Today's real wedding is another tale of postponed dates and downsized guest lists, but the result is - we promise! - a thoroughly joyful wedding in spite of tricky Covid-19 restrictions. Claire and Ciarán were due to get married in April 2020 - 180 guests had already received their invitations when Covid-19 hit! - but ended up tying the knot in September with just 21 guests present, and many VIPs, including Ciarán's best man, sadly not in attendance. Even so, their Kilmore Country House wedding is a treat from start to finish. Captured beautifully by Hummingbird Photography, it features dreamy, '60s-inspired bridal style, vintage-look florals, drop-dead gorgeous bridesmaids dresses (and one very cool bridesmaids jumpsuit!) and epic portraits.

It sounds like this couple were truly meant to be! Claire tells us, "Even though we only grew up 7 miles away from each other and are a similar age (2 weeks difference to be exact), it took until we were 20 and living our best life in Belfast to meet. We met at University through a mutual friend (Paul), who lived with Ciarán. Paul had invited me over after class as we shared some lectures together. Ciarán walked in and I thought, ‘who is he!?’ We all went for drinks that night and got to know each other. I want to say the rest is history but there was a lot of chasing done (on both parts!) over the next 9 months before it was made official. Everyday feels like the first day we met, making the last 10 years seem like a blink of the eye."

Claire tells us that Ciarán popped the question in Prague! She recalls, "We trekked up to the top of Petrin Tower, which looks over the whole of Prague, including the Palace, Castle and the Charles Bridge. When we got to the top, I stopped to take in my surroundings, and Ciarán walked around the tower facing the Palace and Castle. When I went around to meet him, he took a red, model VW camper out of his pocket. I was too busy wondering when and where he managed to pick that up in Prague that I missed most of what was coming out of his mouth, until I saw the sparkler resting in the arms of a little clay man that Ciarán had lovingly created. I think Ciarán thought I wasn’t going to say yes, but he asked again and I just gave him the biggest squeeze. After being together for over 6 years and ultimately knowing we would eventually get married, I still couldn’t believe how magical it was!"

From the very beginning, this couple had two clear priorities for their big day. "One of the most important things was celebrating our love for each other with all our family and friends," Claire says. "We knew we wanted to get married in the church, as this is very important to both ourselves and our families. Outside of that, we wanted it to be relaxed and fun, we didn’t want people to have to travel too far and we loved the idea of having it in Springtime or Autumn."

Initially, they chose a wedding date that already had special significance. "It turned out that my parent’s wedding anniversary fell on a Saturday (25th April)," Claire says. "It was fate and we went for it! When we had to change our original plans because of lockdown, we moved our date to September and decided that, no matter what, we were getting married that day!"

Closer to the time, and still concerned for vulnerable family members, the couple cut their guest list back to immediate family and bridal party only. "We were so happy to be able to get married," Claire says, "and, although it wasn’t the day we had originally planned, it was the most perfect day because we prioritised what was most important, not only our love for one another, but the people that brought us together and helped us be together."

For this couple, and their venue, Kilmore Country House, it was love at first sight. "The team are very personable and go that extra mile to make things perfect," Claire says. "The food is also amazing, cooked by their on-site chef. The venue is private which was something we wanted for our family and friends, especially our two nephews and a niece. I could just seem the running around without a care in the world!"

Claire describes the look and feel of their wedding day as, "relaxed, intimate and boho. We wanted everyone (including ourselves) to feel comfortable and included. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, this took on a new meaning. We literally called upon all 21 of our closest family and friends to get involved in readings, helping to transport flowers, amongst various other wedding tasks. Having everyone sit at a single table only added to the understated nature of the day, enhancing the warm and personal feeling of our special occasion."

Claire's talented sister made the couple's wedding cake, a lemon, chocolate and Victoria sponge. "We had lots left over which we were able to distribute to some of our close family and friends who should have been there." But the contributions from talented family members didn't end there! Claire adds, "My little sister did the artwork for the invites and a very cute map of how to get to Kilmore. My Daddy made a beautiful cake stand for us which we will have forever. One of my besties sang me down the aisle, which makes me so happy."

One of the bride's favourite moments from the day took place just before the ceremony. Claire recalls, "One of the loveliest moments was driving up to the chapel that morning. My family, friends and neighbours who couldn’t be with us due to the restrictions, were out along the route. It was very emotional and heart-warming!"

Claire's advice to engaged couples is to decide on your priorities early on and keep referring back to them during the planning process. "Our day was not how we ever imagined it, but, on reflection, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Everyone’s situation is different, but for us the most important thing was for us to get married. We overcame a rollercoaster of emotions from lockdowns, postponements, minimal restrictions being lifted and not knowing if new restrictions would come into force before our day, which made us realise that it is all about us and how much we love each other."

They are also big fans of contingency planning! "We had a plan B, C, D…Z to cover all eventualities and I think this allowed us to be more relaxed on the run up to the day," Claire says. "For us, having several plans also helped us navigate the emotions associated with making changes quickly. Don’t let the small things worry you, friends and family are very understanding of not being able to attend, there is always an alternative solution to something that gets restricted last-minute, and, no matter what, you will always look back on your day and be grateful that it happened."

Thanks so much to Claire and Ciaran for sharing their Kilmore Country House wedding with us, and to Hummingbird Photography for providing the beautiful imagery! There are even more photographs to swoon over in the gallery below.