A foliage-laced destination wedding in Ireland...

By

We don't always get sunshine here in Ireland, but when it does shine, boy is it glorious! We're glad that in today's real wedding, Kaitlyn & Mike got gorgeous weather for their destination wedding in Ireland. The Chicago couple brought 30 of their closest friends and family to Barberstown Castle, for a personalised outdoor ceremony and a beautiful dinner draped in foliage, before hitting the town for a night out in Dublin. In Love Photography captured all the fun!

Kaitlyn & Mike met at work, “We started off as a friendship between two co-workers and progressed into a love we couldn’t deny.” Kaitlyn tells us.

Look at this gorgeous trio! Kaitlyn's lace halterneck is just fab, and the light blue bridesmaids dresses are perfect for the sunny day. And those bouquets by Fleur Weddings are so stunning!

Mike was supposed to propose one Saturday in May but he couldn’t wait another day, so through superstition out the window and popped the question on a Friday the 13th instead, “He told me to go out and pick up pizza while he set up our balcony like one of our favourite dates,” Kaitlyn explains. “We drove from Chicago to Dover, Delaware for a music festival in the middle of the woods. One of our favourite moments of the festival was laying on a hammock together watching all the trees turn different colours as we listened to the music.”

Mike had everything ready to go when Kaitlyn returned, “Our balcony was decorated with fake trees and a hammock and different color spotlights flashing. When I got back from picking up the pizza he was dressed up in a suit with our song - ‘Your Song’ by Elton John -playing in the background and he told me to follow him out onto the deck.” Now that’s pretty romantic!

The couple wanted an intimate, destination wedding, with an outdoor ceremony, “It was 70 and sunny in Ireland with 30 of our closest family and friends celebrating our next chapter in our lives. What more can you ask for?”

The foliage garland throughout the wedding is going to inspire lots of couples!

The couple included lots of special elements in their day as Kaitlyn explains, “My aunt officiated the ceremony, the maids of honour spoke during the ceremony and I created the entire ceremony. The outside set up for the ceremony was exactly what I envisioned.”

The couple loved the castle backdrop at Barberstown Castle, and that it had everything on their checklist of priorities.

Such a nice idea! Kaitlyn & Mike asked their guests to write them notes on postcards from Ireland.

The couple treated their guests to an alternative reception, “Went out to the bars in Dublin after dinner instead of having our own band or DJ.” Such a cool idea, right? Especially for a small destination wedding!

The couple had an incredible three stop honeymoon, taking in Paris, England and New York.

Such a wonderful wedding - thanks to much to Kaitlyn & Mike for sharing their wedding with us - and of course to In Love Photography for capturing it so beautifully!