Against a spectacular backdrop of natural beauty, our real wedding couple Shauna and Conor exchanged vows in a magnificent outdoor ceremony at the Red Door Country House in Donegal. Featuring a delightfully dainty floral wedding gown, a wedding party dressed in the softest blue and a glorious golden hour photoshoot by the sea, this charming celebration is truly unmissable. With Paula Gillespie Photography there to capture the couple's fabulous day, check out Shauna and Conor's stylish June wedding below!

Let's get to know the happy couple: "We met in secondary school when we were 17, as we had mutual friends. We became close over the course of about a year and then got together - we’ve been together 10 years now!"

Fast forward to their sweet proposal story: "It was in July 2020, we were out for a drive in the car and got out for a walk along the shore at Greencastle, Donegal, and that’s when Conor proposed."

To calm their nerves before their picture-perfect outdoor ceremony, the two arrived to the venue early along with their immediate families to do a sweet first look on the grounds of the estate: "It was nice having time with the two families together, just chatting and having a few laughs. Conor and I said personal vows privately to each other at this time - we wanted to be able to do this without the pressure of having eyes and ears on us! We had our family photographs taken at this time too, which was great as we had loads of time after the ceremony to catch up with extended family and friends."

Shauna and Conor are both based in Dublin but chose the spectacular venue as they wanted to find somewhere close to home, so that the majority of their guests wouldn't have a long way to travel. "We wanted to keep things simple and relaxed - to be able to focus on spending our day together and with our guests, to enjoy the beautiful venue, music and food. We also wanted to enjoy and not stress about the planning process, so we scaled back on things that didn’t mean so much to us - for example we chose not have a cake and skipped wedding favours."

Our glowing bride wore a glorious Madi Lane gown with an all-over floral motif and a fabulous matching veil, which she paired with floral hairpins, pearl jewellery and, in an extra sentimental touch, her wedding ring was passed on from her grandmother. Perhaps her 'something blue', Shauna's bridesmaids wore a trio of powder blue gowns alongside Conor's groomsmen who sported a complementary shade, which could also be seen in the gorgeous floral arrangments.

The couple's dreamy June wedding day featured a sunshine-filled outdoor Humanist ceremony: "We were so lucky to have a beautiful day - both of us had wished for an outdoor ceremony but assumed we couldn’t plan for that, with the wedding being in Ireland. It helped the day be very easygoing, with our friends and family sitting outside in the sunshine with a drink and good company."

With breathtaking mountain and sea views, the couple's wildflower-filled ceremony included a reading of the poem How Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog by Taylor Mali, which was a humorous ode to to their dogs. As for the couple's song list: "Our ceremony musician sang a slowed version of Growing Up Beside You by Paolo Nutini as the first song in our ceremony - it was really special." 

Shauna and Conor's reception went on to include live music, a dreamy golden hour photoshoot and a first dance to Al Green's Let's Stay Together: "Shauna’s mum took on the task of teaching us a few steps for the occasion."

After their ceremony, the couple repurposed their daisy, ranunculus and garden rose floral arrangements for their reception centerpieces: "We didn’t stick too tightly to any specific aesthetic or theme, I just wanted plenty of wildflowers and everything quite natural, and our colours for the bridal party kind of came from that - blue, pink, neutrals."

Shauna and Conor had this advice for couples embarking on their own wedding planning journey: "Always keep in mind what the day is about, the both of you. Take time to appreciate the lovely time this is in your lives, and don’t get carried away with stress about the little things."

As their well-deserved honeymoon the couple jetted to Mexico: "We rented a car and travelled to a few different spots on the Yucatan Peninsula. We had a brilliant time, plenty of relaxation and adventure too. Would definitely recommend it!"

A very special thank you to Shauna, Conor and Paula Gillespie Photography for sharing their charming coastal celebration with One Fab Day. There are also plenty more gorgeous photos from their special day to check out in the gallery below!

Dreaming of your own coastal celebration? Check out our guide of idyllic beach wedding venues in Ireland here.