Themed or patriotic weddings can make us a little nervous. Americana vibes can be cool, and we're all about a Mexican style fiesta, but anything overtly Irish can come across a bit diddley-eye, right? But today's gorgeous real wedding shows us how it's done. Sarah and Neil got married with a St. Patrick’s Day wedding at Ballybeg House and their day was peppered with nods to all things Irish (black pudding crostinis, anyone?), while still keeping things romantic, whimsical and super stylish (just wait 'til you see Sarah's cape and shoes!). Lima Conlon Photography was there to capture the whole thing, and as you'll see, this spring wedding in Wicklow was a wonderful family affair...
So how did it all start? Sarah tells us the couple have known each other for years, "Neil’s family are neighbours of my best friend Laura’s parents, so we would have both been at birthday parties and various celebrations in their house throughout the years. Then in summer 2009 I took up the offer of a few days in the sun with Laura’s family. Neil’s family were also on the same trip and we kissed one night after a few too many sangrias but put it down to a holiday thing. We both went our separate ways after that, keeping in touch with the odd Facebook message (or poke which was a thing at the time)!”
Pokes! Old school!
These customised hangers made each of the girls' bridesmaid dresses feel extra special.
Sarah's fluffy heels are unreal!
This pair's first date sounds like a fun one! “It wasn’t until May 2010 that we actually went on our first date, which was pretty much a pub crawl around Ringsend, ending up with the crashing of an 80th birthday in Slattery’s Pub! We knew then that we were a match!”
Lots of sweet Irish-themed details in honour of the day that was in it!
Neil proposed at home with the help of the couple's son Tom, "I had always said that I would want something low key and nothing public, Neil really took this literally. I was standing at the sink one Saturday morning brushing my teeth when Neil called me insisting that I come into our son Tom’s bedroom to look at something.” Sarah recalls. “I rolled my eyes as I walked out of the bathroom (mouth full of toothpaste) and walked into Tom’s room. Both Tom and Neil had their backs to me and Neil told me to look over Tom’s shoulder to see what he had in his hands, I looked over and there it was! Shocked was not the word! Needless to say, I ran straight back into the bath room, spit out the toothpaste and of course said yes.”
Sarah & Neil knew exactly what they wanted for their wedding, "We wanted to steer clear from the traditional, it just wasn’t us. We wanted our wedding to feel like one big house party where everyone was well fed and watered and where people could relax and just enjoy themselves”. Sounds like our kind of party!
Stunning detailing on the back of Sarah's caped dress!
The couple were enamoured with their wedding venue from the outset, “We had visited a number of places before deciding on Ballybeg. We travelled out to Tinahely on a cold wet Friday in February 2016 to view the venue and instantly fell in love with it. I had my heart set on a spring wedding and I knew this venue would be perfect regardless of the weather. We also loved the laid-back vibe of Ballybeg and the total attention to detail throughout the venue. I knew that it was somewhere we could kick back, relax and really enjoy the day.”
Sarah & Neil loved the fact that they could make a weekend of it, “We spoke with Paddy and Tee while we were out there and they ran through the package with us quickly. We loved the way we could take the whole place for four days as in many of the venues we had looked at this was not an option."
They didn't delay in making the booking and never looked back, "I left Neil discussing the finer details and took Tom for a walk around the grounds, Neil joined us a few minutes later having provisionally booked the 17th March 17. I was thrilled and knew we were in good hands. They didn’t disappoint and were fantastic throughout the whole planning process. Nothing was ever an issue for the gang at Ballybeg and they encouraged us to make the place our own for the weekend which we loved.” As anyone who's ever missed out on their perfect wedding date will know, if you find the place - book it!
Sarah had her very own chauffeur for the morning, “As the whole ceremony and reception were taking place within Ballybeg we didn’t see the need to book a wedding car but Neil’s uncle Brendan stood in on the day collecting my dad and I from Grouse Lodge and chauffeuring us down to the church, he had even stopped to pick up some champagne and glasses for us to toast on the way. Such a pro!”
The couple took planning in their stride, and chose the 17th of March as their wedding date to amp up the party feel, “We felt pretty relaxed about our wedding from day one and that’s how we wanted our guests to feel. I also wanted something that suited the vibe of the venue, so a kind of romantic, fairy tale feel. Also, as it was Saint Patrick’s Day we tried to give a nod to the national holiday by including lots of greenery and added a few shamrocks around the place for luck.”
Neil surrounded by a gorgeous gang of ladies!
Seriously though - those shoes!
Words of wisdom displayed on a burlap banner and hanging from a tree - a lovely idea for a DIY project.
The lanterns hanging in the trees is such a pretty touch.
The couple say there families were a huge help throughout the planning, “My dad created a slideshow to play on the day with the help of Neil's mam, Brid, who provided him with old family photos from Neil’s side, it was lovely to have the pictures of grandparents and other people who had passed on playing in the background, as if they were there in some little way on the day.”
All this traditional Irish fare looks delicious!
Sarah tells us there were shamrocks a'plenty dotted around the wedding - even some that couldn't been seen by the average guest! “In a nod to the day that was in it my mam made sure the groom and groomsmen were well kitted out with their St Patrick’s Day boxers which she had bought in work.”
Sarah's father did an incredible job on the table plan,“My dad also made our table planner from a picture I sent him from Pinterest. He set about putting it together and Neil's mam had a beautiful cake made for us with figurines of myself, Neil, Tom and even our cat Meom!”
This is how you do an Irish-themed Paddy's Day set up, lots of elegant greenery.
Sarah says she was really blown away by all the help she and Neil received, “There were so many things really that people done for us on the day and in the days and months leading up to the wedding they really were all so great.”
Sarah & Neil's advice for other couples tying the knot? It all comes together in the end, “I know it is a cliche? but try not to worry too much about small things, you won’t notice them on the day. I spent days working out how I was going to get helium balloons to the venue, it was St Patrick’s Day and nowhere was open and anywhere that was, would only blow up their own balloons and not the ones I had bought online. In the end, I found a place in Celbridge where I am from and asked guests to collect them and bring them with them that morning. It only dawned on me the day after the wedding that I had never even seen the balloons, they were not that important in the end!”
Obligatory Paddy's Day pints of Guinness.
The couple's honeymoon was an exotic contrast to their St. Patrick's Day affair! “Neil’s dad Donal organised our honeymoon. He is based in Doha in Qatar so we flew back with him to Qatar after the wedding and then on to Sri Lanka for 10 days which was absolutely amazing.” What an amazing father-in-law!
Huge thanks to Lima Conlon Photography sharing this special wedding with us, and wishing Sarah, Neil and Tom all the best for the future!
