Embracing the restrictions put in their way, today's real wedding couple worked around Covid-shaped problems and created the intimate wedding day they had always wanted. Czara and Mike said their 'I dos' in the bride's hometown of Adare in County Limerick in the gorgeous surrounds of the Holy Trinity Abbey Church before moving to The Mustard Seed in Ballingarry nearby for their intimate reception. Celebrating with a small number of family and friends, Wonder & Magic were there to capture the big day in all its glory, and we're delighted to share it with you all today. It's perfect inspiration for anyone considering a smaller celebration!

Mike and Czara met when she was working in St Lukes Hospital in Kilkenny as a medical student. "We met at the Christmas party and the rest is history," Czara told us of how it started. "Mike moved to Australia for a year when I was in my final year studying so we did long distance. Since meeting in our last week in Kilkenny, we haven't been in the same country together so we are so happy to finally be living together!"

And while it was clear from the beginning that this pair had found their match, the proposal still caught Czara off guard. "We went away to Amsterdam for a few nights in 2019," she told us. "I was not expecting anything on the trip - it was the biggest shock of my life!"

What a pair of beauts!

Like many others, Czara and Mike were planning their wedding through the Covid pandemic and with it, trying to dodge all the obstacles that came with it. "With Covid, we found everything we had planned was pushed to the wayside," Czara told us. "Everything was completely out of our control. For the first few weeks of lockdown, we had hoped that by July things would be back to normal but as the day approached it became evident that this was not going to be the case so we had to change our plans. With the help of our parents and families, we just stripped it right back to basics. We knew we wanted to get married and that's exactly what we did. When restrictions eased and hotels were allowed to open again, we planned for our family-only event. It really made it easy as we didn’t have to cut people from our guest lists or selectively invite people. We were overcome by how generous and kind everyone was to us in the lead up to our wedding. I will never be able to thank people enough."

With the change of plans came a change of venue. "We decided to change our venue to suit the more intimate wedding celebration we were going for," Czara told us. "John Edward Joyce from The Mustard Seed was amazing! He helped us plan the wedding and really made us feel safe during these strange times! The venue reminded us of my family home and the food and wines were amazing."

With all that they had overcome in the weeks leading up to their plan B wedding, this couple knew that on the day they just had to embrace the moment. "By the time the wedding came around, we had overcome every possible obstacle so we knew that there was nothing left that could go wrong," Czara told us. "We didn't even care about the weather - there was torrential rain when I arrived at the church but by the time we were signing the register, the sun was shining in the doors of the church which was so special. We were just so happy we were able to get married."

With reduced numbers and increased stress, this pair had no shortage of help from those closest to them. "My gorgeous, talented sister-in-law sourced me a dress," Czara gushed. "I didn’t think I would cry so much, but of course I didn’t cry until I had put on the dress. My poor Dad and I cried the whole way up the aisle too!"

After months of uncertainty, Mike and Czara were able to fully enjoy their big day, knowing that after everything they had finally made it down the aisle. "The day was so special to us as it was our wedding," Czara gushed. "I think we never let that fact slip away. We always felt that the purpose of our wedding was to be married, rather than to have a party and I think that that was really portrayed by our day. What also made the day for us was the church turned on their WebCam and Mike's Grandmother, who is 100, was able to tune in from Cork. Some of Mikes friends even went for a few drinks to celebrate with us on the day! When we finally got a chance to look at our phones there were tonnes of messages from all of our friends and family saying how much they loved it and how emotional the whole ceremony was. It really made it so special for us."

The pandemic refocused this couple on what was really important to them for their wedding and that forms the basis of their advice to other couples about to embark on the same journey. "Before Covid, details like hair, makeup, dresses, and facials all seemed so important," Czara said. "In a way, planning a wedding during a pandemic focuses the mind on why you're getting married in the first place. I was unable to experience any of these 'textbook bridal moments' with my bridesmaids and mum but in the end, our perfect day showed us what really mattered."

Thanks so much to today's lovely couple Czara and Mike for sharing their big day with us and to Wonder & Magic for capturing it in all its glory.