's birthstone," says Sade. She purchased her custom wedding band from Voltaire Diamonds, a jeweller that prides itself in creating world-class bespoke jewellery.
The drool-worthy cake made of dried florals and topped with a doggie cake topper in honour of Nellie was made by the talented bakers at Camerino Bakery. When it came to sharing some nuggets of wisdom, the couple says: "Prioritise the feeling you and your guests want and then acquire the vendors and suppliers to make that happen. Less is more! It’s easy to get sucked into trends or to overindulge but stick to what is true to you as a couple. Don’t feel bound by traditions if they aren’t for you. We had a really short ceremony, that was incredibly personal to us and were so glad we did that as it really set the tone for our day. Regarding budget, set out the maximum amount you are able to save between now and your wedding day and set your budget accordingly. Track all expenses in a spreadsheet–no matter how big or small!"
As the dinner came to a close, The Cazzettes took to the mic and ensured the guests were on their feet all night long. They shared their first dance to Lovely Day by Bill Withers– a song that is upbeat but also spoke to their relationship. "When no matter how bad our day can be, we are better for having each other!" they say. After the celebrations, they jetted off on honeymoon to Croatia and simply can’t recommend it enough. "We travelled to Split, Korcula and Dubrovnik. If you love the vibe of Italy but want to try somewhere new with a unique culture, adventure and romance, Croatia is definitely the place!"
A very special thank you to the lovely couple Sade and John for sharing their magical garden wedding day with One Fab Day. An extended thank you to Olga Hogan for showcasing such a beautiful album which you can view in full in the gallery below.
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