We don't normally share too many late night pictures from our real weddings (too much incriminating evidence!). But Adam & Colette's rollicking bash had such good dancefloor antics, we just had to share some of the fun captured by Christin White Photography. But it's no surprise, given that their entire day was filled with beaming smiles and lots of laughter, from their church vows in Belfast and their windswept photos on the beach in Portrush, to their bunting clad bevvie-themed reception at the Arcadia, this celebration is non-stop fun!
Adam & Colette met when they were just 13! “We are both performers. We did a play at the Lyric Theatre one Christmas.” Explains Colette, “There is a picture to prove it! We were chosen to be in the paper for a feature for the show we were in. Adams grandmother kept the picture.” How frickin’ sweet is that!
But it took a while for love to blossom, “We didn't cross paths again until 2013 when we did “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at the MAC theatre with Bruiser Theatre Company. We met there and fell in love.” This pair are clearly meant to be!
As the couple love the North Coast (pretty fitting considering it was where they got hitched), Adam chose one of their favourite spots to pop the question. “We have “our” seat that we also go to overlooking the Portstewart Strand. Since we met, we always went there and looked over the strand,” Colette tells us.
But it wasn’t entirely straight-forward, “Adam was planning to ask me on my birthday last year but I woke up sick! I had a terrible flu. So he had to wait a couple of days until I felt better. On Easter Monday (two days later than planned) we went for a walk and we went to “our” bench and he asked me to marry him.” Colette reminisces, “It was very romantic and basically perfect.”
For Adam & Colette, their ceremony was their biggest priority, “We are both Christians but brought up in different churches. But we chose a church that our family had connections with and we had a Catholic priest and Methodist minister there to bless our wedding.”
Colette & Adam recruited some friends for the ceremony music, “We had a soprano, guitar, piano and uilleann pipes. It was perfect. We both are singers and I have sang at many weddings, so it had to trump every wedding I have ever sang at, and it did.”
The bride and groom tell us their wedding day was exactly what they wanted, “Majorly focused on the ceremony, the most important part we felt, but the party in the North Coast was relaxed, and so much fun! We had a BBQ and it was BYO so it was like a big party atmosphere. Totally chilled.”
Instead of opting for a fresh flower bouquet, Colette had foam flowers by Let’s Face It Creation which she plans to keep forever!
The joy on this pair's faces - it's just infectious!
The couple had lots of helpers to bring their celebration together, “Everybody contributed to the day. Adam and his side of the family decorated The Arcadia the day before. It was stunning.” Says Colette, “My family made things (flowers, cake, stationary) and we all made the day unique together, it feels so much more personal when you know your loved ones played a role in creating every element.”
The location of The Arcadia made it a no-brainer for Adam & Colette, “The North Coast. The venue was on the sea, it was relaxed, chilled and exactly what we wanted. It’s a place that will be there for another hundred years and somewhere we will always return and remember such a wonderful day.” I love that they picked a spot they can return to again and again!
Colette tells us she never intended on buying a wedding dress, “I was going to get my auntie to make my dress. We went to this place that did ex-display dresses, just to get an idea of what style I liked and see if she would be able to make it. The first one I tried on and my granny was with me and said “that’s the one”. We tried on a few more but she was right.”
And she saved her auntie a big job too! “My auntie told me to buy it as she wouldn't be able to buy the material for the price I got it for. (It was taffeta like Princess Di) It was a steal and looked and made me feel like a princess.”
Colette & Adam’s top tip for wedding planning? “Communicate. Make sure to tell each other what is important to you and respect that. And relax. Everyone around may have expectations but as long as you are both doing what you want, let everyone else stress. Try and just enjoy the whole experience instead of stress about it.”
Colette’s mum looked after the flowers in the church and at the reception, “We went to M&S the day before and a local flower shop and my mum did them all! For the centre of the table my mum did flower arrangements in different gin bottles. The rest of the greenery on the long tables was eucalyptus, we got that from my mums friends back garden.”
The gin vibes kept going throughout the decor, “Our table plan was made by my brother.” Collette explains, “Your table was a gin bottle. So you had to find the gin bottle to find your seat.” Very clever! Collette’s brother made the invitations too, “They were done up like a cinema ticket.”
This is such a clever idea for a BYO wedding!
The cake had a family element to it too, “My cousins husband owns a bakery, Ann’s Pantry of Larne. They made us the cake and cupcake tower and we bought the little topper, Mr and Mrs Dougal."
Now they look like some cracking speeches!
The couple and their talented friends helped the wedding band with the evening’s performances, “For the reception we got a local band from Derry to play and our friends who are professional performers, got up and sang a few tunes. Me and Adam did a first dance and we also did a first song. We sang Don't Stop Me Now.” Now that sounds fun!
This pair didn’t get long to chill out after all the excitement of the wedding, “Well we got married on a Saturday and I had to work on the Monday,” explains Colette, “We are actors and I had the first day of rehearsals of the Christmas show at the MAC Belfast..”
But they did get away eventually, “So we had to postpone our honeymoon until three months later. We went to Morocco and it was warm, by the beach and relaxing. Exactly what we needed after a busy few months for us both.”
Doesn't it look like one epic party! Thanks so much to Colette & Adam for sharing their story with us - and of course to Christin White Photography for capturing all the love!
