Today's real wedding has got one of those rare magic blends. It's stylish, glamorous and elegant, but it's also heartfelt, personal, and a whole lot of fun. (Backstreet Boys 'til the wee hours kind of fun!). Laura & Paddy tied the knot with a church ceremony and refined reception at Virginia Park Lodge. Laura's gown was stunning, Paddy's tux was sharp, and every detail from the food to the flowers, was so beautiful. But when you read through the couple's take on their day, they don't mention any of that, talking more about the guests, the suppliers, the emotional moments, and most of all, the craic. A couple after our own hearts, we're so glad Elaine Barker Photography was on hand to capture their day...
Paddy & Laura met each other through work in Dublin, “We worked together in Hedgeserv and after a few months of friendship at the Christmas party our romance began. We're both very sporty so got on great once met.”
The rich hues of the bridesmaid dresses (from ASOS FYI!) go so beautifully with Laura's glamorous gown from The White Gallery.
Paddy popped the question during a weekend break in Barcelona, “It was our second time there. During our first trip our favourite restaurant was Ciudad Condal, so Paddy decided that is where he wanted to pop the question.”
He planned his move while Laura nipped off to the bathroom, “He went down on one knee in our favourite spot (a big surprise). He met my father the day we flew out to ask for his blessing too so it was perfect. We then celebrated for the weekend in Barcelona!”
Paddy & Laura say that while emotions were high, their wedding was the perfect day, “We were very relaxed and happy and tried to enjoy every minute and not stress. It was an emotional day for us both as both our mams had passed away three years previous. But we tried our best to remember them on the day and the day was full of laughter (and tears).”
The couple say their priority for their wedding was creating a fun vibe for their guests, “We really wanted a relaxed atmosphere and good craic from the get go. We were up ’til 5am singing Backstreet Boys and oldies, so I think we got just that!” Nailed it!
I think we all need one of these in our lives!
Shoe envy!
Paddy & Laura made sure they were able to enjoy the celebrations too. “We tried to be as organised as possible in the months before it so we could relax on the day and enjoy all the build up.”
The couple's niece and nephews took part in their day, Grace was the cool flower girl (spot her trainers under her dress - love them!) along with pro page boys Nathan and Dylan.
The priest was a family friend of Paddy’s, “It was so special to have someone we know marry us.”
Paddy & Laura have nothing but praise for their photography and videographer, “Special note to Shane and Elaine, their work was outstanding and they were a joy to have on the day.
These two say it’s important to relax on your wedding day, “Enjoy every minute. The day is so special with all your close family and friends it will go amazing. Don’t stress the small stuff - on the day you won’t care as long as you’re both together, having fun!”
Virginia Park Lodge was a no brainer for this pair of food-lovers, “It wowed us from the get-go with a Michelin star chef, Richard Corrigan. But the minute we arrived to Virginia we knew it was the one. The décor and grounds are spectacular and the food was outstanding. The attention to detail and the personal touches blew us away. Deirdre and Paul were so welcoming and completely devoted themselves to making our wedding perfect. Virginia totally spoiled us and couldn’t fault the venue whatsoever.”
I'm full on obsessed with Laura's wedding dress!
The couple were overwhelmed by the love and support they received from their friends and family, “Firstly we had so many of our family and friends travel home from us – including Canada, Denmark, Liverpool, Spain & London, which meant so much to us. Our families (especially our two fathers), we were spoilt rotten and everyone put in such a big effort for us.”
The couple have a soft-spot for all the suppliers that worked on their wedding, “We tried from the get-go to make our wedding as personal as possible. For us we researched so much to get the best supplier and add the small details, we got our stationary for the venue off Etsy from a lady in New Mexico who specially designed them for us, our ring box and candles were from Poland, my shoes from New York. We tried our best to get the best of everything and were delighted with the results.”
Paddy & Laura put special effort into remembering both their mothers throughout their day, “In the speeches, in their wedding photos we had included in the cakes, I had pictures of our mams in brooches on the bouquets and so many old photos framed around the venue. All these little touches meant a lot to us.”
The speeches were a real highlight for the bride and groom, “Everyone raved about them. All the men spoke so well and did our mams proud. So many tears and laughs. They were brilliant.”
What these two will remember most about their big day? The craic. “Staying up all night with our closest dancing, singing songs and celebrating, we were so lucky to have so many good friends around us.”
The couple gave a big focus to the small details, “We had photo collages done in floral hoola-hoops of all our family and friends, we had so many photo frames of everyone close to us. We arranged the sparkler send off which was one of the best moments of the day for us both. The little touches for us made the day that bit extra special.”
The couple topped off their fabulous wedding with an even more fabulous honeymoon, “Las Vegas (the Wynn Hotel) and Cancun (Secrets the Vine) - it was the trip of a lifetime topped off by seeing Backstreet Boys in concert in Vegas.” Backstreet Boys! Well jell!
The couple came across their band on a night out, “Myself and Paddy saw then in Clifden two years ago, where we went mad dancing (baloobas) and adored them.”
The sparkler send-off was another stand-out moment, “Every guest came out and we felt like celebs walking through. It was amazing, we had never seen it done before so felt quite special and the photos Elaine took are phenomenal!”
What a special wedding - and it sounds like so much fun - thanks so much to Laura & Paddy for sharing it with us! And of course to Elaine Barker Photography for capturing it all so beautifully!
