"The best party you'll ever attend", that's how today's bride and groom describe the experience of getting married, and we couldn't put it better ourselves! Michelle and Tomás married with a gorgeous cherry blossom-filled wedding at Castle Durrow. The secondary school sweethearts from Galway wanted an Irish wedding with the vibe of a destination affair, so a whole weekend of festivities was in order. With fab style (look out for the bright pink heels!), pretty details, and one emotional first look - Aspect Photography captured this real wedding beautifully.
Michelle and Tomás are teenage sweethearts! “We met in secondary school almost 15 years ago and our first date was ice skating by the Claddagh in Galway.”
While they had a bit of a break in their relationship, this pair were always meant to be, “Although (thankfully) we decided to be frenemies for a few years there was always a lot of love between us which earned us a slagging from our friends. Justin Timberlake brought us together and following one of his gigs we declared our true feelings for each other in Coppers. The height of romance!” I wonder how many marriages a year were kicked off in Coppers!
Love that Michelle went bold with her accessories - how fun are these bride pink heels!
And it wasn’t long before this pair were official, “While walking the Salthill prom together shortly afterwards, as natural as could be, we starting holding hands and haven’t let go since..10 years later.”
We love a dress that can twirl! Michelle got her beautiful Sassi Holford wedding dress at Sharon Hoey in Dublin.
This white Morris Minor tied in well with the chic vibes throughout Michelle & Tomás' day.
Tomás proposed to Michelle while they were on holiday in New York, “We rented some bikes to cycle over the Brooklyn Bridge. About halfway across Tomas insisted we stop to get a better photo of the iconic skyline. He dropped to one knee on the busy bike line (much to the annoyance of the NYC commuters) and the rest as they say is history.”
The couple even had someone document the big moment, “Amazingly the lady we asked to take our picture captured it all on camera which is so special and a lovely memory to look back on.”
The couple’s number one priority for their wedding was showing their guests a great time, “Making everyone feel welcome and also ensuring we all had a fun memorable weekend.”
The bridesmaid' dresses match up with the cherry blossom decor - now that's co-ordination!
Michelle & Tomás tell us that walking down the aisle was one of the highlights of their day, “One of the most special parts of the day was seeing each other for the first time. I think it took us by surprise how emotional it was. We were also blown away by the amount of love our family and friends showed. Everyone made such an effort.”
The getaway car was decked out for the occasion, “Following the “I Dos” our Morris Minor wedding car was decorated with old school tin cans which we loved.”
Michelle & Tomás’ top tip for other couples, you’ll be too happy to sweat the little things, “Things will go wrong - shock horror! Our bespoke table plan and cards which we designed never arrived, but the rain did just in time for our planned first dance outside. But, the good news is that you just don’t care on the day as your too busy having fun. So relax and enjoy the best party you will ever attend.”
Tomás & Michelle looked for a venue that could host them and their guests over a few nights, “We loved the idea of a destination wedding in Ireland and fell in love with Durrow. The grounds, house, food, staff... every element was just perfect. The fact that they could accommodate us for a few nights was also a huge pro as many other venues didn’t give this option. Finally, we loved that it such a wow factor but everyone who we dealt with were so down to earth and friendly. We felt so at ease and welcome.”
What a beaut! The touches of pink give Michelle's gorgeous gown a really playful feel.
The couple decided to hold-off on their honeymoon and plan a really special trip, “We plan on going away at the end of the year to South Africa & Mauritius. It’s been lovely to have such an amazing trip to look forward to. We can’t wait.”
The bride and groom added lots of thoughtful details throughout the day, “We had really cute wedding favours such as our lucky in love scratch cards and mini Buckfast for the lads. Our beloved hometown Galway made an appearance on the day as we called the tables after our favourite places there. Our theme was cherry blossoms and they really added something different to the church and reception room.”
This room at Castle Durrow always looks so pretty, but the cherry blossoms tie in beautifully!
What a shot of all the lads!
The couple had a very special cake baker, “Big shout out to Auntie Mau who made our wedding cake which was almost too beautiful to eat.”
So many chic details! Thanks so much to Michelle & Tomás for sharing their gorgeous wedding with us - and of course to Aspect Photography for capturing it so beautifully.
Recommended Suppliers
- Reception: Castle Durrow
- Photographer: Aspect Photography
- Stationery: Appleberry Press
- Wedding Dress: Sassi Holford from Sharon Hoey
The Wedding Details
- Ceremony: Church of the Holy Rosary, Abbeyleix
- Bridesmaids dresses: Wedding World
- Shoes: Ted Baker
- Flowers: Magic Moments
- Groom(smen)’s suits: Tangos
- Cars: Courtyard Classics
- Hair: Michelle O'Halloran
- Ceremony: Bow Musique
- Reception Music: Spring Break
- Makeup: Sarah Keary
