The couple in today's featured real wedding, Claire and John, set out to have an informal, laughter-filled wedding day with a house party feel and that’s exactly what they got at Cloughjordan House. Their low-key hooley, which was captured in beautiful photography by IG Studio Photography, was brimming personal touches (wait until you see the lush décor the bride's pal designed for the marquee...) and swelled to a four-day celebration! Now that's what we call a party!
Claire and John crossed paths when they were both living in London, but their first encounter had an Irish twist! “A mutual friend invited us to a St. Patrick’s Day party at her house,” Claire recalls. “John and I got chatting, numbers were exchanged, and we went on our first date a week later. John always thanks the magic of St. Patrick’s Day for bringing us together… or maybe it was the Guinness!”
John decided to propose on a beach in Vietnam during an epic two-week holiday but his plan was swiftly derailed when Claire contracted a severe infection and was put on complete bed rest. Still, he wasn't about to let doctor’s orders postpone the proposal! Claire remembers; “It was the last night of our holiday and John managed to convince me to leave the hut and take a short walk along the beach. As John had already asked my dad’s permission to marry me, and told him that he would be proposing in Vietnam, he could not leave the country without popping the question, despite me being so sick."
As the couple walked along the beach, John stopped Claire and got down on one knee, "I was in complete shock, and was not sure if it was my high fever playing tricks on me, but of course, I said yes straight away!" Claire explains, "We couldn’t celebrate that night as I had to go back to bed, but it was such an unforgettable proposal, and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world!”
It’s always special when the bride gets ready in her family home - we can only imagine the excitement in the house that morning!
The loved-up pair immediately knew how they were going to approach their wedding day - they wanted to do away with unnecessary formality and instead have a massive party! “We wanted our wedding day to be relaxed, fun, and full of laughter, and we absolutely got that. The laughter even started during our marriage ceremony, and I think that definitely set the tone for the rest of the day!”
Claire and John kicked off their wedding plans by deciding which elements of the celebration were most important to them. “We really wanted all our family and friends to have the best day,” Claire says, “and agreed on three key priorities; great music; great food, and great wine. We definitely achieved all three!”
A little rain couldn't stop these two from smiling!
As for the venue, it was love at first sight! “We visited Cloughjordan House around Christmas time, and fell completely in love with the place. From the wine glass chandelier to the open stone fire place, the converted stable bedrooms and the Argentinian Asado, we could not have asked for more. We wanted a venue that could be our home for the weekend, and that’s just what we got – it was like one big house party, with all our family and friends around us!”
Claire has some admirably practical advice for brides and grooms-to-be; “There can be a lot of people to organise on the morning of the wedding, so I created an itinerary detailing the running order of the day, contact telephone numbers, locations, and timings. I then circulated it to the entire bridal party, so everyone knew where they had to be and when. It was really useful, and a few of my friends have even borrowed my itinerary template for their own weddings!” Clearly, for this couple, organisation was key!
In the end, what mattered most to Claire and John about their wedding day was that their guests could recognise them in every little detail. “The entire day, from what we wore, our ceremony, the venue, the food, and the music, was a complete extension of us. It was everything we wanted and more, and was a true reflection of both our personalities.”
We love the simple romance of the marquee interiors, which featured a neutral palette with lots of lush greenery and the odd flash of candy pink. “My friend Tullio, who is also an incredible interior designer, was responsible for the marquee décor,” Claire says. “I didn’t see the décor until the day of the wedding, and it was just so stunning!"
It sounds like Claire and John threw a pretty raucous party, helped along by a surprise from the bride’s sisters! Claire remembers; “My sisters, Aoife and Tara, also surprised John and I with Irish dancers during the meal (I am a HUGE Riverdance fan!), and that got the entire marquee clapping and cheering.”
For their honeymoon, Claire and John decided to forgo the long-haul flight and head to Greece for some serious R&R. “We love to travel, but we knew after four days of celebrating our wedding (yes, it was a four-day jolly!) we wanted to fly somewhere close by. As a result, we picked Santorini and stayed at the beautiful Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites and Spa for eight nights. The hotel was incredible and just so relaxing – it was exactly what we needed. The island itself was absolutely stunning, and we’ve never visited a place where, no matter what restaurant we chose, the food was consistently amazing!” It sounds pretty perfect to us!
It looks like some serious shapes were thrown on that dancefloor!
Thanks so much to IG Studio Photography for sharing their gorgeous images with us, and, of course, to Claire and John, for letting us have a peek inside their big day!
