You probably know by now that we can't get enough real weddings around here, which is why, each week, we bring you a bumper Saturday Selection! This means four gorgeous real weddings, four times the love, the style, and the inspiration! From a snowy mountain elopement and a Christmas wedding in a B&B, to a stunning multicultural garden ceremony and a fun-filled city celebration, this week's Saturday Selection is all about celebrating individuality. So, without further ado, let's go weak at the knees for these beautiful bashes!
A Colourful Multicultural Celebration at Home: Laura & Vipin
Laura and Vipin planned to have a big, multicultural wedding in Summer of this year, combining both their Irish and Hindu traditions. Unfortunately, Covid had other ideas, so they decided to postpone their Irish celebration until December and have an intimate Hindu ceremony in Laura's Mum's back garden instead. Laura's Dad hand-built the wedding Mandap (the four-pillar altar), with the pillars signifying Laura and Vipin's parents. The day before the wedding, Laura had the traditional mehndi ritual with the intricate design, taking over five hours!
All the stunning traditional outfits and decor came directly from Vipin's family in India. The couple's celebrant was able to adapt a traditional, multi-day Hindu ceremony into a shorter version, including all the most significant aspects and the important rituals local to Vipin's family, who watched the ceremony via video chat. After the ceremony, Laura and Vipin went to the nearby Tintern Abbey, where they took stunning portraits with their photographer Olga Hogan. You can see more of Olga Hogan Photography's gorgeous real weddings here.
Micro Wedding Magic in Northern Ireland: Emily-Rose & Matthew
Emily-Rose and Matthew are a Northern Irish couple who first met in Sixth Form, but it wasn't until nearly a decade later that their paths crossed again and the rest, as they say, is history! Emily-Rose is a professional wedding vocalist and guitarist, and bridal makeup artist, and, having worked in the wedding industry for 12 years, has had ample time to mentally plan and curate her dream wedding! Engaged in November 2019, they didn't want to wait too long to get married, so set their date for the following Christmas, the 18th of December, 2020. However, just like so many other couples, the pandemic swept in and brought it to a stop. The decision to postpone to Winter 2021 was made with a heavy heart.
Fast-forward a few months, to mid November, when the couple had a change of heart. After receiving some difficult news, Emily-Rose and Matthew decided that life was too short for postponements, and, with the help of their celebrant, they managed to meet the 28-day minimum wedding notice, and plan a micro wedding in under 4 weeks! Taking place in Emily-Rose's Aunt's guesthouse, Glenmore Manor, the day was perfectly intimate and filled with much laughter and many tears. All the beautiful moments and details were captured by Loreen Katherine Photography, and you can see more from Loreen here.
A Fabulous Dublin City Fairytale: Nicola & Andy
Nicola and Andy met and fell in love in Dublin City. Early in their relationship, they spent time getting to know each other, walking through Stephen's Green and Grafton Street, enjoying evenings having drinks at John Kehoe's and McDaids pub. So, this was the inspiration for their wedding day. After a relaxed morning getting ready, they got married in the church near Nicola's parents house in Terenure, Dublin. After the ceremony, they wanted to relive those early days with a walk in St Stephen's Green, a wander down Grafton street and a cosy pint at the pub, before heading onto their reception at the Westbury.
The weather was great, and everyone cheered and clapped as they wandered around the city. The pair even bumped into other wedding parties, and got a free pint at Kehoes! There was an incredibly intimate and joyful atmosphere throughout the day, which you can tell just by looking at the fab imagery by My Real Name Is James. We love how the couple and their photographer took a moment for some portraits outside Kehoe's pub, one of the spots where they first met! You can see more of My Real Name Is James' work here.
A Stunning Sunrise Elopement in the Colorado Mountains: Ashley & Kyle
There is something incredibly special about sunrise in the mountains, especially in Colorado. When Ashley and Kyle got engaged on a hike, they just knew they'd have to have an equally epic adventure for their elopement, too! This adventurous pair went over a number of different hiking options leading up to their elopement, before settling on one of their favorite places in Colorado.
Ashley and Kyle embraced an early start time, while soaking in the mountain sunrise, making for some truly gorgeous photos. They helped each other into their wedding clothes as the sun was peeking over the ridge and shared a private first look. They then shared their vows at sunrise before they explored the surrounding area with their photographer, Sean from Vows and Peaks. They finished off their perfect day with summit beers and letters from friends and family. You can see more of Vows and Peaks gorgeous real weddings here.
Can't get enough real wedding inspiration!? You'll find loads more gorgeous celebrations in our archive!
