As today's real wedding couple Darragh and Nikita grew up together in Dublin, they wanted to celebrate all the amazing places that their city has to offer during their Grayson wedding day. With an emphasis on some iconic Dublin spots, the amazing Olga Hogan Photography brought their day to life in photos and was kind enough to share it with us. Featuring bold colours, boho style, and some of Dublin's coolest spaces, this city wedding is seriously gorgeous and we know you're going to love it as much as we do!
Nikita and Darragh, both from Swords, grew up together in the same estate. Darragh was cheeky and loud, whereas Nikita was quiet and shy. Nikita tells us, "He looked for my attention each time I walked past and when we were 15 years old. We spent a few brief weeks together before parting ways for a few years." They then started seeing each other again just before Nikita turned 18, and the rest is history. They have been together ever since (15 years!)
The proposal happened when the couple took a trip to San Francisco for Nikita's 30th birthday in 2018. Nikita tells us, "one of the days, we hired out bikes and cycled across the Golden Gate bridge. We went up to a beautiful viewpoint just after the bridge called Marin Headlands which overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz. We sat on a bench there and Darragh pulled out a ring and asked me to marry him. I was completely surprised and did not suspect a thing! I think back now and find it so funny as I nearly wasn’t going up to the viewpoint as I was so tired from cycling but he insisted that we go up – I’m so happy that I did!"
The couple's main priority for their wedding was to celebrate all of the amazing places that Dublin has to offer. Nikita explains, "As we were getting married in Dublin and being proud Dubliners, the main thing we wanted to do on the day was walk from City Hall to The Grayson to capture all of the magic of Dublin City. That hour was my favourite part of the day. The people of Dublin City are amazing and made us feel like royalty!"
The couple originally planned their special day for Spain, however, it was cancelled due to the pandemic. They tell us, "We think that it was a blessing in disguise as this wedding suited us so much more. After cancelling our Spanish wedding, we just made both of us priority and really thought about what we wanted from our day and we were so happy with the end result."
When choosing their venue, this couple looked for a small, alternative, city, boho style. Their main goal for the day was for everyone to feel relaxed. The couple explains, "City Hall was one of the most beautiful buildings we had ever seen. We viewed it after booking it and were blown away by the space. Every picture captured both inside and outside of the building was just amazing."
She adds, "The Grayson is exactly the type of restaurant and venue we love. We loved the openness and light of the atrium room where we had our drinks reception but we also loved the moodiness and dark décor of the room where we had our dinner. It was just amazing and it will always hold a special place in my heart. The staff were incredible too!"
Due to government restrictions, the couple was limited to 25 guests. They feel this made the day more intimate and special, which is exactly what they wanted. Nikita tells us, "Every person I looked at on that day I loved so much and meant so much to me, so it really was a special time for everyone."
The bride's stunning Midi Lane Bridal wedding dress was bought from Jill Jones Bridal in Northern Ireland, while her bridesmaid dresses are from ASOS. Darragh looked super dapper in his suit from Louis Copeland & Sons, while his groomsmen and pageboy suits are from Protocol in Swords.
One of the couple's top tips is to not stress over the little (or even the big!) things that might pop up along the way, which is understandably easier said than done. "It really is true that on the day nothing else matters but you and your partner!" Nikita says. "Enjoy every second and live in the moment! Also, please consider a small, intimate wedding – I couldn’t recommend it more."
Thanks so much to Darragh and Nikita for sharing their gorgeous Grayson wedding with us, and to Olga Hogan Photography for providing the beautiful imagery! There are even more photographs to obsess over in the gallery below.
